help with my gardenias

Thanks birdie!

This message was edited Jul 9, 2009 8:46 AM

For those who try it, let me know how the rooting your gardenias in water goes in your area. It will be interesting to see if they root this easily in other climates.

For anyone who tries rooting Gardenia cuttings in water, please come back and let us know your results.

I'm trying a daisy gardenia for the first time this year. It is supposed to be quite small at maturity (I have a small garden) and hardy for our area (North Little Rock, AR) is why I choose this particular variety.

I read somewhere on one of these forums where Gardenias were easy to root so that is something else I'm trying this year. After planting, I took six or seven tip cuttings, pinched the lowest leaves, lightly coated the lowest leaf nodes of each cutting with hormone powder and stuck in damp, well drained MG potting soil. I used a 2 liter clear plastic soda bottle, cut in half, with holes poked in the bottom part for drainage. The top half has a slit cut on the side so I could pinch it a bit to get it to easily fit into the bottom half, creating a small greenhouse (remove the bottle cap). I set it outside on June 24 in bright shade (no direct sunlight). Today, I can already see many roots in the soil, due to the container being clear, and there is new growth beginning on most of the cuttings. The next step is to repot some in individual pots and plant the remainder directly into the garden to test how well they do.

Gardeners in California or any dry area could probably help your potted Gardenia plants by sitting them above a water filled tray of pebbles or if in ground, planted near a water feature such as a fountain or pond as my guess is your air might be too dry for their needs. Then again, keeping the soil evenly moist and slightly acidic might simply be the key to success, even with dry air. Also, where it is so hot and dry, I'd think mostly dappled shade would be best, based on all I've read. Even here, I have mine planted in dappled shade and so far she is doing well, with new growth and buds forming. Of course, mine is only recently planted, so only time will tell. I did amend the soil with a lot of oak leaf mold and the planting site has excellent drainage as it is in a raised area of the garden. I also keep the soil moist. We've had temps above 100 degrees already this summer but we also experience high humidity, which I believe Gardenia's must like, as so many in the southeast report such good luck with their Gardenia plants.

Good luck to all. Everyone should be able to enjoy the wonderful fragrance of Gardenias.

Testing the smiley face insertion ... ^_^ ... thank you for the instructions.

Mary

I'm thinking Mary might be right on about the gardenias. Considered the one in my yard reading her post and conditions are similar, dappled shade and Louisiana humity is always high. Rarely gets below 60 per cent. I am wondering if these different varities will root true. Never rooted gardenias but have rooted a lot of roses. The hybred roses will not root true. Native roses will and even the dwarf roses will root true. Just a thought. Anyone know the answer? If Farmerdill shows up, I bet he does.

Jim,

Are hybrid roses grafted onto different root stock? If so, then I'd think the cuttings wouldn't root true to the parent. Not knowing much about roses, this is the only idea I can come up with.

I'm just learning about plant propapation this year and trying different plants. So far, besides the Gardenia cuttings, I've had success with a perennial red Salvia, tickseed, sedum, Sweet Woodruff, Lantana, Butterfly bush, coleus, Mazus and Salvia Black & Blue. I'm really quite surprised at the many plants that can be propagated by taking cuttings. Of course, I'm trying ones that are reported to be easy. ^_^

I've ordered some of those root trainers, thinking if I can learn to propagate plants, I can use the root trainers to create well rooted but lightweight cuttings to share with others who are looking for something I happen to be growing. I got the idea when the Butterfly organization in Florida sent me some small rooted cuttings of Milkweed. They were so small and lightweight, it cost so very little for them to mail them to me.

Mary

Hi Mary. The hy-brid roses are grafts on native root stock. Notice the ball on a tea rose. That's the reason you never plant the ball below the surface of the ground. It looks to me like it should root true but it doesn't. Probably someone here at Dave's could explain why. We have a dark red rose that was given us probably 25 years ago. Beautiful and highly fragrent. I've rooted it 5 or 6 times and only one time did I get the dark red color but the bloom conformation was a little different. All the rooted ones were pretty and all maintain the sweet aroma of momma but none was exactly like her. I wish they were. Roses are probably the easiest thing I ever rooted.

JIm - so if roses are so easy to root, if I ask for the trimmings of a friends when she goes back to the next 5 leafed node to prune, I might just have good luck and end up with a rooted plant!?! is that what you say? I would be delighted if the fragrance stayed true, even if color was different....on some , that is. I don't understnd it not growing true to the part it is grafted from, thoough......

Sheri ^_^

Well BirdieBlue, I don't have the answer. Maybe someone will pick up on it and give you the reason. That's what I was told and it has proven true. I've rooted several native roses and they've always rooted true but not the hy-bred. On rooting, you need a piece with at least four growth buds. Coat the ones that were closest to the main stem with a rooting agent. Stick 2 buds below ground and press the soil tight. Take a quart jar and put over it and shove the jar in the ground enough it won't turn over. Then just leave it alone until spring. Oh, don't leave any foliage on it when you plant. I always put the ones I'm rooting out after the weather turns cold.

I got a gardenia plant from Bluestone this year and planted it in a pot. It is doing fine, so far. It hasn't bloomed, but it has gotten bigger. It seems to be liking the rainy humid weather here this year. I will try to take a couple of cuttings. the challenge will be to get it to survive the winter inside. How often do you fertilize your plants? Should I fertilize it even if it doesn't bloom? I planted it with a pellet thing included from Bluestone and haven't added any other fertilizer, yet.

Excatly the same happenned to me, twice!!!
I throw mine out and gave up..but I might get more after reading this forum!!