When to move rooting gardenias to soil?

I have a couple gardenia cuttings I snipped a few weeks back that have formed roots. I'm just wondering how long I should wait until they are moved from water to soil. Any ideas?

I would plant them in a gallon pot and get them growing - I wouldn't plant them in the ground now - it will get cold very soon. Keep them in a warmer place this winter.

Thanks Kay. You think those small roots are stable enough already to grow in the soil? I wasn't sure how long to let them get.

I would wait another couple of weeks and then post the progress of the roots. They SHOULD be ready for soil, but there is no way to know for sure - just have to make sure they are about 3" long and that there are many more than you have in this picture. You can begin feeding them a WEAK fertilizer solution in the rooting water.

Thanks much. I'll keep them in the water for now. The roots are only about 3/4" long at this point.

jljo...

I'd move them to 3" or 4" pots, using a nice potting mix and keeping it very moist. When you root plants in water they tend to make soft/fragile roots that prefer water; potting them up now will allow the cuttings to begin growing roots that will handle soil conditions. I'd keep them in a warm spot, too.

If it is more convenient you can move all your cuttings (3 of them?) into one large pot, using a plastic bag to hold in moisture. Putting the pot in the bottom of the bag (instead of putting the bag over the top) allows you to easily close or open the top to allow an air exchange. (See pic)

Shoe (Gardenia Freak!)

Here is a great pic of gardenia cuttings and a root system that is only 41 days old. This is where you want to be before you move them into larger pots.

Shoe

congratulations on your cuttings taking root in the water ...it's something quite new to me, but I have suddenly found oleanders are rooting in water and would like to find out what plants in general root in water and is special care needed?
it's a thrill to know gardenias do because I have a special one that you cannot buy any more.Could you tell me what season you think best for doing that ...we are in Spring here while you are in autumn ...does it matter?
Thankyou chrissy

Thanks for the advice, Horseshoe! I just noticed this morning a 3rd gardenia cutting sending out a root, and the fourth and fifth don't look like they're far at all.

Chrissy -- I'm not sure what (if any) the preferred season is to do this. I just thought I'd give it a shot, snipped a few cuttings, and stuck 'em in water. It's been a couple weeks, but they're rooting.

Congrats jljo! Soon you'll have gardenia hedges all around your house! What fragrance, eh?

Chrissy, you'll find you have great results rooting gardenia if you use new growth cuttings (green wood). If you look at the new growth on your plant the stems will be a nice bright green; follow that color back to where the wood begins to darken and snip it where the two colors merge, right at a node. Immediately stick the cuttings in water as you clip them. If you're going to root in water that's all there is to it. If you prefer to root in potting soil you can transfer them to that later.

By the way, what is the name of your gardenia you are trying to propagate?

Shoe

Chrissy, in regards to your question about time of year being best, I personally think spring is best. The plants are starting to wake up after winter and are ready to grow. My opinion.

Jeanette

BTW, great pictures Shoe

Thanks everyone ...mine is called Professer Pucci and it is a huge bloom ...my gardenia tree is 6/7ft tall.
It is much admired by many friends and is longer in the nurseries (around my area anyway)
Thanks very much for your responses and good luck with yours ^_^

Now *that* must smell wonderful. I didn't realize that gardenias could get that big!

Careful, Chrissy - you get those to root and we might all be hitting you up for some....

I am in Australia otherwise it would be my pleasure ^_^.

Okay, I'll get a ticket....

Pagancat, we'll all chip in for your ticket but you have to bring a suitcase full of Chrissy's rooted cuttings back with you! Right, folks!? :>)

Jnette, yep, I think Spring is a good time for many cuttings, lots of new growth then.

Chrissy, your Prof Pucci sounds like a keeper to me. I Googled and see quite a few place in Aust and NZ that have it. I'm jealous. (Folks, those flowers get to be 4" across! Wowzers!)

Shoe

When are you leaving PC? LOL.

Jeanette

As soon as I get the contribution towards the ticket!

Ugh, 16 hour flight. No kidding.

Might be 18 if the pilot sleeps or plays with a laptop??? Yeah right. What were the passengers doing? Were they all asleep?

It takes longer to fly to the othe other side of australia than to fly over there! my blooms are much bigger than the blurb ...almost the size of a bread and butter plate and the centre is very high, it's a really stunning plant,I think it was bred here.
You are so funny, thanks for the fun ...I will post a pic when they bloom.

Oh, my....

Have mercy...I hope you can post pictures of your gardenia, Chrissy. What a treasure that must be.

Shoe

A picture and a scratch 'n sniff!