Gardenias, Indoors and Outdoors

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WilloyB Kansas City, MO(Zone 6a) May 31, 2012

I've been trying to grow gardenias outside from spring through fall and then under flourescents in the winter. I've been doing this about four or five years. My results are just so so. Spidermites are the biggest problem. I think I kill more plants than mites during the winter months. I'm still trying to find the best timer setting for the lights. Any thoughts and info that might help with this would be appreciated.

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ecrane3 Dublin, CA(Zone 9a) May 31, 2012

Your problem in the wintertime is probably low humidity indoors--that is the ideal condition for spider mites. The timer setting on the lights wouldn't contribute in any way to that--if your plants are getting leggy as they stretch for the light then I'd consider putting the plants closer to the lights and/or leaving the lights on for more hours, but I doubt that'll have any impact on the spider mites.

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WilloyB Kansas City, MO(Zone 6a) Jun 01, 2012

Thanks for your response ecrane3. The humidity stays around 60% with a humidifier. Any higher and the walls get mold.I guess what I'm looking for is a good indoor treatment for the mites. I use Spectricide one and done in the fall, but by Febuary the bugs show up. Maybe there's a good systemic that won't smell up the place? The lighting concern is more about the plants best transition from inside to out. Bring em out healthy and keep the sun burn to a minimum. How many hours of artificial light per day before I bring em out around April 15 each year? Haven't had problems with leggy, just the bugs.

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ecrane3 Dublin, CA(Zone 9a) Jun 01, 2012

If you use a systemic in the fall shortly before you bring them that should last through most of the winter. I usually deal with spider mites by giving my plants showers--put it in the sink and wash the undersides of the leaves (or take them outside and do it with the hose if it's warm enough). I've never had to use chemicals to control them, you just have to keep your eye out so you catch them early, and keep up hosing off the undersides of the leaves every few days until you're sure they're gone.

As far as the light, no matter how many hours of light you give them inside, it's not anywhere near as intense as sunlight outdoors so you're still going to have to acclimate them gradually to the higher light levels outdoors before you move them outside permanently or else they can get sunburned. If they're not getting leggy and they're looking healthy except for the spider mites, then whatever you're doing now on lighting is probably fine.

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WilloyB Kansas City, MO(Zone 6a) Jun 04, 2012







Thanks again for taking the time to give your input!










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