A new Gardenia Forum??

I do not see a forum just for Gardenia. For some reason Gardenia continues to be a mystery. I have grown gardenias for about 10 years. I am up to about 20 now and have a nice selection of culitvars. There seems to be very little in print and I have just been going by trial and error. I can not find a book specifically for gardenia and there does not seem to be a Gardenia Society - that I can find? They have to be introduced and registered somewhere don't they. Or are they all by U.S. Patent? So, my suggestion or request would be to start a Gardenia Forum. I would be interested to learn even more from people that have been growing them as well. If there is enough interest then hopefully we can a forum just for Gardenia.
Anyone interested please respond.
Shirley

There's a Gardenia Society of America if that's any help?

Baa - Great! Thank You. I just did a search and found they have a Box # in Atwater CA. No website - so I will send off a letter to them right away and see what I get.

Any other info - anyone would like to share would be greatly appreciated.
Shirley

Everytime I see a post about growing Gardenia it generates many replies from gardeners about not being able to keep them alive. Finding the right location in the garden seems to be the key to success. Keeping the soil acid is also necessary for a strong plant. Al

Al,
I just love my gardenia. I am lucky that they seem to like me. I am up to about 30 now. There are a couple of cultivars that I still don't have - but I am always looking.

Gardenia Society of America - I did send a letter to the address I found - it came back to me today - they apparently no longer have the PO box in Atwater CA.

Now I think I know why I can't find any books and there is apparently no Society - and based on the response for a Gardenia forum - not that many people are really interested in them?

Shirley

i would like to know when you fertilize your gardenias. my are looking sort of yellow. i heard you were no suppose to fertilize them after august. i live in alabama

gljns2005...First, a HEARTY WELCOME TO DG!

Af for gardenias (in general), now that DG has a new Forum for "Rhododendrons and Relatives" and since Gardenias are also acid-lovers, perhaps we'll be able to give and offer gardenia info over there, eh?

gljns2005...the short answer to your question will have to be another question...are the yellowing leaves the new growth, or the older leaves?

I love gardenias, but have had no luck growing them. I know they appear in literature--American literature, short fiction and novels, as "graveyard" flowers because they often appear in graveyards and somehow live without much tending. I don't know why I have such trouble growing them.

they are the older leaves. they are kind of droopy also. thanks

Okay...that is fairly normal. The magnesium is moving from the older leaves to the new growth. If you like, you can offer the plant some magnesium sulphate (Epsom's Salts) to help out a bit. Most folks would do this in the Spring but it wouldn't hurt to give yours a small watering with it now. (About 1 tblspoon per quart of water, sprayed on the foliage or just watered in at the base of the plant.)

Also, if you have much new growth, now is a good time to take some tip cuttings and start rooting them for even more gardenia plants!

Shoe.

I have 2 gardenia, one of which lived in a bucket of water for an entire season before putting it in the yard. I find them extremely easy to grow here. They are one of my favorite flowers. ... Elaine

It's the Southern authors who write about gardenias. I don't know why I have a problem with them. Crape myrtle does well, but I would love to have a gardenia.

fireant ... I can try to root you a piece of mine, if you'd like. ... Elaine

Okay, thank you. I'll keep it in a container. If it thrives and gets really large, I'll try it in the yard.

Okay great, I'll get started and let you know if I'm successful. So far, I haven't had any trouble. *smile*

I also have a couple of gardenias and wondered why there was no forum for them. Is it possible to start a gardenia forum?

jack

I have a gardenia that I want to take cuttings from also, but have never done it before. Is there any certain technique that I should be using to take the cuttings?

All I do is cut off the stem being sure not to get the woody part. You want it to be tender ... but not too close to the end. I usually just put mine in water and they root easily enough but have been unsuccessful so far with the ones I've been trying to do for fireant so am starting over using rooting hormone. I don't know if it's because it's too cold now or what. When I use rooting hormone, I use a plastic bag to tent over the rooting to cause a greenhouse affect thus keeping the plant moist along with keeping it in a warm place. I'm certainly not an expert. I know there are others here that know much more than I do. Good luck. ... Elaine

Artcons has a technique for rooting plants. He uses a 2 liter soda bottle over the cutting. I can't remember what thread he has the process on, but he gives step by step instructions.

I am also interested in a gardenia forum -- I'll take a look at the Rhododendron forum and see what's in there. I know they both like the same kind of soil but in my area (Zone 6b) there is no way to grow a gardenia outside. Mine thrives during the summer in a container on my east facing front steps and then sort of limps through the winter in the house -- last year I thought it was a goner for sure but it revived after spraying it for spider mites. This year I am trying it in my mudroom where it gets rather chilly at night (but not below 50) and also giving it some extra light during the day because the sun hasn't been doing a very good job lately.

Rhododendrons do just fine in the garden over the winter and I think that's a big difference -- gardenias are container/houseplants in many areas and the transition, especially coming inside in the fall seems to be a bit tricky.

IO1, about how long are your cuttings for rooting?

My rooting cuttings are app. 11/2" - 2" long and I am growing them in a cloning machine so they are getting lots of oxygen. The problem that I have when I try to root them is that they begin to wilt almost immediately(quicker when I use the cloning gels). I will try to do some using a dome on them and see if that helps- or maybe even try a foliar spray. If anyone has tried the sprays let me know how they turned out.
How long do they usually take to see roots when you do them in a glass of water?

I was thinking if this doesn't work for me that I might try my hand at air layering---has anyone had any success with this technique?

Thanks for the Help!

In the spring I usually have some tiny root growth within 6 to 8 weeks, I'm thinking in water. I always just plop them in a container of water and keep it clean. That sounds like about the same size as mine, but sometimes they're a little shorter. I've never done air layering. Hope this helps.
... Elaine

Io1 -
Thanks for the info. I think maybe that I am just being impatient then. I have only had mine in for less than a 2 weeks. Like I said, the leaves are looking quite wilted but the stems are looking quite viable so I think, thanks to all advise that I got here, with a little TLC they will be just fine. I will keep an eye on them and let you know how I do.

Be sure and change the water daily. That's very important, I do know that. LOL Good luck. Please let us know how it goes. :)
... Elaine

grogirl...what kind of cloning machine did you get? Am just curious...I've thought about getting one in the past but seem to do pretty good w/out one (so far at least!).

I've started rootings in water for various plants but for many of them it either takes a long time or sometimes they just tend to rot (depending on the type).
When I do rootings in a soil mix/rooting mix it seems much faster and the success rate is much higher. Also the amount of space they take up is much less and their is very little maintenance involved while they are rooting. (From the picture below you can see about 15-25 cuttings in an 8 inch pot.)

I have an everblooming Gardenia that is a bout 2 ft tall that I got this early summer. Now my mother seen it my garden and told me that it would not survive a Northwest winter. Is that true? So this fall I slowly transfered from the ground into a container bringing into the house. It was nice green and lush before, now daily it looks sicker and sicker. It did fine at first. I have had it in the house since October. First I had it not to far from the from goor, but then I moved it by the sliding glass backdoor trying to give it more light. The furnace is located a 2 feet from the plant so maybe that could be the reason. Any feedback I will take...Please!

misspurse, if your everblooming is a "veitchi" it should be able to handle temps down to 20º, even down to the teens for a short period.

Gardenias really dry out fast inside and being so close to your furnace will certainly add to that. I'd suggest keeping it more on the cool side (if possible) and definitely keep it well-watered. The soil should be moist at all times but not waterlogged. Putting a big saucer under the pot, filled with small rocks/pebbles, and keeping it filled with water will help increase the moisture level around your plant.

Shoe

Just found this thread and now y'all have me wanting to take cuttings of my Gardenia bushes to see if I can get them to root! I have 2 huge bushes in my yard that we planted many years ago. One has 3 or 4 blooms on it right now! One is in full sun all day, and it seems to be the one that blooms the most ... I pruned it way back a couple of months ago because it was about 7' tall. The other is tall also but not as full ... it does not get much sun and doesn't bloom as much or as often.

Here's a photo of the one that has a couple of blooms now. Excuse the ladders next door, my neighbors are having their house painted.

I haven't had much luck with growing them in containers, I think because they end up getting too dry. With being in the ground they get water twice a week from the irrigation system.

Here's the other one that's in too much shade. It does bloom once in May with lots of flowers but I think it would do much better with a bit more sun.


edited to correct spelling ... my keyboard keeps sticking and missing letters.

This message was edited Nov 29, 2007 12:45 PM

I bought a gardenia from Wally World this past spring and kept it in a pot outside til a few weeks ago. Now it looks horrible. All wilty and pitiful. I have it in the basement now where it is cooler and it looks a bit better. I just want it to live til spring. Doesn't have to thrive. :~)

Hi all,

Just found this thread. If anyone ever finds their ( or their neighbor's :) ) gardenia making seed I would love to have it. I don't care if it is a cross or not. Will trade plants for fresh seed.

Thanks
"germinater"

hmmmm .... My gardenia's have been in the ground for years and I didn't know they ever set seed! I thought the only way to propagate was by soft wood cuttings? I don't know what cultivar mine are. I know one has small leaves and large flowers, the other has larger leaves and smaller flowers! I don't believe either of mine ever has seeds.

I've never seen mine set seed either. It could be that the hybrid cultivars that are commonly sold don't set seed, or it could be that they have to be hand pollinated or something, I'm not sure. Either way I've never seen seeds, even on plants that bloomed heavily.

Same here :( . I bought one last summer just to have a different pollen source, but still nothing. ( I don't often buy PLANTS :) ) .

I guess it's back to market seed for me.