problems with my gardenia plants

i have 3 gardenias in pots 1 is indoors, i have had this one for a little over 2 years. at first it had flowers, but last year and this year it hasn't formed any buds. i looked up on it & most people who have no problems live in very humid areas, living here in spokane it's not very humid at all. last year it had a bug problem as a result it dropped a lot of inner leaves. it has since recoved but it's not as dark green as it used to be. i just started Miracid on all 3. i heard that coffee is good? another ? is isn't compact as it should be, the branches are long and it looks wild ther is no structure to it. can i prune it ? if so how & when. i'll try to take a pic soon. the other 2 just got from fred meyers there small & they had buds when i bought them about 3 months ago no blooms the buds fell and the ones left are turning brown from the bottom up. i'm not sure what the problem is . i put these 2 on my front porch they get morn. sun for about 3 or 4 hours. i mist all of them every day. since putting these 2 out about 5 days ago they seem to be fine but buds are still browning. if you have some addvice on this please let me know i really want some flowers!!! thank you.

This message was edited Jul 11, 2007 10:32 AM

Here is a pic of my older gardenia plant . should i prune, if so how & when?

here's a pic of what is happening to my 2 smaller plants. any addvice on why this is happening?

Yvette,

I used to live in S. FL & TX. Gardenias do well in the ground or on patios in the sub-Tropics. Their needs will be difficult to meet as a houseplant in zone 6 where you are.

First, Gardenias set their buds when the nights are longer and cooler (make them think it's Dec in Florida-nightime temps in the 50's.) They will then bloom in the Spring when daytime temps are 60's-70's. They like bright light but not direct hot afternoon sun. Do you know what variety you have? Some gardenias can take 30's for a short period of time and recover.

You already know they like well drained but moist soil, high humidity, and acid to neutral soil. Do not let the roots stand in soggy soil. You will be excluding oxygen from the roots, and they will rot. Are you on a well? If so, they may not like the lime in the water. Use rain water or bottled water in a pinch.

If the branches are lanky and the leaves are not deep green, then the plant is etoliated--it needs more light . Light green leaves can also be a sign of iron deficiency.

If you prune a plant before it blooms, you will not get blooms this year. The best time to prune is right after the plants bloom. The plants you just bought from the nursery were in a controlled environment. If the temps changed quickly, then the buds will drop. If you don't have any buds left, it is unlikely you will get blooms this year. They will need conditions similar to a FL winter to set new buds.

http://www.desert-tropicals.com/Plants/Rubiaceae/Gardenia_jasminoides.html

thank you very much for your addvice. i went to the web link, it was helpful......?.do you think that putting my plants in a room where it gets down to 65 degrees would be ok at night? then put them back to there normal place in the mornning?

i went ahead and cut back my older gardenia plant today, was a bit scarry! i then went and put the clippings in water, but after reading that web page i'm confused, it said cuttings with heels, what is HEELS? i put them in water and placed them in my window in the kitchen. what do you know about this? thank you very much.

Heels are part of the woody main stem to which the green cutting is attached. Think of it as a "T" shape. The short part of the "T" is the woody heel, the long part is the green cutting.

I'm sorry to say this, but I'm guessing at this point you're not going to get blooms this year. I could be wrong, but your older plant is now pruned, and the newer plants dropped their buds. You should be trying to really get the plants strong and healthy to set buds this coming winter. If you need to repot, do so now. Maintain a regular watering and fertilization schedule. Stop fertilization in late summer/early fall. In winter, set the plants in bright light where they will not become too leggy. Night temps in the 50's, day temps in the 60's. They should then set buds.

Google more on "gardenia culture" "gardenia care" "gardenia bud set".

Good luck. -Au