My soil (North Texas) is alkaline, so I dug out a bed and filled with 1/3 sand 2/3 peat moss. Can I plant a gardenia there now or wait for cooler weather?
Gardenias in artificial acid bed
How large an area did you amend? If the amended hole is too small and the surrounding soil has a high clay content, then you'll have a tub full of water. Gardenias need well draining soil. Did you dig in a transition zone? Potted plants can be planted any time. It is harder to get a plant extablished during the summer and care has to be taken not to stress the plant any more than necessary.
Thank you. I think you just kept me from making a big mistake. I would indeed have created a small waterhole. Wonder what might work now in my app. 8 sq ft acid bed surrounded by concrete and clay?
Build it up into a raised bed. Take out about 3/4 of the sand/peat moss soil. Work what is left back into the native soil to make that transition zone. Pour the acid soil back in. You could build the soil up into a hill by adding more of the sand/peat moss combo, but I find that peat moss washes away very easily. A raised bed of at least 8 - 12" would work very well. The gardenia would send roots down into the transition zone increasing its rootball. Even if the roots in that zone were to be damaged by standing water, the majority of the roots would be in the non-flooding raised bed.
One thing to remember about peat moss. It is nearly impossible to re-wet when dry so keep it moist.
I love gardenias, but have had to stop trying to grow one for the moment. I've killed a number of them attempting to grow them in bad soil or in pots. I've found a few patches of naturally acidic sandy loam soil here on the ranch. But planting will have to wait until my DH retires and we move back to the ranch full time. Good luck with your gardenia.
Veronica
Thank you very much bettydee.