Gardenia Growing

Gardenia Growing
 

Planting gardenias is a great way to add life to any outdoor areas with their lush dark green foliage and white flower, and wonderful fragrance lingering in the air. Gardenias are considered non-toxic to humans.
 

Gardenias are evergreen shrubs and the best time to plant them is in the spring or fall. It is important to keep in mind that gardenias are a tropical plant and like warmer weather, so if you live in a colder climate it may be best if you grow your gardenias in pots indoors, or in a green house.

If you are planting gardenias in the garden or else where in the yard, choice a place that receives full sun or light shade, and be sure the soil drains well. You should mix in a good organic matter with the soil you are planting your gardenias in, adding peat moss will help ensure good drainage and still keep the soil moist.

The best type of soil for gardenias will be slightly acidic, you can test your soil acidity using kits available on line. If your soil needs to be conditioned you can add acidic plant food to remedy this, it also can be purchased on line.

Dig a hole about two times the size of the root ball and place your plant inside, mound dirt around the plant patting down to make sure you eliminate any air pockets. If you will be planting more than one gardenia plant be sure to space them around four to five feet apart.

After planting your gardenias water them thoroughly, but keep in mind they are sensitive to the amount of watering you do.

As your gardenias grow,prune back any old branches. This will help encourage the plants to produce more new growth and bloom more frequently.

Gardenias need to be fed monthly with and acidic plant food to ensure it is receiving the proper nutrients it needs in order to grow and bloom properly.

Gardenias are now all planted and you can sit back and enjoy this beautiful addition to your landscape,and its intoxicating fragrance as it lingers in the air.