Gardenia Not Blooming

By

lahib

I read your comment about adding urine to the gardenia tree. Is it a tree planted outdoors or indoors? I think if it's indoors it will smell at the end of the day! Plus, how is it watered with urine? You're doing it with the fertilizers or just as watering the plant regularly and how often?

By

wnight1

This might sound off the wall, but it works like you would not believe. I have had a Gardenia plant know for 11 years. The first 9 years it would bloom and it would grow about an inch a year. I would fertilize it and water it faithfully. It had maybe 20 or thirty blooms on it and the blooms would turn and fall off after a couple of days. Then by accident I watered it with Urine. You can not believe what happened in a few days. The plant looked a lot better and started to grow, I mean grow. The Gardenia bush has grown over 1 1/2 feet in about 6 months. When it started to bloom .I had blossoms that where as big as a tennis ball and I counted them. The Gardenia bush produced 130 blossoms over one month. i can hardly wait till it blooms next year. I had taken pictures of the Gardenia in full bloom, but my computer crashed and I lost all my pictures. I will post the pictures in 2011 when it blossoms again. Just for information purposes. Urine is very acidity and Gardenia plants love it a lot. You do not have to buy plant food for the Gardenia. Try it. You will love the results.

Q: I am trying to get my 2nd gardenia plant to bloom. The first one died. Please help! First, small blossoms form, turn black and drop off. I mist it, and give it lots of light. What am I doing wrong?

Hardiness Zone: 7b

Judy from Portland, OR

A: Judy,

Gardenias can have problems with blossom drop, especially when grown indoors. Besides too little light and humidity (which doesn't sound like the problem with yours) flower buds can drop from over OR under watering, high temperatures or improper pruning (on outdoor plants). Gardenias also need acidic soil and can benefit from a good azalea fertilizer once per month during the summer. Azalea fertilizer contains sulfur, which helps acidify the soil.

For indoor gardenias, place your plant where it will get plenty of light during spring and fall bloom times. Nighttime temperatures should be about 55°F. Make sure the soil stays lightly moist (not wet) and keep the air around the plant humid.

If your gardenia is kept outdoors, prune it only to keep the shape of the plant and do it immediately after the plant finishes blooming.

I got a gardenia, the pot variety, and it won't bloom. Any suggestions? I have fed it well with plant food for potted plants.