How to Care for Gardenias
You may not know how to care for gardenias and the small experiences of plant cultivation, such as the planting methods and techniques for gardenias. The specific content is as follows:
Gardenia is an evergreen shrub of the Rubiaceae family. Its leaves are evergreen, the branches and leaves are lush, the flowers are pure white and fragrant, and they have high ornamental value. Moreover, gardenias can be used as medicine, having the effect of clearing heat and detoxifying. Gardenias symbolize strength and eternal love, making them a very meaningful flower. Let's take a look at how to care for it.
1. Suitable Soil
Gardenias prefer acidic soil. If you use alkaline soil to cultivate them, it will be detrimental to their growth. You can directly purchase special cultivation soil for them, or if you want to mix your own soil, it is recommended to mix decomposed leaf soil, sandy soil, and garden soil in a ratio of 5:2:3 to use as the cultivation soil.
2. Appropriate Watering
Gardenias like a humid environment. When watering them, you should water them when the soil is dry and keep it moist. Especially during their growing period, you should keep the soil moist for a long time. The watering time should be in the morning to avoid watering them at night. When necessary, you can spray some water on the leaves to keep them moist.
3. Reasonable Fertilizing
Gardenias require a high level of nutrients, so you should fertilize them in a timely manner. A full-nutrient organic liquid fertilizer is a good choice, but you can also apply rotted cake fertilizer water to them once a week. During the flowering period of gardenias, you can also apply top dressing, using 1-2 times of monopotassium phosphate solution. Stop fertilizing during the high temperatures of summer and the low temperatures of winter.
4. Suitable Temperature
The optimal growth temperature for gardenias is between 16°C and 18°C. Both high and low temperatures are not conducive to their growth. If the temperature is too high, measures should be taken to cool down, and if the temperature is too low, measures should be taken to keep warm.
5. Sufficient Light
Gardenias need sufficient light to grow properly. Except for the high-temperature periods of summer and the winter dormancy period, gardenias should be provided with plenty of sunlight and can be exposed directly to the sun.
6. Disease and Pest Control
Yellowing disease, leaf spot disease, and scale insects are common diseases and pests of gardenias, especially during the flowering period in summer when high temperature and humidity can easily cause diseases and pests, so timely prevention and control are necessary.
7. Proper Pruning
Proper pruning of gardenias is beneficial for promoting their growth. Pruning can be done after the flowering period, removing diseased and weak branches, sprawling branches, and other unhealthy growth.
8. Timely Potting Change
Gardenias grow relatively fast. To avoid soil compaction, small pot space, and insufficient soil nutrients, it is necessary to change the potting soil for them in a timely manner. Generally, a pot change should be done every 2-3 years.
The above introduction on how to care for gardenias and the specific introduction of the planting methods and techniques for gardenias will, I hope, bring some plant knowledge to green enthusiasts.