How to Care for Gardenias in Winter
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Gardenias have an elegant shape, with their green leaves complementing the pure white flowers, giving a bright and refreshing feeling! Now that it's December and the temperature is dropping, many flowers have entered a period of dormancy, and gardenias are no exception. During this time, it's inevitable to encounter various challenges in maintenance!
The most common problem encountered when growing gardenias in winter is frostbite. If a plant is frostbitten, it may result in yellow leaves and leaf drop at the least, or complete withering and death at the worst. To prevent frostbite, it's necessary to pay attention to these "4 points" to keep the plant away from frostbite and safely through the winter!
1. Temperature Control
Gardenias are originally from southern regions, which means their cold resistance is relatively average, and they can withstand temperatures as low as 0 degrees Celsius. In winter, try to keep the temperature above 0 degrees Celsius to avoid freezing. Low temperatures also have their benefits. If the gardenia at home is not in the seedling stage, it can be placed outside to "freeze" a bit, removing any eggs or pests in the pot. Of course, this should only be done if the temperature is above 0 degrees Celsius.
2. Do Not Prune
The pruning mentioned here refers to heavy pruning. Gardenias should not be heavily pruned in winter, but light pruning is acceptable. Most flowers need to be heavily pruned before entering winter to prevent the unnecessary consumption of nutrients by overly long branches, but gardenias are different.
How to Care for Gardenias in Winter
Inside the main stem of the gardenia, there are still many bud points. If heavy pruning is done at this time, it will trigger the growth of these bud points, but they will not bloom, which is equivalent to wasting nutrients. Moreover, after pruning too many branches and leaves, the cold resistance of the gardenia will decrease, making it more susceptible to frostbite!
3. Control Watering
In winter, flowers enter a dormant state, which is determined by temperature. When the temperature drops below 15 degrees Celsius, gardenias enter dormancy. At this time, watering should only be done when the soil is completely dry, usually once or twice a month to prevent waterlogging.
4. Do Not Fertilize
Fertilizing gardenias in winter is not recommended because their nutrient absorption rate is very slow during this period. If fertilized too much, it can easily cause fertilizer damage, harming the roots and making the plant more susceptible to frostbite.
The above content on how to care for gardenias in winter and the precautions for maintaining gardenias during the winter is provided for green plant enthusiasts as a reference, hoping to solve your problems in green plant management.