How do I get gardenia to bloom?
by
Jane
My gardenia will not bloom. Planted in outside bed, morning sun, fertilized and watered. Florida sunshine and warm temps. Need advice
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Hi Jane, this is Peggy. Gardenias are beautiful and smell so good, I know you want that fragrant bloom. Here is some information on the care and trouble shooting of gardenias. Good luck. Learn How to Grow and Care for Your Gardenia - Gardenia.net
To grow them with success, make sure you follow the below requirements. Select a site with full sun to light shade. Make sure your Gardenia soil is moist and well-drained. Gardenias like soil that is rich in nutrients. Gardenias prefer acidic soil with a pH between 5.0 and 6.0.
I'm in South Florida, my gardenia bush faces East. It gets full sun till past noon. It is a well established bush (large) and it flowers for me. I hardly ever fertilize but do spray for thrips as they are highly susceptible to them. It causes the buds to brown and never open.
Sometimes if you over fertilize you get beautiful lush green growth and no flowers. Cut back on the fertilizer to see what happens.