Question
QUESTION: I have a gardenia plant in a 9" pot which I bought a few months ago.  It was a little dried out when I bought it but I replanted in fresh soil, watered frequently, and put on my front porch in morning sun.  I live in North Carolina so the climate is warm and humid and I had a happy plant with many buds and blooms until about two weeks ago when the temperatures soared into the 90's.  I thought extra watering was keeping my gardenia healthy until about the third day of high temps when I went out to water and found the plant looking limp and the buds drooping.  I brought it into the air conditioning in a sunny window and watered, adding vinegar, but it continues to look withered.  Have I killed it?  Is there anything more I can do to save it?  What about cutting it back -- will that save it, or kill it (if it's not already beyond hope)?

ANSWER: Janice,

Put it outside in the sun. Full sun would be better, not just morning sun. It cannotget too hot for this plant. It loves heat and sun. The extra watering was rotting the roots. You should not water this plant until the surface of the soil has been dry for 24 hours. The soil lower in the pot is still moist enough to keep the plant healthy.

When you do water it you should water it enough so that all the water in the pot is moist and som runs into the drain tray, then empty the drain tray an hour after watering it. Never leave any plant sitting with a drain tray full of water, that will rot the roots. Always water any plant enough to moisten all the soil in the pot. Never water a plant that already has moist soil.

Yes, you may have killed it with too much water. It may also come back to life if you get it out in full sun and only water it when the soil is dry on the surface for 24 hours. Why did you add vinegar to the water? How much did you add? Vinegar full strength is a weed killer. On an already sick plant even a little vinegar may cause serious damage. Give it at least a month or 2 before you give up on it and pitch it. Only water it if it is very dry. In the heat and sun it may help it recover. It will work on growing roots before it grows new leaves. Good luck.  

Darlene

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thank you, Darlene.  I'll give it a shot.  I've always heard that gardenias should never get too dry or above about 80 degrees F; also heard that vinegar or pickle juice kept the soil acidic which was supposedly what gardenias prefer.  Is all that wrong?  Maybe that's why I've never been successful with gardenias.
Janice

Answer
Janice,

They don't like above 90 but they can survive that better than no sun. They don't want to dry out totally and just letting the surface of the soil get dry for 24 hours will not dry out the entire pot of soil. They can't stand to be constantly wet, they are not swamp plants. Keeping them lightly moist is not keeping them wet constantly.

As for vinegar, a teaspoon once a month in a gallon of water would not hurt it but more than that can kill it. You are better off keeping the soil acidic with high acid fertilizer. Most gardenias come potted in soil that is mostly peat moss which is highly acidic and holds a lot of water so keeping it wet will rot the roots and vinegar is unnecessary.  Just use acid fertilizer.

Gardenias are difficult because they like high humidity. Growing them outside of a greenhouse is difficult. You have to understand the difference between wet and moist. If the soil feels cool on the surface it is still moist. Warm soil means it is dry and you need to water then empty the drain tray. I hope that helps. Good luck.

Darlene