Question
I bought a Gardenia last year, during summer. It had lots flowers and buds. I repotted it to a bigger pot and left it outside. I noticed that it did not like direct, strong sunlight, so I moved it to a spot that gets morning light and shade in the afternoon. It did fine. I brought it indoors, in early November. I left it in a room that faces South, and gets lots of light and is warm during the winter. I noticed it had some very tiny small, light green, bugs. I sprayed it and cut out all the infested leaves (which redued the plant to almost 1/3 of what it was). I assumed that it will never flower since I was told that itis a very fussy plant. Anyway, I was thrilled early April when I noticed some buds on it. And now it had 4 flowers and I think some more buds are coming up.

Now, my questions are:

1- When do the buds form? Is it during winter? I read that the temperatures should not go above 65 at night. Is this only for the winter, or for the summer as well?

2- Should I move it outdoors this summer.. or just leave it in this room? I am worried that, during summer, the temperature can be above 70 during the night, as well as  the day. I can also move it to a room facing north, with lots of indirect light.

3- The only fertilizer I used was the miracle growth powder. And I may have used it only twice in the entire year. Should I just stick to that?

Thanks a lot!!!!

Tina
Canton, Michigan.

Answer
There's nothing like the penetrating fragrance of a Gardenia, is there?  Congratulations on getting yours to survive the indoor Michigan winter.  That was the hard part.  The rest will be easy.

Gardenias being such a big cash crop, you can bet there is plenty of research on how to make these bloom.  People just don't buy non-blooming, non-budding Gardenias.  That fragrance makes them fly off the shelves.  Here's some of the science behind these beauties:

Researchers in one study exposed Gardenias to different daylengths: 8, 12 and 16 hour days for 4 weeks.  Then ALL the Gardenias were collected and they exposed them to 16
hours of daylight for 4 more weeks.

Gardenias grown with the shortest days first, then switched to longer days, produced the most flowers.  Conclusion: short photoperiods trigger Gardenia buds.

In another experiment, Gardenias were exposed to 8 hour days for 4 weeks.  Then they were grown under 3 different daylenghts -- 8, 12 and 16 hours long.

Top flower producers this time were Gardenias that had been grown under long days for the whole 8 weeks -- 16 hours of daylight.  They bloomed SOONEST.

Finally, Gardenias were grown under 8 hours of daylight at 75 degrees F.  At night, temperature was lowered to 55, 65 or 75 degrees F.  They did this for 4 weeks.  Then the night temperature was changed -- ALL Gardenias were grown at 65 degrees F. for 4 weeks.  The earliest buds were observed in Gardenias exposed to warmest days and nights -- 75 degrees F.

So to get lots of flowers, you want to give your Gardenia 8 hours of light, then switch to 16 hours and 75 degrees -- possibly warmer.  But all plants need a rest, and between flowering, the cool night is traditionally recommended.  I agree.

If you move your Gardenia outside, your biggest threat will be bugs.  Problem easily solved.  Pick up ladybugs at the Garden Center, don't spray anything, and sprinkle them around your Gardenia.  They will finish off every last tasty aphid in your Garden.  Replenish at the first sign of new Aphids.

When watering your Gardenia, use rainwater or, if not available, tap water spiked with a splash of Vinegar.  These plants MUST have acid water.  On the other hand, you must be doing something right since you have been cultivating this for months, through the hardest, least humid part of the year; to quote that old Gardener's saying, if it isn't broke, don't fix it.

Fertilizer is very important for a plant that's flowering.  Something high in Phosphorous will be perfect.  That's the middle number on the Fertilizer container.  I also recommend heartily a breakthrough product sold as 'Messenger', generically called Harpin Protein and manufactured by Eden Bioscience (http://www.edenbio.com/garden/index.php?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=78).  Harpin Protein is a product that was developed in the 1990s by scientists at Cornell University and, because Cornell is a thinktank and not a private company, made available by license for consumer use.  It works on cells to help them grow, fight cellular damage, and minimize the effects of diseases caused, say, by Fungi or bacteria.  You can order it online or pick it up at your local garden center -- which I see from your information would be Lucas Nursery and Landscape (10190 Plymouth Ann Arbor Rd) and Plymouth Rock & Supply (40111 Schoolcraft Rd), both in Plymouth.  Check Eden's website for more addresses under 'Find a Retailer'.  This is practically a magic formula that yields results which you will see are impossible to get from just using fertilizer.

I hope that answers your questions.  Let me know if I've missed anything.  Thanks for writing and keep in touch.