Question
when i can find them, i love gardenias as houseplants.  they look great for three weeks, overnight leaves turn brown, dry up and fall off, any buds drop, unopened.  hvae tried more water, less h20, more/less light, higher/lower temps, etc., etdc., etc/
nothing works.. please help??? Not aphids, in most cases

Answer
Brad,

Gardenias do wonderful planted in the ground in Florida. They love heat. They love the sun, indoors they can't get too much sun. They need to be in front of a large south facing window with no drapes, sheers or blinds. Outdoors light shade in the hot afternoon is good like under a small tree so they are shaded the hottest time of day. Indoors they need full sun all day.

I think the biggest problem is the soil they come planted in. They are grown in Florida in the very sandy soil but when they are potted they are usually planted in straight peat moss that holds too much water and the roots rot. If I was going to buy one today I would immediately remove some of the peat moss and add sand.  I would water it whenever it felt somewhat dry or light weight but I would empty the drain tray an hour after watering it so it is not sitting in water that could lead to root rot. For further info you can check the following website. Good luck.

Darlene

http://plants.greentreewebdesign.com/gardenia.html