ALL ABOUT GARDENIAS - Details about different varieties and how to grow Gardenias 

I had a gardenia that was given to me as a gift over 30 years ago. It was a small plant. I had planted it against my home and it grew very fast and I never had problems with flies. It grew over 5 feet. My visitors would always admire it. I loved it. when I would open the front door, I can smell the aroma from the flowers. I want to buy one for my mom. We moved and I had to leave it.

Love your format. Straight to the point. Good info

Love this guy. Really knows his stuff.

I've been using, by suggestion, a little bit of bleack tea in my watering pot...when it's time to give my gardenia a little drink. The tea has tons of nutrients.

Pine bark I’m going to put that in my gardenia soil when I plant them thanks great video!

Jim, thanks for your quick reply. In the spring I propagated 16 cuttings from a 4 feet tall plant just bought from Meijers. I use plastic sheet to totally cover them up so as to maintain high moisture. 3 months later, they ALL survived strongly and beautifully with new leaves and even new branches coming out all over the place. They are strong enough to be under the full sun without any protection now. Last Friday I took about 15 more cuttings from the mother plant and started the process all over again. Hope they will put down roots before winter comes.... I will have to bring them in and put them by the sunny window, still covered in plastic sheets to keep high moisture. Gardenia LOVES high humidity! If you know how to take care of gardenia inside the house during winder, please drop me a few tips. Much appreciated! I am in southern Michigan, winter is brutal here. Cannot have enough gardenias! :-))

Glad I found this channel.

Thank you! This was interesting and informative. I liked the, "What are you waiting for" comment at the end. Good point!

Last winter I bought a Gardenia with one open flower and put it on my windowsill, hoping I'd get a few more flowers. The following buds dropped one after another and one day I noticed spider mites on the plant. Frustrated, I decided to put it outside in my windy backyard. The spider mites wouldn't survive our late winter temperatures in Germany, but maybe the plant would make it with a little protection from the last frosts. In April, it had lost a few leaves and didn't look too happy, but it was hanging on, so I put it in a larger pot. It's July now and despite the harsh growing conditions, the plant is looking better than anything I've ever seen at the garden center with a dozen of open flowers and some more buds to come. This may be a relatively lousy houseplant, but even in cooler areas, it makes a rewarding patio plant if you can overwinter it.

Oh, I love gardenias. I'm obsessed w/ them.

Really nice vid, thanks. Just planted up some Kleims Hardy, glad to know that they are susceptible to whitefly. To discourage insects of all sorts, give a general boost to many plants, and discourage mildew, I underplant all of my fruiting canes / trees, roses, and most plants with... garlic, very effective. It also seems to give a general tonic to the soil (along with compost mulching), and I get plentiful garlic crops.

Thanks for your videos! I'm in zone 8A and am about to attempt planting my August Beauty in a raised bed, 2.5' squared, 12" high. My grandma kept gardenias not far from where I live, so I'm hoping I can do the same!

I just bought a Gardenia plant because I love the fragrant flowers on them.

Your videos are some of the best! You give clear information and avoid the "I love to hear myself talk" syndrome. I've had a standard, braided gardenia for many years, about 3-4 feet tall, live in zone 6 outside Philly so need to bring it inside for the winter. Every winter it slowly loses it's leaves until it's naked. Every year it goes outdoors for the summer and comes roaring back. Any way to avoid the leaf drop indoors? Thanks and please keep rockin the videos!

Your video was extremely helpful. Learned a lot on "how to" care for them. Thank you.

Thank you. I recently purchased August Beauty for the long bloom season. I'm zone 8b. It's about 2 feet high with several buds. I think I will purchase a couple of the dwarfs to place by my butterfly bench after watching this vid.

Great video! I've had my eye on gardenias. This helped me narrow down which to get

Great video.Starting garden in Australia so you've bê a big help! I'll be back to see other things you have. Cheers

I mix some sand in my soil. I’ve had my Gardenia for 5 years. I only water very early in the morning, if the soil still seems damp I don’t water at all. I also every once in awhile do a mix of peroxide to kill any rot that it my have. I live in Maryland so in the winter it needs to come inside. But other then that I have had no problems with it

Zone 9B in Florida, Gardenia jasminoides ‘Veitchii’. I don’t know if I’m in the twilight zone but these things thrive in a flood plain which is often inundated for weeks or months with standing water. These things have reached 8 feet in these conditions. I know it sounds unbelievable but I’ve seen it with my own eyes. I had two bushes that I no longer needed nor had space for so a decade ago I threw them in a spot where I thought they would die. They have taken over that shady wet spot. Who knew they would grow in that muck?

August beauty my fav!

I have two aimees in zone 6-7, it’s my first time with gardenias and so far they’ve been great and doing well, but really hoping they’ll survive indoor during the winter 😬

I bought gardenias from Home Depot, and they had maybe one or two yellow leaves. After I brought it home, it kept getting more. I found out about soil PH, so I treated it by adding sulfur, and then since that doesn't fix it right away, I added aluminum sulfate to correct the PH, and did a foliar spray with chelated iron. It seems to me that the soil should have been acidic enough when I got it ! But the Garden Center at Home Depot was watering them with regular water, so they may have ruined the PH of the soil by doing that. After I corrected the PH with the aluminum sulfate, a week later there are ever MORE yellow leaves! The leaves did not go pale and then gradually turn yellow, they suddenly turned yellow! I'm so frustrated with this, because I know that sulfur takes a long time to change the soil PH, and clearly aluminum sulfate is a very temporary fix. I suspect there might be root issues with one of the plants, because it's soil was very very loose, to where half fell right off the root ball when I took it out of the pot, and really it seemed like the bottom half was a lot of disintigrated looking roots, but it did have white roots, as did the other two . These are in topiary form if that matters.... but I am starting to wonder whether these plants were overwatered and maybe this is why the leaves keep turning yellow, maybe the roots are not in good enough shape to take up nutrients? There is no sour smell of the soil that I can tell but I am not familiar enough with what rotted roots look like. Some say the brown ones are rotted, but I have seen brownish healthy roots on some plants. Others say the roots that are rotted are mushy. I see no mushy roots. This whole thing is driving me crazy. Can you please tell us what to do to get a proper PH in a short time period? I looked into soil being sold for "acidic plants", but the soil is NOT acidic, it is more neutral to slightly alkaline! I really don't know what to do anymore... I really hope you can help.

Thanks so much! Very informing! Love Gardenias!

Great video - easy to follow. I’m looking fwd to gardening with gardenias this year. Thank you

I’ve just planted two in individual pots that have had the pebble treatment in the bottom but a moisture retaining potting soil. After the no wet feet comment it’s got me worried. After the season I may transplant them to the ground instead, but looking forward to see what they do this summer.

Hey Jim I just planted my first gardenia yesterday....a 3 gallon frostproof so I put it at the side of a storage shed that is sheltered by privacy fence. I have hydrangeas that are in bloom and used about the same soil just added some peat moss....im in zone 7b which is middle TN...

Jim, you just made my day. I grew up in the deep south and never had any trouble with gardenias except the occasional need to add chelated iron and, as you say, white fly. However, out here in the Pacific NW, zone 8 still, i have had difficulty. I think part of the problem is where i have been planting them because I thought the deer would gobble them; didnt know they are deer resistant. Definitely going to get my hands on some more asap and plant out in the open where i think they will do better. I will let you know, though, lol, if the deer eat them up.

Great video. I just bought one I guess I better go check which kind of gardenia I bought, I didn't know there was so many different varieties.

Gardenias smell beautiful!

Great information! Thank you! Would you consider do a video specific to container grow gardenia? I killed two already and find they are very finicky about the humidity, soil PH drainage, fertilizing...

Jim - love the videos! Wife and I have been gardening like champs through the summer of COVID-19, and have become big fans of yours. First of all, thank you for these videos. So.... gardenias. We’re needing some advice... we’re down in the Johns Creek, GA area. We just planted 2 scentamazings back in mid June at the base of two mature poplar trees (~2’ away from the tree’s trunk). Although they both seem to be living (lush foliage, staying green, some new leaves), they aren’t budding. We’ve fed them with some miracle grow acid-loving fertilizer, but we’re wondering if we did something wrong, or if we’re just being impatient. Would welcome your thoughts.

Just ordered 3 frost proof in Philadelphia region...wish me luck!

Interesting point about too wet/root rot. I tried growing gardenias inside for about a dozen years and had bad luck with them. I was at a friend's house about ten years ago and saw their blooming, healthy gardenias and asked them how they kept them so healthy. They told me to try to over-water them. They kept them in a tray that was fill;ed with water. I went out and bought a new plant and kept it wet and it bloomed like crazy, usually in June or July. I took cuttings and rooted them and gave them to friends, telling them to keep them wet. They've all done well except for one friend who let theirs dry out. I've since re-potted mine and I'm about to propagate new cuttings. Mine stays in a tray that is always filled with water and I mist the plant several times a day.

Hi? i am from Belize city and i love the Flowers 🌺🌹❣️ .

I live in Florida and my gardenias are blooming or finishing up. How do I prune them? Do I cut below spent flower or do i let the spent bloom fall off. First time watching your channel . Very clear and concise

Thank you so much, very informative. Greetings from a garden hobbyist in Amsterdam!

I loved your video. Deer actually ate my gardenia buds one time where I lived. I am purchasing gardenias tomorrow!

I planted 8 of them here in GA last week and some of the leaves (10-15%) are starting to yellow. The soil looked good to me, but I did not amend anything into it and I did not raise them above the grade. I think I'll go back and do both this weekend.

Jim I have a variety of Gardenia that my ancestors called Kate Jasmine Gardenia. I have been rooting and sharing it for generations now. It gets 12-15 feet tall with proper care! The blooms are hand palm sized and they are super easy to propagate in water! I can not find any information on them, however. My ancestors ran a nursery back in the 50s& 60s. And I assume that is where they got these but not sure! We live in Southeast Texas and they are evergreen here! If you have any information on them could you please share? I really enjoy you videos!

Excellent! Thanks !

Very helpful, I don't know there are different varieties.

Thanks Jim for the video.I got plants for Mother's Day, and trying to figure out how to grow them , and live in Houston T x..Hope to grow them right I sure didn't know there were 4 types of Gardenias.Don't know what these areThanks again for the video.

Finally a sensible video on gardenias thank you! Now about these white flys, in what way do they harm your plant and what is a beneficial insect against them?

great imformative video Jim! I love gardenias! they sure smell wonderful! i live in zone 9b in Texas and I have 2 'Aimee' gardenias, 1 'Miami Supreme' and 1 unknown variety which I think may be 'Vetchii'. also keep up to great work and please makes more great and informative videos like this one! :)

You're Amazing!💛🌼

Thorough info. Thx!

Thayer are so easy to root too😊

Deer might not like them but Hawk moth caterpillars sure do

Hi. thanks for your videos,people tend to forget the time/efforts and things others had to endure in order to allow the information to be available to them so readily via google/youtube/etc. I have questions regarding acidity levels. I've done a bit of research that suggest Gardenias like acidic soils,but didn't find anything in regards to the level they like (or if they ,in fact,like the acidic soil.). I just bought a Gardenia (Jasminoides) and want to repot it into a bigger container (and in the ground next spring),but I want more info before I do.

I got gardenia last fall in a pot from Lowe's. I planted it in a bed right away. Its deep green glossy leaved survived through winter in 7b extremely well without falling or fading. But in spring it started producing lots of buds some became flowers but then the whole plant started turning yellow leaves and leaves fell and buds didnt open leaving few twigs. I put fertilizer, still not getting any better . what's wrong and how to fix? Thanks

Thanks, Jim! That was really helpful. I live in the windward side of Oahu in a very warm and wet climate. No winter obviously. I have my gardenia (Aimee, I believe from your description above). The plant is healthy but it doesn't bloom. The soil around the original potting has a lot of clay, so I'm thinking that drainage may be a problem. Do you suggest replanting with setting it a little higher with a mound and maybe some gravel below the root ball to drain the excess moisture?

i HAVE 2 garden bushes....one looks great the other is pittiful....the leaves are yellow and doesn't have very many leaves on the bush at all. It is only 1 1/2 years old. I am going to take it up and redo as you have said and see if it will help. Thank you for your videos

What are the most fragrant, longest blooming gardenias? Great info.! Thanks!

Hey Jim! I have had a gardenia now for 4-5 years i believe. I don´t know the specific kind but it is like a mini tree now perhaps 50 cm tall. My problem is that it doesn´t bloom anymore and hasnt been doing so for years. Some years ago it was close to bloom but the buds fell off. The once very green leaves have also started to shift. Some of them are dark green some light, almost mint coloured as if they have been washed off. I water her once a week and usually shower her in the shower and use quite cold water. I then let her drip off so no more water is by her feet and put her back in my room. I also don´t let her stand in direct sunlight and she has no mold or animals on her and never has had this either so i don´t understand why she looks so ... poor? and thin. I changed the earth last year. I live in sweden but i don´t know if the climate would affect her that much since i keep her inside. Would be super grateful for your help since i love her so much and would like to see her get stronger and hopefuly maybe bloom in the future! //Best Regards

Very informative video! Thank you so much

Hi Jim, I'm glad I ran across your channel. I have never had good luck with gardenias. My mom and I just purchased a Gardenia Jasminoides Veitchii from Walmart. We really want this gardenia to grow, and I want to learn how to care for it. It gets brutally hot out here in the summer - from upper 80's up to 110 degrees Fahrenheit. We live in Tubac, Arizona, roughly 45 miles south of Tucson and in zone 8b. I viewed another video that just confused me. Can you give me tips on soil, fertilizing and ideal conditions or is this flowering plant doomed? I'm in need of some sound care instructions for gardenias for idiots. Thanks Josh

Thanks for the video. I'm in Houston and my wife bought two gardenias from Kroger. At the time of purchase they both had buds galore. Repotted them into larger terra-cotta pots and moved them next to my rose bushes that get pretty good sun but not too much I feel. The buds never flowered and now there are no more buds on them and leaves are turning yellow. Help!!

Hello Jim! Love your video and LOVE gardenia! I live in lower Michigan and had two unsuccessful stories growing gardenia inside. Not willing to give up, bought a 1 gallon August beauty in Walmart recently. It came in a small cardboard box, looking healthy though. I changed to a bigger pot with potting mix bought at Menards. I basically leave it outside to get as much sun as it can so that it will grow healthy and strong in warmer days. Trouble is, the lower leaves are slowly turning yellow and falling off while the upper leave look OK. It has about 10 flower bulbs and they look fine. Two already blooming. I am careful not to water her too often. Doesn't she like full sun as I give to her? It's not hot yet in my area, just warm. So what's happening? Please throw me some ideas. Thanks! Kevin

I bought my first gardenia plant the other day and I'm scared of it. I don't knw how to look after it and worried to even water it LOL

Wonderful videos thank you. My gardenia lost most of the leaves this winter. I just repotted it it's tall skinny and almost bare. What should I do 😞😭

So which variety could I get for zone 6 and can I plant them outside and how well will they do in the winter.

Thank you for your advice. The house I am renting has a garden is tree, taller than the one story house. BUT I am in the Arizona DESERT! The leaves turn yellow brown and are constantly falling especially in the spring. Now it has had a few blooms, but don't last long at all one day. But since I have been watering it more there have been more blooms this year than last. Leave are still falling. Not sure what to do. Now that it is blooming I shouldn't fetilize.

My large bushes need a good trim and have not flowered in zone9 after over 1 year . Advice needed

EXCELLENT INFORMATION

I seen some tree like in the NW. Zone 3/4. I was surprised becuse I've never seen these in my area. I didn't buy one because idk if they would last thru a winter here

I need new foundation plants the front of my home gets full sun from about 1PM pm. -on. I'm in GA so the sum is scorching. Would gardenias survive???. Thanks in advance

Baltimore Maryland in apartment on the 5th floor and I've use coconut oil with Miracle Grow potting soil and also I have used a lobster fertilizer from out of Maine which I got from Ace Hardware store and I've also Incorporated banana peels dry them out eggshells as it's good for my gardenias and placing them outside for the first time today I need some help

It's great vedeio Jim thank u so much to know how many types of gardenia r but in UK I never find variety I like to c they sale gardenia soil fertiliser and excreta only for gardenia it's hard to take care in UK weather great thanks

I just bought a house that has a 8 ft gardenia tree. The bark of the tree is substantial with the blooms all 5 to 8 ft high. Is there any way I can but back the gardenia without hurting it to encourage greening of the bark and a lower plant without hurting it?

Great info. Need to plant “Jubilation gardenias” not mentioned, but I’ve dug the holes, so I watched to know how to prepare the ground to plant them in them. So thanks for that! 🙋‍♂️ But I still have a question , with this variety, (Zone 7-10. 0*F to 10*F). In N. C. Texas, if spaced in full sun, would you still cover them to protect them from morning frost during a hard winter, here⁉️

thanks for the great info

Hi Jim, when you are deadheading the spent blooms do you need to take off the entire flower (brown dead part + the green stem thing where the flower emerges from), or just the brown part? It's hard to find good information on this for the novice gardener. Thanks in advance!

which ones smell the strongest? I loved the big huge ine we had in miami... Boston possible?

This was my first video of yours to watch. Very helpful! Subscribed!

Well done on the video 👍 I have a gardenia that's a very big and we just went through a major frost .The plants leaves are starting to Brown feel dead, stem still feels alive not sure what to do.

I love the fragrance of gardenias but I have terrible luck with them. Maybe it’s too wet here in Houston?

I have bud dropping before blooming! There were very small black bugs on the plant. I sprayed with a dishwasher water solution. The bug population was significantly decreased yet the healthy looking buds still are dropping. There is plenty of new leaves since the treatment. What else should I be doing?

I boght a gardenia" tree" and when we got it it had blooms but now it continues to have buds but they dont open they start to turn black and become hard they dont open the foliage is green and glossy we are in Phoenix,Az I have it in a pot it only gets the morning sun because I had it where it use to get morning and mid to two o clock sun and it didn't like it it was dying I have fed it with miracle grow but I dont get the buds to open I use to water it morning and night but it was turning yellow so now I just do once a day help please!

Hey! I just purchased a sad little Gardenia ,frost proof, for half price at Lowes....it has new growth started on it so i know it's not dying though some of the leaves are crusty brown. How much sun does it need? Oops, i see you made another video about Gardenias, i'll watch that one, it probably answers my question!

I really love it

Can you comment on deadheading them? Is it necessary? Does matter where you remove a spent bloom? Mine is a reblooming variety. Tia!

I live in Alabama. I have two beautiful gardenia bushes in my yard. The problem is they almost die every winter. Can I dig them up and planters that I can take inside in the winter?

Thanx for the video❤

My gardenias are looking really healthy and lush , full of buds but are dropping of . Only one gave me a flower, otherwise they just drop . I have then in big pots and in full morning sun ☀️ as I said they are looking beautiful but won’t bloom , can you advise me on what to do ? Btw love 💕 your videos 👍

I moved to Puerto Rico .I am from va and nc.gardening is very different here I'm learning here I'm so use to gardening in the states.i just received my summer snow gardenia .it is hot all year round winter months are in the low 80 in the day and 67 to 68 at night. Summer heat is 80 to 100 but I live up above overlooking the ocean so it does get breezy sometimes and my yard is mostly full sun where should I plant it.

Excellent

Vary good video. Thanks man

Hi Jim, I'm in zone 8b. I have 3 year old gardenias. They have not flourished and always seem to have a yellow tint to their leaves. I've fertilized and added iron item on occasion. Not much change. I found you after planting these and should have planted differently. Should I dig these up and replant as you recommended? Thanks

Thank you for your informative video. Question , my gardenia isn't getting enough sunlight, and it needs to be dug up and replanted. How do I do this the right way?

Do gardenia climb? My mom got this plant she says is a gardenia and it grows tall and was leaning over so we put a stick in it to keep it straight and it wrapped itself around the stick

Whiteflies are the bane of my existence right now

Very informative

Thank you ❤

Hello Jim, Thank you for this video, I pretty much watch them once a week to regain confindence with Gardenias...I have clay soil here in Lompoc, CA zone 9a? I just received a frost proof from Alabama. Well it was shipped in a great box and has tons of buds, however all the leaves are spotty light yellow/greenish. Should I be concerned, or maybe it was due to moisture during freight travel? Sorry for the lengthy message I am just nervous on where to start with this one as I have killed 3 August beauties. Thank you for any insight, I also purchased a scentamazing gardenia plant and it has shiney dark leaves but no buds from same farm in AL. Thanks again

jim i bought a gardeinia, i replanted it the leaves are falling ,turning yellow to black . i used a small anount of fertilizer and used spring water to rewater .. the soil is mosit . but it looks like its dying......

Which variety would do the best in zone 7a & 10a. I think that's the right zone # for west palm beach Florida & Sevierville Tennessee

Hi Jim. You have been so helpful I needed to ask another question. We have Gardenia bushes at our house and I think they have been there awhile. There are leaves on the outside of the bush and we did get flowers but I noticed inside the shrub is just sticks. It's like it's hollow. Any suggestions on what I should do? I would like to keep them healthy if possible. Thank you so much.

Can you do a Video on pruning gardenia? I have two fairly large bushy babies that were propagated from the Mother bush, which was propagated from the Grandmother tree. The mother and grandmother are with other family members but I’d like to ensure their health and longevity. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

newly planted gardenias have buds but they turn yellow and don't open. Suggestion: