Gardenias: indoor plants
Gardenias are very common indoor evergreens. They are the ones that are offered, that are placed on a corner of the dining room table, and then die without us knowing why; maybe too much water, or not enough...
These are plants native to Asia that are kept indoors because of their relatively low hardiness. Moreover, we meet a lot of them in South Africa.
Hardy varieties of gardenias
However, in recent years, there are varieties of gardenias that are resistant to cold. Some can withstand temperatures as low as -12 or even -15°C. This opens new perspectives; no more plants that die inside. By installing them outside, in pots or in a bed, their culture becomes much simpler.
The outdoor gardenias are specific varieties. Among them, there are plants with small, medium or large development. The largest of the hardy gardenias is Gardenia jasminoides 'Summer Snow'. It is a very vigorous variety, whose large white flowers give off a delicious sweet scent.
Flowering of gardenias
Most of the time, gardenias bloom during the summer. It can extend from June to October, or even November, knowing that some varieties are more remontant than others (4 months of bloom for some; 1.5 months for others).
The culture of gardenias
Gardenias are heathland plants, so they do not like limestone soils. The ideal soil is an acidic and rather fresh soil. If you live in a very dry place, where the soil layer is shallow, it is necessary to enrich the soil with compost and install a mulch to keep it fresh.
In a calcareous soil, it is mandatory to add heather soil or Sequestrene (even in neutral soil) because gardenia can be subject to chlorosis (yellowing of the leaves).
In summary, the cultivation of gardenias requires :
- plenty of compost ;
- a mulch ;
- a fresh soil.
- In the south of France: sun in the morning, shade in the afternoon;
- In the northern regions, in Brittany or Normandy: full sun.
The multiplication of gardenia
The gardenia can be sown (NB: it is not self-fertile). It can also be cutted in September on the semi-hardened stem, but the percentage of success is weak.
