Gardenia in a pot

Potted gardenia: a fragrant flower as a gift for your loved ones

Gardenias are tropical evergreen plants that have white or yellow fragrant flowers. They are very decorative and in demand as gifts for any holiday or even for no reason. Give a potted gardenia to a lover of indoor flowers and you will not go wrong.

The plant got its name in honor of Alexander Garden, a doctor and naturalist of Scottish origin. Gardenias can be found in the wild in South America, South Africa, in some Asian countries, and in culture it is also common in other regions where there are suitable climatic conditions.
The botanical genus Gardenia includes many species, among which the jasmine variety is the most popular for growing at home. In nature, it is a thorny shrub growing almost 2 m in height, with branching stems and wide shiny leaves. Its flowers grow up to 7 cm in diameter, they have a distinct pleasant aroma.
Indoor gardenia, of course, is smaller in size, usually its height is about 35-50 cm. The plant is considered quite capricious for home care, but if certain rules are followed, it will certainly please you with abundant and long flowering.

Features of indoor gardenia

• Previously, gardenia could not be found so often in houses and apartments, but the situation is gradually changing. Now the plant is gaining more and more popularity, so it is important to know what its main features are:
• it is very thermophilic, cold is contraindicated;
• the pot with it must be placed on the south side, but not close to the glass;
• direct sunlight can be harmful, so the light should be bright, but diffused;
• you cannot move the pot from place to place, otherwise the gardenia may shed its leaves; this is especially dangerous during the period when the plant is about to bloom.

Watering should be quite abundant and frequent, neither the soil should be allowed to dry out, nor water should stagnate in the pot. Additionally, the flower should be sprayed if the humidity in the room is low. It is replanted in the spring every 2-3 years, but in no case during flowering.
To form a lush miniature bush, new shoots should be pinched from time to time. You should also pinch off wilted flowers as they dry out so that the plant retains a decorative appearance. In addition, it is important to monitor the condition of the leaves in order to notice in time whether the tree has become ill.

How to care for indoor gardenia?

Careful care is required here. This flower does not like sudden changes in temperature, does not tolerate cold well. The room temperature should not be lower than 16 ° C, and the optimal option is 20-22 ° C.
The plant needs filtered or settled slightly warm water, you can pour it into the tray to avoid overflow. Spray the leaves once a week, but if the room is very dry, you can do it more often. Periodically, add fertilizer to the soil along with water.
You can feed with complex fertilizers for indoor flowers, as well as organic fertilizers. During the period of active growth, fertilizers should be applied more often, and in the fall and winter they can be stopped.

As the flower grows, it needs to be replanted into a new pot, but only 2-3 cm larger in diameter than the previous one. You should replant it no earlier than the plant has completely finished flowering, otherwise it may die. If everything is done correctly, then every year the indoor gardenia will give white flowers with a delicate aroma.

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