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How To Grow Gardenias In Pots

growing gardenias in pots

Learning how to grow Gardenias in pots allows you to enjoy the beauty and fragrance no matter where you live. You can keep your plants in a sunny spot inside your home, or you can move your gardenias inside for winter protection depending on your preference. Gardenias have an ideal temperature range of 65 to 70 during the day and 60 to 65 at nighttime. Sounds like a pretty good roommate!

How To Grow Gardenias In Pots

Choosing A Cozy New Home For Gardenias

Don’t go too large when picking out the pot for your new gardenia. Choose a container with good drainage that is a little bigger that the one your plant came in. Don’t allow water to sit in the bottom of the planter and potentially suffocate the roots. As far as shape, color, and material that is all up to you!

Choosing a good quality potting mix that drains well is the best way to grow gardenias in a pot. Gardenias do prefer an acidic soil from about 5 to 6.5. You can use a specialty product labeled for gardenias, but most potting mixes are slightly acidic so a general potting medium is all you need.

Avoid drafts. Gardenias are sensitive to cold and hot winds and may even drop all of their leaves in protest. So, keep your plant in a spot away from vents.

Let’s Talk Humidity

Most homes are close to providing enough humidity for gardenias...except during the winter when our heat is running. This dries out the air. You know how you wake up with a sore throat when that heat gets cranking? Well, your gardenia bush feels uncomfortable with the dry air too. Mist your plant daily, utilize a wet pebble tray (keep the bottom of the pot above the water line), or add a humidifier if you want a really happy gardenia. This roomie is worth the extra work. The gardenia is an evergreen plant so you can enjoy its pretty foliage year-round.

Give Me A Drink...But Only When I’m Parched

Before you learn how to grow gardenias in a pot, you must know that gardenias grow in warm sunny climates so they are used to drying out in the heat and sun for a few days before catching some rain. They are drought tolerant and are much more likely to suffer from over-watering that under-watering. So be sure to water your gardenia plant only when the soil is dry to the touch.

Feeding Gardenias With Fertilizer

Fertilizing container grown plants is different than feeding plants that are in the ground. They need more food because it leeches out when you water. If you have a good quality, acidic potting soil, use a balanced slow release fertilizer a couple times a year. We recommend fertilizing in late winter/early spring and again in late summer. There are a lot of options though. You can find fertilizers that are specific for gardenias and/or acid loving plants, granulars, liquids, once a week, once a month, etc, etc. So go with what you know or like and follow the directions on the package. If it doesn’t have unique instructions for potted plants, you may want to check out the website to see if you can find more information or just fertilize about twice as often as recommended for plants that are in the ground.

Now you know how to grow Gardenias in pots. Gardenia plants actually aren’t the easiest roommate to live with, but they are worth the extra effort! Order your new roomie today!

Browse our selection of Flowering Shrubs for additional options.

For more information on Gardenia care, check our Gardenia planting guide

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