Q. I want to grow gardenias. I live in the desert, and
wondering what is the best soil and where I should plant gardenias in the yard?
How much son do they need? Do they need to be kept in pots or planted in the
ground?
A. There are pluses and minuses when keeping gardenias in
pots or containers; in some ways containers make growing gardenias easier and,
in some ways, more difficult. But first things first.
Gardenias
are not desert plants. The reality is, if you want to grow gardenias in the
desert then they will cost more to maintain and take more time to properly care
for them. They are native to tropical and semi tropical parts of the world that
are non-desert. This means to grow them successfully, we need to try to emulate
their native growing conditions as closely as possible. If you agree with that
plan, then let’s get them planted!
Light
They
need light for flowering but too much light will damage them because of the intensity
of our desert sun. But planting them in too much shade will cause them to grow
but not flower much. If it's way too much shade, they won't flower at all!
Typically,
growing them on the east or north sides of a home, so they are shaded from the
intense afternoon sunlight, will work.
Soil
The
soil where they are planted should be amended so it is close to the soils in
parts of Africa and Asia where they are native. This means amend or mix into the
soil a good quality compost when planting. Dig the planting hole at least 3
times the diameter of the store-bought container. The hole doesn’t have to be
deep, just wide because plant roots grow horizontally where the fertilizer is applied.
Don’t
cover the soil around them with rock. Use a 3-inch depth of woodchips so that
it decomposes into the soil and continue to improve it as it decomposes.
Potted or not?
The good thing about containers is they can be moved to a different
location if the first location is not the best. They can be moved into the
garage if freezing temperatures are extreme. They can take temperatures down to
15° F. They are semi tropical plants so freezing could be a problem some extreme
winters!
Secondly,
container soils are isolated from bad landscape soils and can be amended much
easier than landscape soils. But container plants require more upkeep. Every
couple of years the plant should be removed from the container, the roots cut
and the whole plant repotted with fresh soil.
Fertilizers
Organic
fertilizers such as compost are best but mineral fertilizers could be used if
the soil is covered in decomposing woodchips. A single application of compost
or a mineral fertilizer in mid-February is enough for general care but if these
are your “pride and joy” then lightly fertilize these plants 3 or 4 times a
year with a rose fertilizer.
To help
prevent yellowing of the leaves during the growing season, add an iron
fertilizer to the soil along with your first fertilizer application.
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