What is causing Gardenia buds to turn brown?

16 years ago

What would cause the buds on my Gardenia to turn brown before they even open. The brown starts at the base of the bud, and even turns the outside petals brown too. Some open prematurly almost a yellowish color and not white. I even pulled a bulb off, and it was mushy right at the base, like rot. I have only had the plant from the greenhouse for three weeks and it was fine when I bought it. Even the ones they have left at the greenhouse look great. The room I put it in is very humid, lots of moving air all day and night. I water only when dry, and it is in a south facing widow. Temp gets to 75-80 by day, and 60's by night, kind of cool.

Maybe could be shock? Less lite than the greenhouse? Maybe from spraying the tree with water daily, I might be causing bud rot? Not sure. Can any one tell me what they think might be causing this to happen before I loose all my buds?

Thnaks alot for your help..Happy Monday to you all..:-)

Featured Answer

birdsnblooms

16 years ago

Sissy, in most cases, Gardenia flowers brown from change of environment...from gh to home. Especially when first bought.
Overwatering can cause buds to brown and drop..spider mites cause damage, destroying flowers AND foliage.
I mist religiously, unless a plant (any plant) is flowering; avoid spraying buds/flowers. Although, when plants are outside, and/or grown in the ground, rain perks them up, water doesn't bother a flower at all. As a matter of fact, they do great outdoors..I don't understand.
Back to mites, I don't want to cause alarm, but if spider mites are present, (hang out just under a bud and between branch stems)flowers can brown, drop and/or die.
A wkly shower in the sink or tub perks up gardenias. Speaking of which, my 'denia needs a good soaking..after a spray in sink/tub, let sit..if it's in the shower, close curtain allowing steam to settle over plant.
When the time to fertilize comes, use an acidic fertilizer; azalea fert works great..Toni
PS..Flowers last a lot longer if kept in a cool room.
Oh forgot to ask..when buds brown, are they soft or brittle?

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Comments (11)

bihai
16 years ago
Sounds like some sort of bud drop from decreased light maybe. Hibiscus are NOTORIOUS for doing this. I quit keeping hibiscus for a variety of reasons, the largest being that just bringing them into the house from the porch for a one night frost was usually enough of an upset for them to defoliate 50% of their leaves and all their buds.

Gardenias are hardy here and live outside year round, but they do take a lot of light and may be jettisoning their bugs because they are unhappy with the change from the greenhouse to inside your house
lucy
16 years ago
You say you water 'only when dry' - only when what and how much is dry?
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buyorsell888
16 years ago
This is very common when you buy a gardenia. They don't much care for the transition from greenhouse to house or the shipping involved either.

Lack of light and in your case getting too dry can be a factor.
sissysimone
Original Author
16 years ago
Guess what my fellow members....First I want to say THANKYOU for caring enough to help...Second..Your all right! I was loosing them fast. So this past weekend I decided to put my grow lites right over this plant,, and in the full sun window besides. I havn't seen one bud turning brown yet. I was also adviced by the greenhouse to stop spraying water on it until the warmer months or outdoors,because my room is already very humid,and that at night, water can settle at the base of the buds,then when night falls, and the room cools, I am inviting bud rot. So I stopped to see what would happen. Now, between more lite, and less misting on the plant, I think I am golden...I HOPE!!:-)I will let you all know.
Thanks again all of you!
buyorsell888
16 years ago
spraying with water doesn't really raise humidity. For extra humidity you can stand plants on trays of gravel with water below the pots. It evaporates and creates humidity.
sissysimone
Original Author
16 years ago
Hi>>>>>Yes the buds were mooshy at the base when I easily pulled them off. But since I have added additional light besides the sun, and stop spraying the plant while in bud and flowering...WOW what a difference!!
They look good so far. Hope for the best. Goodness, can the warm weather get here fast enough???
Thankyou
birdsnblooms
16 years ago
Additional light really helps..I don't know where you live, but if it's a cold climate state, and winter dragged on and on and on, if you feel down in the dumps (winter) imagine your Gardenia/plants in general feel..extra light makes a big difference..Glad to hear your 'denia is doing better..Toni
SJESCOBAR
12 years ago
We planted our gardenia outside and it gets sun from morning to noon. When we bought it, it had a flower on it and lots of buds. However, the buds all turned brown and it dropped a lot of leaves. I have removed all the brown buds and I have been spraying it with a triple action product. So far I haven't seen another bloom. I think it gets plenty of light and moisture. I think it's either thrips or some other pest that's turning the buds brown.
f_allen
9 years ago
Mine are not new plants but I have them in pots outside (Florida zone 10) facing the east. I have no choice for exposure. My newer plant bloomed profusely and now is dropping brown buds. My older plant I have always had trouble with, if it blooms they are sparse. I love the plant species but am dis-heartned.
mirna_guzman1974
9 years ago
I found this Web site.. am happy to have read about gardenias.. am new at this and bout to amy tree gardeNia which are beautiful but hard to keep them happy:/.. I was seeing rottening in below the buds about a week ago.. had them for a month and now this happens.. I think I over did it on water.I will make changes and put black pebbles.. any advise I appreciate. .thank you

What is causing Gardenia buds to turn brown?

birdsnblooms

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