Posted by megret7 none (My Page) on Tue, Jun 4, 13 at 16:38 Ken is goodhearted, ..., but his words maybe harsh. Here are my experiences: 1. An over-sized pot is dangerous for Gardenia. I like to keep my Gardenia in small pots. It is easy to manage. Of course, it dries up quicker and require daily attention if placed outside. Repeat, daily attention like a servant ... Do not transplant Gardenia during blooming period. 2. Flowers suffer first when the plant is not happy. Each of my Gardenia flower lasts about 1 week in normal temperature. If the plant is unhappy, Gardenia will abandon both flowers and flower buds in large numbers. You will find out the plant is very fragile and could decline very rapidly. 3. When healthy, Gardenia love full sun, except for the hot midday and early afternoon scorching in hot summers. 4. Watering a potted Gardenia is extremely difficult. You must not over water it. Depending on the temperature and the size of leaves, you might try to water on the side of the pot in small quantities. The water should be acid - achieved by adding a diluted half-strength acid plant fertilizer. This is especially the case for new comers. If your Gardenia is established and growing big, and the temperature is hot, then you can water heavily. 5. When healthy, Gardenia needs a lot of water, and grows very fast into a fat shrub. The leaves, shiny like the surface of a mirror, glow green vigor and the waxy flowers radiate brilliant perfume. It is elegance and richness combined. No wonder so many people love it. I love them too. This post was edited by jujujojo on Wed, Jun 5, 13 at 12:52

5/5/10 Hi, I see this an old thread I hope some one reads it. Please respond just to let me know the question is out there. I just got my mother a gardenia plant this past Friday bearly a week a go for her birthday she loves plants and was so excited. It is nice and big had it looked live and strong all the leaves shining and standing up and spread out it is full of buds and even has one bloomed flower. I asked the gardning place which had it in doors to repot it for me to keep in doors. I took it to my mothers house and put it at a sunny window where light is avilable most hours of the day. As it says on the tag and we made sure it was watered. She calls me today Wendesday, that I should take it back to the guy I got it from and ask him what's wrong. The leaves are starting to get weak and yellowish and some brown lines etc. The flower that bloomed is dieing. She dosnt want to see her nice pretty plant dieing so fast. I couldn't take it there but I spoke to the guy he tells me make sure it has water and light. Well it has both but I don't think I want to keep the soil wet? Another think, I read on here and diferent sites about useing acid feed etc... They replanted it with regular plant soil not even mirical grow which has some nutrient in it. At this point what should I do? One women at the flower place said put it out side. Its not really something I want to do. We live in NYC I don't want some one to think we put it out for them to take. Please give me some good ideas to save the plant and agrivation for my mom. Thanks in advance.

Be aware that gardenias are evergreen,but they occasionally decide to get rid of old leaves and put out new ones. When this happens, they'll just turn yellow and cast off the old leaves replacing them with new. They will come back in the normal fashion and look good as new. This happens with mine about once per year.

Maybe "cheating", but Grafted (onto G. thunbergia) gardenias by Monrovia (sold in many nurseries or directly thru website}, though $$ are much hardier/less fussy with watering & dying!!! The only plant I have truly killed is a gardenia! (Rose & fragrant flower nut.) I have an August Beauty (nursery person thinks since tag fell off), whose flowers are Huge! (3 1/2" in Fremont, CA in a 21" pot, now 4 years old & entire plant is enormous 4' x4'x3' with a slight weeping habit.). P. S. It did well but has really started to take off in the last 2 years once I was brave enough to cut off a strong shoot that never really had the right leaves & no flowers, finally figured out that was a "sucker" from the rootstock though situated smack in the center. That said, I've just started growing a double flowered Arabian Jasmine Sambac "Summer Soul" also Monrovia (pic). The flowers are huge for a jasmine 1-1 1/2" & the scent is heavenly (TDF), this beats everything else I have ever grown for scent hands down no contest, roses, gardenias, other jasmine etc.!!!!! P. P. S. Tried several other fragrant "gardenia-like" plants. Easier to grow but not impressed with strength/quality of scent on any. Including: African Gardenia (Mitriostigma axillare) & Orange Jasmine (Murraya paniculata) from Logee. Vietnamese Gardenia (Gardenia (Kailarsenia) vietnamensis) from Top Tropicals, & Double-Flowering Crape Jasmine (tabernaemontana divaricata 'flore pleno') from Kartuz greenhouses, also super slow 1st year. All outdoor pots in Fremont, CA, acid-loving potting soil, & no fertilizer till 2nd year just to be safe.