skip to main content

Container Gardening garden

Can anyone tell me what's wrong with my Gardenia?

4 years ago

Hello everyone, I have purchased a gardenia tree recently, and now my leaves keep turning a pale brown/green color. I have one bud on it that was still perked up, then I went outside again and it was soft and drooping...any idea what might be wrong? Yesterday I did lift it up to check the roots...

Featured Answer

Meyermike(Zone 6a Ma.)

4 years ago

last modified: 4 years ago

Fiona, without pictures, the age of your tree. discription of your care and how much light it gets it's really hard to provide even a possible cause. What kind of water do you use? What's the pH of it? What kind of soil mix? How long between waterings? Are you in a warm climate where it's grown outside all year long or in winter?

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (10)

Fiona Lu
Original Author
4 years ago
Hi, I live in zone 8b western Washington. I've purchased this about 2 weeks ago.

I have been moving it around a lot having no clue which spot to keep it, unsure if it needs morning light and afternoon shade or could I keep it in full shade. I don't know the ph of the water, but I know we don't have hard water here, so it's somewhere in the middle..I've repotted it with miracle gro potting mix, added peat moss and perlite..I have also fertilized it once a week with miracid. I haven't been watering too much because it has been raining off and on here.
Related Discussions
Can anyone tell me what's wrong with my maple tree?
Q
Comments (1)
Looks like some kind of canker disease, maybe "Eutypella parasitica". I don't think you can save that tree. This post was edited by Huggorm on Sun, May 4, 14 at 11:35
...See More
Can anyone tell me what might be wrong with my Loblolly Pine?
Q
Comments (3)
Without seeing it, I can't say! It could be so many things, even damage from the builders. (You said you live in a new house.) And there is Fusiform rust being found in loblolly pines. I think that you need to contact the Harris County Master Gardeners. They might have a suggestion, and it doesn't cost you anything.
...See More
Can anyone tell me what's wrong with my fig tree?
Q
Comments (5)
It is hard to tell them apart. Because you said that the leaves looked OK earlier it is most likely mites. FMV will often show early in the season and then get better, while mites cause more symptoms as the season progresses and their population increases. They are the vector of FMV so be careful to not spread them from tree to tree on your hands and clothes. It seems like Avid is natural but not organic for some reason. Be careful to not get in your eyes or on your skin, read the label, get very good coverage- inside to outside, bottom to top.
...See More
Can anyone tell me what is wrong with my peonies?
Q
Comments (6)
I'm not really sure what kind of peony you have but you can always bring a picture of it to your local nursery. They will be able to help you identify it. As for whether or not something is wrong with your peony, your peony looks okay to me. Sometimes when it's too hot and there is no rain, the buds may shrivel up. This has happened to me many times, I end up picking the buds off and my peony is okay the following year. I would try to clear the area around your peonies. There seems to be a lot of little plants growing inside and around the stems. When there isn't enough air circulation, peonies can develop gray mold or bortrytis. I would then try to clear away some of the dirt around the stems. Peonies should not be planted more than 2 inches deep. Otherwise, they won't flower. I would add some bonemeal or Neptune's Sea Harvest around each of the peony plants. Stay away from the artificial type fertilizers, they can do more damage than good. Lastly, get some peony rings to support the leaves. I wouldn't cut the leaves off unless there was a disease. Peonies, like other plants, need their leaves to photosynthesize food in order to develop a strong root system. Peonies are hardy plants and can live for up to a 100 years given they are planted in the right conditions. Good luck!
...See More
Lydia Lydia
4 years ago
How is your gardenia now ? I just got a gardenia and wondering if I should repot
Fiona Lu
Original Author
4 years ago
last modified: 4 years ago
Hi, my gardenia is doing a lot worse :( im still trying though. Your name seems familiar, are you on the facebook page group planet camellia-gardenia?
Fiona Lu
Original Author
4 years ago
If you're the same Lydia, i remember pictures of your gardenia. It looks beautiful! I probably wouldnt repot it yet until maybe september, so it cn get used to its new environment, unless you think its getting too big for the pot..
Lydia Lydia
4 years ago
Yes I’m also in the same group on fb. lol . I haven’t repotted yet. Planning to repot when the blooming is done
Need2SeeGreen 10 (SoCal)
4 years ago
I don't know the answer ... but, when you water, are you flushing the soil well first? And carefully following the instructions? It reminds me a little of what happened to my ficus when I got overenthusiastic with the fert. I had made both errors - I didn't flush, and I had upped the fert dosage. The plants got better right away once I changed my ways.
Fiona Lu thanked Need2SeeGreen 10 (SoCal)
User
4 years ago
Fiona,

It looks sun burned. Morning sun, afternoon shade.

Go buy a moisture meter. Don't water when the meter reads moist. Wait til it's dry.

Don't fertilize it, the potting mix already has fertilizer in it, and if it is flowering, you don't fertilize it then.

Good Luck!
Fiona Lu thanked User
Fiona Lu
Original Author
4 years ago
My gardenia's condition is even worse now, leaves are dry and crisp. I just repotted with new soil and cut off soft brown root hairs, the root ball was really dry but old soil around was wet. I have even less leaves now, do you have more suggestions? Thank you for your comment!
Need2SeeGreen 10 (SoCal)
4 years ago
Hello again,

I'm sorry I can't help, but try looking at this thread and see if any of it sounds relevant.

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/3825798/sick-or-dying-plants#n=79

Al, or Tapla, gives really great advice about plants - many of us here swear by him. (Just in case you are new here.) You can really learn a lot by looking up his posts - he has main ones on container soils and so forth.

Good luck! Don't give up.
Fiona Lu thanked Need2SeeGreen 10 (SoCal)

Related Stories

COLOR 8 Color Palettes You Can't Get Wrong

By Lisa Frederick

Can't decide on a color scheme? Choose one of these foolproof palettes for a room that feels both timeless and fresh

LAUNDRY ROOMS The Cure for Houzz Envy: Laundry Room Touches Anyone Can Do

By Becky Harris

Make fluffing and folding more enjoyable by borrowing these ideas from beautifully designed laundry rooms

MUDROOMS The Cure for Houzz Envy: Mudroom Touches Anyone Can Do

By Becky Harris

Make a utilitarian mudroom snazzier and better organized with these cheap and easy ideas

BEDROOMS The Cure for Houzz Envy: Master Bedroom Touches Anyone Can Do

By Becky Harris

Make your bedroom a serene dream with easy moves that won’t give your bank account nightmares

BUDGET DECORATING The Cure for Houzz Envy: Living Room Touches Anyone Can Do

By Becky Harris

Spiff up your living room with very little effort or expense, using ideas borrowed from covetable ones

LIFE The Polite House: How Can I Tell a Construction Crew to Pipe Down?

If workers around your home are doing things that bother you, there’s a diplomatic way to approach them

BATHROOM DESIGN The Cure for Houzz Envy: Bathroom Touches Anyone Can Do

By Becky Harris

Take your bath from blah to ‘ahhhh’ with just a few easy and inexpensive moves

DECORATING GUIDES 7 Bedroom Styling Tricks Anyone Can Do

By Eclectic Creative

Short on time or money? You can spruce up your bedroom quickly and easily with these tips

CLOSETS The Cure for Houzz Envy: Closet Touches Anyone Can Do

By Becky Harris

These easy and inexpensive moves for more space and better organization are right in fashion

HOME OFFICES The Cure for Houzz Envy: Home Office Touches Anyone Can Do

By Becky Harris

Borrow these modest design moves to make your workspace more inviting, organized and personal

Sponsored

Landscape Management Group

28 Reviews

High Quality Landscaping Services in Columbus

More Discussions

Are container gardening anaerobic soil considerations applicable here?

1

Fertilizing in a self water pot?

5

was just gifted a starter gardenia bonsai

1

Water plants exposed to the sun

1

Needed plant for sun/shade deck

6