Gardenia Care

Septus

I bought an August Beauty Gardenia, and I can't find specific watering instructions. I see a lot of "regular" watering recommendations, but I don't know what that means. I've been watering it every other day, and the soil does feel dry before doing so.

The plant also gets about 4 hours of direct sunlight in the afternoon, and the current temperature averages 95-105 during the day. I'm told that the sunlight amount should be fine.

I also believe that I need acidic fertilizer because the local soil here sucks. What I don't know is how much to fertilize, how(do I till the soil any, will that mess up the roots?), and how often.

Any recommendations?

Gaffero

You might try asking the fine folks at the nursery from which you bought the plant. They should know how to best cultivate and care for it. At the very least they can offer answers to your questions.

The sunlight amount sounds about right to me. No worries there.

Also, look up which hardiness zone you fall under and put it in the OP so people who live in that zone can provide better advice. "Regular" watering in your zone may not match up with a "regular" watering in a cooler zone. I'm in zone 6; I'm guessing you're in either 8,9, or 10. The summer months in those zones tend to be rather inactive so as to not stress any new plantings.

In terms of fertilizer and soil additives, do you know the pH of your soil? If if you don't have an exact number, a ballpark estimate can help you buy the right stuff. Again, ask at your local nursery as they should have a very good idea of the soil type(s) in your area. They can also probably sell you what you need in terms of materials.

EDIT: Where is the plant right now? Potted or transplanted?

Septus

I'm at hardiness zone 8b according to the USDA.

It's potted.

Gaffero

My inclination would be against transplanting it during the heat of summer; perhaps you could keep it potted until the temperatures drop (late summer, early fall) and transplant then. Again, I'm not familiar with this particular plant so you might be better off calling the nursery from which you obtained the plant.

If you are adamant about doing something with it right now, give this a read; it has some handy tips which I feel could be off use to you: http://gardening.about.com/od/gardenprimer/qt/WaterTransplant.htm

This has some more specific care tips: http://searchwarp.com/swa323732.htm

Also, is it in bloom right now? If so, then I would be wary of doing anything in terms of planting. It'd be better to wait until the blooms are done (early fall or so) so that your gardenia won't be as stressed when it comes time for planting. Flowering, after all, consumes energy that would be better used for establishing a new root network.

Septus

Oh I wasn't planning on planting it, it'll have to stay in the pot on my concrete porch.

It's not in bloom, and unfortunately I may miss the blooming cycle(I think it'd be in about a month or two) if I don't get it fertilized very quickly.

I will go ahead and call the nursery though.