Rarely anyone is captivated by the captivating with the heady and sweet fragrance of gardenia, home care for a wonderful plant is quite complex, but every flower lover dreams of starting a home. Capricious grace will decorate any interior, because its chic buds are able to compete with beauty, even with an aristocratic rose.
Gardenia - description
The heat-loving and finicky temper of the gentle beauty is explained by the southern origin. The gardenia flower grows exclusively in sunny South Africa, on the Hindustan Peninsula and in southern China. For this reason, she categorically contraindicated drafts, cold, dry environment, sharp climate change. This plant has several original varieties, but room gardenia, care at home, which we will consider here, there is one - jasmine.
In the apartments grow small shrubs up to 50 cm tall, having dark green decorative leaves. Jasmine gardenia has a chic look from the middle of the summer on a cold October inclusive. In this period, the vase resembles a bride adorned with terry or bewitching semi-double white and cream flowers. They are single or collected in small up to 5 pieces of inflorescence. The aroma of gardenia at home is unusual, pleasant, reminiscent of the heady scent of jasmine, slightly dizzy, but incredibly elegant.
Gardenia - species
There are hundreds of species of gardenia with incredibly decorative inflorescences or single flowers in the family of the madden, but the dimensions of their trunk often reach up to 7 m height, which is unacceptable when leaving the house. Most plants are used as garden forms, growing in the form of shrubs or small trees. In the tropical zone, they blossom and bear fruit all year round, decorating the landscape with white or multi-colored buds of various shapes. As an indoor gardenia flower is used mainly in cold countries.
Popular forms of gardenia:
- Gardenia Tunberg - a decorative powerful tree several meters high, differs in the care of stamina, unpretentiousness, is often used in gardening, as a quality graft. Flowers Gardenia Thunbergia has large, snow-white, reminiscent of a beautiful fan.
- Pipe-bearing gardenia - the name justifies this species completely, its bright yellow flowers are located on long peduncles resembling thin tubules.
- Gardenia Tahitian - to distinguish this variety of the family of madder is incredibly simple, it has white flowers reminiscent of the shape of the aircraft propeller.
- Gardenia citriodor is a shrub with unusual lily-shaped buds with five petals. Flowers are tiny, not more than 2 cm in diameter. Gardenia citriodora shrubs are compact, suitable for growing in containers, which is appreciated when taking care at home.
- Gardenia species radicans - small bushes with mottled or juicy green leaves. Gardenia radicans is often used by amateurs practicing hothouse gardening. This dwarf gardenia, proper care at home for this plant in the southern climate or in the presence of a greenhouse will not be difficult.
- Gardenia Kula - a beautiful 3-meter bush strewn with golden buds throughout the spring, suitable for garden shapes.
- Vietnamese gardenia - this species of plants of the family of marenovyh is of average size. Gardenia vietnamensis can be used for landscaping in containers or grown in gardens. The petals of the Vietnamese species resemble the yellow original propeller.
- Hawaiian Gardenia - a rare species, almost disappeared in the native tropical islands. His flower is single, delicate and fragrant, consisting of six white petals.
- Jasmine gardenia - in nature this popular form has two meters, but in pots the bushes do not exceed 60 cm. The leaves are green with pointed tips, flowers are tender, decorative, with fragrant aroma. Jasmine gardenia care at home is best tolerated, which made it a popular and common guest in many apartments.
How to care for gardenia?
The development and growth of decorative bush is affected by any factor. Disdainful attitude towards him affects instantly. It is necessary to know exactly the conditions in which flowers gardenia flowers best develop, how to care for the flowerpot, how often to water, sprinkle, feed. In summer and in spring, the temperature should be in the room just above 22 °, and in winter 16 ° -18 °. The climate changes and drafts act on the blooming beauty is fatal. If the plant hibernates near the batteries at a temperature of more than 21 °, then the kidneys will develop poorly.
Gardenia needs high-quality care, bright lighting, but the scorching direct sun can destroy it. Optimal placement of the flower at home on the east or west window. On the windowsills on the north side and in winter, the lack of light compensates for the fluorescent lamps. Otherwise, there is a mass wilting and shedding of buds. Sharp rearrangement of the pot on another window or even turning the plant at a different angle to the sun provokes dropping flowers.
Ground for gardenia
Rhizome in ardium has a lobed, many thin roots, best developing in loose ground. It is advisable to add sand and peat to the mixture for the vase, turf ground in equal proportions. Soil for gardenia is suitable weakly acidic and acidic, the tests should determine the pH to 5.5. Adding perlite or sphagnum to ready-made shop compositions significantly improves the composition of the soil.
How to water gardenia?
The nutrient mixture in the pot must be moist, but moisture stasis for the plant is undesirable. Spraying is recommended, gardenia loves watering from above with uniform moistening of the soil mixture. Apply in the care of rain or boiled water at room temperature. In winter, the frequency of irrigation is reduced, but the drying of the soil is prevented. For acidification, lemon juice is used, a couple drops per liter of soft water is added every third soil moisturizing.
How to transplant gardenia?
The young vase of this operation is subjected once a year, and adult bushes with qualitative care are transplanted with a period of times for 3 years. Transplantation of gardenia is carried out in a new container with drainage composition, as needed, they fill new soil. Rhizomes do not rupture, they are extracted with caution. After transshipment watering is carried out with a liquid with a stimulator. It is possible to apply for transplantation at home conditions ready soil, intended for azalea.
Fertilizers for gardenia
To stimulate growth and flowering, use a variety of acid preparations with a complex of trace elements, which are recommended for azaleas and other colors. A solution of mineral fertilizers with a weak concentration spray the pot once for 7 days, this treatment perfectly helps in the disturbance of the acidity of the soil. In the winter months, gardenia loves home care with the use of iron chelates and potassium sulfate. These substances are applied from above by spraying the leaves.
Gardenia - diseases
A common problem with falling buds is associated with a violation of the temperature regime, improper lighting, humidity of the environment. Home gardenia flower blackens, as with over-dried soil, and with a strong overmoistening of the soil. Yellowing of the leaves is a signal to reduce irrigation or the presence of a draft. These signs often indicate the excess in the ground chlorine and lime, poor lighting, a lack of nitrogen fertilizers .
How to propagate gardenia?
Perennial flowerpots at home bloom worse and with fewer buds. It's time to acquire a new shop plant, at the risk of buying a sick and weak seedling, but you can start a room gardenia by multiplying cuttings or by sowing seeds. Both methods save money and become for the amateur an interesting experiment, helping to receive new information about caring for your favorite bush.
Gardenia from seeds at home
This method is not possible in all cases and requires a lot of attention. Gardenia from seeds does not grow with the use of old and lost germination material. On the eve of planting, they are soaked in stimulants (zircon, aloe juice). Sprinkle seeds preferably with a thin layer of soil (up to 0.5 cm). After careful watering the pot is covered with a film, creating greenhouse conditions. Seedlings wait a month later, ventilating periodically the container with seedlings for a couple of hours.
Reproduction of gardenia by cuttings
After flowering, the plant is cut, shortening the shoots to 2/3. With the obtained almost lignified cuttings up to 10 cm in length, independent cultivation of gardenia occurs. The soil for rooting is made from peat and sand in equal proportions. Shoots soaked in a weak solution of potassium permanganate, planted in a container and covered with a film, getting a small greenhouse. Accelerates the formation of roots of heteroauxin or epin, in which the tips of the cuttings are dipped before planting. Care of seedlings in the home is irrigation, ventilation and maintaining a temperature of about 25 °.