Here is how to care for your gardenia houseplant (Gardenia jasminoides, syn. G. augusta)

Light Preference: Bright light with at least four hours of sunlight per day.

Watering: Keep evenly moist, not allowing to dry out to the point of wilting. Water with distilled water once a month to leach out fertilizer salts.

Temperature: 65º-70ºF during day; below 55ºF at night for best growth conditions. Higher temperatures will result in leaf and bud drop. Provide extra humidity.

Feeding: Feed during the growing season (March through September) with a dilute fertilizer with iron for acid-loving plants.

Transplanting/propagation: Transplant when pot-bound into a soil mixture of two parts peat moss, one part sterilized houseplant potting soil, and one part sand or perlite. To propagate, take 3- to 4-inch stem cuttings in early spring just below the leaf node. Dip stem cutting.

Maintenance: To encourage continuous bloom, keep the night temperature below 65°F and feed with dilute fertilizer with iron every two weeks during the growing season. Prune/shape the plants in early spring to encourage branching and compact growth.

Special points: Monitor and treat insect pests as quickly as possible. Avoid leaf and flower bud drop by giving proper light, temperature, and moderate humidity requirements. Check out the updated information from our Gardenia Research Guide.

Courtesy of NYBG Plant Information Service