Gardenia belongs to the madder family. In the wild, this plant is found in South Africa, India and China. In total, there are approximately 250 species of the genus Gardenia. Gardenia jasmine is widespread as a houseplant. This shrub grows to 1.8 m in nature, and at home its growth does not exceed 45-50 cm. This plant has glossy broad-lanceolate leaves. Flowers are solitary or collected in corymbose inflorescences of 4-6 pieces. White flowers with a diameter of 5-7 cm have a pleasant aroma. Home gardenia blooms in summer and autumn.
Gardenia should be sprayed often - several times a day. Also, gardenia care at home requires the removal of faded flowers. In the spring, with the beginning of the growth period, gardenia should be trimmed to form a bush crown. On gardenia leaves, a polish for leaves based on plant components can be applied.
How to care for jasmine gardenia to achieve rich flowering? This requires a lot of effort and strictly abides by all the rules for caring for a flower. Acquiring or independently composing a soil mixture for gardenia, you should check its acidity. To do this, pour a soil sample into an empty pot and water it when the water drains; determine the pH level with a litmus test. In winter, it is necessary to monitor if there is blowing from the window so that the earth in the pot does not become too cold.
Compliance with a certain temperature regime should be included in the care of gardenia at home, since this plant is quite thermophilic. It is kept in winter at a temperature not lower than 16 ° C and not higher than 22 ° C. The best option is about 18 ° C. Sudden temperature fluctuations should be avoided.
This plant loves light, and gardenia care at home should provide the proper lighting needed by the plant for good growth and flowering. In summer, the plant should be protected from direct sunlight in the hot daytime. From an overly bright summer sun, gardenia leaves may turn yellow or brown spots of sunburn may appear on them. In winter, it is advisable to put the plant in the brightest place, and you can not be afraid of direct rays of the sun at this time of year.
Special watering also includes gardenia care at home, including regular spraying. In spring and summer, watering should be plentiful. In winter - more moderate. This plant does not tolerate the drying out of the earth, however, stagnation of water in the root system is also highly undesirable. Water for irrigation at any time of the year should be tepid and necessarily soft. To irrigate gardenia, it is good to use filtered or boiled rainwater. During the period of active growth (March - August), gardenia should be watered every two weeks with liquid fertilizer for flowering indoor plants. The dose of fertilizer should be taken two times less than the amount indicated in the instructions. Twice a year (in spring and summer), preparations containing iron are added that lower the pH level.
The care of gardenia also includes a mandatory transplant, which is carried out in the spring preferably every two years. Gardenia needs an acidic soil with a pH of 4.5 - 5.5. The soil mixture for this plant consists of five equal parts: sod, coniferous, foliage, peat and sand. A prerequisite is good drainage, it is best expanded clay, which is poured into the bottom of the pot. If it is not possible to independently prepare the soil mixture, then you can buy azalea soil in a flower shop.
Gardenia is propagated by cuttings in February - March. Cuttings are planted using phytohormones in the soil, heated to 25-27 ° C. When rooting cuttings in water, they are placed in a weak solution of root formation stimulants (root, epin or heteroauxin).