Not all Gardenia varieties are hardy. Most gardenias such as Gardenia jasminoides do not tolerate frost at all and must be kept indoors over the winter. But even species that are known to be hardy need adequate winter protection if they are grown in the garden all year round.
How do you properly care for gardenias in the garden?
In the garden, gardenias need a bright, draught-protected location without direct sun. Make sure you have lime-free, well-drained soil and water regularly with lime-free water. Fertilize with rhododendron fertilizer during the growth phase and protect the plant from frost in winter with mulch and garden fleece.
The right location for Gardenia in the garden
In the garden, the Gardenia needs a protected location where it is as bright as possible but not necessarily directly sunny. It is also important that the place is protected from drafts.
Conditions for location in the garden:
- bright, no direct sun
- Draft protected
- permeable, nutritious garden soil
- not too close to limestone walls
Gardenias react very sensitively to lime, both in irrigation water and in the soil. Make sure that the soil is as lime-free as possible. Maintain sufficient distance from walls that could release limescale into the ground.
Properly care for Gardenia in the garden
Gardenias like it neither too wet nor too dry. Waterlogging must be avoided at all costs. Water the gardenia regularly during the summer months. Use lime-free water, rainwater is best.
If you have prepared the planting hole well and improved the soil with sufficiently mature compost, you do not need to fertilize for a few weeks after planting.
Later, you should regularly supply the Gardenia with fertilizer (€8.00 on Amazon) for rhododendrons during the growth phase.
How to protect the gardenia from frost in winter
Even if the Gardenia has been advertised to you as being hardy - don't rely on it. Frost-hardy gardenia varieties can survive light frosts in the garden, but only if the frost periods do not last too long.
To be on the safe side, you should protect the gardenia from frost in the fall by applying a layer of mulch and covering the plant with garden fleece.
Put Gardenia jasminoides in the garden in summer
Gardenia jasminoides cannot be kept in the garden all year round. This variety does not tolerate temperatures below 12 degrees.
You are welcome to put the Gardenia jasminoides in the pot outside in the summer. From September you should overwinter them indoors.
Tip
Gardenias are relatively easy to propagate using top cuttings. The cuttings are cut in spring and grown in pots with a lime-free substrate. They must then be placed in a bright and warm place.
