Gardenia does not want to bloom. Gardenia jasmine: home care

Gardenia. To those who grow it for the first time, it seems like an incredibly capricious plant. Those who have been breeding it for many years have already adapted to its whims. Both groups have one thing in common - no one is indifferent to beautiful flowers.

But in order to observe them with your own eyes every year, you will have to make some effort. Let's figure out how to care for gardenia at home.

In fact, the whole secret is stability. This flower cannot stand change at all. Temperature, watering, air humidity, even position in space should always be at the same level and unchanged. The exception is winter period peace. We will build on this basic rule; read the rest below.

The soil

Gardenia is one of the plants that does not tolerate alkaline soil reaction. She demands increased acidity. In this case, the soil must allow water and air to pass through well. Some sources advise buying soil for azaleas at the store. In principle, it is quite suitable, but sometimes its quality leaves much to be desired.

• coniferous land
• turf soil
• high peat
• coarse sand

All items must be taken in equal parts, then mixed thoroughly and disinfected. The result is an ideal mixture for planting gardenias.

By the way, if the plant was purchased or received as a gift in a transport pot, then replant it immediately after flowering. The fact is that the soil is stuffed with flowering stimulants and other not very useful substances. On such food, gardenia will last at most 2 months, then it will simply die.

And don't forget about drainage. Without it, any plant will quickly begin to rot from the root system. It is almost impossible to save such a poor fellow.

Advice. Do not replant a flowering plant. It will drop its buds almost immediately. Wait until flowering ends.

Light

Gardenia grows well on windows in any direction except north. There she is sorely lacking in lighting. But, if you are the happy owner of special phytolamps, then this problem does not concern you. Additional lighting quickly resolves all issues.

However, in middle lane In summer the sun is especially treacherous. It tries to burn the gardenia leaves. Therefore, we recommend installing light shading on southern and western windows. For example, a screen made of white paper or light fabric will not allow the sheet plates to burn, but will let in a sufficient amount of diffused light.

Advice. In winter, you will have to turn on additional lighting on any windows.

Temperature

Gardenia clearly sets the temperature limits for its normal growth and flowering. The range is from +17 to +23°C. A step of even 1 degree in any direction guarantees that you will not see flowers for a very long time.

In winter everything is simple. We fenced off the bottom of the window from the room with glass or plastic, and now there is a normal microclimate around the pot. What to do in the summer, when the thermometer inexorably creeps up? There is an exit. Of course, humidifying the air will help, but not much. But every home has a refrigerator with a freezer. It’s enough to stuff plastic bottles of water in there, and within a day the mini-conditioner is ready.

Just place a couple next to the pot, and replace them with others as the ice melts. The temperature around the plant will drop noticeably. Just don't overdo it! Frozen gardenia is no better than roasted.

Advice. Do not even think about placing gardenia under the cold air of the present household air conditioner! The plant loves ventilation, but quickly dies from drafts.

Humidity

A very significant aspect for the normal development of gardenia. The air around should always be moist. Every day and all the time. Even in winter. Some sources recommend spraying the crown of the bush several times a day. But this is a constant attachment. But flower growers also work, study, and visit. You can list endlessly why you can’t sit next to a gardenia.

What to do? Create required level artificial humidity:

1. Place the pot on a tray (a stand is required). Spread sphagnum, peat, expanded clay, hydrogel around. Periodically add water so that all materials literally float.
2. Place a few extra saucers or glasses around. Make sure there is always water in them.
3. If you have a room humidifier, keep it constantly on near the plant.
4. In the cold season, place a wet towel or blanket on the heating radiators and moisten them as they dry.
5. Well, don’t forget to spray the crown with a regular spray bottle as often as possible. Preferably warm and soft (settled) water.

All these points must be completed simultaneously. Separate use will bring negligible results. And if you grow gardenia without high level If it is quite capable of humidity, it will never bloom in dry air.

Advice. Some gardeners set up a mini-greenhouse on the windowsill in which gardenia lives. This makes it much easier to maintain the microclimate at the proper level. By the way, this design helps to avoid sudden temperature changes, which the plant does not like.

Watering

Gardenia does not like the soil to dry out so much that it can drop all its buds. We have already talked about excess water above. Therefore, you should strictly monitor the moisture level in the pot. The soil should always be slightly moist, but not soggy. Some gardeners advise sticking it into the ground wooden stick to the bottom, and after 12-14 minutes look at it.

But today the industry offers a more convenient solution than daily digging in the ground. These are special beacons. They are simply stuck into the soil. As soon as it dries at a certain level, the beacon will change color. A very convenient thing.

Now directly about drinking. What kind of water can you water gardenia with? After all, she is very demanding on this point. You can’t just pour liquid from the tap and splash it into the pot. The salts contained in such swill will destroy the plant in the blink of an eye.

Water must be:

• soft
• filtered
• warm
• boiled
• settled

Yes, that's exactly it difficult conditions needed for proper watering of gardenias. Plus, once a month you need to add a few drops of lemon juice or 3-5 crystals of citric acid to the water. The plant loves sour things.

Advice. If you don’t have time to prepare water for irrigation, then you’re heading straight to the aquarium store. It is there that you can purchase special preparations to soften the liquid. You just do everything according to the instructions and within an hour you have a normal supply of water quite suitable for irrigation. Just warm it up before use.

Feeding

Gardenias are vital. Any mineral with a high content of potassium and phosphorus will do. These microelements are responsible for high-quality flowering. But you should be wary of excess nitrogen; it causes uncontrolled growth of loose shoots.

We propose another method. Just follow the manufacturer's instructions, but reduce the dosage by half. And further. The packaging should say “for flowering indoor plants" Then you definitely can't go wrong.

Advice. If there is no time or desire to accurately measure the dose, then purchase long-lasting fertilizers. Such fertilizers are sold in the form of granules or tablets. They simply put them in the ground, and when watered, the plant itself takes required quantity microelements.

Pests and diseases

All diseases in gardenia occur for 2 reasons: either from improper care, or as a product of the vital activity of pests. And there are many who want to enjoy the delicious juice of the leaves:

• mealybug
• thrips
• scale insect
• nematode
• whitefly
• spider mite

Some can be gotten rid of by simply washing the leaf plates with a solution of laundry or potassium soap. Others will have to be fought for a long time, carefully and with the use of heavy artillery.

In any case, you can’t hesitate. Action must be taken immediately. Because gardenia is very nervous about uninvited guests. It sheds its buds, changes pigmentation, begins to dry out quickly and stops growing.

Determining the presence of insects is very simple. In normal condition, the leaves are juicy green, dense, and shiny. When attacked by pests, strange spots appear, holes appear on the leaves, shoots become deformed, and a black or whitish coating forms.

You should not risk your beauty by using your grandmother’s methods of strange composition. Inexperience can only make things worse. It is better to use proven insecticides from well-known brands. At least the exact dosage and frequency of treatments is indicated there.

Advice. Don't expect a miracle in the fight against nematodes. It is impossible to save such a plant. Science does not yet know the means to help get rid of this rubbish. Without sparing, cut the cuttings and root them. This way you will get several young, and most importantly, healthy plants.

How to care for gardenia at home? No more difficult than any other whim. She just has her own preferences that need to be provided. But you will receive a reward for your efforts very quickly. Gardenia will reward you a hundredfold caring owners fabulous flowering and magical aroma. Believe me, if you see it at least once, you will love it forever. Then leaving will seem like nothing more than a pleasant hassle waiting for a miracle.

Video: secrets of growing gardenia

Gardenia is a very beautiful flower with a pleasant scent, reminiscent of a rose. It is believed that its homeland is the southern parts of the African continent, India and China. There are about 250 varieties of gardenia, but only gardenia jasmine is used for growing at home. IN natural conditions it can reach a height of two meters, and grown indoors - no more than 50 cm.

Caring for gardenia at home is a rather troublesome process. If you do not follow the basic rules for growing it, the plant can shed its buds, wither, and the leaves turn yellow and fall off. However, it is valued because long period flowering and beautiful decorative appearance.

In addition to decorating the room, it also gives a special freshness and aroma. Landscape designers in countries with a tropical climate it is often used to decorate the local area.

Optimal place for growing

Gardenia prefers places with sufficient light. But straight Sun rays could be disastrous for her. Most favorable places for gardenia in rooms with windows facing east or west.

When buds appear, the plant does not need to be moved to another location. You don’t even need to turn the pot to the sides. Gardenia's sensitivity to changes in position can cause buds to drop.

Temperature conditions and required air humidity

Caring for gardenia jasmine at home also involves maintaining a certain temperature. In winter, the best temperature for growing gardenia is 16-18°C, and in summer 22°-24°C. It is necessary to ensure that the soil in the pot is not colder than air in room.

If the flower is on the windowsill, then it is necessary to protect it from drafts and ensure that the cold of the window sill does not affect the soil. To do this, put, for example, a layer of foam, hang the pot or place it on a small stand.

Growing gardenia should take place in rooms with humid air. This is especially true during the period when it produces buds. gardenia jasminoides. For home care, it is recommended to place the pot with the plant on expanded clay moistened with water. At the same time, make sure that the water does not reach the level of the pot.

Before gardenia blooms, it should be sprayed. But if moisture gets on the blooming buds, this can lead to darkening of the flowers. Therefore, at the time of flowering, it is recommended to only wipe the leaves with a damp cloth. This will make it possible to obtain high-quality seeds.

Irrigation regime

Planting and caring for the plant is accompanied by watering. To prevent leaves from yellowing, use water room temperature. Water this houseplant with settled tap water. It is beneficial to water the gardenia often and regularly so that the soil in the pot does not dry out.

Spraying with a spray bottle can harm gardenias. Water falling on a blooming flower can cause it to darken.

Gardenia jasmine loves slightly acidified soil. About once every 30 days you can water it with water to which a few drops of citric acid or lemon juice have been added. This is especially necessary if you use it for watering hard water. This promotes more efficient absorption by gardenia nutrients from the soil. In autumn winter time Watering is reduced, but the soil should not be allowed to dry out.

Rules for soil fertilization

In autumn and winter, the plant does not require regular feeding with fertilizers, since at this time it is in a dormant state. IN winter months gardenia jasminoides can be lightly fed with iron chelate (0.5 g per 1 liter of water) or magnesium sulfate (0.5 tsp per 1 liter of water) as home care.

IN spring time During the period of growth activation, it is recommended to fertilize every 15 days. But after transplanting the plant, fertilizers are applied only after 1-2 months. Because fresh soil contains a set of nutrients necessary for gardenia.

You can use liquid fertilizers for indoor plants: potassium humate, ammonium nitrate, superphosphate. Only it is better to reduce the dose of their application by half than provided by the instructions. In summer, organic fertilizers are additionally applied in alternation with mineral ones.

Proper transplantation of gardenia

Young plants require annual replanting, and subsequently no more than once every 2-4 years. When transplanting, part of the root system is cut off.

If the flower has been moved to another place, then it should be replanted only after one to two months. It is believed that this time is enough for the plant to “cope with stress.”

Replanting a gardenia occurs by removing the plant from the pot, freeing the roots from the substrate and then placing it in a larger pot with fresh soil.

Slightly acidified soil rich in nutrients is used. You can use soil intended for planting azaleas. If you are preparing the soil for replanting yourself, then mix sand with peat, turf and coniferous soil in equal proportions. Sand can be replaced with vermiculite or perlite.

Sometimes sphagnum moss is added to the pot, which slightly acidifies the soil. To prevent alkalization of the soil, when watering, you can add a couple of drops of citric acid to the water.

In order to give the gardenia an aesthetically pleasing attractive looking carry out periodic pruning. It is carried out at the end of flowering. During the first year after purchasing a flower, it should not be subjected to this procedure.

Reproduction methods

Over the years, gardenia's ability to throw out flowers decreases. To grow a new gardenia jasmine plant, use seeds or cuttings.

Propagation by cuttings

Cuttings are planted in autumn or spring. The process involves cutting the shoots, which are approximately 10 cm long, and placing them in soil consisting of equal amounts of peat and sand. It is better if the cutting has a kind of “heel”, that is, a piece of an older branch.

Before planting, it is recommended to place the cuttings in a slightly pink solution of potassium permanganate and treat them with a growth stimulant, for example, Kornevin. To create a greenhouse effect, the cuttings planted in the ground are covered plastic bottle, glass jar or a plastic bag. This protects the plant from cold air and drafts.

To speed up the rooting process, special growth stimulants are used. After the root system appears on the cutting, it is transplanted into soil consisting of peat, sand and coniferous soil.

Propagation by seeds

For propagation, high-quality, fresh seeds are selected. Planting seeds should be done in spring. They are placed in the soil and covered with earth. Then the soil in which the seeds are planted is thoroughly moistened.

The pot with the planted seeds should be kept in a room with a temperature of 23°-25°C. Be sure to ensure that the soil does not dry out. Subject to proper growing conditions, seeds germinate quickly. Gardenia from seeds will bloom 2-3 months later than those planted from cuttings.

Diseases and problematic issues

When growing gardenia jasmine, the following problems may arise:

1. The leaves have wilted. This occurs due to non-compliance with the irrigation regime. Leaves wither due to both excessive watering and lack of moisture.
2. The leaves have turned yellow. This indicates an insufficient amount of nutrients in the soil.
3. Intensive leaf fall. This often happens when the air humidity in the room is low. In some cases, this happens if the plant is infected with spider mites.
4. Falling off of unopened buds. It happens if watering is too intense or too scanty. This effect sometimes happens if the plant is moved to another room, or after being transported to another place.
5. The leaves turned black and fell off. The result of damage to the root system of a flower. This is possible with abundant watering. To eliminate this problem, an urgent transplant into fresh soil is required.
6. Insufficient lighting can lead to flower depletion. In winter, gardenia jasmine requires additional lighting.

When gardenia is damaged by pests: spider mites, whiteflies, thrips, scale insects or scale insects, insecticides are used: confdor extra, tanrek, calypso. The rules for their use are indicated in the instructions attached to them.

What are the benefits of gardenia?

In medicine in many countries, gardenia is used as medicinal plant for some diseases:

1. Gardenia fruits and roots are used to reduce fever and treat inflammatory processes.
2. The leaves of the plant are applied to fresh wounds to stop bleeding.
3. Infusions and decoctions of gardenia are used to treat:

• gastrointestinal tract;
• dental problems;
• inflammatory processes in the respiratory system;
• treatment of poisoning;
• reduction of headaches;
• for kidney diseases;
• as a sedative.

Gardenia differs not only in appearance, but also in its cultivation characteristics from other indoor plants. Care at home should meet the requirements as much as possible, then you can grow a beautiful and healthy flower.

See the video for growing features.

Gardenia rootitas or jasminoides is one of the most beautiful indoor plants. But if a gardenia settles on the windowsill, caring for it at home should be constant and very attentive.

In nature, this crop forms large shrubs or even trees. During flowering, they spread a magnificent fragrance for many meters around, and the most lush peonies and roses can envy the gardenia flowers.

The first stories about amazing gardenias decorating the chambers of Chinese emperors date back to the Song Dynasty, which existed about a thousand years ago. Although gardenias could show themselves to the fullest in the palace, even then the gardeners tried to achieve the maximum lush flowering, preventing the crown from growing. This is how gardenias became spectacular miniature bonsai. In Europe, where the crop first appeared in the second half of the 18th century, it was also limited in growth by cutting and shaping the crown.

How to care for gardenia at home? This question haunts modern flower growers who have decided to decorate their collection with an amazing but capricious flower.

Today, in addition to these techniques, flower growers have access to specially bred indoor varieties. These plants are relatively different small in size, and caring for gardenia in terms of pruning becomes a little easier, but still the crop continues to be demanding and difficult to grow.

Conditions and features of caring for indoor gardenia at home

An ornamental species native to Southeast Asia in nature prefers to live in warmth, needs acidified, aerated soils, loves the sun, but at midday it can suffer from too bright rays.

The optimal location for gardenia pots is windows facing south or west. True, in the first case, especially in summer time the plant will have to be protected from scorching rays. In winter, gardenia is not limited to " sunbathing", on the contrary, they are placed in the sunniest places.

Like many evergreen species, indoor gardenia has its own range of temperatures that are comfortable for growth and flowering:

1. In summer, during the daytime, the air in the room can warm up to 21–24 °C, and at night it can cool slightly to 15–18 °C.
2. In winter, caring for gardenia flowers at home changes, and the room temperature drops to 16 °C. The minimum temperature allowed is to cool the room to 10°C.

You can maintain the temperatures necessary for the plant by ventilating, but you should not allow the flower to come under jets of cold air. This will negatively affect the formation of buds, and in some cases, gardenia simply discards existing flowers, and the flower buds dry out.

An equally unpleasant effect can be observed if the room is not humid and hot enough. To saturate the air near the plant with water vapor, you can use Appliances or place the pot in a tray with moistened expanded clay so that the roots do not have direct contact with water.

To keep foliage healthy and fresh:

• use regular irrigation of the crown with warm filtered water;
• wipe the sheet plates with a damp cloth;
• When caring for a gardenia, give it a warm shower, preventing the substrate in the pot from getting wet.

Watering and fertilizing gardenia when caring at home

In spring and summer, keep the soil moist, but do not allow moisture to accumulate in the tray under the pot. This helps gardenia maintain strength during active growing and flowering. On cold period watering is reduced every year. This is caused by the almost complete cessation of flower growth and a decrease in its need for moisture. If at home when caring for indoor gardenia If you do not take this feature of the plant into account, there is a risk of losing the flower due to rotting of the peripheral roots and the spread of infection.

Since gardenia feels good in acidified soil, you can periodically add a small amount of citric acid to the irrigation water. Just a few drops per liter of warm, settled water will improve the absorption of nutrients from the soil.

It is more convenient and rational to use products for flowering azaleas, like gardenia. Such feeding is carried out according to the instructions for the specific product. But along with replenishment nutritional composition soil for gardenias is useful to arrange weekly foliar feeding microelements. Even in winter, the plant will benefit from this procedure if signs of chlorosis are detected on the foliage. But the mere supply of minerals from the soil is not enough, so it must be fed. This is done only in the spring and summer, 4–6 weeks after transplantation.

Caring for gardenia after purchase has its own characteristics. Plants intended for sale are planted in soil saturated with long-acting fertilizers, so they bloom for a long time and without additional soil fertilization throughout the growing season.

But if such a gardenia has been in an excessively wet peat mixture for a long time, or its roots have become so intertwined with a clod of earth that the roots are sticking out of the drainage holes, you will have to take urgent measures to care for the gardenia and save it. And here you cannot do without transplantation, which is carried out in the spring before active growth begins.

Transplantation and other measures for caring for gardenia

A sign of the need to transship gardenia to new pot is the complete entanglement of an earthen coma with a thin network of roots.

It means that:

• soil nutrition will soon be insufficient for the full development and flowering of the bush;
• the plant will stop growing, its decorative effect will decrease significantly;
• gardenia will bloom less or even refuse to open buds.

Replanting is done by carefully transferring the lump into a larger pot. Free space cover with fresh soil for gardenias or azaleas. If transshipment is carried out during emergency care of a gardenia after its purchase, it is better to cut off the flowers on the crown so that they do not exhaust the already weakened specimen.

Pruning helps maintain gardenia in a form acceptable for apartment conditions. They begin to pinch or cut off excess shoots from the second year of the flower’s life. There is no need to be afraid of caring for gardenia at home like in the photo.

After wilting, the flowers must be cut off, and dried or overgrown stems are removed.

Since the buds are laid at the tops of new branches, the formation of the crown causes branching of the shoots and at the same time helps to establish future lush and long-lasting flowering.

Cut parts of twigs can be used for rooting. Cuttings with several leaves are immersed a couple of centimeters in water, to which a little root formation stimulator is first added. After the appearance of its own roots, the young gardenia is transplanted into a light nutrient substrate. With proper care, gardenia at home will bloom next year.

How to please a capricious gardenia - video

Sakura is most often associated with Japan and its culture. Picnics in the canopy flowering trees have long become an integral attribute of welcoming spring in the Land of the Rising Sun. The financial and academic year here begins on April 1, when the magnificent cherry blossoms bloom. Therefore, many significant moments in the life of the Japanese take place under the sign of their flowering. But sakura also grows well in cooler regions - certain species can be successfully grown even in Siberia.

We have prepared a hearty, incredibly appetizing and simply easy-to-prepare dish for you today. This sauce is one hundred percent universal, as it goes with every side dish: vegetables, pasta, or anything. Chicken and mushroom gravy will save you in moments when you don’t have time or don’t want to think too much about what to cook. Take your favorite side dish (you can do this in advance so everything is hot), add some gravy and dinner is ready! A real lifesaver.

Agriculture is one of those types of human activity, the successful outcome of which is not always directly proportional to the efforts made. Unfortunately, nature does not necessarily act as our ally when growing plants, and often, on the contrary, even throws up new challenges. Increased reproduction of pests, abnormal heat, late return frosts, hurricane wind, drought... And one of the springs gave us another surprise - a flood.

With the coming of the season dacha work the question arises about growing strong and healthy seedlings our favorite vegetables: cabbage, tomatoes, sweet peppers, eggplants and many other crops. At the same time, the question arises - how to grow decent seedlings and subsequently get healthy plants and a decent harvest from them? For example, I have been growing seedlings for several seasons now and protecting my garden from diseases with the help of biological drugs Alirin-B, Gamair, Glyokladin, Trichocin.

Let me confess my love today. In love with... lavender. One of the best unpretentious, evergreen and beautifully flowering shrubs that can be successfully grown in your garden. And if anyone thinks that lavender is a Mediterranean or at least southern resident, then you are mistaken. Lavender grows well in more northern regions, even in the Moscow region. But to grow it, you need to know some rules and features. They will be discussed in this article.

Once you have tried such an invaluable product as pumpkin, it is difficult to stop searching for new recipes for serving it to the table. Korean pumpkin, despite its pungency and spiciness, has a fresh and delicate taste. After cooking, you will need to cover the salad and let it sit for at least 15 minutes. My nutmeg pumpkin is very juicy and sweet, so there is no need to mash it. If the pumpkin is of a different variety, you can mash it with your hands so that it slightly releases the juice.

Lettuce, as the earliest and most unpretentious green crop, has always been held in high esteem by gardeners. Spring planting Most gardeners usually start by sowing lettuce, parsley and radishes. Recently, the desire to healthy eating And big choice greens in supermarkets make gardeners wonder which of these plants can be grown in their beds? In this article we will talk about nine of the most interesting, in our opinion, varieties of salad.

The flowering of indoor roses always comes with one more “bonus” - capriciousness. When they say that it is easy to grow roses in rooms, they are lying. For flowering indoor roses literally needs to be created ideal conditions. And constant care, attention and response to any plant signals is the main key to success. True, no matter how capricious roses may be, they can be grown quite successfully in a potted format. And attentive flower growers should not be afraid of this.

Pollock is best prepared as a casserole, separating the fillet from the skin and bones. Pieces of fish are mixed with a colorful assortment of vegetables and topped with a sauce of cheese, sour cream and eggs. This fish casserole has a presentable appearance, and its taste is a bizarre mixture of subtle nuances. Vegetables and fillets will be soaked in sour cream, the cheese will harden into a golden brown crust, and the eggs will bind all the ingredients together. Pieces of fish are generously sprinkled with Italian herbs, and pollock acquires an unusual piquancy.

Despite the fact that calendar spring begins in March, you can truly feel the awakening of nature only with the advent of flowering plants in the garden. Nothing signals the arrival of spring as eloquently as clearings of blooming primroses. Their appearance is always a small celebration, because winter has receded and a new gardening season awaits us. But, besides the spring primroses, there is still something to see and admire in the garden in the month of April.

Rapidly growing and turning into wild thickets, hogweed disrupts the existing ecosystem and suppresses all other plants. Essential oils, contained in the fruits and leaves of hogweed, cause severe forms of dermatitis. At the same time, it is much more difficult to control than other common weeds. Fortunately, today a product has appeared on the market that can quickly rid your area of ​​most weeds, including hogweed.

Carrots happen various colors: orange, white, yellow, purple. Orange carrots are dominated by beta-carotene and lycopene, the yellow color is due to the presence of xanthophylls (lutein); White carrots have a lot of fiber, and purple ones contain anthocyanin, beta and alpha carotenes. But, as a rule, gardeners choose carrot varieties for sowing not by the color of the fruit, but by the timing of their ripening. We will tell you about the best early, middle and late varieties in this article.

Recommended enough easy recipe pie with a delicious filling of chicken and potatoes. An open pie with chicken and potatoes is an excellent hearty dish that is suitable for a hearty snack; it is very convenient to take a couple of pieces of this pastry on the road. The pie is baked in the oven for one hour at 180 degrees. After that we put it on wooden surface, having previously released it from the mold. It is enough to slightly cool the baked goods and you can start tasting.

The long-awaited spring for many indoor plants is the period of the start of active growing season, and for most - the return of their decorative properties. While admiring the young leaves and emerging shoots, you should not forget that spring is also a great stress for all indoor plants. Sensitive to changes in conditions and universal, all indoor crops are faced with much brighter lighting, changes in air humidity and temperature conditions.

You can easily prepare homemade Easter cake with cottage cheese and candied fruits, even without any pastry experience. You can bake Easter cake not only in a special form or in a paper mold. For your first culinary experiences (and not only) I advise you to take a small cast iron frying pan. Easter cake in a frying pan will not turn out as high as in a narrow pan, but it never burns and is always well baked inside! Cottage cheese dough made with yeast turns out airy and aromatic.

Description . Small evergreen shrubs or small trees. The leaves are arranged oppositely or in whorls of three or four, 5 - 50 centimeters long and 3 - 25 cm wide, dark green, glossy, leathery. The leaf blades are wavy along the edges. Flowers are arranged singly or collected in small apical corymbose inflorescences of 6-8, often fragrant, white or pale yellow color, tubular at the base, with 5 - 12 petals, with a diameter of 5 - 12 centimeters. Flowering is long lasting. There are varieties with double flowers. Flowering plants are magnificent in appearance and emit a very pleasant, intense aroma, reminiscent of jasmine with citrus notes. An interesting feature of the plant is that the blossoming buds have a boiling white hue, the opened flowers become delicately lemon-colored, and before fading the flowers acquire a golden-yellow or even orange hue.

Varieties:

and asminoid or regal - Gardenia Jasminoides

An evergreen shrub from 1.5 to 2 m high with abundantly branching, erect stems. The leaves are dark green, up to 10 cm long, thick, glossy, entire, lanceolate. The leaf blades are covered with a network of branched veins. Leaf petioles are short. The flowers are large - reaching a diameter of 8 cm, reminiscent of a rose, and emit a very intense aroma reminiscent of jasmine. Flowering occurs from May to July.

Tahitian gardenia - Gardenia taitensis

Tall multi-stemmed shrub, reaching 4 meters in height. The leaves are lanceolate, entire, dark green, arranged in opposite pairs. The leaves reach 15 - 16 cm in length. Leaf veins are often more prominent light shade. The shoots are thin, flexible, abundantly branched. The flowers are light - white or cream, up to 9 cm in diameter, and have a sweetish aroma.

Vietnamese gardenia - Gardenia vietnamensis

Fast-growing, evergreen, multi-stemmed shrubs with thin shoots up to 1 m high. The leaves are oblong, lanceolate, dark green, entire. The flowers are cream-colored, solitary, with narrow, long petals, and have a sweetish aroma that intensifies in the evening and night hours.

Gardenia thunbergia - Gardenia thunbergia

Multi-stemmed, thick, evergreen shrub or a small flowering tree with a height of 1.5 to 4.5 m. The leaves are oblong - oval, lanceolate, glossy, dark green, collected in whorls of 3 - 4. The flowers are showy, creamy, large, reaching a diameter of 8 cm. During flowering shrub makes sounds pleasant aroma, which is especially intensified at night and in the evening.

nitida - Gardenia Nitida

An evergreen multi-stemmed shrub up to 2 m high. The leaves are glossy, entire, 8 to 18 cm long and 4 to 6 cm wide. The flowers are white, fragrant, up to 8 cm in diameter. Flower petals are often drooping. A sweetish aroma is felt on long distance from the bushes in the evening and at night.

Indoor gardenia - height . 30 - 90 cm.

Gardenia care at home

How to care for gardenia - temperature . During the winter months, the plant should be kept cool. Cool nights (around 16°C) and warm days (20°C) in late winter and early spring promote the formation of flower buds. Great the rest of the time suitable for indoor use the temperature is 18 - 24 ° C, and it can be increased immediately after the buds appear. At a constantly high temperature - above 24 ° The plant will grow green mass to the detriment of flowering and will begin to suffer from dry air.

Lighting. Plants need plenty of light to bloom. Place the plant where it will receive several hours of bright sunlight every day - in the morning and evening hours. Be sure to shade the plants with hot weather summer days. In case of shortage natural light use additional lighting fluorescent lamps- in conditions of chronic lack of light, flowering will not occur. Periodically turn the pot a quarter turn to form a beautiful, harmoniously developed bush.

Gardenia plant - care, pruning . Proper plant care will allow you to enjoy abundant and long-lasting flowering of these indoor plants. Prune the gardenia at the end of winter with sharp pruning shears, otherwise over time you may end up with a loose bush up to 1.5 m high. To make the crown thicker, pinch the tips of the shoots when the plant is dormant. Pruning promotes more abundant flowering next year. In the warm season, you can take the plant outside Fresh air. Gardenia really likes bottom heating, but it should be canceled during flowering. Flowering plants should not change their living conditions - they will drop their buds.

Gardenia in a pot - soil . Prefers soil with an acidic pH - from 5 to 6. Choose peat-based soil with a sufficient content of organic matter in the form of humus, well-drained. From ready-made soils It is worth buying soil for azaleas or adding finely chopped pine or spruce needles to the soil to acidify it, and you can also add small pieces of bark. Adding a small amount charcoal into the soil helps keep it loose. To improve drainage, add coarse expanded clay or pine bark to the bottom of the pot.

Growing gardenia - feeding . During the period of active growth, 2 times a month with a fertilizer intended for plants that love acidic soil - with a high content of potassium and iron, diluted by half. He really likes fertilizing with iron chelate. Apply fertilizing only after or in conjunction with watering - this way you can avoid burning the delicate root system. Gardenias love organic fertilizers.

Purpose. Highly prized for its abundance of fragrant flowers, excellent for cutting.

Gardenia at home - flowering time . From May to July, but periodically blooms at any other time. Having formed buds in the fall, the plant can stand with them until spring and only with the onset of long daylight hours will they open. With proper care it can bloom 2 times a year.

Air humidity . High. Use a room humidifier or place the pot on a tray of damp pebbles. Spraying is good to use in the morning in the summer. Try to prevent droplets of water from falling on the flowers - this provokes the appearance of brown spots on the petals. Loves good air circulation, but without cold drafts. You can place the pot on a tray filled with damp pebbles or sphagnum moss - as the water evaporates, it will humidify the air. Make sure that the bottom of the pot does not come into contact with water.

Gardenia watering. Blooming gardenias consume quite a lot of water. Drought causes leaves and buds to fall off. Keep the soil moist but not soggy. Reduce watering slightly in winter. Yellowing leaves usually indicate overwatering. Use a pot with large drainage holes and allow the soil to dry out slightly between waterings. For irrigation, use softened water at room temperature and, if necessary, periodically add lemon juice or citric acid. Excess moisture from the pan is removed immediately after watering.

Transplanting gardenia . At the end of winter, when replanting, you can control the size of the plant by replanting it in small pot. Instead of replanting, it is better to use transshipment into fresh soil, since the plant does not tolerate damage to the root system. After planting, thoroughly compact the soil around the bush to remove air pockets. Do not touch flowering bushes- to replant, wait until flowering is complete or use transshipment.

In order to remove the plant, lightly squeeze the walls of the pot with your hands and turn it upside down, placing your palm under the bush - the plant itself will be in your hands. When replanting, shake the bush slightly to release the fibrous root system from old soil, but try not to disturb the small suction roots. Planting is carried out at the same depth. After transplantation, when the plant is over-stressed, it is worth covering the crown with a transparent plastic bag to maintain humidity. If you had to move a plant on its buds and after replanting it gets sick, cut off the buds without regret - it’s better to lose the flowers than the whole bush. After transplanting, do not place the plants in the sun - keep the bushes in partial shade.

Gardenia propagation, planting . Apical semi-ripe cuttings without buds, about 8 cm long, in spring or early summer. The use of growth hormone in this case contributes to the fastest and most successful rooting. The lower leaves are removed from the cuttings so that they lose less moisture. Stick the cuttings into moist, loose soil consisting of a mixture river sand and peat, at a slight angle cover with a plastic cap or glass to maintain humidity and keep at a temperature of about 25 ° C. If the cuttings are covered with polyethylene, make sure that the film does not touch the plants directly. Ventilate the cuttings daily for a few minutes, and after a week or two, the cover can be slowly removed. It is highly advisable to use bottom heating when rooting. Gardenia can also be successfully grown from seeds - however, this method is suitable for patient gardeners. The germination rate of fresh seeds is good and as a result you can get plants that are initially perfectly adapted specifically to the conditions of your home.

Pests and diseases of gardenia . Whiteflies, mealybugs, aphids and spider mites. Spider mites love gardenias. Falling of buds due to too dry air, waterlogging or dry soil. Leaves turn yellow when wrong mode watering - in case of flooding or drying out of the soil. Gardenia leaves dry out when kept in too dry an atmosphere or near heating devices. The plant does not bloom in low light conditions and does not like watering cold water. Changing conditions for flowering plants - for example, strong temperature fluctuations or cold drafts, so-called cold feet, causes them to shed their buds. Placing them near heating appliances causes plants to shed their leaves.

Note.Do not rush to replant the bush immediately after purchase - observe the plant in new conditions, let the gardenia get used to them without immediately subjecting them to additional stress.

Hydroponics.

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