Gardenias have a reputation
for being finicky houseplants, so don't be so hard on yourself.
Your gift was probably produced in a greenhouse where it
received the right amount of light, was grown at the proper
temperature, and maintained on a careful watering and fertilization
schedule. Some of the bud drop can probably be attributed
just to the move from that greenhouse into your home.
Two of the biggest factors influencing gardenia bud drop
are heat and lack of humidity in our homes, especially in
the winter. They prefer cool temperatures -- 62 or 63 degrees
-- to set and maintain flower buds. That is much cooler
than most humans find comfortable in winter months. If temperatures
get even a little too high, they will drop all of their
buds. If you have a room where it stays cooler than the
rest of your house while meeting the gardenia's other requirements,
that may be best location for it.
Gardenias also require a high level of humidity or they
drop their flower buds before they open. High humidity can
be challenging to achieve in our homes during the winter
when furnaces are running. Some gardeners report success
by moving the plant to a naturally more humid room such
as a bathroom or laundry area. You can stand the container
in a saucer of pebbles that you keep filled with water to
increase humidity. Try not to allow the bottom of the pot
to contact the water in the saucer to avoid problems with
root rot.
You may also group plants together. As the plants lose moisture
through their leaves (transpiration), it maintains an area
of higher humidity around the group. As a last resort, mist
the leaves every other day. Too much moisture on the leaves
can cause leaf spots, and moisture will spoil the flowers
too quickly once they do bloom.
Gardenias prefer bright light, perhaps in an east- or southeast-facing
window. Strong sun from the southwest may scorch their leaves
and cause flowers to fade faster than necessary.
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