Properly applied gardenia fertilizer will boost your plant’s flower power.
Heres how and when to use gardenia fertilizer to keep those fragrant flowers coming.
Fertilize after the last frost.
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Gardenias are the hungry hungry hippos of blooming shrubs.
They need lots of iron and magnesium.
Use a fertilizer with anN-P-K nutrient ratioof 2-1-1 on gardenias, following the product instructions.
Fertilizers formulated for azaleas, camellias, and rhododendrons are ideal for gardenias, too.
Fertilize again six weeks later.
Mix it gently into the soil around the base of the shrub.
Feed the soil with organic amendments.
Apply a 1- to 2-inch-deep layer of the organic material around the base of the shrub.
Dont dig it into the soil or you might disturb the gardenias roots.
Worms and soil organisms will move the compost and its nutrients into the soil.
Prune gardenia shrubs after they have finished flowering in the summer to remove spent flowers and straggly branches.
Add an iron supplement if leaves start to yellow.
Its like anemia for plants.
An anemic gardenia wont bloom well and may not bloom at all.
A pH over 7 can cause gardenia leaves to turn yellow.
Dont fertilize gardenias in the fall or winter.
In the winter, gardenias are essentially asleep and not actively growing, so they dont need any nutrients.
If you fertilize in the dead of winter, the gardenia fertilizer may damage the shrubs roots.
