Gardenia in a pot

Gardenias require similar conditions to Camellias, ie they like an acidic soil. You need to find out whether your tap water is hard or soft. If your kettle furs up over time then you have hard water so you cannot water your plants directly from the tap as that would be too alkaline for them, the leaves would soon turn yellow and the plant would suffer. If no limescale deposits build up in your kettle then you can water from the tap. If you have no choice in a hard water area then use Sequestrine in your tap water, and always use ericaceous soil to pot up the plant. The soil should be kept damp but never wet. From spring onwards feed with a dilute tomato liquid feed every 2 weeks until late summer.

Gardenias prefer an area of light shade and should be kept out of direct sunlight. They don't like sudden changes in temperature. A normal room temperature of 68° F is ideal, but not too hot ie < 80° F. They respond well to being sprayed in warmer weather