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gardenia soil acidity

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by joe c. on April 01, 2006 11:34 PM
i have a gardenia plant/tree my soil ph is around 7 - how do i lower it to between 5 and 6? help [/LIST]
by Handbright on April 02, 2006 08:18 PM
Hi Joe [Smile]
I just bought a lovely grafted gardenia myself. I cant put a regular gardenia straight into the ground here in Florida due to the problem we have with nematodes and our very alkaline soil.
Even with this grafted lady, I still put her in a pot, using 2/3 peat moss and 1/3 washed sand, to lower the pH. Gardenias like soil that is about 5.6 to 6.0...
In fact today was the opening of my first bud.
Hope I can keep this little tree alive.
Good Luck to you!
[Smile]

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the first duty of love is to listen
by Handbright on April 02, 2006 08:28 PM
P.S.
This might be a grafted gardenia, where the bottom half if the plant is "gardenia thumbergia" a root stock that is tolerant of alkaline soils and nematodes, and the top half is "gardenia jasminoides" Try this for more info- hope this helps..

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/MG336

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the first duty of love is to listen
by joe c. on April 08, 2006 01:07 AM
thank you very much for your help - the gardenia that i have is the veitcci?
by Handbright on April 08, 2006 11:35 PM
Oh thats a pretty one, Joe! This plant is only hardy from zone 8a and further south, so you might want to keep it in a container and bring it indoors in the winter.
I water mine thats in the pot with an occasional cup of coffee too, diluted of course.
These are acid loving plants, so I brew a pot for me, then I brew a pot using the same grounds, for my plant.

We wake up together, lol! The one I have is the "aimee yoshioka" (plate 2 at that site from above post) They all have about the same requirements. If yours is the cultivar Veitcci it will get about three feet tall with lots of blossoms and a lovely heaven scent!
Good luck!

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the first duty of love is to listen
by Deborah L. on April 09, 2006 03:27 AM
I'm transplanting my gardenia today, she's getting a new pot.
This is the first gardenia to do well for me.
When I bought her, and she must be my 1,000th gardenia, I had a little chat with her, and told her that she can choose life with me or life in the green landfill... I decided to try tough love...
Guess she's chosen me ! [clappy]

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by Handbright on April 11, 2006 05:49 PM
Hi Deborah
We think alike! My plants and I have the same chat...
[Smile] . But (just like teenagers) sometimes they listen and sometimes they dont. Good luck with this pretty cultivar.
HB

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the first duty of love is to listen
by Deborah L. on April 12, 2006 07:41 AM
LOL, HB ! She's doing fine ! Maybe this tough love thing is working ! For once, one who is not a rebellious teen ! [Big Grin]

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