Gardenias: advice on trouble I am having

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gigirose chesapeake, va, United States Aug 24, 2011

I have 8 gardenias. Four are doing very well. Two have yellow leaves and the other two have brown leaves and now they are dropping. Any ideas on what is going on? If so, what can I do to fix it?
Thanks,
Rose

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TheExpertVGL melbourne, Australia Nov 28, 2011

A good mulching mower allows you to leave a surprisingly large pile of leaves on your lawn. The trick is to “cut” your grass twice. If it’s not working for you, your lawn mower could be at fault; not all mulching mowers are created equal.

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HydroPinke Burien, WA(Zone 7b) Nov 29, 2011

Gigi, can you post a photo of the sickly plants? It is difficult to tell with out seeing them.

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donnadoright Anaheim, CA Nov 30, 2011

Gigi,
Gardenias like moist soil. In hot weather, I water mine sometimes every day, and back off to once a week in winter. If I miss a couple of days, the leaves start turning bright yellow seemingly overnight. Keep your gardenia watered well (but not soggy.) One of my potted gardenias I placed under a faucet that slowly drips all the time. It thrives there!

Also, during the summer, I noticed leaves browning and looked closely at the leaves. On the undersides, many of the leaves had flat brown insects that were sucking the life out of my beautiful gardenia. I used my hose on strong "jet" setting, and one leaf at a time, used water and my hand to wipe off the leaves. (Spraying alone doesn't work, because the strength of the water just makes the leaf move, and doesn't dislodge the insect.) The plant recovered beautifully.
Good luck! Gardenias are beautiful, but high maintenance!

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Momos Gulfport, MS Mar 28, 2012

My gardenias have black sootie dust on them. Anyone know what I need to do to get rid of it. I love my gardenias. Thanks for any advice you can give, I live in the deep south.
Thank you, I apreciate it!

This message was edited Mar 29, 2012 5:29 AM

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HydroPinke Burien, WA(Zone 7b) Mar 28, 2012

You probably have sooty mold fungus http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sooty_mold

It is usually a secondary infection to a honeydew excreting insect infestation. Aphids, whiteflys, scale, ect.

http://baker.ifas.ufl.edu/Horticulture/documents/BlackSootyMoldonLandscapePlants.pdf

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