Big grafted, collected gardenia. Worth the effort?

Theo Smith

Yamadori
Messages
56
Reaction score
55
Location
Palm Beach Gardens, FL
USDA Zone
10A
Hey there! Hope all is well. You’ve bit off quite the project but, don’t take that as words of discouragement. The way I look at it, I think any project is worth your time if you think it is. Ask yourself; SELF, (you know that I, we, like this plant) what’s the highest and best outcome that this plant can achieve? Then, stare at it from every angle possible. Then, with that future in mind, it’s time to get the plant back to health. I have a gardenia and it’s the most needy tree in the garden. From watering to pest control and sensitivity to everything, there’s no species that needs more TLC. I’m about to work on mine because, it needs help. Hard scale, aphids and mites have moved in from nearby landscape hibiscus… grrrrr! All in all, I’d say they’re worth keeping around because they smell wonderful and it’s great horticultural practice. How’s this plant doing?
 

SWfloirda

Chumono
Messages
623
Reaction score
1,256
Location
Southwest Florida
USDA Zone
10a
It is barely clinging to life. It was right by my front door. Like you say, covered in aphids, scale, thrips and sooty mold. I have two in the front yard like this. The other one has been improving with some treatment but not this one. I finally decided that seeing 4-5 blooms a year isn’t worth the headache. I hate to throw things away so I dug it out but I secretly hope it doesn’t make it.
 
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