Frostproof gardenia help

PaleFire

Yamadori
Messages
69
Reaction score
66
Location
Norman, ok
USDA Zone
7a
Bought this gardenia about 6 weeks ago and it has some odd leaf yellowing thats not chlorotic. Not sure what it is. Help?IMG_20200604_160728496_HDR.jpgIMG_20200604_160734346_HDR.jpg
 

sorce

Nonsense Rascal
Messages
32,908
Reaction score
45,579
Location
Berwyn, Il
USDA Zone
6.2
Welcome to Crazy!

Sorce
 

Carol 83

Flower Girl
Messages
11,120
Reaction score
27,116
Location
IL
I don’t mean to state the obvious but my leaves turn yellow when they are over or under watered.
If it is not this… Perhaps at some other underlying issue but this is most common.
Agree, mine had a couple yellow leaves due to underwatering. Luckily I quickly corrected and it is still blooming.
 

LanceMac10

Imperial Masterpiece
Messages
6,798
Reaction score
17,176
Location
Nashua, NH U.S.A.
USDA Zone
5
In my limited exposure to Gardenia, I had one for a few years early on, they don't like "tap water". So if your water supply has a higher ph, you'll probably experience some yellowing.
However, this would appear to be just a shedding of older leaves. Using a fertilizer formulated for acid-loving plants might help in the future.
If you don't know what it is, what makes you thinks it's not chlorotic?
 

PaleFire

Yamadori
Messages
69
Reaction score
66
Location
Norman, ok
USDA Zone
7a
Ive already fertilized with miracid and the iron fert i use in my high-tech planted aquarium. It is bringing back bad memories of root rot. The leaves are yellow and spotty, not like with a mag or fe deficiency.
 

sorce

Nonsense Rascal
Messages
32,908
Reaction score
45,579
Location
Berwyn, Il
USDA Zone
6.2

In the aquarium?

You know why I think is odd AF?

The stuff that makes a clay good to work smells like root rot. Sewage.

Stizank.

Sorce
 

PaleFire

Yamadori
Messages
69
Reaction score
66
Location
Norman, ok
USDA Zone
7a
In the aquarium?

You know why I think is odd AF?

The stuff that makes a clay good to work smells like root rot. Sewage.

Stizank.

Sorce
Haha the aquarium is lovely, the gardenia....i digress.
 

sorce

Nonsense Rascal
Messages
32,908
Reaction score
45,579
Location
Berwyn, Il
USDA Zone
6.2
Haha the aquarium is lovely, the gardenia....i digress.

I just get the feeling you are too concerned about stuff that might not matter.

It will be lovely again as soon as you remove those ugly fu@king yellow leaves!

Without meaning to offend, a "high-tech" planted aquarium, sounds disturbingly backwards.

Since there are few lifeforms less high-tech than plants in water. That's what... The second, maybe third formation of life?

So "high-tech" just reads as "trying to sell some shit" to me.

Less is more. Mostly in our minds.

I'm concerned because gardenia is one of the most beautiful things I've ever witnessed. I think.

Sorce
 

PaleFire

Yamadori
Messages
69
Reaction score
66
Location
Norman, ok
USDA Zone
7a
I just get the feeling you are too concerned about stuff that might not matter.

It will be lovely again as soon as you remove those ugly fu@king yellow leaves!

Without meaning to offend, a "high-tech" planted aquarium, sounds disturbingly backwards.

Since there are few lifeforms less high-tech than plants in water. That's what... The second, maybe third formation of life?

So "high-tech" just reads as "trying to sell some shit" to me.

Less is more. Mostly in our minds.

I'm concerned because gardenia is one of the most beautiful things I've ever witnessed. I think.

Sorce
High tech in this context means CO2 injection and fancy led light.
 

PaleFire

Yamadori
Messages
69
Reaction score
66
Location
Norman, ok
USDA Zone
7a
For reference its difficult to get a decent image
 

Attachments

  • IMG_20200418_194739_01.jpg
    IMG_20200418_194739_01.jpg
    227.2 KB · Views: 21

PaleFire

Yamadori
Messages
69
Reaction score
66
Location
Norman, ok
USDA Zone
7a
Heres a better picture of the leaves. Note the spots.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_20200605_191429188.jpg
    IMG_20200605_191429188.jpg
    181.6 KB · Views: 17

Leo in N E Illinois

The Professor
Messages
11,337
Reaction score
23,253
Location
on the IL-WI border, a mile from ''da Lake''
USDA Zone
5b
I have seen leaves just like this. I would seriously consider 3 possible causes.
- over watering. Soul staying saturated for too long.

- under watering - too dry obviously will cause wilting, but then after getting watered, older leaves will be shed. Dropping old leaves is a normal response to a brief drought.

- potting media does not allow enough air penetration.

What do you have your gardenia planted in? Might also be excess calcium in media or water. Causes difficulties with nitrogen uptake.
 

PaleFire

Yamadori
Messages
69
Reaction score
66
Location
Norman, ok
USDA Zone
7a
Right, i dont think it's overwatering; it could be underwatered. It was still in its nursery pot, and i slip potted it into half perlite half potting mix two days ago. I also moved it outta so much sun. Was gonna put it in better soil next spring...provided it survives that long.
 

PaleFire

Yamadori
Messages
69
Reaction score
66
Location
Norman, ok
USDA Zone
7a
Another thing is i had one last year it did the same thing and just died
 

Leo in N E Illinois

The Professor
Messages
11,337
Reaction score
23,253
Location
on the IL-WI border, a mile from ''da Lake''
USDA Zone
5b
Slip potting usually creates more problems than it solves. Slip potting leaves you with zones of dissimilar media in the pot. Makes controlling moisture next to impossible. The old media will either be too wet or too dry. If you withhold water to dry out the old media, the fresh media will be too dry. You would have been much better served doing a full blown repot.
 

PaleFire

Yamadori
Messages
69
Reaction score
66
Location
Norman, ok
USDA Zone
7a
So what would you recommend? A repot where i clean out most of the old soil?
 

Leo in N E Illinois

The Professor
Messages
11,337
Reaction score
23,253
Location
on the IL-WI border, a mile from ''da Lake''
USDA Zone
5b
So what would you recommend? A repot where i clean out most of the old soil?

Yes,
When you repot, never just "slip pot", always clean out the bulk of the old soil. You want as much as is reasonable the entire contents of the pot to be the same, uniform media. No zones of old media of significant size. A little old media is no problem.

Problem is, you already disturbed the root system when you "slip potted" it last Saturday. IF you have the better soil you mentioned in stock on hand, you probably should repot again right now. Otherwise, if you do not have that "better soil" on hand, it is best to leave it alone. Generally myself and most bonsai growers try to avoid repotting trees too often. Once every two to three years is normal for younger trees, and once every 5 to 10 years for older trees, particularly for conifers. Azalea, Gardenia and Citrus, I would only repot once every 2 to 3 years. My gardenia, when I had one, I would only repot every 5 years or so.
(I mentioned citrus, because, gardenia is actually in the citrus family).

You should get your "better soil" in stock. If the tree seems to have recovered while waiting for you to get the new media, just leave it alone until next year. If the tree has continued to decline, you can do an emergency repot. Thoroughly clean out the old, bad media, and pot it up in the new mix.
 
Top Bottom