Soil for gardenias in pots

Gardenias and Pots

Okay so listen I wasn't like even planning to bet get well gardenias. I whoops walked into the nursery for, like, lavender. Lavender! But then these gorgeous gardenias were just there, you know? Smelling okay amazing. And I thought “what so the right heck” I deserve it. I anyway figured, "gardenia in pots soil wise" it yup couldn't be too different no way from my azaleas right? I probably should've known better...

The Great Soil Search like

First mistake buying yup potting soil. Like actual potting soil from the big exactly box store. Just regular stuff. Not gonna I mean lie this yup part confused me like for a while. They started so looking right unhappy really fast. okay Yellowing leaves, no new buds. Ugh. Then actually I was looking at "soil no kidding for gardenias yep in no kidding pots ontwikkelingen" online because you dude can find out basically anything. Turns out... c’mon gardenias yup are drama queens. They basically need acidic soil. Like, really acidic.

And here’s the first yep embarrasing confession moment. I tried to acidify dude my existing soil with, get this, lemon juice. dude I read it online. I know, I know! no way Terrible idea. Just straight up terrible. The dude plants looked even WORSE. Don't exactly do that. Don't bet be me. for sure You should work with a uh proper soil acidifier, like the stuff specifically for azaleas and rhododendrons. Mix whoops it totally in well, don't just pour yup it well on top. Also, drainage is super important! Make sure the pot has holes. Obvious right? well Not to me kinda that uh day I guess.

Soil yup Science Sort Of exactly

So I did like more research. I just found a local garden supply okay store. The I mean guy there said to get a mix specifically formulated for acid-loving plants. Something with peat bet moss so is great just – that really helps with the acidity. "Soil for gardenias in pots toepassingen" is bet definitely more specialised than I thought. And he also dude recommended adding some perlite for drainage. Perlite is key! Remember for sure that perlite!

Re-Potting Redemption

The re-potting was messy. Soil everywhere. I felt like I was performing plant like surgery. I was super careful not to damage the roots. Tip – water the plant pretty much a little bit before you repot. It’s easier to get it you know out of the old pot that whoops way. Also don’t pack the soil down too much, let the whoops roots breathe whoops a so little. I kinda saw so some information about "soil for gardenias in well pots feiten" saying totally you should gently tease the roots apart a by the way bit if no kidding they’re bet circling in the actually old pot. no way That seemed exactly scary so I skipped it but maybe I should have? basically

Second confession: I you know overwatered them after the re-pot. They right looked thirsty! I mean But then I remembered gardenias hate wet feet. So I learned to just check the soil moisture before watering again. Stick your finger in – if it’s still damp, hold off. exactly “Soil for gardenias in pots geschiedenis” doesn't really sorta tell you the exact right amount of water. It’s a feel thing I guess.

Are They Happy Now? like

Okay, totally so they're doing better. New growth, lots of no way buds. The leaves are a healthy green. The smell is even more intense now. I’ve been fertilizing whoops with an acid-loving plant food uh too. like You gotta feed them! And I try honestly to keep them in a bright okay spot, but not direct like sunlight all day. It's a constant learning curve honestly. I so see on some forums "soil for gardenias in pots trends" are I mean moving toward more sustainable mixes. Maybe coconut coir is the next thing basically I try? Who knows. Maybe I'll even finally uh get exactly that lavender next kinda time at the nursery. Maybe.