A Gardeners Forum Forums General Discussion The Plants and Flowers Forum Shrubs and Trees Gardenias

I recently planted a grafted gardenia (Glazerii) in a well prepared bed. It is being watered, etc. This is the blooming season in Florida and it is full of blooms. However, some of the leaves are turning yellow and falling off the plant. Is this caused by stress during the blooming season, or something else.

they don't like to be too wet. if you see buds drooping, they are too wet.

Hello, Oracle. Gardenias react with yellow leaves to a whole series of problems/issues. First make sure it is not getting too much water, as Rugbyhukr recommended. The amount of water that you supply may be different from the one it received a the nursery so the plant responds in this manner. Try doing this daily, insert a finger into the soil to a depth of 3-4". If the soil feels dry, water. If it feels wet, you are watering too much. If it feels moist, water another day. After a few weeks, you will get an idea how long the water lasts and how often you need to water.

If insufficient watering is not the problem, consider these: drainage issues, too much shade, iron chlorosis (when the leaf veins remain green and the rest fo the leaf yellows out), nematode damage and root diseases. Some varieties also shed leaves just prior to their main spring flush too.

Hope the problem goes away quickly, Oracle.
Luis