Are you tired of the popular holiday potted plants, such as cyclamen or Christmas cactus, which decorate your apartment in autumn and winter? If you want an interesting flower that blooms for a long time and smells wonderful, bet on growing gardenia Tahitian. If you are lucky, she will delight you with her beauty at Christmas.
Tahitian gardenia is a beautiful Asian plant that can be grown as a shrub in the wild. It is relatively rare in our country due to its high demands and weak resistance to frost. True, it is unlikely to be grown outdoors. However, it can easily find its way into the conservatory or act as a decorative flower in a pot to decorate your apartment. Her selection for this role has two huge advantages in particular.
Forget cyclamen and Christmas cactus. Tahitian gardenia blooms for a long time and smells wonderful
The Tahitian gardenia blooms almost all year round – especially in autumn and winter (from September to April).so with a bit of luck it can delight you with its full beauty on St. Nicholas or Christmas.
It is an interesting alternative to cyclamen or Christmas cactus. Secondly – its white flowers are wonderfully fragrant and spread a wonderful sweet fragrance around them. It is no coincidence that they are used all over the world in the production of perfumes and other cosmetics (for skin and hair care).
Sometimes they are also used in bouquets. And even if it doesn’t bloom at the desired time, it still has interesting green glossy leaves that look great too.
How to grow and care for Tahitian gardenia?
Proper cultivation of the Tahitian gardenia will guarantee its abundant flowering for a long time. However, you must provide it with favorable conditions for development. Repotting is recommended every 1-3 years.
However, the most important thing is the soil itself. The soil of the Tahitian gardenia should be fertile and permeable with an acidic reaction (pH 5-5.5)otherwise the flower will be sickly. It can be a substrate for rhododendrons or azaleas with a high iron content.
The place should be sunny, but not in direct sunlight (may be behind a curtain). Watering your Tahitian gardenia varies depending on the season. In the summer, the Tahitian gardenia should be watered more abundantly and in the winter, milderunless you focus on very intense heating. The best temperature will be around 18-19 degrees Celsius.
Put it on the table instead of the poinsettia. “Red balls” are much easier to grow
