A Gardeners Forum Forums Members History Forum Life 2005 Gardenias have died

My two six year old Gardenia bushes have died or very near. Any idea what might have happened?

Are they August Beauties? Mine are dying too. Somebody help us!!

Don't know the variety. Got my start from a little old Preacher Lady in Louisiana. I've had plants at my Mom's house for years and have had no problem.

At work today, I talked to a friend and he asked if I had mites on the plant during the summer last year. Yes I did, but I treatred for them. His comment was that the Gardenia needed the mites to help it bloom. Lice or ants would do. Said that's how/why my plants probably died. I'm not so sure about that. Mom has no lice on hers, but there are plenty of Fire Ants.

After thinking about it, I may have killed them when I treated for the mites. Nothing else in the 2'X24' bed was harmed. There were Tomatos, a pepper, rose, and several other variety of flowers.

My gardenias look bad right now, but they are putting on new growth. They tend to like acidic soil, and so I started dumping leftover coffee and coffee grounds in the pots. I also started watering them more often, and so far it seems to be working. Might help...one is a mystery gardenia, don't know what the other one is.
They also might need an iron treatment.

My gardenias don't look any worse today. We've had so much rain they may be water logged. I'm going to put out some Mericid (sp) tomorrow.

All I know to do is cut them back until I find new growth near the base, I hope. We have acicic soil conditions. Plenty of Oak and Pine. Hadn't thought about iron or a punch up for them. I usually give them a little acid, but they have done so well without extra..

Tomatoe....where in Arkansas are you? I am in the De Queen (Texarkana-Mena) area. I have always had wonderful gardenia bushes (bragged about them being so easy to care for last year)my largest one looks awful, the smaller one (that I have had forever) is dead! I was devistated. They were some of the few thngs that survived the whiteflies last year. I don't know what in the world has happened to them....
But a lot of my friends around here have mysteriously lost their rosemary bushes...and some were quite large. My rosemarys are all doing fine (don't want to speak to soon)so far. I am trying to baby my only gardenia back to being well...it has a few new baby green leaves poking out so maybe it will make it.

Rain again today. I fertilized my gardenias. I'll just have to wait and see.

4Ruddy - I'm in Russellville. Maybe it's an arkansas thing, yet my Mom didn't have the flies down around Magnolia. I had boucou White Flies last year. My only hope is to find green near the base or start more cuttings. Did you treat for the flies? I've decided not to do a garden this year and let my spot rest. It's full of Chamomile right now. May try to dry some of that. I had planned to work out of state for several months. I made Hurricnae Ivan in FL and AL.

I did everything short of getting the pellet gun out after those darn white flies...but to no avail because they are everywhere here! We had really decided not to have a garden this year so we wouldn't have the battle of the flies again...but had stuff out before I could stop myself...I may be REAL sorry! I went out and picked the yellow leaves off of my gardenia and fertalized it and gave it a good watering so we will just have to see how she does! Russellville is not all that far from here...I would have loved to go to Florida to work the hurricane. I have a friend that lives there and all it really did to her was whack up he sail boat real good. But she and her husband and a bunch of friends went around and help with the clean-up...then she would come home and call me to tell me about what all they did...it was great, I loved getting the reports but would have loved to have been there to help.

Sorry to have taken so long in gettng back. I've been working on the camper getting ready for a trip with Dad. I noticed some green at the base of my gardenia and some bud at the ends of some stems. I cut both buses back to about 8"s or so and laid more humas to them sith some Amonia Sulfate (acid) and water. Hoping they will come back.

Having a problem with the fridge in the camper right now.