Renovate gardenias
Are your gardenias looking a little leggy? In most areas, your last chance to trim and shape them is late February to early March. In cooler areas, this is best done by early February. There’s just enough warmth in the coming months to bring on fresh growth, which will ultimately produce spring blooms. PHIL DUDMAN shows how to give them a makeover.
1 ASSESS the plant and decide how hard you want to prune. If you prune annually, giving it a light trim by removing up to one third of the canopy should be adequate. If you haven’t pruned in years, you might like to cut it back harder to create bushiness lower down. I’ll be taking two-thirds off this one. There’s no need to be nervous – gardenias can handle it.
2 MAKE the cuts just above a node, which is where the plant will form new shoots.
3 REMOVE any dead or diseased wood.
4 THINK about the shape you’re aiming for as you work your way across the bush. Do you want to end up with a rounded or a flat look? If the plant is up against a wall, you might prefer the branches at the back to be taller than those at the front.
5 WET the soil around the plants, then apply a balanced organic fertiliser or one that is blended specifically for acid-loving plants, such as an azalea and camellia food. Check the application rate of the product on the packaging, and spread it evenly across an area from close to the base out to the edge of where the canopy was before you started pruning.
6 SPREAD a layer of compost about
3cm deep over the same area.
7 WATER the root zone deeply to help stimulate speedy regrowth, cover with mulch, then follow up with a regular deep drink until the cold weather kicks in.