Double Blooming Gardenia Tree for Sale - Buying & Growing Guide

Planting and Care

by Mary Van Keuren | Gardener (30+ Years Experience) – last update on April 13, 2022

Planting instructions

If planting in your garden, site your double blooming gardenia tree in a spot where it will get four to eight hours of direct sun a day, in well-draining, acidic soil. Unpot your gardenia tree and tease out any encircling roots, which can girdle the tree and kill it. Dig a hole that is as deep as the root ball and twice as wide. Loosen the soil in the bottom of the hole and place the tree in the hole. Holding it steady, fill in around it with soil, tamping down as you go to eliminate air pockets. Water thoroughly. Add a layer of an organic mulch, such as bark chips, around the root zone to help conserve moisture, being careful to keep the mulch from direct contact with the trunk.

Watering and nutrients

Gardenia Trees like moist soil, so water your tree weekly unless you receive rainfall. In very hot weather, you may need to water every day. Container-grown trees should also be monitored carefully and watered every few days. Make sure the water is able to drain down through the soil and out of the pot, so that the tree is not standing in water. Fertilize your double blooming gardenia trees every month during the growing season. A high-nitrogen fertilizer, such as a 30-10-10 formulation, is ideal. If your tree has yellow leaves, add a tablespoon of Epsom salt to a gallon of water and fertilize with this solution.

Pollination

Gardenia trees are pollinated by insects, most notably by moths that are attracted to the flowers’ heady scent. This scent is more pronounced at night, when many moth species are more active. Gardenia trees are monoecious, meaning that they are self-fertilizing.

Pruning

Prune your double blooming gardenia tree in the summer after the blooms have faded. Trim out any damaged or diseased limbs, as well as any remaining flowers. During the blooming season, take some time every week to remove faded flowers, so that the tree will put its energy into new blooms.

Pests and diseases

Gardenia trees are prone to a few pests and diseases, but careful handling will keep your tree healthy. Nematodes may feed on your gardenia tree’s roots, causing wilted leaves and yellow mottling on leaves. Keeping your tree well-fed and watered is the best way to avoid these roundworms. Fungal diseases, such as root rot, may cause leaf drop and wilting. Make sure your tree is planted in a spot with good drainage to avoid this disease. Powdery mildew, another fungus, can be treated with fungicides.

Achieving maximum results

There’s no doubt that double blooming gardenia trees are highly ornamental and appealing to the eye. Because of this, and because they can only be grown outdoors in the southern U.S., they have a well-earned reputation as excellent container plants. Growing a double blooming gardenia tree in a container isn’t that different from growing one outside. Look for a container that is about twice the size of the root ball, and use a light, loamy soil as part of your potting mix. With container-grown plants, you need to be somewhat more vigilant about water and fertilizer, so monitor your plant carefully. If your gardenia tree is on a patio, bring it indoors whenever you are expecting a frost, or if the temperature goes below 20 degrees Fahrenheit. Pot-grown gardenia trees also appreciate occasional misting to keep the humidity high.

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Customer Reviews

Anonymous

Verified Buyer May 26, 2021 at 5:02pm

Its beautiful

Great experience overall will order again and certainly recommend, however I noticed a bunch of leaves on the inside of the plant turned yellow and started to die almost immediately, I did the Epsom salt thing, not getting worse but not getting better.

Anonymous

Verified Buyer June 30, 2020 at 2:58am

Very positive first experience

It is settling in well in our greenhouse in a very large pot. Lost a few buds, but I'm very pleased with the quality of the tree. We grew them quite a bit in the forests on our island in the Abacos back in the 80's. Now we will have one year around at our home in northern Michigan.

Anonymous

Verified Buyer June 22, 2020 at 4:43pm

Nice tree, long shipping

Shipping took a long time (not just the delay due to COVID, but once it shipped it took FedEx 5 days to deliver it). It definitely showed as the plants were a little beat up when they arrived, but some sun and water seem to be reviving them. The tree itslef looks great.