Gardenia bush struggling - need help

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Casutherland
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Gardenia bush struggling - need help

Post by Casutherland » May 26th, 2017, 2:56 pm

Hey guys, so I got back from a week on vacation and noticed my gardenia bush was really struggling. We got plenty of rain while I was gone, so it couldn't have been that.

Before leaving:

Image


After return:

Image

Image


Can anyone help me?

bpgreen
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Re: Gardenia bush struggling - need help

Post by bpgreen » May 27th, 2017, 12:19 am

I see signs of chlorosis. I saw a hint of that in the first picture, but it's pretty pronounced in the others.

Gardenias prefer soil that is somewhat acidic. If your soil ph is too high, the plant may not be able to use the iron in the soil.

You said there was plenty of rain while you were gone. How much was there? Too much water can lead to chlorosis, also.

You could add some chelated iron to the soil for a relatively quick fix. A foliar iron spray will be even quicker, but won't last long. Incorporating some sulfur into the soil is very slow working, but can last a year or more.

It could also be magnesium deficiency instead of (Or in addition to) iron deficiency. Epsom salt can be used for magnesium deficiency. Some garden centers sell out for a lot less than what it costs in the pharmacy.

Casutherland
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Re: Gardenia bush struggling - need help

Post by Casutherland » May 27th, 2017, 3:21 pm

bpgreen wrote:
May 27th, 2017, 12:19 am
I see signs of chlorosis. I saw a hint of that in the first picture, but it's pretty pronounced in the others.

Gardenias prefer soil that is somewhat acidic. If your soil ph is too high, the plant may not be able to use the iron in the soil.

You said there was plenty of rain while you were gone. How much was there? Too much water can lead to chlorosis, also.

You could add some chelated iron to the soil for a relatively quick fix. A foliar iron spray will be even quicker, but won't last long. Incorporating some sulfur into the soil is very slow working, but can last a year or more.

It could also be magnesium deficiency instead of (Or in addition to) iron deficiency. Epsom salt can be used for magnesium deficiency. Some garden centers sell out for a lot less than what it costs in the pharmacy.
I put out some Dr. Earth Acid Lovers organic fert around the time that I planted it..i know that my soil is currently fairly ph neutral. So I am hoping that adding a little of that periodically will help. However, I can try the chelated iron. Is that in the form of a spray?

bpgreen
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Re: Gardenia bush struggling - need help

Post by bpgreen » May 28th, 2017, 3:18 am

It can be. But spraying chelated iron is kind of a waste.

You can spray any water soluble iron on the leaves for an immediate green up. Chelated iron goes to the soil. It is slower acting, but also longer acting. If you had a lot of rain, you could be seeing water induced chlorosis, which should be temporary.

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MorpheusPA
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Re: Gardenia bush struggling - need help

Post by MorpheusPA » May 28th, 2017, 9:43 am

One other longer-term possibility is to sprinkle ferrous sulfate around the bush. Over time, it'll acidify the soil, plus add iron at the same time. One ounce across the entire root system three times yearly would be more than enough.

Chelated iron will need to be added at first as well--the ferrous sulfate will rapidly bind in more neutral or alkaline soils.

Don't use aluminum sulfate, even though it's more effective and cheaper. Although gardenia are extremely tolerant of it, aluminum is toxic to most plants that prefer a more neutral environment. Iron isn't toxic until it reaches absolutely ridiculous levels.


bpgreen
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Re: Gardenia bush struggling - need help

Post by bpgreen » May 28th, 2017, 8:57 pm

One thing I forgot to mention is that you shouldn't use a foliar spray when it's hot because that can cause burning.

Casutherland
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Re: Gardenia bush struggling - need help

Post by Casutherland » June 1st, 2017, 11:24 am

MorpheusPA wrote:
May 28th, 2017, 9:43 am
One other longer-term possibility is to sprinkle ferrous sulfate around the bush. Over time, it'll acidify the soil, plus add iron at the same time. One ounce across the entire root system three times yearly would be more than enough.

Chelated iron will need to be added at first as well--the ferrous sulfate will rapidly bind in more neutral or alkaline soils.

Don't use aluminum sulfate, even though it's more effective and cheaper. Although gardenia are extremely tolerant of it, aluminum is toxic to most plants that prefer a more neutral environment. Iron isn't toxic until it reaches absolutely ridiculous levels.
I just ordered a 5 pound bag of the powder version of this on Amazon for $15. Going to see if it works. I'll keep you guys updated.

Right now the bush appears to be doing ok, but has no blooms anymore. They all have died and fallen off. Sad day...

Casutherland
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Re: Gardenia bush struggling - need help

Post by Casutherland » June 1st, 2017, 2:55 pm

Here is what I purchased. Will this work??

5 Pounds Ferrous Sulfate Powder "Greenway Biotech, Inc. Brand" Heptahydrate 20% Water Soluble Iron Sulfate https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KJL5ZL4/re ... mzb4EPS09V

Casutherland
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Re: Gardenia bush struggling - need help

Post by Casutherland » June 23rd, 2017, 12:33 pm

Look like it's starting to do better now after that iron sulfate. When do these bushes normally stop blooming? I have seen no new blooms on the bush.


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