Yellowing Gardenia Flowers...natural?

Question

I have two Gardenia plants. The leaves were yellowing, but I gave them fertalizer and that got better. Now the flowers are turning yellow soon after blooming white, or right away. After a day or two, they turn brown on the edges and die. Is this natural? I thought the bloom life was longer.

Answer 1

Could be lack of humidity , rather than lack of water . Could also be warmth . Makes flowers go faster. Are they in full sun? They might do better with some afternoon shade . Look on the undersides of the leaves, for webbing, &/or tiny brownish red mites . They are quite prone to Red Spider Mite , especially if stressed by drought, or lack of humidity see tiny little creepy-crawlers scurrying about, they have thrips . They also can suffer if the pH is too high .

If it is in a pot , put a saucer, full of stones , at least as wide as the plant . Fill it most of the way with water , but keep the pot above the water. If insects are part of the problem , spray with insecticidal soap . Use hot pepper wax, &/or Garlic Barrier periodically, to prevent future infestations. If you drink coffee, put the used grounds in the pot ,2-3 times/month. That will keep the pH right .
Some varieties are better than others. If you have a plain-jane variety, the flowers will be yellower, and shorter - lived than the idea of a gardenia , that you have in mind .

Answer 2

I have a gardenia and when the leaves yellow that is a sign of over watering. I give my plant a drink only once a week. It took me a while to get it right because I was told that they like lots of water, but as I found out they really don't. As for the flowers that is just what naturally happens as they age. The gardenia blooms don't last long at all. They may be getting too much light causing them to burn and die faster. Gardenias like indirect light.