My gardenia's leaves are rapidly turning yellow, brown and then falling off. The buds are also turning yellow and brown. It was in full bloom just 2 weeks ago and although it has several buds (still green), the base of the buds are turning brown. It does not need watering. Does it need to be repotted? Also, is it customary for the blooms to start off very white and then turn a pale yellow as they become spent?
My experience with potted gardenias is limited, but I recall that plants I grew were much happier when well watered (neutral to slightly acidic water) in small containers, where their roots were well aerated and the soil well-drained, with very bright indirect light and high humidity. Plants declined quickly when over- or under-watered (bright yellow leaves when too dry, pale yellow when too wet) and when overly shaded. Flower buds generally failed when the humidity dropped in the winter when windows were mostly closed.
Hi! Thanks for your reply. I took the plant outside in the bright light today and noticed that there were very tiny bugs on the underside of the leaves.....so I hosed down each leaf really well until I removed all the pests. Hopefully that was the problem. There are many buds left so I hope they will bloom. Thank you again for all your suggestions!
