Guv's Gardens
Photo: qwright10, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Sun
- Full sun to part shade, depending on variety.
- Soil
- Rich, humus-rich, acidic and well-drained; leaves yellow in alkaline soil.
- Soil pH
- Acidic, about 5.0-6.5.
- Water
- Water regularly, especially in spring-summer; moist but not waterlogged.
- Hardiness
- Subtropical and temperate - all but the coldest climates. Frost-tender.
- Height and spread
- 0.5-2.4 m depending on variety ('Radicans' about 0.5 m; 'Magnifica' about 1.5 m).
Guv's tipGardenia leaves yellow in alkaline soil, so give them rich, acidic, well-drained soil. Prune just after flowering. Trust me on this one.
Through the year
Timings are for temperate Australia. Tropical and arid gardens follow different seasons.
When to plant
Spring or autumn (autumn while the soil is still warm); can be planted any time.
Flowering
Late spring through summer (some into autumn).
Pruning
Just after flowering, in late summer or early autumn. Tip prune young plants for bushiness.
Making more plants
Cuttings (softwood in autumn-winter, or half-hardened in late spring-summer); seed.
Watch out for
Scale insects
Look for: Bumps on stems and leaves; honeydew; sooty mould; ants.
What to do: Horticultural oil or a registered spray.
Mealybug
Look for: White cottony clusters in leaf axils.
What to do: Horticultural oil or a registered spray.
Aphids
Look for: Clusters on new growth.
What to do: Registered pyrethrum spray.
Always read and follow the label on any treatment, and check it is approved for use where you live.
Safety and spread
Pets and people: Toxic to dogs, cats and horses (ASPCA: geniposide, gardenoside), causing mild vomiting, diarrhoea and hives. Rated low severity.
Weed risk: Not a declared weed in Victoria or Queensland.
The Plant Doctor and the Guv's book
Printable pest and disease charts with real photographs, and all 50 Australia plants in one book.
