Gardenias and Freezing Temperatures
Gardenias thrive in mild conditions, although they usually survive light frost conditions with minimal or no damage, according to the University of Florida Extension. You should bring gardenias indoors or cover them if you expect a hard freeze, because this can seriously damage the plant.
edis.ifas.ufl.edu/mg336
Temperatures
Gardenias are zone 8 plants, meaning they should survive temperatures as low as 15 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service. You should plant gardenias in protected areas that provide plenty of morning sunlight to warm them on cooler days. Choose an appropriate variety for your area, because the cold-hardiness of gardenias varies by type.
edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ep338
- Gardenias thrive in mild conditions, although they usually survive light frost conditions with minimal or no damage, according to the University of Florida Extension.
- You should bring gardenias indoors or cover them if you expect a hard freeze, because this can seriously damage the plant.
Hardiness
A mature gardenia plant survives mild winters with little or no suffering, but new growth can be more easily affected by even a light frost. For this reason, avoid fertilizing in the fall, focusing fertilization efforts in the warmer months instead. Proper springtime weather is also needed, with evening temperatures no lower than 40 degrees for buds to develop, according to Colorado State University Extension.
ext.colostate.edu/ptlk/1345.html
Tips
If your gardenias freeze, simply cut them back to ground level, as suggested by North Carolina Cooperative Extension. Many gardenias will sprout and grow again with the advent of warmer weather. Consider planting gardenias in containers that you can bring indoors in the event of a freeze.
- A mature gardenia plant survives mild winters with little or no suffering, but new growth can be more easily affected by even a light frost.
ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/consumer/agpubs/ag-071.pdf
Gardenias & Freezing Temperatures
Beauty and fragrance are the reasons many gardeners plant gardenias among their landscapes. This evergreen shrub offers glossy, green foliage and velvety, white flowers with a haunting aroma. The plant thrives U.S. Department of Agriculture Plant Hardiness Zones 8 through 10, but you can enjoy growing gardenias in other regions as well. In areas colder than that, the plant can grow indoors as a houseplant in a bright location, but out of direct sunlight. Signs that the temperature is too cool include slow growth and yellowing leaves.
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