| RECENTLY PLANTED A GARDENIA TREE (ABOUT 4 FT.)WHEN IT WAS PLANTED THE LEAVES WERE A HEALTHY DARK GREEN, AND I HAD BEAUTIFUL FLOWERS. NOW THE LEAVES ARE TURNING YELLOW. I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO. I FERTILIZED IT, AND DON'T KNOW IF I USED TOO MUCH... OR IF IT'S NOT GETTING ENOUGH WATER, OR IF I AM WATERING TOO MUCH. HELP ! |
| Sandra, I am sorry for this delayed reply to your gardening question. The spring rush has brought a deluge of questions and we are working hard to catch up! Gardenia will do this when the plant is over or under watered. Container grown plants are especially susceptible. The older leaves (those farthest down the stem) are usually the first to go. The symptoms are often delayed a bit after the water stress conditions. So you may have recently watered but still see the problem. Overwatering contributes to root loss from lack of air and is often complicated by an ensuing root rot. This situation can result in a long term setback for the plants. Lack of nitrogen can also cause a gradually loss of the green color in older leaves, but such symptoms are different from the sudden yellowing and dropping most often encountered. Thanks for the question. Best wishes for a wonderful gardening season. Please stop in again soon! |
