Image - Wikimedia / Alpsdake
To know if we have to grow our gardenia outside or inside the house, we have to ask ourselves what the climate in our area is like. And it is that, if we were to focus only on the plant's resistance to cold, we would lack information and we could run the risk of making a mistake. For example: if we planted it in the garden and it turns out that one year it snowed, we would surely lose it.
So, if we want it to last us a few years, we are going to ask ourselves how to know if my gardenia is indoor or outdoor, and what we have to take into account whether we grow it indoors or outdoors.
Does the gardenia resist the cold?
This is one of the most important things we need to know. What is the cold resistance of gardenia? Can it withstand frost and/or snowfall? Depending on the answer, we will put it in one place or another.
As well. Our protagonist is an evergreen shrub native to China. It is estimated that there are more than a hundred varieties (to be more exact, some 134 different ones, the Gardenia jasminoides the most cultivated in Europe). these plants they are very sensitive to cold, but there are certain cultivars that can withstand frost, like these:
- Gardenia jasminoides 'Belmont'
- Gardenia jasminoides 'Frostproof'
- Gardenia jasminoides 'Pinwheel'
- Gardenia jasminoides 'Kleim's Hardy'
All these resist up to -10ºC.
Special case: freshly purchased gardenias from a nursery
Gardenias are often labeled as houseplants in nurseries, and have been cultivated as such. This means that they have been in a greenhouse all their lives, and therefore do not know the cold. For this reason, If we are interested in having them in the garden and we live in a place where there may be some slight frost, what we will do is gradually get them used to the climate of the area.
To do this, we will take them outside in spring, when temperatures remain above 15ºC, we will put them in shade or semi-shade, and we will start fertilizing them with a fertilizer for acid plants about two weeks later and until the end of the summer. Later, we will protect them with an anti-frost fabric, but only that year; from the next, we will not put anything on them. They may suffer a little, but little by little they will get used to it.
Does it have to be inside or outside the house?
Now that we know that it can withstand cold and even sub-zero temperatures, it will be much easier for us to decide whether to grow it indoors or outdoors. But for this I want to say something: even if a plant withstands the cold, its nature cannot be ignored. Let me explain: the gardenia is a shrub that is found, especially, in tropical and subtropical regions, and this is so because it is much better adapted to living in those places, with mild temperatures.
Although a specific and short-term frost will not do any harm, if the winter lasts too long or if it is very cold, then in spring it will take more time to resume its growth. That is why on many occasions it is preferred to have it inside the house, since we will make sure that it does not stop, except perhaps during the coldest weeks of the year if the house is like that, cool.
Is it possible to have it indoors always?
Yes of course. But for that you need to take good care of yourself, that is, plant it in a pot with holes filled with a specific substrate for acid plants (such as this), that is watered and fertilized regularly, and above all, that it is kept away from drafts.
For more information, we recommend reading this other article:
Where should the gardenia be placed: in the sun or in the shade?
It is a plant that you need to be in a place where there is a lot of clarity. Moreover, if we are going to have it outside, it will not be a bad idea to place it in an area exposed to sunlight first thing in the morning or late in the afternoon. You can't give it all day -and less so at noon- because its leaves would burn, but if you give it just an hour or so, it will be very good.
At home you will have to be in a room with windows that let in natural light. But it's also important to avoid hitting him directly. Therefore, it cannot be next to the glass, otherwise it will burn.
Does it withstand the wind?
When we are interested in growing a plant, we sometimes wonder if it should be in the sun or in the shade, indoors or outdoors,... but whether it can withstand the wind or not is something we don't always think about. If we live in an area where it usually blows frequently and/or strongly, it is important that we find out if the gardenia can withstand it or not so as not to get unpleasant surprises.
And on this subject it is necessary to know that can withstand mild wind, but if the area is especially windy we will have to protect it. We can do this by placing it, for example, near other plants that cut the wind a little, or by putting it indoors.
The gardenia is a very beautiful shrub. We hope you can enjoy it for a long time.