Care of Gardenia Veitchii

Grow the Gardenia Veitchii in full sun if you live in a region with cool temperatures, and choose a location that receives afternoon shade if you're a hot-climate gardener.

Keep the soil pH below 6.0. Send soil samples to the county cooperative extension office for analysis, and follow the advice of the extension agents on how to acidify alkaline soil.

Water Gardenia Veitchii to keep the soil consistently moist at all times. It is important to never let the soil dry out, as well as not allow the plant to sit in soggy soil.

Fertilize the gardenia with a 15-5-10 analysis fertilizer in spring, just before the shrub produces new growth. Use the amount recommended on the label for the size of your gardenia shrub, and reapply in early summer and again after pruning.

Treat a gardenia with yellow foliage by applying a fertilizer labeled for use on acid-loving plants. Yellow leaves typically means the plant is chlorotic. A high soil pH causes this condition in the gardenia.

Pinch 1/2 inch from the tips of all new shoots during the gardenia's first year. This encourages it to produce new growth from that area, making the plant bushier and more compact.

Prune Gardenia Veitchii in summer, after flowering. Remove spent flowers, dead branches and shoots that protrude from the shape you desire. Cut all branches back to their points of origin. Remove pruning debris from the soil around the gardenia, apply fertilizer and water to a depth of 6 inches.