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Green Thoughts: If you are re-landscaping, try to group plants that
have similar water, environmental and light needs. What makes a plant incompatible
with its environment? Basically, it's what it does and does not tolerate.
If you live near the ocean, for example, use salt and wind tolerant plants
such as Indian hawthorn, spider lily and crinum lily. Sometimes, though,
even plants labeled "salt tolerant," such as bougainvillea, oleander and
ligustrum, can look fried when they get full exposure to salt winds. Salt
tolerant plants usually don't like too much water. Be careful because pittosporum
and carissa can get root rot.
PLANT OF THE MONTH
Gardenia (Gardenia jasminoides)
Gardenia is one of the first plants that new Floridians want to put in
their gardens because they remember these fragrant white flowers as corsages
and as table decorations. But gardenias are fussy, and many people are
disappointed. For best results, plant them in an open flower bed away from
house foundations, pools and walkways. They are acid-loving plants, and
the high alkalinity near concrete almost guarantees they will have nutritional
problems.
Most gardenias are big growers and should not be planted close to doorways
or in other tight areas. I planted my gardenia from a 3-gallon pot in 1982,
and it is now 10 feet tall and 12 feet across. Gardeners who plant them
in the wrong places find they have to prune them back. Since they bloom
at the ends of the branches, pruning eliminates flowers.
In Florida, gardenias must be grafted if they are planted in the ground
because microscopic nematodes can clog up the root system and kill them.
They are grafted onto Gardenia thumbergia, a nematode-resistant
stock.
Look for the main show of flowers from mid-April to mid-May. A scattering
of flowers will continue through August if the plants are well fertilized.
Fertilize in March, June and October with an ixora/gardenia fertilizer
to combat nutritional problems. Try the small growing `Vetchii' gardenia,
which grows to about 4-5 feet and blooms off and on throughout the year.
The flowers are much smaller that those on the larger plant, but the fragrance
is the same. Big growing varieties include: Miami Supreme, Glazerii, August
Beauty and Mystery.
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Origin — China
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Foliage — oval pointed leaves
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Nutritional requirements — Acid fertilizer three times a year
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Soil requirements — Prefers acid soil but can tolerate some alkalinity
if fertilized regularly
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Salt tolerance — None
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Drought tolerance — Low
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Light requirements — High to medium
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Growth rate — Moderate
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Propagation — Graftings
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Major problems — Nematodes, chlorotic foliage, sucking insects (such as
scale, mealybug and whitefly), thrips (cause flower drop), sooty mold (causes
blackened leaves)
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Environmental problems — None
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Availability — Just about any good nursery and many garden centers
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