Gardenia as Houseplant

Question

I have had my potted gardenia for more than 3 years. It blooms profusely. I have repotted it twice, but it has outgrown its pot again and requires three times a week watering. I put it in the bathtub and give it a shower when I water. I feed it weekly with half strength fertilizer. The problem is that if I go to the next larger pot, I will not be able to lift it. It lives on my dining room table in a two story, south-facing bay window. It is very happy and has more than forty buds/blooms on it right now. It is a gorgeous plant. It is in an 8 inch (inside) diameter pot. The plant is three feet wide and two feet tall from the soil. Can I prune it so it can stay in the current pot? Should I root prune it also? When should this be done? I don’t believe it is hardy in my area (winter lows in the low teens) and besides, I like having it inside.

Answer 1

If you want to keep it in its current pot, then yes, it will need to be pruned and root pruned. This will keep it a manageable size.