This stuff is on my gardenia plant. Most of the white cotton stuff is on the stems and heavier on joined branches. I have sprayed a fungicide last week and it seems to be more of that stuff. I used a cotton tip to soak the white stuff and removed it, so I thought. I think it is also in the soil. Sometimes I see a small bug flying around.
That is typical of mealy bugs. They just look like white fuzz. They cluster together and can look like large and small clumps of cotton.
It sounds like mealy bugs. This article will help: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/pests/mealybugs-white-residue-on-plants-leaves.htm
You should try using neem oil. It is effective and safe for people and animals. Here is more information: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/pests/pesticides/neem-oil-uses.htm
there are no signs of bugs per sey, but this stuff seems like an organic matter. it smushes like a bug, but i dont have a magnifying glass to actually see it
My gardenia bush held on beautifully and had lots of blooms during the spring and summer, but we had some below freezing temps and now the leaves are brown and crispy, even though I covered it during the extreme cold. Is is a goner or will it come back?
I am sorry to hear about your plant. It may come back. It depends on how badly damaged it was. This article will help: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/environmental/tips-for-saving-cold-damaged-plants.htm
I volunteer at a nursing home and one of the Residents was given a Gardenia which was not watered for weeks and was in a similar condition to yours. I moved it to my shadehouse, pruned it severely and soaked it in a weak liquid seaweed manure brew for a week. After 6 weeks It now has new leaves and I will replace the potting mix after the first flower falls. I did not replace the soil immediately as this would have stressed the plant even more. The cure is L.S T.L C. (long slow tender loving care).
Good luck
KiwiGeorge
I have a healthy 6-7 foot tall gardenia bush by my bedroom window. It gets very little morning sun only. I would like to transplant it away from the house to better display it, as it blooms nicely. Would more sunlight be ok, and do I need to be concerned about proximity to pine trees? It's rooted in sandy soil in coastal NC.
For info on transplanting gardenias, this article will help you: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/gardenia/transplanting-gardenia-plants-planting-gardenia-somewhere-new.htm
I have moved my gardenia plant inside. It has buds, but they are not getting any bigger. Will they bloom inside if the plant is properly cared for?
They will... if they have the right conditions. The trick is that it can be very difficult to get the right conditions. Most homes, especially in the winter, are not humid enough or can provide enough light to get them to bloom. You can try putting a humidifier in the room where it is growing and adding supplemental light from a florescent bulb placed near the plant. Good luck!
After this hard freeze that we had here in Lakeland, FL, the leaves on our Gardenia bushes have turned dark and they look as if they are dead. Will the bushes come back if I cut them back and fertilize them or should we dig them up and replace them?
As long as the stems are still alive, they have a chance of coming back. I would wait until spring to prune though. This article will help: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/environmental/tips-for-saving-cold-damaged-plants.htm
I have a 2-year-old gardenia plant on Cape Cod, MA. It's been replanted into a larger container a couple of times. Outdoors in summer; indoors in winter. I notice a very fine, small spotted (film?) on the leaves which seems to leave very small holes and is drying them. The plant is in a western window and receives periodic fertilizing, but has not bloomed. It isn't looking real healthy, although it has lots of new small leaves. I wipe them clean with my thumb and forefinger, but not sure it will remain clean.
I would recommend spraying the plant with neem oil. It is very effective against aphids and is organic and harmless to pets and people. You can find more information here: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/pests/pesticides/neem-oil-uses.htm
I have a gardenia bush outside in the ground and we had a few cold spells. My bush doesn't look too good. Will it come back?
I am sorry to hear about your plant. If the stems are alive, it has a chance of recovering. These articles will help:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/environmental/tips-for-saving-cold-damaged-plants.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/environmental/how-to-tell-if-a-plant-is-dead-and-how-to-recover-an-almost-dead-plant.htm