Gardenia - a flower of jasmine for the house

Gardenia is a flower native to India. It may seem that since she is a tropical visitor, she requires a very complex care. Is it really? First of all, we should mention the "relatives" of gardenias. This genus belongs to the Marenov family, which also includes, for example, coffee, and includes about 250 species. Its representatives can be large (trees) or compact - in this case they can be grown as home flowers.

Gardenia - this is usually a small plant that can become a shrub and reach a height of 1.5-1.8 meters. In the conditions of an apartment, its specimens usually reach 45-50 centimeters in height. This species - gardenia jasmine - dark green glossy, fairly wide leaves. White large flowers are collected in small rosettes, the petals can be terry. During the flowering period (mainly in summer or autumn), the plant is literally fragrant. Last but not least, people buy these flowers home.

Gardenia: how to care

Anyone who seriously decided to buy this plant in the home collection, should understand that caring for him is not too simple. Gardenia - the flower is actually quite whimsical. Serious requirements, it makes to the humidity, it is best to spray the plant several times a day. Also, it is quite thermophilic - it prefers a temperature of 16-17 degrees, but not more than 22 even in winter, so you have to keep it away from heating appliances. Like most plants, it prefers bright scattered light - from direct sunlight, its leaves may burn, so it's best to put it on the west or east window. Watering in the summer is needed quite abundant, the earth clod should not dry completely. But it can not be allowed to overflow, moisture stagnation is fraught with the onset of the decay process, and gardenia is a flower that, like many others, does not tolerate this.

After winter, the plant needs to be cut to form a beautiful bush. Fertilizer should be introduced into the soil during a period of active growth - from March to August, every two weeks. In summer, the plant can be taken out to the balcony, to fresh air. If you want to grow one more bush, cuttings should be cut in February-March, after a while you will get another gardenia. The flower should be transplanted every 2-3 years, it prefers acidic soils.

Unfortunately, it is not possible to grow this plant in an open garden in the middle zone of Russia, but it can be grown in a winter garden or a greenhouse. But even with the best care it is believed that gardenias do not live at home for more than a year and longer than 5-7 years in greenhouses. So the flower growers probably should think about whether they are ready to experience the slow death of the plant over and over again.

Gardenia is a flower that is grown not only for decorative purposes, but also used in oriental medicine, for example, to treat insomnia, overwork, gastrointestinal problems, headaches, kidney diseases. It is believed that the leaves of this plant can even be used to treat influenza. And although all parts of the flower are considered poisonous, in small doses they can indeed be used for medicinal purposes, but only under strict medical supervision - self-medication can not be dealt with in any case.