Q: I have a potted gardenia in my conservatory. It's one of my favorite plants, mainly for its beautiful, scented flowers. However, some of the lush green leaves have recently turned yellow, which has made me a little concerned.
What could be the reason? A: Gardenias are wonderful fragrant plants for a conservatory, and can also be grown outdoors in warmer climes. They are quite picky about their growing environment, though, and a change in color often means something is amiss. Kiersten Rankel , a plant expert from Greg, says, 'A bit of yellowing on older leaves is normal, but if you're seeing widespread yellowing, it's time to investigate.
' Below, you'll find the potential causes to consider, and how to tackle them. Yellowing leaves can signal a problem Check whether the following causes could apply to your plant, to help rectify the problem and get it back to full health. 1.
Nutrient deficiencies Use a potting soil for acid-loving plants for gardenias in containers 'Iron deficiency is a frequent offender, causing leaves to yellow while veins stay green,' says Kiersten. As Brock Ingham of Bigger Garden explains, this happens when plants can’t absorb enough iron, often due to high soil pH. 'This is more common in gardenias because they prefer acidic soil,' he says.
'To prevent this, I always make sure to use a soil mix designed for acid-loving plants and regularly check the pH , aiming for a range between 5.0 and 6.0,' Brock continues.
We like the look of this organic mix f.