Is your sun porch enclosed in glass or screen? These plants are notoriously difficult to grow inside the typical home.

Attached is a 'search' within this forum for some shared experiences with other successful and not-so-successful growers of gardenia.

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thanks much for your info, i did repot it yesterday, in a clay pot, with a saucer full of small-ish polished river rocks; to aid in the humidity that I'm reading gardenias love.
I have it in a southern facing window on the second floor--(took it out of the sunporch, as I think it was too stuffy and dry in there). How long should I let it adapt before I try a new location? I just hate to see it not faring well, and feel so helpless.
do you think the wilting/rubbery-like buds are from too much or not enough water? I;ve read a lot of the forum's comments, but don;t see anything specifically mentioning this phenomenon.
thanks, FG

Frenchy, can you open the windows on porch? Also, which direction do these windows face?
What about winter? Is the porch heated?
All types of problems occur when we repot plants bearing buds..for instance, loss of bud/flowers, yellow leaves, etc.
I've never repotted gardenias in clay, so please let me know how it works.
Yes, plants should adapt before moving to a new location..give it a chance..Why are you thinking of moving it?
As for watering, give enough water so water seeps from drainage holes..(be sure your saucer is large enough to collect excess water) Clay dries out faster than plastic or ceramic..what size pot did you use? The smaller the pot, the faster soil dries.
Check soil by sticking your finger at least 3" into soil..if soil feels a bit crumbly, it's time for another drink. Water guages are sold at most nurseries, but to be honest, the finger test works just as well.
Though some ppl will disagree, I believe in misting leaves. (especially during winter months) If your plant is of managable size, take to sink and hose. Both help w/humidity.
Humidifers work wonders. They're not only great for plants, but people too..So, this fall, if possible, invest in one..Look around..choose one that holds at least 10 gallons of water. 3 gallons run out of water, way too fast. If you work, water will evaporate before you get home.
Good luck, Toni

Hi, Toni-
Thanks again for the advice.
The sunporch is windowed on the west, east and south sides, I had the gardenia in windows facing the south. The sunporch has 10 windows (I haven't put any screens in yet) and a screen-door, and I leave the other door which leads to the dining room open during the day, to keep it cooler on the porch; so it is getting some air circulation with the doors and overhead fan. It still seems too "tropical" in there, too hot and stuffy. That's why I moved it upstairs, to a new, less-tropical location, but still in southern facing windows. I do have some other plants on the sunporch, but they seem to be lavishing in the temps.
I guess I moved it since it seemed to be declining rapidly, and I couldn't bear to come home everyday only to find it in worse condition. I'll give it a chance in it's new surroundings for a couple of weeks.
I wish I had read your response about not repotting it so soon, but thought I was helping it. It's repotted in a 12" clay pot, just a bit bigger than the plastic container it came in. (enough room to grow, but not too big).
Will keep you posted and hope that my efforts to try this new plant work out well!
Oh---i did buy a spray bottle and have misted the leaves once...how often, once a week, or just every time I water it?
FG

Hi FG, How's your Gardenia doing since you've move it? Is there any way you can set outdoors?
Remember, the problem w/this plant isn't your fault; Gardenias are plain stubborn..especially when they're first brought home..They have to acclimate to our conditions which they don't like..To be honest, imo, I think 'denias don't like change..Especially when brought from the perfect environment to our dry, hot homes.
Actually, I mist daily..I've 3 'denias, two trees, and one dwarf variegated..If my trees were smaller I'd take to sink once a wk to hose foliage, but they're too tall..last time I did, 3 wks or so, water spilled all over the kitchen floor..LOL. And because the hose is only so long, it didn't reach top leaves. So, I have to resort to misting. Because 'denias are mite magnets, I also add a couple drops of grapefruit dish soap..But this is something I do, it's not written in stone..LOL..Hope your plant is doing well..when it's time to fertilize, use any Azalea fertilizer. Sprinkle pellets atop soil and water. Toni
Wanted to ask, your 'denia isn't wrapped w/foil is it? Don't know why they place foil around pots, all it does it kill our plants. So, if there is, remove fast.

French, gardenias are very temperamental as I'm sure you know. Everytime I've got a new one, and re pot them, they drop buds and have a few yellow leaves. I think that's normal for them.

Hopefully your gardenia is doing better in the new location. Mine was in our bedroom at first, right in front of a south-east window. It was there all winter and did just about 'ok'. I just moved it to the livingroom, slightly off to the side of a southern window, where it gets dappled afternoon sun, and now it's loaded up with buds. So a small change like that can definitely help.

Air circulation will definitely help so try to keep a window open where the plant is.

If your gardenia is still yellowing, then there is something else wrong I guess- maybe the amount you're watering or check for bugs.

How often are you watering? I just re potted mine into an unglazed 8" clay pot (was in a 6" plastic before) and I'm noticing in the last month or so that it's needing a LOT of water. I don't know if it's the new pot or the weather change or perhaps a combination of both but it's doing really well since I've increased watering.

I agree with Toni- gardenias love misting. You can use just plain old water if you wish- but like Toni, I am paranoid about mites and use drops of neem oil in the water when I mist.

I don't think you can mist too much (unless you get really gung-ho and do it multiple times a day)- so mist as often as you can. I used to do it every day but now I'm too lazy and maybe 2-3 times a week. It doesn't matter if you do it when you're watering or not. Just, in the winter, remember not to do it in the evenings when it starts getting cold and remember not to put them in direct sun right after misting.