How to Prune Gardenias in Georgia
- 1). Cut the entire gardenia bush to one-half its size. Reducing the plant's size puts less stress on its roots during drought periods in Georgia, according to University of Georgia horticulturists. With watering restrictions in place, they suggest this may be the only way to save the plant during the hot Georgia summers.
- 2). Cut off all dead flowers.
- 3). Remove any diseased, pest-infested or dead branches, using the pruning shears.
- 4). Prune any leggy stems coming from the side of the gardenia bush. Trim them back so that they are even with the other foliage and then prune the gardenia to the desired shape.
- 5). Remove all branches, dead flowers and other pruning detritus from the garden bed. If left on the soil, this debris will provide a breeding ground for typical Georgia garden pests such as whiteflies and aphids.
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