What Can I Do if My Gardenia Plant Is Wilting?

Water

• Lack of water is the most common cause of a wilted plant. Make sure you are watering your gardenias often enough or that adequate rainfall is keeping the plants moist. Check the soil to know when to water. If the first inch of soil dries out, give the gardenias a long and deep watering. Let the soil dry out that much though, because wet soil drowns the roots.

Temperature Protection

• A gardenia that suddenly starts wilting could be experiencing shock from temperatures that suddenly dropped by several degrees. Protect it from further exposure to more cold temperatures. Move potted gardenias indoors over night if temperatures are dropping steeply in the evenings. S cloth plant cover provides it with protection during cold weather.

Pest Control

• Gardenias can wilt if attacked by nematodes. If nematodes have been a problem in your garden in the past and your gardenias are wilting, apply organic mulch around your gardenias attracting insects that eat nematodes. Prevention is more effective than treatment for nematodes, as there is no chemical spray that prevents nematode outbreaks. Keeping the plants watered and healthy makes them strong enough to resist nematode attacks.

Fungal Diseases

• Gardenia roots are vulnerable to a number of fungal problems. When the roots start rotting, the rest of the plant wilts. Don't over water the plants and water it early in the day so that the day’s heat dries the plant out regularly. Overly saturated soil promotes fungus growth. Fungicide application kills many types of root rot fungi.