How to Get Gardenias to Bloom Indoors

Plant gardenias in a pot with peat-based potting medium. Ensure that the pot has good drainage from the bottom.

Place the plant in an area of the home with temperatures between 68 and 74 degrees Fahrenheit during the day and 60 F at night.

Provide bright, indirect light for most of the day. Gardenia plants will not bloom without sufficient sunlight. If plants will not bloom, move to an area with a southern exposure.

Place the potted gardenia on a tray full of water on top of pebbles to provide the additional humidity that these plants need. If your home is especially dry during the winter, use a humidifier in the area of the plant.

Water to keep the plant evenly moist as much as possible. Use room temperature, distilled water.

Fertilize plants with a liquid, all-purpose fertilizer every two to three weeks. Several times a year, use a fertilizer for acid-loving plants.

Repot the plant every spring when the gardenia is young. Repot older plants only when they become root bound.

Prune the gardenia plant regularly to encourage blooming on new growth. Remove weak and dead branches. Cut rogue branches to a bud to maintain the overall shape of the plant.

Monitor plants for signs of aphids, mealybugs, spider mites and whiteflies. Treat affected areas with a cotton swab dipped in alcohol.