What to Feed a Gardenia

Blood Meal

• Blood meal, also simply called dried blood, comes from animals killed in slaughterhouses. Gardenia likes blood meal's high acidity. Blood meal contains very high levels of nitrogen, often as high as 12 or 13 percent. Blood meal also repels some animals that like to graze on plants in your garden. A blood meal application lasts for about four months. Add an application to your gardenia's soil in mid-March and late June.

Fish Emulsion

• Fish emulsion generally comes from the menhaden, a thin, bony fish found in the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean. Fish emulsion is a mild, instant-release fertilizer. Like bone meal, it helps to create an acidic environment for your gardenia. This fertilizer contains a variety of nutrient ratios that differ depending on the brand you choose. Add fish emulsion to the gardenia's soil in the middle of March in place of bone meal. Add another application at the end of June.

Azalea and Camellia Food

• Plant food manufacturers often produce a special feeding mix designed for azaleas and camellias. These plants love acidic soil, so this fertilizer is ideal for use with gardenia. To use this fertilizer, mix 1 tsp. with one gallon of water. Water the gardenia with this mixture every seven to 14 days in the spring, summer and fall. The food is not necessary in the winter.

Epsom Salts

• If your gardenia keeps its leaves through the winter, you may notice some of them turning yellow as winter ends and spring approaches. This indicates that the gardenia is focusing on growing new leaves and flowers. To stop the yellowing of leaves, add Epsom salts to the soil when spring arrives. Do not use Epsom salts more than once a year.