How to Hard Prune Gardenias

Gardenias are evergreen shrubs that can grow from 2 to 15 feet tall. Native to China, the gardenia has glossy, dark green foliage and flowers that range in color from white to yellow with purple centers. Being semitropical plants, gardenias need warmth and humidity to survive. They need at least 1 inch of water a week and full to partial sunlight in order to bloom properly. If your gardenia has been growing unfettered for years you need to do some hard pruning, or renovation pruning, to get it back in shape.

Pruning shears

Instructions

- 1
  Wait until the gardenia’s flowers fade and deadhead them from the gardenia plant. Pinch the flowers off at the base of the flower with your fingers to deadhead them.
- 2
  Remove any dead, damaged or diseased foliage from the gardenia bush. Cut the foliage off with the pruning shears about 3 to 4 inches past the damaged portion of the branch.
- 3
  Cut back the foliage on the gardenia bush to the desired height and width. Use the pruning shears to cut back the foliage. Hold the foliage in one hand and cut with the other. Prune early enough in the season that the gardenia will have at least 4 to 6 inches of new growth by October 1.
- 4
  Cut back one-fourth to one-third of the oldest branches on the gardenia bush to the ground in spring. Repeat this process for three to four years until the gardenia bush is down to the size you want it in your landscape. Flowering will be reduced while hard pruning.

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