Subject: Re: rootbound gardenia?

From: [email-masked] (Richard S. Fee)
Date: 8 Mar 1995 19:26:33 GMT

My experience with potted plants is that they are always sold
rootbound. Considering that plants are almost always grown "here"
and sold "there", shipping considerations dictate that the smallest
pot which will hold the roots is the most economical. Soil is heavy.

With gardenias and other flowering plants the situation is usally
exacerbated by the grower's desire to have the plants "in bloom" at 
the time of sale. This desire necessitates the (over) use of fertillizers
to encourage (force) blooms. 

My current strategy with gardenias is to buy healthy-looking plants with
few (or no) flower buds and immediately repot in a container 2-3 times the
size of the root ball. I thoroughly wash the roots and even cut through some 
of them to free up the root ball. 

Here's a list of the ways my gardenias have died:

1). Dividing an apparently healthy rootbound plant in three. I hacked 
through the roots and repotted them. They eventually died, though a 
mealy bug invasion may have been at least partially to blame.

If you want more plants, either buy more or bury some branches and wait for
them to root.

2). Overfertillizing. Just one application of too much fertilizer can irreparably
burn the roots.

3). Mealy bugs and spider mites. If you plants are indoors these pests are 
omnipresent. Many plants are sold with these guests already in place. Examine 
your plants every time you water and take appropriate action immediately. For
houseplants I recommend both an immediate topical remedy and a systemic to 
wipe out the second generation. Don't overdo these chemicals either. I lost one
plant in this way. 
 
Have fun. Don't obsess over the plant's health. Growers need to make a 
living as well.

Regards
Richard Fee
(Whose Gardenia is now a garden plant 
and much healthier that way)