Gypsum is naturally occurring calcium sulfate + water. It contains calcium, sulfur, oxygen, and hydrogen. Most nurseries and plant stores, as well as the big box stores carry it, stocking it near their fertilizers and lawn insecticides.

Adding mulch to the top of the container seems kind of like adding ice cubes to a thermos of hot tea. Why would you want to save and eliminate moisture at the same time. ;o) If your soil holds too much water, you need the wick but not the mulch - if it holds too little water, you don't need the wick, but the mulch could be helpful. (read this as a good-natured poke in the ribs - not making fun of you) ;o)

You DO need to be sure that if you have dissimilar soils in the container, that you're watering in such a way that both are being moistened thoroughly each time you water. It may have been a case of hydrophobic soil that caused you to note the water "went right through the pot". Hopefully, that's no longer an issue.

It's very late to be doing much root manipulation on gardenias. Potting up is ok anytime, but repotting, soil removal, and root pruning should be undertaken in Mar or Apr where you live. We'll keep our fingers crossed for you. Hopefully the plant will shrug it off, since it appears you didn't remove too much of the soil.

Good luck, BF. Take care.

Al

Hey I did the same thing this am...My gardenia I have had planted in peatmoss as been doing so lousy at work, almost dead. I forgot I didn't put this in great draining soil. The peatmoss seemed to saty wet to long. When I puule the root out, man I had more brown roots than white ones. So I drasticly rinsed all the soil out once I got it home this am and them planted it in Al's mix of equal parts of Turface, Bark, and Crushed granit with gypsum...I will keep my fingers crossed and pray that it will regain strentgh and start to produce good results soon.
Sometimes I wonder how long a time has to go by before we notice a plants recovery all the way until we notice complete vitallity. I hope before the summer is over.

I didn't fertilize it though ,or put epsom salts ,since I have a great MG mix that Al shared with me, and I also thought that fertilizing right away after transplanting was a no no.
Wish me the best too, and I hope your does well too..:-)butterfly4u!!:-)

Just wanted to share a photo of my potted Gardenia that I potted up in Al's mix. I live in Fl, so I am blessed with good weather most of the time. I bought this plant right after Christmas last year. No buds at the time. The plant did real well, had the occasional yellow leaves (normal) for this plant. But by the time May rolled around, the blooms just surprised me! I did use miracid every two weeks, added some epsom salts occasionally. Oh and I have added a little bit of chelated iron also, just to keep the leaves nice and green. Right now the blooms are all done, just one or two occasionally. Its in the 90's now, so it may be too hot right now.

Best of luck to you both with your gardenias, I LOVE mine!

Thanks Al, your mix is just wonderful...

{{gwi:33100}}

WOWOWQW!!!!!!
Thankyou, thankyou so much for sharing your unbeleivable beautiful Gardenia...YOU GIVE ME HOPE!!! Even if I live in Massachusetts. At least it will do good for the summer!!
Did you rinse all the old soil off before you planted in Al's mix? And which one did you use?...Eqaul parts of Turface,Granite,and Bark...or the peatmoss and bark mix?
I love your tree. I will fertilze mine like you. Wish we could fertilze with your sun though 365 days a year..lol

Strong work, N - don't be so quick to give credit away - it belongs to you as head-nurturer. ;o)

Al

Thanks Al and Meyermike, that was very nice of you...

Yes I got, I would say 95% of the old soil off. I sat under a shade tree in late Dec. it was in the 70's that day, so I thought no problem. I was nervous though, while I kept removing the soil, I was afraid I was shocking the roots to death, LOL...I sprayed most of the soil off with the hose and kept a bucket of water and soaked it in between to loosen the dirt.

I used the Peat mix since that helps me retain more moisture since I live in such a warm zone. I think I used the equal parts pine bark fines, turface and added 1 part peat and I don't remember if I added grit, If I did I didn't add much as I needed something that would retain a little more moisture than my succulent mix. Definitely the miracid maintained my leaves from yellowing. I had to keep a pretty consistent schedule with the fertilizer program.

Good luck MM, I'm sure yours will do just fine, post some pics when you get blooms!