Hard to say why there is such a big difference between those two Gardenias. They do prefer an acid soil as a rule and perhaps there is something in the soil that's making the difference. Azalea fertiliser is good for them so you could try some of that.

Gardenia leaves vary in their colors among different varieties so it probably is normal for this “first love” to have a lighter green than others, I have many different gardenias in my yard their leaves do have differ shades in terms of greenness so wouldn’t worry too much about that. As for number of flowers to bloom per year gardenias also have no certainty maybe this year your “first love” decided to bloom less due to various environmental conditions? As long as your first love is growing lovingly it shouldn’t be a problem next spring it might reward you with a much more bumper blooming for you to enjoy. Adding some potassium rich fertilizer normally will encourage more blooming.

looks like a Mg or Fe deficiency. I kill all my gardenias so take my advice with that disclaimer.

@tropicbreezent Thank you very much for your kind advice. I really do appreciate it. Azalea fertilizer is on the shopping list.

@getgoing100_7b_nj It would definitely be one big heartache for me if I were to lose this Gardenia. It has been doing very well until this spring. I hope it will recover and put on more blooms as it did in years past. Thank you for your input.

@Grant Yang (Sydney Australia) You brought up a good point that I had not thought of. I appear to recall that when I first bought this Gardenia, the color of the leaves was kind of pale green like the third photo shows. Then somehow as the years passed the leaves turned rich green on their own. I have just been watering it and never give it any fertilizer. I read that Gardenia prefer the soil to be acidic. The soil where I am is more clay and loamy. If this Gardenia requires the soil to be acidic then I have to think of something quick in order to save it. It was a real pleasure to receive a helpful response from someone who is also growing this beautiful plant. Thank you so very much.

My yard soil also contains clay & is quite hard: fruit trees find this soil difficult to grow roots but gardenias seem to survive well: sometimes I applied some potassium rich fertilizer to which the gardenias seem to respond well. In our local sub tropical climate the gardenias flower twice per year in spring & summer: the spring bloom has more flowers.

@Grant Yang (Sydney Australia) Thank you for your quick response. Aside from the recommended fertilizer which I will wait until spring before I apply.

I am also pondering removing some soil surface and replacing it with some store bought soil/bark. Hopefully this method of removing some soil surface won’t disturb the roots too much and possibly injure the plant in anyway.

Its spring time!

I am definitely going to incorporate some topsoil into the ground along with 11-35-15 fertilizer. Hopefully, this will help encourage overall soil health.

Hopefully, heaven and earth will bestow good luck on me. :-)

I agree with what Pam said. My first thought was a pH induced Fe deficiency, or perhaps an actual shortage ..... as in an ample supply of Fe is not present in the soil. In the end, you're just flailing in the dark w/o a soil test to tell you what's going on.

Sprint 138, an iron chelate specially formulated for high pH situations would be very helpful if it does turn out to be an actual deficiency or a pH induced deficiency of Fe.

Please don't treat with Epsom salts or any other compound aimed at providing Mg unless the soil test says you need it. By raising the amount of Mg available, you can limit uptake of Ca, which is another issue you want to avoid, and an excess of Mg can mask symptoms of other deficiencies, camouflaging an existing problem as opposed to providing remediation.

Also, even though I don't think it's been suggested, foliar feeding is a step unlikely to provide resolution, especially if any deficiencies are nutrients considered immobile in the plant.

Al

Thank you Gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)

I failed to find the fertilizer “You” and “Tropicbreezent” suggested in the several stores that I have visited.

I will just have go ahead and mail order it.

The good thing is that the fertilizer is unopened and I kept the receipt so returning it should be no problem don’t you think.

I sincerely appreciate your contribution. Thanks!

Thank you Al Tapla

I removed some of the soil around the trunk of the plant and replaced it with ½ peat moss and ½ garden mulch. As of the time I’m posting this the plant appears to be doing well. To my surprise, this problem Gardenia abundantly produces blooms. However, all the blooms fail to open and dry up. Any thoughts on this?

How do you feel about pruning the plant at this time? Please advise. Thank you.

I know the plant is inherently temperamental for most growers who can't provide cultural conditions in a narrow range you might call the plant's 'sweet spot'. Too much/too little water, too much fertilizer, too little light, pH issues (often too high), low humidity levels, poor drainage or soil compaction, quick temperature changes, deficiencies of individual nutrients, insect issues (particularly thrips) can each act individually or collectively with other potentially limiting factors listed, and others, to vex the grower when the plant throws its buds at the ground, often seeming like it's all for only spite. I won't pretend to know the precise answer sure to provide resolution for the bud blast you're experiencing with with you're gardenias, but it's probably on the short list I provided.

The first think I'd do is make sure they're getting enough light and ambient RH levels are reasonable. A soil test would probably be a great investment as you'll be fighting an uphill battle if the pH range is outside the range of 5.0-6.0, though some will tolerate pH as high as 6.5. A soil test will probably nail down the iron situation too, as the interveinal chlorosis looks like a classic iron deficiency; however there's probably plenty of iron in the soil - just that high pH has it locked up tight with other elements and unavailable.

Most gardenias bloom primarily on old wood, but some bloom on both old and new wood, so prune immediately after blooming. If you wait too long, the plant might not have time to form new buds before time for the subsequent bloom cycle rolls around.

The good news is, the plant is known to be temperamental, so just entering "gardenia" as a searchword will have you tripping over information. Further refining your searches for the info you're searching for will take you to a motherlode. Make sure the info you are reading is referencing plants growing in the landscape - not containers.

Al

@Ghibie19 I mentioned Azalea fertiliser as I often see it on nursery shelves. But generally any fertiliser for acid loving plants should be okay.

If you are using a lot of tap water to water those shrubs, I would consider finding out what the pH of your tap is. If it has a very high pH, I would consider correcting that.

Thank you Al Tapla

I am keeping a close eye on the plant’sprogress since adding amendments to the soil. I will use the fertilizer as suggestedby “Tropicbreezent” and “Gardengal48”. Thanks.

Thank you Tropicbreezent

Received fertilizer labeled as “Azalea, Acid Loving Plant Food” yesterday. Hope it is the right one. I will start feeding according to the recommendations on the label.

Thank you so much for your kind help!

Thank you Meyermike(Zone 6a Ma.)

I do know there is a water safe kit available. It is reasonable to look into it. I greatly appreciate you bringing it to my attention.

Please clarify if my understanding is correct. Thank you.

My tap water is over 8.0 and that kind of water devastated my gardenia along with many other tropical loving plants and many acid loving outdoor plants. When left to tap water alone, every acid loving plant I have will look like crap until I can use rain water again by winters or summers end. The only way I found around that around that after 25 years of learning and killing gardenia, is to use either vinegar, or some other safe form of acidic watering solution. or rain water. The recommended fertilizers for acid loving plants is a good choice too)

TAP water was the number one killer of my gardenia plants, beginning with yellowing leaves. The ones I have now are true green and for my area I consider that pretty good)

Another key is to get them to bud up again. Exposure to cooler temps at night and the right fertilizer will do wonders once the pH is correct for proper nutrient uptake.

Thank You Meyermike(Zone 6a Ma.)

I am thankful for the input and experience you share.

The new thing I learned from the information you wrote is using “Vinegar” and “Rain Water”. From now on, whenever mother nature kindly provides rain, I will try my best to collect it and figure out a way to save the water for future use.

Would you please expand a little more on how to use the “Vinegar”. Is it “White Vinegar” or “Apple Cider Vinegar”? What would the appropriate ratio be? How often do you apply it to the soil?

No problem.

I use 'white vinegar' a capful of the bottles top per gallon every time I water and it's works wonders. If I don't for a while, the leaves start to yellow on mines. What a pain.

Might I add it is best to use a fertilizer with 'Ca and Mg' in it. They are hungry for those nutrients which most fertilizers don't have. I use Foliage Pro or a Tomato fertilizer which has Ca in it. What a difference. If you use Foliage Pro and vinegar, you need nothing else.

Hope that helps.

Mike

Thank you Meyermike(Zone 6a Ma.)

It is my fortune to have you share the culturing information. Please accept my sincere gratitude, Thank you!

Lucky for me that I do have “Tomato” fertilizer.

Grant Yang (Sydney Australia) in the earlier response suggested similar fertilizer also.

It’s only been about two weeks since I amended the soil with peat and mulch. What would be the appropriate time fame that I could begin to fertilize?

Sure..The sooner you fertilize the better. Make sure it's only 1/4 strength every time you water and add vinegar. YW)

Thank you Meyermike(Zone 6a Ma.)

Here I go with the fertilizer.

Thank you for your kind help.

This Gardenia is welcoming the 2021 summer solstice. (Sunday, June 20 2021)

Flowering in July.

It is a special treat to me since I have never had one blooming this close together.

Wow !! Have you been fertilizing and using vinegar or an acidic anything to help ?
Beautiful

Thank you Meyermike(Zone 6a Ma.)

I am trying very hard to keep it happy!

I hope my growing difficulties and the advice I received from everyone will serve to benefit all the gardeners out there who are finding difficulty growing Gardenia.

Blooming still.

Started blooming already.

Lovely bloom.

There are delightful activities with this Gardenia that I just discovered yesterday. I’m absolutely ecstatic about it.

Awww! A hummingbird - too cool!

Al

So lucky! Enjoy watching mother nature at its finest.

The first thing this hummingbird does is show that this world is gentle and carefree.

Welcome to the World of Natural Beauty!

If Heaven Has Compassion there will be a few little ones soon.

Gardenia providing late summer blooms.

Gardenia leaves usually yellow due to either overwatering, or not enough iron, and the last of those is usually caused by the roots inability to uptake enough iron, rather than there not being enough iron in the soil. This can be a sign of either the beginning of root rot, caused by excessively waterlogged soil, or colder temperatures. (And sometimes iron uptake can be hindered if the soil is rich in limestone and not acidic enough)

Gardenias can be a difficult plant because too much direct intense sun on a hot day, especially if the air is not humid, can lead to water stress on the plant. But too much watering can drown the roots, preventing them from breathing, and lead to root rot. So in some situations the only solution may be to try to reduce sun exposure (during the hotter times of day or the year), or (for some climates) try to put the plant in a spot where the air will be more moist and it will be more protected from drying wind.

The soil still needs to be kept consistently moist though (especially during the hotter part of the year). Make sure you mix in a rich potting soil which is able to absorb water. Perhaps put a little mulch on top to help reduce the rate of evaporation of water from the soil.