How to root a clipping from a gardenia bush?

[sgtsheart]

Hey Y'all,

We were busy up at the cemetary today, cleaning, weedeating, and placing the Christmas arrangements.
There is a huge gardenia bush at the base of the family plot. My SO's grandma planted it. I want to take a clipping from it to bring back up here to the farm; which is where it actually came from. How to do it? Thanks!

P.S. It seems to me that anything my SO's grandma planted grew to unusual size. She's also responsible for the gigantic hibiscus bush and the forsythia bush for H-E-double hockey stix that are already here in the yard.

 

[friendly_gardener]

Hi

I have never propagated gardenia before.

This is what i got from a site...Hope it will be useful to you

"Two very easy ways:
(1) Pick blooms with about 6 inches of stem. Put in water and enjoy the blooms. WHen the bloom dies, pull it off and leave the stems in water. Put in a bright window but no direct sun. Add just enough MiracleGro or other fertilizer until you can barely see color in the water. If water sours, clean vase or jar and replace water and fertilizer. In about 3 weeks you should begin to see roots. WHen roots are well established, pot the plant in sand and place outside in bright shade for two weeks. Water daily. Gradually move into sun to harden-off.
(2) This is easier. Take a low limb on your mother's bush and scrape away the bark on the bottom side about half way between the end of the limb and the trunk. Push it down to the ground, cover the limb with soil and put a brick on it to hold it down. Keep it watered. It will soon root. Cut it loos from the mother plant, dig and replant. I've had limbs take root by themselves"

 

[sgtsheart]

Thanks! I might try the limb method, rather than wait for it to bloom again. Here it is late December and the bush is still very green and very bushy. It's a strange thing, kinda like that mutant forsythia bush.

 

[beefy]

gardenias are easy to root. i root mine in water.