How to propagate Gardenia jasminoides

Take healthy, non-flowering current growth. RHS supports softwood cuttings in late winter or early spring and semi-ripe or heel cuttings in summer. Vigorous new shoots suit midsummer work.

Plant coveredGardenia jasminoidesGardenia · indoor container

Choose a viable cutting, division, offset or seed

What plant material to use

Use healthy, non-flowering current growth: RHS lists softwood cuttings in late winter or early spring and semi-ripe or heel cuttings in summer, while Missouri notes vigorous new shoots as suitable midsummer material.

Follow the method for this plant

How to propagate this plant

  1. The household routes are softwood, greenwood or semi-hardwood cuttings. RHS also names heel cuttings as often especially successful. Layering, seed and grafting are additional species routes, not all equivalent home cutting methods.
  2. Root cuttings in a warm, bright filtered and humid environment using peat-free acidic plant mix that stays damp without becoming waterlogged. RHS places established gardenias in the same acidic indoor context.
  3. Select a healthy shoot, make a clean cut below a node, remove lower leaves and place the cutting in the rooting mix. For semi-ripe material, the general RHS method uses a 10–15 cm cutting and clean tools. Keep the leaf area from touching the mix.

Check visible progress before moving the plant

Signs of roots or failure

Move a rooted cutting into its own pot of peat-free acidic plant mix. New stable growth is a useful establishment sign after potting.

Transfer the plant after roots have formed

Aftercare and hygiene

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