How can I reduce the size of the root ball of an indoor gardenia?
I've had a gardenia for about 25 years that flowers beautifully and frequently. It spends the summers outside and the winters in a sunny, but unheated third floor room. It's now in a 12" pot and the plant measures about 20"X30"X30". It's now too big and heavy for me to
carry up and down the stairs, and there's no other place in the house
that's safe for it and our cat for winters. Is there any way to reduce the root ball again so it can fit in a smaller pot and be lighter? If not, is there a safe way to find it a new home?
carry up and down the stairs, and there's no other place in the house
that's safe for it and our cat for winters. Is there any way to reduce the root ball again so it can fit in a smaller pot and be lighter? If not, is there a safe way to find it a new home?
Answer
You can root prune the plant (google root pruning on Fine Gardening website). If the gardenia is in a terra cotta pot, switch to a polyurethane pot which is much lighter. If the width of the gardenia is a problem you can prune it as well.