Gardenia & Potted Tomato plants....Help!

Are they getting plety of sun? You might also be watering too much. Only water then the soil feels dry on top. Good Luck!

Hey J.,

Let me know what you find, I am the same as you, have tried to grow both and flop each year.

I too have been married for 19 years and have a 16 and 13 year old girls! Time flies!

Here are a few things I would suggest:
1. I would wonder if the plants have a good drainage system in the bottom of the pot, ie, rocks, then the soil. This allows the water to drain properly and prevents root rot. The roots literally can start to rot from sitting in water.

2. You can get a soil tester kit (very cheap) at almost any store that sells gardening supplies (ie, Lowes, Home Depot, nursery). They are very easy to use and can tell you if the soil has too much of something.

3. You might want to just go ahead and take them to a local nursery and have one of their gardening experts take a look at them. They should be able to take one quick look at the leaves, etc. and know exactly what is wrong.

Good luck and happy gardening!
M.

It could be that the pot is too small for both plants and that they need a bigger pot. I would suggest you get some Miracle Grow potting soil that has the fertilizer in it that is good for 3 months. Repot both your gardenia and your tomatoes. When they get root bound the leaves turn yellow. Keep the soil moist but not wet. good luck. R.

Not sure about your Gardenia's, but we have planted tomatoes in a pot before and they always look pretty sick. They seem to get more bugs on them for some reason so go and buy food and insect killer for them. We started to just plant them in the ground after two years of using pots they seems to do much better.

if you drink coffee cool off the last few coups and put them on your plantsi am living proof that it works

I read somewhere Gardenias need the right ph in the soil. Putting a few drops of vinegar in the water helps. As for the tomatoes, I have never tried to grow them in a pot but I know they need a lot of sun, gardenias too for that matter. Do you think yours are getting enough? I would do a Google search on both plants. Get some tips that way. Best of luck to you. I love gardenias too.

I believe Gardenias need acidic soil. I pour leftover pickle juice around my acid loving plants, and it seems to work. Also, the tip about coffee is good -- you can also spread the coffee grounds around your plants.