How to Grow Jasmine? A Detailed Guide to Cultivation Methods and Precautions
Jasmine has been cultivated in our country since ancient times and is distributed across many cities, making it very common in everyday life. The main ornamental value of jasmine lies in its flowers, which are commonly white. Many people now want to grow it, but during the cultivation process, if you do not understand its cultivation methods, it may cause some problems.
How to Grow Jasmine
1. Environment: Jasmine likes hot, humid, well-ventilated environments and needs sufficient light. It is afraid of cold; in the south, potted jasmine can be grown outdoors through the winter, while in the north, warmth must be maintained in autumn and winter, and the plant should be moved indoors to a south-facing spot. With strong light, the branches and stems are robust, the leaves are dark green, and there are many fragrant flowers; with insufficient sunlight, the nodes are sparse, flowers are few, and they are not fragrant.
2. Soil: For cultivating jasmine, fertile sandy and semi-sandy soil is best. When planted in slightly acidic soil with a pH of 6 to 6.5, the root system is dense and growth is vigorous. If the soil is heavy clay, lacks organic matter, has low fertility, and poor aeration, then the root system will be sparse, the plant will be short, the stems and leaves will be slender, and the flowers will be few and small.
Cultivation Methods for Jasmine
1. Potting soil. Potted jasmine requires soil rich in organic matter with good air permeability and aeration, and fertile, slightly acidic sandy soil can be used.
2. Fertilizing. Jasmine likes fertilizer, so the potting soil should maintain sufficient fertility. The high-temperature summer period is the peak growth period for jasmine; at this time, more fertilizer should be applied, with fertilization needed twice a month. If in summer the jasmine branches and buds are lush but it does not bloom, it is because too much fertilizer has been applied, causing excessive vegetative growth. In this case, watering and fertilizing should be controlled so that it promptly forms flower buds, and at the same time, the jasmine should be moved to a sunny, well-ventilated place for cultivation.
3. Watering. Jasmine is not drought-tolerant, so it needs to be watered more often. However, during the high-temperature summer period, absolutely no water should accumulate in the pot, otherwise it will cause root rot. In the rainy season, the flowerpot should be tipped promptly to prevent water accumulation; in the hot summer, water once each in the morning and evening every day. If the leaves are found to be curled, water should be sprayed on the leaves promptly to promote growth and development.
Precautions for Growing Jasmine
Jasmine grows very quickly in summer and should be pruned in time. For potted jasmine pruning, keep 10 cm to 15 cm of the base to encourage many robust new shoots. If the new shoots grow very vigorously, they should be pinched when they reach 10 cm to encourage secondary shoots, which will result in more flowers and a compact plant shape. After the flowers fade, the flowering branches should be cut off promptly to reduce nutrient consumption, and this can also encourage new shoots to grow, making the branches dense, the buds numerous, and the flowering abundant.
Jasmine Pests and Diseases and Their Control
1. Jasmine leaf borer. Control method: when natural enemies cannot control its damage, you can choose a 600-800 times dilution of 90% trichlorfon, or a 1000 times dilution of 50% fenitrothion emulsifiable concentrate, or a 1500-2000 times dilution of 2.5% deltamethrin, or a 2000-3000 times dilution of 20% fenvalerate, and you can also spray with a 2000 times solution of 24.5% duochongmanding or a 2000 times dilution of 1.8% abamectin. Note that spraying should be done after flower picking; pyrethroid pesticides generally require more than 5 days after application before picking.
2. Spodoptera litura. Control method: during the peak hatching period of young larvae, spray with pesticides such as a 1500 times solution of 10% chlorfenapyr suspension concentrate, a 2500 times solution of 5% fipronil suspension concentrate, a 4000 times solution of 5.7% betacyfluthrin emulsifiable concentrate, a 3000 times solution of 4.5% beta-cypermethrin emulsifiable concentrate, a 1500 times solution of 52.25% chlorpyrifos emulsifiable concentrate, an 800 times solution of 90% trichlorfon, a 1000 times solution of 80% dichlorvos, a 1000 times solution of 35% sethoxydim emulsifiable concentrate, or a 3000-4000 times solution of 2.5% deltamethrin.
3. Gao's whitefly (Dialeurodes gaoi). Control method: during the peak hatching period of young nymphs, choose insecticides highly effective against Homoptera pests such as imidacloprid and buprofezin for spraying. The acaricide-insecticide and "huaqujing" used by flower growers to control the double-striped borer have very good killing power against the adults of Gao's whitefly and are relatively safe for natural enemies.
Jasmine likes light, so it must be grown in a place with sufficient sunlight. When growing jasmine, the soil mixing work is also very important. In the later stages of cultivation, it is also necessary to strengthen fertilizer and water management and pest and disease control. Only by doing these aspects well can jasmine grow healthily.