A Detailed Guide to Propagating Jasmine by Cuttings and Fertilizing It

Because of its pure white appearance and delicate fragrance, jasmine has become one of the commonly cultivated varieties in our country. Its propagation methods are diverse, but the most common is still propagation by cuttings, as this method helps increase its yield. So how exactly is it done? Let's take a look together below.

How to Propagate Jasmine by Cuttings

1. Seedbed soil: It should be loose, fertile, well-drained, and free of stones and rubble. Before cutting, deep plow 35-40 cm, then apply 20-30% decomposed compost, mix thoroughly, and form raised beds with furrows. The bed surface should be 90-100 cm wide, with furrows 30 cm wide, to facilitate drainage and management.

2. Cutting method: When cutting, insert immediately after cutting. To avoid damaging the bark at the lower end of the cutting and causing it to “fray,” which affects healing, the “guide insertion” method is commonly used. First make a hole with a guide, then gently insert the cutting, press firm. The insertion depth should leave one node exposed. Most of the rest should go into the soil to minimize the transpiration surface and maximize the water-absorbing surface. Roots will form in about 40-60 days.

How to Fertilize Jasmine

1. After bringing it outdoors in spring, apply a heavy feeding to promote new shoots. Fully fermented organic fertilizer is best.

2. When flower buds appear, apply a dilute fertilizer. This allows jasmine to bloom larger with a stronger fragrance. Mainly use phosphorus-containing fertilizers, such as quick-acting phosphorus fertilizer for flowers, potassium dihydrogen phosphate, or superphosphate.

3. After the first flowering ends, apply fermented organic fertilizer again to encourage jasmine to send out new shoots for a second bloom.

4. During jasmine's flowering period, apply decomposed dilute liquid fertilizer once every 3-5 days. Use fermented soybean cake water or first-rinse rice water as a top dressing, or place cooked soybeans in the pot as a top dressing.

5. In autumn, gradually reduce fertilization to about once a week. Reduce the proportion of nitrogen fertilizer and increase phosphorus and potassium fertilizer to inhibit excessive vegetative growth.

Precautions for Growing Jasmine

1. Jasmine is not drought-tolerant, but it also dislikes waterlogging. During the rainy season, promptly pour out accumulated water in the pot, otherwise the leaves easily turn yellow. On hot sunny days in summer, water twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening. If leaves are found curling and drooping, spray water on the leaves to promote growth.

2. For pruning jasmine, besides cutting off thin and weak branches after overwintering in spring and leaving only the thick, strong base to await new bud growth, summer pruning is very important. After flowers fade, promptly leave 3-5 nodes on the branch and cut off the top tip to encourage new shoots and ensure vigorous flowering.

3. During summer growth, jasmine often shows lush branches and leaves but no flowers. The main reason is too much nitrogen fertilizer, causing excessive vegetative growth. In this case, control fertilizer and water, increase phosphorus and potassium fertilizer to encourage flower bud formation, and also move the jasmine to a spot with ample sunlight and good ventilation.

4. Jasmine fears cold. In the south, potted jasmine can be grown outdoors to overwinter. In the north, in autumn and winter, good insulation work is needed, moving it indoors to a south-facing spot. With strong light, branches and stems are robust, leaves are deep green, and flowers are many and fragrant. With insufficient sunlight, nodes are sparse, flowers are few, and there is no fragrance.

How Jasmine Overwinters

1. Stop fertilizing and control water: When jasmine enters dormancy, appropriately control water and stop fertilizing. Keep the potting soil slightly moist.

2. Protect against cold and freezing: When the temperature drops below 5 degrees C, promptly move jasmine indoors to a sunny spot and prepare suitable insulation measures for it, such as covering the flower pot and plant together with a large plastic bag, or wrapping the flower pot with straw. Note that you should open the wrapping for a few minutes at noon each day when it is warm to give it a chance to ventilate.

If you want jasmine to grow well, watering and fertilizing are important steps, and you must also carefully care for it to avoid problems such as pest damage. In addition, how to help it safely overwinter is also very important. Although jasmine does not bloom in winter, if you do not care for it well in winter, it can affect its flowering the following year.