How to grow night jasmine (Telosma cordata) for high yields? Growing tips shared
Night jasmine, also known as night jasmine and night fragrant flower, is a common flower in South China. It can not only be cooked as a vegetable, but can also be used medicinally, giving it high application value. So how do you grow night jasmine for high yields?
1. Site selection and land preparation
Before sowing, choose a nursery site with good water and fertilizer conditions as the seedling bed. Deep plow, break up the soil, and rake it level to make beds 1-1.2 m wide.
2. Seed selection and sowing
(1) Seed treatment: Pick plump, mature bright red fresh fruit, rub it in clean water, remove the peel as well as impurities and shriveled seeds floating on the water surface, and dry them in the shade for later use.
(2) Sowing time: Sowing can be done in both spring and autumn, but spring sowing is generally more common. Spring sowing can be done from March to May. When the temperature is 16°C-22°C, germination occurs 25-35 days after sowing. For autumn sowing, early September to early October is suitable.
(3) Sowing method: For drilling, use a row spacing of 30 m. For broadcasting, mix the seeds evenly with fine sand and scatter them evenly over the seedling bed. After sowing, cover with 1.2 cm of soil, then cover with grass and water. When 2-3 true leaves appear, begin thinning the seedlings, keeping a plant spacing of 10-15 cm. Combine this with weeding and apply additional human and livestock manure. After application, spray water on the leaf surface to avoid burning the seedlings with fertilizer. Transplant when the seedlings are 15-20 cm tall.
3. Field management
(1) Pruning: When newly planted seedlings grow to 10-15 cm tall, promptly remove the terminal buds, keeping them 6-8 cm tall. When the new shoots grow to 8-10 mm tall, carry out a second pinching, that is, remove the terminal buds. Repeat this several times to form a full crown. After the plant has taken shape, it will still keep growing, so prune promptly, shortening long branches and thinning dense branches to maintain a graceful tree shape.
(2) Watering: Night jasmine likes moisture. Potted night jasmine has limited soil in the pot and dries out easily. If not watered in time, it will wither and die from lack of water. However, it should not be watered too much either, otherwise it will cause excessive vegetative growth. If the potting soil is too wet for a long time, the roots breathe poorly and are prone to rot, leading to death. When growing night jasmine, watering should be moderate. Before bud formation, water should be properly controlled to promote flower bud differentiation. After bud formation and during the flowering and fruiting period, the potting soil is best kept slightly moist but not waterlogged. In high-temperature periods in summer and autumn, water once in the morning and once in the evening. In spring, water once a day or every other day. In winter, water once every few days. During the plum rain season or on rainy days, prevent water accumulation to avoid root rot and plant death.
(3) Fertilizing: When potting or repotting and changing soil, it is advisable to mix some bone meal or nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium compound fertilizer into the growing medium. During the growing period, apply a nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium compound fertilizer about once every half month. Do not apply nitrogen fertilizer alone, otherwise the branches and leaves will grow excessively and no buds will form. In the peak growing season, apply a thin cake fertilizer once every 3-4 weeks. From April to June, spray a 0.2% potassium dihydrogen phosphate solution on the leaves once a month. The leftover spray can be poured at the roots to promote flower bud differentiation. Generally, fertilizing is not advisable in autumn to prevent new shoots from sprouting and suffering cold damage. In winter, apply organic fertilizer once as a base fertilizer. Nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium fertilizers can be determined according to night jasmine's growth conditions and the needs of different growth stages.
(4) Temperature: The most suitable temperature for night jasmine growth is 20°C-32°C. It is not cold tolerant. In winter, when the minimum temperature drops to about 5°C, move it indoors at 5°C-10°C to overwinter. If the room temperature is too low, it easily drops leaves, affecting the next year's growth. Below 0°C, it will freeze to death.
(5) Light: Night jasmine is a sun-loving plant. It should be placed in a spot with ample sunlight and good air circulation to have lush leaves, abundant flowers, and fragrance. If grown at home, it can be moved to a windowsill when flowering. After the flowers fade, it still needs to be placed in a sunny spot. It grows poorly in semi-shade, and the flower fragrance is also weak. If too shaded, the branches become thin and soft, the leaf color becomes pale, and there are few or no flowers. When brought indoors in winter, it should also be placed in a sunny spot.
(6) Repotting: Night jasmine can be repotted once every 2-3 years. October-November in autumn or late spring in April-May is the best time. Repotting is generally not advisable in winter. Repotting should be determined according to the size of the plant. You can use the original pot or change to a pot one size larger. When repotting, you can combine root pruning and soil replacement. Roots that are too dense or too long should be pruned. When removing the plant from the pot, peel off 50%-70% of the old potting soil around the root ball, cut off rotten roots and some old roots, and then handle it according to the potting process. If more of the original soil is retained, repotting can be done at any time without seasonal restrictions. If most or all of the old soil needs to be replaced, the proper repotting period must be strictly chosen.