What should you do when a potted African jasmine (Fagraea ceilanica) keeps dropping leaves?

African jasmine is a foliage and flowering plant with emerald-green leaves and small white flowers. Its original name is Fagraea ceilanica, and it is not the same plant as jasmine. African jasmine has a light fragrance, and when grown in a pot it is also easy to care for, so it is suitable for placing at home to accent the environment. In the actual care process, if African jasmine starts dropping leaves, what is the reason? What is the best way to handle it?

1. Analysis of the reasons African jasmine drops leaves

1. Caused by too much or too little watering

Improper watering will affect the growth of the whole African jasmine plant. Too much or too little watering can cause the leaves to turn yellow or fall off. Why? If the potting soil is too moist, it easily accumulates water and rots the roots, causing root rot, and then the leaves will slowly fall off or the whole plant will die. If the potting soil is too dry, African jasmine cannot absorb water, and the leaves will also fall off after being deprived of water for a long time.

2. Caused by too low a temperature

African jasmine is a tropical plant and likes a warm environment. It is already winter now, and the temperature is gradually dropping. If it is below 5°C, African jasmine will enter dormancy and stop growing, and it will be more prone to dropping leaves.

3. Caused by improper light

Although African jasmine is a green plant that likes light, many people fall into the mistaken approach of leaving it in direct sunlight for a long time. Some find it troublesome and just put it indoors and ignore it, leaving it in a dark place for a long time. Both situations can cause the leaves to turn yellow and fall off.

4. Caused by disease

If African jasmine is not cared for properly and the environment is unsuitable, it can suffer from pest damage, and this situation can also cause spots on its leaves or make them fall off.

5. Caused by improper repotting

Potted plants generally need to be repotted and have their soil changed every 1-2 years, but during the actual process, if the original roots are damaged, or if the plant does not adapt to the new conditions, the leaves of African jasmine will drop due to poor nutrition.

2. Solutions for African jasmine dropping leaves

1. Solution for African jasmine dropping leaves caused by improper watering: When watering, pay attention to observation and decide the watering frequency and amount according to the specific season, temperature, and potting soil moisture. In hot summer, appropriately spray water on the leaves to lower the temperature and increase humidity. In spring and autumn, simply keep the potting soil moist. In winter, water less, generally once a month.

2. Solution for African jasmine dropping leaves caused by too low a temperature: This generally happens when the winter temperature is relatively low. Simply move it to a warmer place indoors, and the leaf drop will gradually lessen.

3. Solution for African jasmine dropping leaves caused by improper light: African jasmine generally needs only diffused light for growth. In winter, when sunlight is insufficient, be sure to guarantee 3 hours of light per day. In summer, generally choose the morning or after 4 p.m. to place it outdoors, and at other times it is recommended to place it on a windowsill with appropriate shading.

4. Solution for African jasmine dropping leaves caused by disease: First, place it in a ventilated, breathable, diffused-light environment to grow, reducing the possibility of disease. If disease has already occurred, promptly treat it with the right remedy so as not to affect the whole plant. It generally recovers its vitality in a week.

5. Solution for African jasmine dropping leaves caused by improper repotting: During repotting, be gentle and do not damage the roots. If the roots have been pruned, be sure to treat the wounds properly before transplanting it into new potting soil. Try to choose soil that drains well, is breathable, and is fertile.

In summary, if the potted African jasmine you are growing starts dropping leaves, check whether it is caused by the reasons above. In addition, it may be that a change in environment after you brought it home has caused its leaves to turn yellow and fall off. There is no need to worry too much about this; with normal care, it will generally adapt and recover within a few days.