How to Grow Orange Jessamine? A Complete Guide to Cultivation Methods and Precautions

Orange jessamine (Murraya paniculata) is an evergreen shrub of the genus Murraya in the Rutaceae family, also known as stone chili, nine-autumn fragrance, nine-tree fragrance, seven-mile fragrance, thousand-mile fragrance, etc. It can sometimes grow into a small tree form, with graceful plant posture, elegant branches and leaves, and a rich floral fragrance. In southern regions it is mostly used as hedge material, or as an ornamental accent for flower beds and hotels, and also as bonsai material. Let us take a look below at the cultivation methods and precautions for orange jessamine!

Propagation Methods of Orange Jessamine

1. Seed propagation: Pick plump, ripe, vermilion fresh fruits, rub them in clean water, remove the fruit skin as well as impurities and shriveled seeds floating on the water surface, and dry them in the shade for later use. Sowing can be done in both spring and autumn. Generally spring sowing is mostly used; spring sowing is from March to May when the temperature is 16-22°C, and germination occurs 25-35 days after sowing. Autumn sowing is best in September to early October. Before sowing, choose a plot with good water and fertilizer conditions as the nursery, plow deeply, break up the soil, rake level and make beds, with a bed width of 1-1.2 m. Either drill sowing or broadcast sowing can be used.

2. Layering propagation: During the growth period in May-June, use ring bark girdling, wrap with white film, roots form in about 50 days, and then it can be cut from the tree for temporary planting. Layering roots easily, with well-developed fibrous roots, and the effect is very good.

3. Grafting propagation: Use orange jessamine seedlings as rootstock, and during the growth period either side grafting, cut grafting, or small bud grafting can be used. When grafting, note: because the bark of orange jessamine is especially thick, the bark must be peeled off to expose the yellow-white cambium, otherwise it is not easy to survive.

Cultivation Methods of Orange Jessamine

1. Soil: The growing medium for orange jessamine can be made by mixing 7 parts sandy loam, 1 part fine furnace slag, and 2 parts cake fertilizer residue (the residue left from cake fertilizer water), or 5 parts pond mud, 4 parts peat, and 1 part river sand. For pot cultivation, sandy loam with good drainage should be selected, and a slow-release organic fertilizer rich in phosphorus and potassium should be applied at the bottom of the pot as base fertilizer.

2. Fertilizing: Generally repot once every 2-3 years, and bone meal, phosphate fertilizer, and cake fertilizer blocks can be placed at the bottom of the pot. For ground-planted orange jessamine, apply organic fertilizer 2-3 times each year as topdressing, which can promote seedling growth. In May it enters the growth period, and fertilizing should be increased to once a week, and the fertilizer concentration can also be slightly stronger, with 4 parts original liquid fertilizer to 6 parts clear water being suitable.

3. Watering: During the growth period of orange jessamine, apply cake fertilizer water once a month. Watering generally does not have very strict requirements; water when the potting soil becomes dry. Do not water too much, as overly wet soil easily causes leaf drop. During the flowering period, watering must be timely and appropriate to ensure abundant flowering and fragrant blooms.

4. Light: Orange jessamine loves sunlight very much, but it can also grow with slightly poorer sunlight; however, although you may very much want to enjoy the flowers, it is still best to place it in a spot with good sunlight for cultivation.

5. Temperature: Orange jessamine likes warmth and is slightly cold-tolerant. It grows better within a temperature range of 18-28°C. The overwintering temperature must not be lower than 5°C, but orange jessamine can tolerate short-term low temperatures of 0°C.

Disease Control of Orange Jessamine

1. Powdery mildew: Powdery mildew occurs on the leaves and can be controlled by spraying agents such as azoxystrobin, triadimefon, and thiophanate-methyl.

2. Rust disease: Rust disease is a common disease of branches and trunks, causing the core of branches and trunks to rot, and can be controlled by spraying triadimefon.

3. Red spider mite: Red spider mites occur when the temperature is relatively high. They suck sap from branches and leaves, and after the leaves are damaged they show gray spots, and in severe cases turn yellow, dry, and fall off. They can be controlled by spraying propargite, hexythiazox, or pyridaben.

4. Scale insects: Scale insects suck the sap of the tree and can also cause sooty mold, making the tree grow poorly, with branches and leaves turning yellow and withering and falling early. In addition to manual brushing to eliminate them, they can be killed by spraying dimethoate, trichlorfon, or dichlorvos.

5. Longhorn beetles: Longhorn beetles are quite harmful to the plant. Adults can be removed manually, or lime-sulfur mixture can be applied for control.

6. Scarab beetles: During the growth period of young leaves, spray once with an 800-fold trichlorfon aqueous solution, or a 1000-fold Yibianjing aqueous solution for control. For household potted orange jessamine, manual capture can be used for control, and the captured pests can be killed by scalding with hot water.

7. Leaf roller moths: During the growth period of young leaves, spray once with a 1500-fold yashijing aqueous solution, or a 1500-fold Dagongchen aqueous solution, or a 1500-fold Anlubao aqueous solution for control, killing the larvae.

Precautions for Growing Orange Jessamine

1. For growing orange jessamine, fertile soil should be selected for the potting soil, and the pot should be changed every spring, with an appropriate amount of phosphorus and potassium fertilizer added at the bottom of the pot or decomposed manure used as base fertilizer.

2. In cultivation management, corresponding measures should be taken according to the “three fears” of orange jessamine, namely fear of wetness, fear of exposure to strong sun, and fear of cold. Fear of wetness means avoid overwatering, but it likes humid air; fear of exposure to strong sun means it should be placed in semi-shade; when the winter temperature is lower than 5°C, it should be moved indoors.

3. When growing orange jessamine, organic fertilizer is mostly used, while chemical fertilizer is used less. Decomposed cake fertilizer can be chosen, and crushed cake fertilizer blocks can be applied directly into the soil, or soaked in water.

4. Orange jessamine needs timely pruning and trimming, thinning out overly dense branches, leggy branches, and overlapping branches, which is beneficial for abundant flowers and fruit. The pruning time is best before flowering in spring and in summer and autumn.

5. During the growth period of orange jessamine, a mixed fertilizer of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium should be applied, and nitrogen fertilizer should not be applied alone. Before flowering and bud formation, apply more phosphorus and potassium fertilizer. If nitrogen fertilizer is excessive and phosphorus and potassium fertilizer is lacking, the branches and leaves tend to grow leggy without budding or flowering. During bud formation, watering should be appropriately reduced to favor bud formation.

6. After the autumn turns cool, the orange jessamine plant gradually begins to stop growing, so the frequency of watering should begin to be reduced, generally once every other day, and fertilizing can also gradually stop. By the end of September, it should be moved indoors and kept in a place with sufficient sunlight. At this time, watering should be greatly reduced, generally once every 3-4 days is enough, and fertilizing should be stopped completely.

7. In winter, orange jessamine must be protected from frost damage. The minimum indoor temperature should be maintained above 10°C, and watering must also be strictly controlled, so that if the potting soil is not dry, do not water, keeping it slightly dry as appropriate.

8. Orange jessamine can be repotted once every one or two years. The potting soil is prepared by mixing 5 parts coniferous leaf mold, 2 parts garden soil, 2 parts fine yellow sand, and 1 part compost soil, all sifted and thoroughly mixed. Repotting can be done in April or May in spring, and when repotting, sufficient decomposed base fertilizer should also be applied at the bottom of the pot.