How to Grow Winter Jasmine? A Detailed Guide to the Latest Cultivation Methods

Winter jasmine (Jasminum nudiflorum) is the earliest flower to bloom among many flowers, dignified and beautiful with extraordinary grace, so it is very popular. Its cultivation history spans more than 1000 years. It is recorded in Bai Juyi's poem "Summoning Official Liu with Winter Jasmine" from the Tang Dynasty, Han Qi's "Winter Jasmine at the Eastern Hall of the Secretariat" from the Song Dynasty, and Zhou Wenhua's "History of Runan Gardens" from the Ming Dynasty. Now let us take a look at how to grow winter jasmine!

Propagation Methods for Winter Jasmine

1. Cuttage propagation: Can be done in spring, summer, and autumn. Cut semi-lignified branches 12-15 cm long, insert them into sandy soil, keep moist, and they will root in about 15 days.

2. Layering propagation: Bury longer branches shallowly in sandy soil without wounding, they will root after 40-50 days, and can be separated from the mother plant and transplanted in the following spring.

3. Division propagation: Can be done in spring when buds begin to swell. When transplanting in spring, cut off part of the above-ground branches and stems, and keep the original soil. Dry cutting is also possible, that is, insert cuttings in a prepared seedbed and then water thoroughly. Cuttings can be taken from mid-October to mid-November or in spring.

Cultivation Methods for Winter Jasmine

1. Soil: Growing winter jasmine has certain soil requirements. It needs loose, fertile, well-drained sandy soil. It grows vigorously in acidic soil but poorly in alkaline soil.

2. Temperature: In summer when the sun is scorching and high temperatures occur, winter jasmine should be moved to a semi-shaded place, which is more favorable for its growth. Around the Spring Festival, move it together with the pot into a greenhouse or plastic tunnel, keep the room temperature at around 15°C, and flowers will appear in about 15 days.

3. Watering: Winter jasmine likes moisture. From before flowering to the flowering period, water 1-3 times depending on how dry or wet the soil is. Before the rainy season arrives, water frequently. Do not apply additional fertilizer during the growing season. After the Start of Autumn, do not water, to prevent branches from growing too long and too tender to survive the winter safely.

4. Fertilizing: When planting winter jasmine, place a few pieces of animal hoof at the bottom of the pot as base fertilizer. During the growing period of winter jasmine, apply 1-2 times per month of decomposed dilute liquid fertilizer. July to August is the flower bud differentiation period of winter jasmine, so liquid fertilizer rich in phosphorus should be applied to promote flower bud formation. If a single application of decomposed dilute organic liquid fertilizer is given before flowering, it can make the flower colors more brilliant and extend the flowering period.

5. Pruning: Winter jasmine has strong sprouting ability. During the growing period, it should be pinched back frequently, and some branches should be removed or shortened to maintain the tree shape. After the flowers fade, the branches should be shortened, generally leaving only 2-3 buds, while main branches can retain a few more buds. After new branches grow, with proper care, flower buds will cluster.

6. Pests: Common diseases and pests of winter jasmine are relatively few, mainly aphid damage. The control method is spraying 40% omethoate emulsion, 1500-1800 times dilution of dichlorvos, or using tobacco liquid for control.

Pest and Disease Control for Winter Jasmine

1. Mosaic disease

[Symptoms] A whole-plant disease caused by cucumber mosaic virus (CMV). Symptoms include smaller, deformed leaves, with dark green markings or yellowing. Infected plants do not flower, or if they do flower, the flowers are also short, deformed, and marked. The transmission route is mainly virus transmission by green peach aphids and cotton aphids. The main source of infection is nearby infected weed plants.

[Control] First, remove weeds promptly to reduce sources of infection. Second, aphids should be controlled early to eliminate the virus transmission vector.

2. Brown spot disease

[Symptoms] Mostly occurs on the four-season primrose. It is caused by Alternaria fungi in the Deuteromycotina. Infected plants have brown spots on the leaves. The transmission route is conidia spread by wind and rain.

[Control] Spray 70% chlorothalonil wettable powder 1000 times dilution and other fungicides in the early stage of the disease.

3. Gray mold

[Symptoms] One of the common diseases of winter jasmine, occurring throughout the country. After the plant is infected, the whole plant turns yellow and dies. It mainly infects leaves, young stems, flowers, and other parts, mostly at leaf tips and leaf margins. In the early stage of the disease, water-soaked spots appear on the leaves, then gradually expand, turn brown, and rot. Later, a grayish-yellow mold layer forms on the surface of the lesions. After the stem is infected, the lesions are brown and gradually rot. After the flower organs are infected, they also turn brown, rot, and fall off. Under humid conditions, a gray mold layer appears on the diseased parts, which is a major feature of this disease.

[Control] Planting density should be reasonable. Pay attention to ventilation and reduce air humidity. Remove diseased leaves and diseased plants promptly to reduce sources of infection. In the early stage of the disease, spray 50% procymidone or 50% iprodione wettable powder 1500 times dilution. It is best to alternate with 65% dimethirimol wettable powder 500 times dilution to prevent the development of drug resistance.

4. Leaf spot disease

[Symptoms] Mainly harms plant leaves. The disease spreads from the lower part of the plant to the upper part. Lesions are usually 3 to 4 mm in diameter, brown. In severe cases, diseased leaves wither and die, causing defoliation. This disease is caused by Ramularia primulae. The pathogen overwinters on diseased residues as mycelium or conidiomata, and seeds can also carry the pathogen, becoming the primary infection source the following year. This disease mainly spreads through conidia carried by air and rain. Reinfection is frequent during the growing season. Usually, plants are susceptible in warm, humid weather and when nitrogen fertilizer is applied excessively. The disease generally begins in July and becomes epidemic from August to October.

[Control] Breed disease-resistant varieties, strengthen fertilizer and water management, apply more organic fertilizer and phosphorus-potassium fertilizer, and avoid excessive nitrogen fertilizer. In the early stage of the disease, spray 70% thiophanate-methyl 1000 times dilution plus 75% chlorothalonil wettable powder 1000 times dilution, or 1:1:100 Bordeaux mixture.

5. Leaf spot disease

[Symptoms] Mostly occurs on leaves and receptacles. In the early stage, water-soaked irregular lesions appear along the leaf veins, then yellow and turn brown. The lesions expand, and the leaf margins dry up. In severe cases, the lower leaves wither and die.

[Control] Strengthen cultivation management, cultivate disease-free seedlings, disinfect seedbed soil, ventilate greenhouses promptly, and reduce air humidity. Remove diseased plant residues promptly. After the disease occurs, spray 50% copper bis(diammonium dithiocarbamate) wettable powder 500 times dilution, or 72% agricultural streptomycin wettable powder 4000 times dilution.