African Jasmine (Loganiaceae) Cultivation Methods, Precautions, Watering and Flowering
African jasmine's original name is Fagraea ceilanica (grey jasmine); its other names are carp gall, grey thorn wood, bamboo yellow fruit, and small yellow fruit. With its full plant shape and dark green leathery leaves, it has become a very popular indoor foliage plant in recent years. But how do you grow African jasmine? What are the cultivation methods and precautions?
African jasmine is native to southern China and Southeast Asian countries. It is an evergreen (climbing) shrub or small tree of the genus Fagraea in the family Loganiaceae, originally named Fagraea ceilanica (see "Iconographia Cormophytorum Sinicorum," "Flora Yunnanica," and other books). Its similarities to jasmine of the family Oleaceae are only that the leaves are opposite and the flowers are fragrant. Because the homophone of Fagraea ceilanica sounds similar to jasmine, and also to make the name sound nicer and easier to sell, florists gave it a new name, "African jasmine." It is distributed in southern China and Southeast Asian countries.
African jasmine cultivation methods and precautions:
1. [Soil] To grow African jasmine in southern regions, the planting site should have loose, fertile, well-drained sandy loam. For potted African jasmine in the north, you can use a mix of 7 parts leaf mold, 1 part river sand, 1 part composted organic fertilizer, and 1 part fermented sawdust. During the growing season, you can loosen the soil once a month, always keeping the root area in a well-aerated state. In addition, for potted African jasmine, you can change the soil once every 1 to 2 years.
2. [Fertilizer] For potted African jasmine, apply a dilute decomposed cake fertilizer solution once a month during the growing season. Before flowering in May, apply a phosphorus-potassium fertilizer once to promote flowering; after autumn, apply 1 to 2 more phosphorus-potassium fertilizer applications to help it overwinter safely. For potted plants in northern regions, to prevent leaf yellowing, add 0.2% ferrous sulfate when watering and fertilizing during the growing season. When planting in the ground, apply sufficient base fertilizer at planting time; in late autumn, dig a trench around the outer root zone and bury cake fertilizer, 0.5 to 1 kg per plant;
3. [Temperature] African jasmine grows well in a warm climate. The optimal growth temperature is 18°C to 32°C. When the summer temperature is above 38°C, plant growth will be inhibited; in parts of South China, ground-planted specimens can overwinter outdoors, while potted African jasmine north of the Yangtze River requires a winter greenhouse temperature of no less than 3°C to 5°C.
4. [Light] African jasmine likes sunlight, and its native environment is mostly semi-shaded. For ground planting as a garden landscaping tree in South China, it is best to choose a location with side shade; for potted plants north of the Yangtze River, full sunlight can be accepted in spring and autumn, while in summer it requires shade from a shed, or it should be moved under the dense shade of a large tree, at least avoiding direct sunlight for several hours around noon; it is especially worth noting that from June to July, after long periods of rain followed by a clear day, the temperature suddenly rises and the light is very intense, so shade work must be done well to prevent young new shoots and tender leaves from being scorched. For potted African jasmine in public places, relatively sufficient scattered light is required, or it should be placed near a window; it should not be too dark, otherwise the leaves will lose green color, turn yellow, or fall off.
5. [Water] Whether ground-planted or potted, African jasmine requires sufficient water, but the roots must not have standing water, otherwise root rot easily occurs. In spring and autumn, water to keep the potting soil moist; during the plum rain season, be careful to prevent water accumulation; in the scorching summer, spray water once in the morning and once in the afternoon to increase humidity and lower temperature; in winter, for indoor potted African jasmine, keep the potting soil slightly moist, and around noon when the temperature is relatively higher, spray an appropriate amount of water on the leaves. In spring, summer, and autumn, under normal fertilization, if the lower leaves of potted African jasmine turn yellow and fall off, it is very likely due to water accumulation and root rot, so repot and change the soil promptly; in summer, if watering has been neglected and new tender shoots wilt and droop, do not immediately water the potting soil heavily; instead, first spray some water on the leaves, and after the leaves recover slightly, then water the potting soil with an appropriate amount of water.
Precautions: If the African jasmine you keep at home is a bag-grown seedling or ground-grown seedling newly purchased from the south in autumn or winter of that year, even more attention should be paid to winter cold protection. When strong cold air from the north moves south and a sharp temperature drop occurs, use an electric heater, space heater, coal stove, etc. in the greenhouse to raise the temperature, ensuring the greenhouse temperature is not lower than 5°C; otherwise, the frozen plant will find it very difficult to recover growth in the second year within a short time. For the small number of potted plants placed in offices or homes, in addition to covering them with double-layer plastic film bags, you can turn on the air conditioner or heater at night; do not take it lightly. This article was compiled and edited by Yunnan Flower and Tree Network; please indicate the source when reprinting.
When does African jasmine bloom?
The flowering period of African jasmine is May to June. The flowers are terminal, and the corolla is white or yellowish-white. The inflorescence is upright and terminal, with 1 to 3 flowers, a very short peduncle, a white funnel-shaped corolla that is fragrant, with 5 lobes in the upper part, and the entire corolla is shaped like a small trumpet. However, African jasmine has a long flowering age, at least 5 years and at most more than ten years; ordinary flower lovers find it very hard to hold out until the moment it blooms.
How do you get African jasmine to bloom?
African jasmine needs sufficient phosphorus and potassium fertilizer during its growth period, but people often focus on nitrogen fertilizer when fertilizing. Indeed, nitrogen fertilizer can grow leaves and keep them fresh green, but at the same time it also hinders flower bud differentiation.
For this reason, during the growing season of jasmine, especially during the bud formation period, apply less nitrogen fertilizer and more phosphorus-potassium fertilizer. In addition to using rotten bone meal and poultry manure as base fertilizer, you can also use the decomposed leaching solution of bones and poultry manure or quick-acting phosphorus-potassium fertilizer as a top dressing. African jasmine is a light-loving plant. At home, a balcony cannot receive sunlight all day, and the plant will produce large but sparse leaves because the shading time is too long, which to a certain extent lengthens the flowering years. So if you want it to bloom, usually move the plant into the sunlight as much as possible. If you live in a building and it is inconvenient, and you are also worried about sun scorch, you can move it outdoors every weekend to receive 3 to 4 hours of direct sunlight. If your African jasmine has already been grown for 3 or 4 years, increase the light more, and in the 5th year it may bloom.