Jasmine Irrigation Methods and Watering Techniques

Jasmine prefers moist conditions and is afraid of both drought and waterlogging. Drought often causes jasmine leaves to curl, the leaf color to fade and turn yellow, and chlorophyll to be damaged; the activity of synthetic enzymes decreases while the activity of decomposing enzymes increases, so that not only can the plant fail to synthesize the nutrients needed for cell division, but the proteins within the plant body are hydrolyzed into amides and amino acids, causing a disruption of the plant's metabolism. The water content of jasmine buds and shoot tips is above 80%, and water deficiency or water loss will inhibit or even destroy the plant's normal physiological and biochemical processes. In severe drought, jasmine plants grow and develop slowly, the bud maturation period is prolonged, and the buds are small and difficult to pick, which also affects the sprouting and growth of new shoots. In order to obtain high-yield, high-quality jasmine, irrigation work should be done well during cultivation, and watering should be carried out promptly when drought occurs. Flood irrigation should not be used, so as to avoid causing soil compaction. Furrow irrigation should be adopted; when the water level reaches two-thirds of the bed height, the inlet should be blocked, allowing the soil to absorb water naturally. If conditions permit, it is best to establish a sprinkler or drip irrigation system so that irrigation can be carried out promptly. Try to make the garden soil water content reach about 70-80% of the maximum water-holding capacity.

Because jasmine is a dryland crop and its aerenchyma is not well developed, jasmine is even more averse to waterlogging. When the soil is waterlogged for a long time, the plant's root system grows slowly or even rots, affecting the absorption of fertilizer and water, and in severe cases leading to plant death. In Hengxian, Guangxi, thousands of mu of jasmine were submerged during the two floods in 1994 and 2001. According to observations, where the submersion (over the top) lasted 8-10 days or more, most plants died together with their roots; where the submersion lasted 4-7 days, the aboveground parts basically died while most of the root system survived, and after field management processes such as pruning, loosening the soil, and fertilizing, new roots generally began to sprout in about half a month, and branches also began to sprout; where the plants were submerged for 2-3 days, partial or most of the leaves would drop, affecting the sprouting of new branches and the growth and development of flower buds, leading to reduced yield. In production, drainage ditches should be opened before the rainy season, so that the field can drain promptly after rain and prevent water accumulation in the field.