Learn how to grow Jasmine in Pots, as it is a great way to spread fragrance in a limited space. Read the details below.
Jasmine (Jasminum) is native to the tropical and warm regions of Africa, Oceania, and Eurasia. It includes around 200 species, and the flowers are cultivated for their intoxicating fragrance. The plants can be bushes or vines, and a few are evergreen. Many true jasmines feature climbing branches without tendrils. The blooms are lobed, flaring, and pinwheel-like in yellow, white, or pink hues. Leaves are deciduous or evergreen. You can grow jasmine in pots near a fence or wall on a sunny spot.
How to Propagate Jasmine
You can grow jasmine from both seeds or seedlings in a container. Jasmine flowers from spring over fall; it aids from heavy pruning after that time. Store some cuttings from pruning and use them for propagation.
Propagate from cuttings
Use sharp pruners and take 4-6 inches-long cuttings in the morning hours; make a cut below the point where a leaf connects to the stem. Discard any flower bud or spent blooms from the tip of cuttings. Remove any bottom leaves so they won’t touch the soil and won’t develop rot from moisture.
Take a pot with drainage holes, fill it with well-draining soil, or add loam-based compost. Place the cutting around 2-3 inches deep in the soil, pat gently, and water to moisten the soil. Keep the pot where it gets indirect light. To maintain humidity, cover the container in a clear plastic bag and check the cuttings every few days to make sure the soil stays moist. In 4-5 weeks, the cuttings will take root.
Note: Outdoor jasmine is best planted from hardwood cuttings taken during winter; glasshouse and tender varieties do well from semi-ripe or softwood cuttings taken in spring or summer.
Propagate from Seeds
Start seeds indoors around three months before the outdoor planting date. Soak the seeds for 24 hours before planting, and fill six-pack cells with well-draining soil. Sow one seed in each cell, cover the tray with plastic to retain moisture, and keep them in direct sunlight. In 4-6 weeks, seeds will germinate.
Container Size
Use large pots around six inches with sufficient drainage holes for growing jasmine.
Jasmine Varieties for Pots
- Royal Jasmine
- Pink Jasmine
- Common Jasmine
- Winter Jasmine
- Dwarf Jasmine
- Jasminum Vahl
Ideal Growing Conditions for Jasmine in Pots
Location
Place the plant in bright, indirect sunlight for the first few days after planting. After the initial phase, the jasmine plant will require full sunlight for profuse blooming. However, you can keep pots in partial shade as well.
Soil
Use well-draining potting mix or loam-based compost to improve its drainage. You can also use geranium potting soil blended with sand or perlite.
Water
Water potted jasmine more frequently than on the grounds as water evaporates quickly. Avoid overwatering, but water the plant when the topsoil is dry.
Apply a layer of mulch to conserve the humidity of the soil and keep it cool.
Temperature
Jasmine does well in warm temperatures that are at least 60 F. Bring the pots indoors in the winter as night temperatures drop below 35 F; keep the containers in a clear unheated frost-free room.
Jasmine Plant Care
Fertilizer
Feed the plant in pots monthly with a high-potassium liquid feed like tomato fertilizer.
Pruning
To maintain the good shape of potted jasmines, do a hard pruning just after flowering. Once jasmine stops blooming, cut the shoots and 1/3 of the new growth to aid in controlling the size of your plant. Discard all stems that flowered, bare lower stems, and damaged, dead foliage.
Repotting
Repot the plant if the soil dries out fast. If roots are not crowded, the plant produces more blooms. Transplant the jasmine into a bigger pot.
Pests and Diseases
Jasmines have no serious pests and disease issues; indoor plants are susceptible to pests like red spider mites and mealybugs.