How to Plant and Grow Jasmine

Few plants are as well-known for their intoxicating fragrance as jasmine. The small, numerous blossoms are often intense enough to fill a room with scent and can be enjoyed from several yards away in a garden. Many species and styles of jasmine are available, most of which make a delightfully fragrant addition to the garden.

Uses for Jasmine Blooms

The fragrance from jasmine blooms is one of the most sought-after scents for products like expensive perfumes and flavored teas. Jasminum sambac and grandiflorum are most commonly used in the fragrance industry. The flowers of these jasmines are usually picked early in the morning before the buds have fully opened when they have their maximum fragrance.

For tea, thousands of jasmine blossoms are layered between alternating layers of tea leaves at night (jasmine will have its peak scent at this time). After four hours, the tea will absorb the scent to flavor the tea. In some cases, this process is repeated several times for a more intense flavor.

Where to Plant Jasmine

Although all jasmine plants love sun, the vining types also benefit from a location that is sheltered from the wind with a trellis or fence to climb on. Jasmine is cold-hardy in Zones 7-10 and can sometimes survive in Zone 6 with sufficient shelter.

How and When to Plant Jasmine

Plant jasmine in the garden anytime between early summer and late fall. Jasmine grows in full sun to partial shade areas, but the summer-flowering varieties do best in a sunny area. Dig a hole slightly larger than the pot the plant is in and improve the soil before planting by adding compost or other organic matter. Jasmine needs well-draining soil. Position the plant in the soil at the same level it was in the pot. If you plan to train the jasmine to a fence or trellis, insert a bamboo guide near the plant to get it going in the right direction.

Jasmine Care Tips

Despite vigorous growth habits, jasmine plants are easy to grow in a garden setting or as a houseplant.

Light

Many of the vining types will happily climb a trellis or lattice in full sun or part shade. The best flowering occurs in full sun, with much sparser blooms in shade.

Soil and Water

Jasmine plants prefer well-drained, fertile garden soil that is consistently moist. If the soil doesn't drain well, incorporate organic matter. Water jasmine in the garden once a week. Indoor jasmine requires more frequent watering—as much as two to three times a week.

Fertilizer

Unless the garden soil is poor, jasmine plants in the garden don't need much additional fertilizer. However, gardeners can increase the blooms by feeding the plants fertilizer with a higher potasium ratio, such as 7-9-5, beginning when new growth shows in late winter or early spring. Several commercial products are available in concentrated form. Mix them with water following the product instructions and apply at the usual watering time. The same fertilizer can be applied to jasmine grown as houseplants.

Pruning

Shrubby varieties of jasmine need regular pruning to keep plants maintained. Many shrubby types will run or vine if left unchecked. Keep up with regular pruning on shrub types to prevent them from getting too gangly. Pruning should be done after the major bloom cycle, but the plant can also be lightly pruned throughout the year. To help maintain plant growth, prune plants after a heavy bloom cycle.

Potting and Repotting Jasmine

Jasmine is delightful as a houseplant. It does best with at least six hours of strong, indirect light and well-draining potting soil that is slightly acidic. Add bark or peat to the soil for the best results. The tricky part is keeping the plant in an area that is between 60°F and 75°F around the clock. Jasmine likes to be rootbound, so repot jasmine about every three years in only a slightly larger pot.

Pests and Problems

The tantalizing fragrance of jasmine isn't appreciated only by gardeners. Although jasmine doesn't have a big problem with insects, it can fall prey to spider mites and aphids, which can be treated with insecticidal soap or neem oil and removing the infected part of the plant. Caterpillars can also cause a problem. In that case, an application of a commercial Bacillus thuringiensis product can help.

How to Propagate Jasmine

Jasmine can be propagated by seed. The trick is to soak the seeds for 24 hours before planting them in damp seed-starting mix, covering the pots with plastic, and placing them in direct sunlight.

Jasmine can also be propagated by cuttings taken in the fall. Take a 4-to-6-inch cutting, remove any spent blooms and the lower leaves, leaving at least three upper leaves on the cutting. Dip the end of the cutting in rooting hormone and plant in damp potting soil. Place a large, clear plastic bag over the pot and put it in bright indirect light. The cutting should root in about four to six weeks.

Layering is a mostly hands-off process that works well with jasmine in spring or early summer. While leaving a stem attached to the plant, bend it down to the soil near the plant (or in a pot next to the plant) and push a section of the stem with leaves into the soil, leaving the stem tip free. Press down on the soil to firm it. In time, the buried section of stem will develop roots and can be removed from the parent plant and transplanted.

Types of Jasmine

The biggest difference between jasmine varieties is their growth habit. The most well-known types are vines, especially Jasminum polyanthum. This jasmine makes a great gift in late winter or early spring and can usually be found in florist shops and trained on a trellis.

Shrubby jasmines are less aggressive than vines but require more maintenance. Jasminum sambac is one of the main varieties. While this species of jasmine is generally marketed as a shrub, it can be trained as a woody vine as well because of its loose, sprawling habit.

Angel Wing Jasmine

Jasminum nitidum is a great plant for cascading over the edge of a container. Angel wing jasmine has fragrant, pinwheel-shaped flowers that are white with bold purple undersides. Zones 10-11

Primrose Jasmine

Jasminum mesnyi grows as a climber or a shrub. Primrose jasmine has unscented lemon yellow flowers in winter and spring and sporadically during other times of the year. Zones 8-10

Arabian Jasmine

Jasminum sambac is an evergreen vine with fragrant white flowers throughout the year, though they appear heaviest in summer. This is one of the best jasmines to grow indoors. Zones 10-11

Winter Jasmine

Jasminum nudiflorum is the hardiest jasmine. It's a shrub with yellow flowers in late winter and early spring. Unlike most jasmines, it is not fragrant. Useful as a hedge, it grows 10 feet tall and wide. Zones 6-9

Jasminum Polyanthum

Jasminum polyanthum bears clusters of many white, fragrant flowers in late winter and early spring. It can climb 10 feet or more. Zones 9-10