Jasmine is a stunning mid-summer beauty that enchants with its fragrance. Here’s how to grow and care for this shrub

Jasmine thrives in nutrient-rich soil

A sunny or slightly shaded location and a nutrient-rich, loose and calcareous substrate are good conditions for growing jasmine.

The planting hole should be at least 50 × 50 cm for each shrub. It is not recommended to plant jasmine next to large trees. Jasmine is suitable for hedges, but it cannot be pruned in the same way as hawthorn, for example.

• Yard jasmine, which grows to two to three meters (Philadelphus coronarius) thrives in growing areas I-V.
• Small-leaved cresses grow to 0.2-2 m (Philadelphus Lemoinei-Group) thrive in zones I-V.
• Camellia mossifolia grows to 1-4 m (Philadelphus Virginalis group) grow in zones I-IV or V depending on the variety.
• In extreme conditions and in the north, shoots growing above the snow line are easily damaged in winter and the flowers freeze.

It can be difficult to identify jasmine, as the species are diverse and easily cross-bred with each other.

Crooked-eared parasitic jasmine, Philadelphus lewisii ‘Starry-eyed’, can grow up to three meters tall and two meters wide.

Propagation of jasmine

Jasmine can be propagated by both non-deciduous summer cuttings and non-deciduous winter cuttings, wild species can also be propagated by seeds.

Summer cuttings of jasmine

Summer cuttings are taken from soft and young shoots. Cuttings taken in spring-summer are 5-10 cm long. They are rooted under glass in sand or a mixture of sand and peat.

Cuttings should be sprayed thoroughly, as they need moist air to root. Professional gardeners do this in special plastic tunnels or in greenhouses with automatic fogging. This method is called fogging.

At home, you can try to root summer cuttings under plastic in a shady place. There should be a constant, even humidity under the plastic. If the cuttings dry out even once, the attempt is doomed to failure. On the other hand, excessive moisture can kill the seedlings by festering them.

Winter jasmine cuttings

For amateurs, the easiest way is to propagate the plant with winter cuttings. In the fall, cut cuttings 20-30 cm long from the dead shoots of the previous summer.

Professional gardeners store winter cuttings in a cool, damp place until spring, when callus forms at the base of the shoots to promote rooting. At home, cuttings can be stored over the winter in a cool place, for example wrapped in damp paper or polyethylene.

Winter cuttings are planted in spring as soon as the ground thaws. They usually root quickly. In the fall, cover a small area of soil with leaves. They will keep the ground from freezing and you can plant the cuttings as soon as the snow melts.

Propagating jasmine from seed

Like most woody ornamental plants, jasmine seeds require cold treatment for germination. Seeds are either sown directly into the ground in the fall when winter breaks their dormancy, or they are treated cold for a month, such as in the refrigerator, and sown in the spring in covered trays. The seeds are not covered.

Camellia is a cultivar, so it cannot be propagated from seed.

Hovijasmike (Philadelphus pubescens).

When does jasmine bloom?

Garden jasmine blooms as early as June. The fragrance has a hint of citrus, and in English the plant is known as the mock orange, fake orange. The strawberry-like flowers of the little jasmine bloom in early July. The camellia begins to bloom in mid-July. The flowers of all three jasmines have a strong fragrance.

Flower buds of jasmines are formed on the shoots of the previous year. If the shrubs are pruned every year, flower buds will not form at all.

Jasmine Splendour (Philadelphus lewisii ‘Starry eye’) with spectacular flowering.

Jasmine cut

Jasmine can tolerate heavy pruning if necessary, but it is best to maintain its beauty and growth by thinning. Thinning can be done every year or every 2-3 years. Thinning aerates growth and gives new shoots space and light to grow.

Jasmine thinning

Remove the oldest and tallest branches from the center of the bush to the base. This will give room for new shoots and prevent thorns on the bush. Remove branches moderately, no more than 1/3 of the number of shoots. If the bush is too sparse, the branches may fall off.

Older jasmine can have branches that are already quite thick, so you may need a saw. If the bush hasn’t been pruned in a while, you can remove a little more branches. Leave the youngest ones as they produce the most flower buds.

If necessary, stunted jasmine can be rejuvenated by cutting all shoots to 10 cm. After this operation, the bush will produce a large number of new branches, the weakest of which will be cut back.

Pruning strawberries

The jasmine bush also tolerates pruning well. If the bush is sparse and weak, it can be pruned within three years. In the first spring, remove a few of the oldest shoots down to the ground. During the summer, watch to see if the bush develops new shoots from the root. If so, the following spring you can remove a few more old branches to the ground. The remaining old shoots can be removed in the third spring.

If you prune the bush all at once, it will take several years before the jasmine starts to bloom again. On the contrary, thinning over several years will not delay flowering.

When to prune jasmine?

Both thinning and radical pruning are done in early spring in March-April, before the leaves bloom. In subsequent years, if you remove a few old branches each year, pruning can also be done in midsummer after flowering. Then you can enjoy the blooms in peace.

Repotting an old jasmine

If you want to transplant an old jasmine to a new location, the best time of year to do this is early spring when the shrub is dormant. The branches of a large jasmine should be thinned and pruned before moving. The shoots can be cut to a length of 10-15 cm.

The jasmine should be removed from the ground with as large a root ball as possible. Putting a tarpaulin under the root ball will make it easier to lift and move the plant. Fill the new planting hole with water and allow the water to soak into the soil before covering it with mulch.

New growth should be thinned regularly, as jasmine is prone to rhizome overgrowth after pruning. However, it is worth noting that transplanting is stressful for the old jasmine and it is very doubtful that it will recover and become the most beautiful plant in the garden.