A very resistant and fast growing perennial plant, the star jasmine is an angiospermic liana that needs vertical support to grow properly. It is a species that tends to cause few problems, simple care and can be grown both in gardens and pots.
Steps
Method 1 of 4: Preparing a Seedling
Step 1. Cut a 13 to 15 cm branch from a plant that matures between spring and early summer
Use sharp scissors to cut, just above the knot, a branch whose stem is partially ripe: predominantly green, with some light brown spots. Do this in the morning, when the plant is very moist.
Step 2. Remove most of the sheets
Take out the large sheets with scissors. It is possible to leave the small and recent ones that grow at the tip of the branch.
Step 3. Dip the tip of the stem in auxin and shake off the excess
A hormone that encourages plants to take root, auxin can compensate for any problems with cutting the seedling or with the soil. Despite this, this Step is not always necessary.
- If you have already managed to make other seedlings take without the hormone or if the seedling was obtained from a very robust specimen, you will probably be successful without it. Give the plant the ideal soil, moisture and temperature so it has the greatest possible chance of thriving.
- If you have never cultivated a plant for cuttings before, or if you have done so with difficulty, it is a good idea to use auxin, which improves the chances of success in adverse conditions.
Step 4. Fill some small plastic cups or a seedling tray with potting substrate
The container should not be more than 10 cm deep. Use a potting substrate made up of earth and some organic material such as peat. Perlite substrates are also recommended as they offer good drainage.
Step 5. Bury the seedling 5 cm in the ground
Before, make a hole with your fingertip or the flat tip of a pencil so as not to exert any unnecessary pressure on the seedling. After inserting it into the hole, settle the earth around it to secure it.
Step 6. Moisten the earth with a mild spray bottle
A watering can would likely soak the earth, which should be avoided at all costs. As the seedling takes root, the substrate must be prevented from drying out, but it must not become soggy either.
Step 7. Leave the plant in a warm, shaded or partially sunny place
Direct exposure to sunlight will dry out the soil too quickly, hampering jasmine development.
Step 8. Between one and five weeks after planting, give the seedling a few gentle tugs
Resistance indicates that it has taken root and can therefore be transferred to a permanent bed. If you don't feel any resistance, give it more time to continue to develop roots and repeat the check weekly.
- If the plant does not show any resistance after two months and has started to deteriorate, discard it and try again.
- In the event that she does not show resistance but appears healthy, it may be that the rooting process is already advanced enough for her to tolerate the transference. With such weak roots, however, the plant will have reduced chances of survival, and so it is up to you to decide between exposing an already weakened plant to new trauma and trying again with another seedling.
Method 2 of 4: Planting in a Garden
Step 1. Choose a place that receives partial or full sunlight
Areas of full light are considered to be those that receive six hours or more of sunlight per day, while areas of partial light are those that receive between three and six hours. It is preferable to place the plant in an area facing east or south and that is covered by the sun in the morning and early afternoon.
Step 2. Soften the earth by digging it with a rake or turning it over with a spatula
Loose soil has better drainage and facilitates root propagation.
Step 3. Mix compost and sand with the soil
The function of the first is to supply the plant with nutrients and the second is to improve runoff. Manure and perlite can be used instead of these additives, respectively. Mix them on the surface 15~30 cm of the growing place.
Step 4. Dig a hole equal in depth to the container where the plant is
Let's say you have placed it in a 10 cm deep seedling tray. The hole should be 10 cm.
Step 5. Lay down the vase and gently squeeze or shake the jasmine to remove it
The soil aggregated around the roots must be left intact.
Step 6. Insert the cut part of the seedling into the hole
Knock down the dirt around the branch and gently feel it to steady it.
Step 7. Water the bed profusely to saturate the roots
Moisten the soil with a hose or watering can until it is visibly soaked.
Step 8. Insert a stake, bamboo pole or trellis into the ground behind the plant
The object should be approximately 30 cm behind the jasmine so that the roots are not harmed. As the plant grows, you must guide it to climb this beam.
Method 3 of 4: Planting in a Pot
Step 1. Choose a large container, 46~61 cm in diameter
Even though you don't need that much space right now, the seedling will expand quickly and take you up in the blink of an eye. The vessel should have several drainage holes.
Step 2. Cover the drainage holes with coffee filters
This prevents the soil from falling out of the pot without preventing the passage of water.
Step 3. Fill somewhere between one half and two thirds of the pot with potting substrate
Buy a substrate rich in nutrients and with good flow, preferably composed of soil, compost and sand.
Step 4. Insert a pole, stake or small trellis into the earth near the edge of the pot, pushing it down until the end touches the bottom
Compact the soil around the pole to secure it to the ground.
Step 5. Remove the plant from the temporary pot along with the soil
Lay the seedling pot on its side and gently squeeze the plastic with one hand. With the other, loosen the soil, which should remain intact around the roots.
Step 6. Place the seedling in the new pot
Pour soil around it until the surface evens out with the soil that is aggregated around the seedling. Feel the earth to compact it and firm the seedling.
Step 7. Saturate the substrate and roots with water
With a watering can, pour water into the pot until the earth appears soggy. Pause for approximately one minute to allow the water to seep through. If water leaks from the surface during this pause, water one more time. Repeat the process until the water impregnated on the surface does not recede.
Step 8. Put more soil in the pot as the plant grows
Stop when the surface of the earth is about 5 cm below the edge of the pot.
Method 4 of 4: Taking care of the plant
Step 1. Water it regularly
As the hardy perennial that it is, star jasmine can tolerate certain dry spells, but that doesn't mean you can neglect it. When the top 2.5 cm of the surrounding soil is dry, irrigate it.
Be aware that pot-grown star jasmine may require more water than garden-grown star jasmine
Step 2. Expose the plant to strong, indirect sunlight
If you cultivate indoors, you can protect it from the sun with a flying curtain. In winter, the plant must receive at least four hours of direct light every day.
Indirect light is not mandatory for outdoor-grown jasmines - as long as they are planted directly in the ground. As soil dries out faster in a pot than in the ground, potted jasmines have difficulty retaining water when exposed to direct light for long periods, whereas a garden specimen can be directly hit by sunlight for several hours without suffering damage.
Step 3. Monitor temperature changes
If you are going to grow indoors, the temperature should be between 20 °C and 22 °C during the day, and 10 °C and 13 °C at night.
Step 4. Add fertilizer in spring
Use a balanced, water-soluble fertilizer. Apply it after watering the plant. If the leaves start to yellow later in the growing season, you may need to add more fertilizer.
Step 5. As the lianas grow, tie them to the tutor with string or wool
Training them to climb on the support increases the possibility of the specimen's growth.
Step 6. Remove the ends of the lianas
The bud at the tip of the branch can be removed with your fingers or garden scissors. This will stimulate new branches and make the plant more leafy. Instead of being directed to the single flower bud, the energy inside the plant will be distributed among all the branches.
Step 7. Make a pruning after flowering if there is a need to contain the plant's growth
The branch should be cut just above the knot. Regular pruning can control specimen size, but growth is likely to be further stimulated, as is the case when extracting shoots. Never pruning the plant, on the other hand, will cause it to grow wildly and get out of control. Pruning allows you to control the direction in which it grows.
You can use the pruned parts as new seedlings if you like
Tips
- Watch out for pests. Rabbits love to nibble the leaves of the star jasmine. Other animals and insects tend to avoid it. Fortunately, this plant is not usually vulnerable to disease.
- You can buy star jasmine from a plant nursery instead of trying to grow it by cuttings. Likewise, it is possible to plant the star jasmine from the seed, but the chances of success of this method are reduced.