How to grow white jasmine in winter

White jasmine is an evergreen tree of the genus Michelia in the Magnoliaceae family, native to Java, Indonesia. It is also a common garden flower and tree in southern China, especially in Jiangsu and Zhejiang areas, and is quite popular among flower lovers. Let’s talk about the winter cultivation method of white jasmine.

1. Winter cultivation method of white jasmine

1. Stop fertilizing and control water

White jasmine will enter a dormant period in winter, so you should stop fertilizing and control the amount of watering to keep the soil in the pot dry rather than wet. This is because the roots of white jasmine are fleshy and their physiological activity decreases in winter. Excessive watering will cause root rot, resulting in leaf fall and necrosis of new sprouts.

2. Maintain a good temperature

White orchid likes sunlight and is not cold-resistant. Therefore, when the temperature drops to around 10°C, the potted plants should be moved indoors for maintenance and placed in a place with sufficient sunlight. The ambient temperature should be maintained at 5~10°C, and the maximum temperature should not exceed 15°C. Otherwise, new shoots will easily appear in winter, affecting the growth and development in the second year.

3. Good ventilation is required

After the spring of next year, as the temperature gradually rises, you need to pay attention to good ventilation in the room. Around the Qingming Festival, you can move the potted plants to a sunny and sheltered place outdoors for spring exercise, and then move them back into the room at night. When the temperature stabilizes at above 10°C, you can carry out normal maintenance outdoors.

2. How can we make white jasmine bloom more and smell more fragrant?

1. Sufficient sunlight is required

White jasmine likes a growing environment with plenty of sunlight, warmth, humidity and good ventilation. It is not shade-tolerant, nor tolerant of extreme heat or scorching sun, and is afraid of cold. It will suffer from frostbite if the temperature drops below 5°C in winter. Every spring from mid-March to early May, place the potted white jasmine in a sunny place to allow the plants to sunbathe. However, when the temperature is high in summer, you should use a shade net to provide shade so that the white jasmine can be exposed to the morning sunlight while avoiding the scorching sun at noon and in the afternoon to prevent the branches and leaves from being burned by excessive sunlight.

After May, it should be moved outdoors and placed in a sunny and ventilated place. The daily sunshine time should be maintained at more than 6 hours. White jasmine can only grow well if there is sufficient sunlight. If there is insufficient light, it will cause the branches and leaves to grow too long, and the flowers to bloom less or even not bloom at all. In the hot summer season, the sunlight is strong, so you should provide some shade or build a simple shed to prevent the leaves and tender stems from being burned by the scorching sun.

2. Water supply should be appropriate

White jasmine is not tolerant to waterlogging, especially waterlogging. If the soil in the pot is waterlogged and does not dry for a long time, it will easily lead to obstruction of the respiration of the local roots, damage due to lack of oxygen, and quickly rot the roots. In severe cases, it will cause the leaves to turn yellow and fall off, leading to death, which is difficult to save. This is especially important for white jasmine that are brought indoors for the winter. Otherwise, it will not only affect the normal growth of the plant, but will also eventually reduce the flowering of the plant, and the flowers that bloom will be tasteless and have no fragrance.

When watering white jasmine, you should follow the principle of "water thoroughly when the plant is dry, and avoid watering in the middle". When watering, you should wet the soil in the pot thoroughly at one time. There is no need to water when the soil in the pot is slightly dry. Remember not to water every day, but you can spray water mist on the leaves frequently. In summer, the plant should be watered thoroughly at least 3 to 4 times a month. As long as you find the leaves of the white jasmine are limp and drooping, it is time to water it. In autumn, water thoroughly 2 to 3 times a month. In winter, the temperature is low and the transpiration of the plants is weakened, so it is appropriate to water thoroughly 1 to 2 times a month.

3. Sandy loam is suitable for cultivation

White jasmine likes loose, breathable, slightly acidic sandy loam rich in humus and with good drainage. For home potted plants, it is advisable to use a mixture of peat soil, leaf mold, garden soil, river sand, or perlite, vermiculite, etc. Flower pots can be 15 to 20 cm in diameter, such as clay pots, ceramic pots, and plastic pots.

4. Nutritional supply needs to be sufficient

May to August every year is the vigorous growth period of white jasmine. It should be applied with decomposed liquid fertilizer every 15 to 20 days or so, or nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium compound fertilizer should be sprinkled on the surface of the pot. Do not apply too much fertilizer each time, about 2 to 4 grams is appropriate. Fertilizer should be applied frequently and in small amounts, preferably with well-rotted cake fertilizer water; do not apply fertilizer in winter. From the time the white jasmine sprouts new buds until the end of June, liquid fertilizer should be applied every 5 to 7 days; from July to September, fertilizer should be applied every 7 to 10 days. Note: After applying fertilizer twice in a row, you should stop applying fertilizer for 10 to 15 days.

When applying fertilizer , first make several shallow vertical and horizontal grooves in the soil around the pot. Be careful not to make them too deep to avoid scratching the roots. Then sprinkle the fertilizer into the shallow trench, cover it with the topsoil in the pot, and water it thoroughly. In this way, the fertilizer will gradually penetrate into the root system of the plant with each watering. Do not spread the fertilizer directly near the roots, so as to avoid "root burn" due to excessive fertilizer concentration in the soil around the roots.

When growing white jasmine, the ambient temperature should be controlled in winter to prevent frostbite. Maintaining a certain humidity for the plant can make the white jasmine appear in better condition. Light and water are also essential in winter, but only in appropriate amounts.