Jasmine is an evergreen shrub of the Olive family. Often confused with a mock-up, whose flowers are similar to jasmine, and many of its species exude the same sweet aroma. You can distinguish them by leaves. In the olive bush they are simple, triple. It is cultivated as an ornamental and indoor plant. About growing it at home and will be discussed further.

Description of the plant and its species

The jasmine bush comes from the warm zones of the Earth. It can be either upright or curly and reach a height of 4.5 m. Its smooth stems are densely covered with simple, triple or unpaired leaves of a dark green color. In length, they are from 2.5 to 5 cm. During flowering, buds appear on the end of each branch of the bush, which gradually turn into large flowers of the correct form. The corolla is white, yellow, reddish in color. Its inner part is a tube in which there are two stamens with short threads. At the end of the flowering period, the fruit-berry is formed.

Jasmine genus includes more than 200 species, but only some of them can be grown in an apartment:

Flower location

A thermophilic plant reacts very poorly to drafts, so you need to place it in a cozy place. In addition, it should be well lit. Based on this, we recommend placing the shrub on the bedside tables at the eastern or western windows.

Optimal conditions for detention

Fragrant shrub is not too demanding on the conditions of detention. Heat and cold are equally well accepted by the plant. The temperature range is from + 8 to + 22 ° С, but in the summer it is better to provide +20 ... + 22 ° С, and in winter - +8 ... + 13 ° С. In the warm season, jasmine can be taken out to the balcony or to the garden, be sure to protect from drafts. If you can’t keep the plant outdoors in the summer, then you should regularly ventilate the room.

Important! In winter and summer, the temperature may be slightly above the specified limits, but in this case, the flower must be constantly sprayed.

To grow and develop, jasmine needs sunlight. Direct sunlight, he can tolerate, but not for long, so it is best to shade it, especially if you have it on the southern windowsills.

Jasmine loves humid air. Its dryness can provoke the appearance of various diseases. To maintain the proper concentration of moisture in the air near the flower, it is recommended to place humidifiers. It can be either special devices or just containers with water. Adequate humidity can also be achieved by spraying. Carry out the procedure using warm water without salts, lime. If the room is dry, then you need to spray the bush daily. Soil should also always be important, especially in hot weather.

Growing and caring at home

The jasmine bush is considered an undemanding plant and with a minimum of care is able to delight with beautiful flowering.

Watering and fertilizing

To maintain the necessary soil moisture, the bush needs to be regularly moistened. It is watered as soon as the top layer begins to dry. Do not allow the soil to dry out. This can be detrimental to the flower. It is better that it is constantly wet, but not wet, since various rot begin to develop from soil jamming.

During the period of active growth (from the second half of spring to August, inclusive), jasmine needs fertilizers. They are brought in every week and a half. You can use complex nutrition for indoor flowering plants or mineral fertilizers. Some advise combining these two types of top dressing.

Transfer

If your bush is young, up to 3-4 years old, then it is replanted every year. Adult plants need a capacity change every 2-3 years. Usually all manipulations are carried out in the spring, in March. As soon as the bush fades and is trimmed, begin the procedure. Transplant a flower from an old pot into a new one by transshipment. Fill the empty space in the pot with earth, irrigate the bush and put it in its original place.

Important! A new jasmine pot needs to be selected a maximum of 2-3 cm more, since the plant really likes when its root system fills the entire internal space of the container.

Pruning and pinching

Jasmine bush responds well to pruning. True, it is better not to prune the young plants, but to pinch them, since they have not yet managed to build up a thick green mass. This procedure is performed during the active growth of the bush. On each young shoot, the top is gently nipped off. This allows you to moderate the growth rate up and gain splendor.

Pruning is carried out earlier, in February-March, while the plant has not yet had time to wake up. All stems are subject to pruning. Usually they are shortened by 1/3, but if they are weak and there are few of them in the bush, then they are shortened by 1/2.

In addition to pruning and pinching, jasmine needs a garter. Usually an arc is made of wire, around which a bush will be braided. You can purchase a special plastic support for these purposes.

Video: Caring for Indoor Jasmine

Breeding

Evergreen shrubs can be propagated using both cuttings and branches. But from seeds it is not possible to grow it, since indoor specimens rarely form fruits. Seeds usually propagate decorative varieties.

Cuttings

Their harvesting is carried out during the period of plant growth. Cuttings are cut, 100-150 mm long and having 2-3 internodes, from the upper part of the ripened shoots. For rooting, water, sand or a mixture of sand and sheet soil in equal proportions is suitable. Buried in the soil or put in water, the stem is placed warm at a temperature of + 20 ° C for a month and a half. After this period of time, roots should appear.Then it is transplanted into small pots with light earth (sheet earth and sand, 3: 1). Until a young flower grows stronger, in no case should it be placed in direct sunlight. It should be regularly sprayed and watered. At a permanent place, the plant is planted after the appearance of new leaves.

Did you know? In Indonesia, among ethnic locals, jasmine is the main wedding flower.

Layering

They are obtained by pressing the stem of the mother plant with a bracket or hairpin and rooting it in a nearby pot with soil. An incision is made at the place of pinching. In this case, the stem is not cut off from the mother bush. It is regularly watered and roots are expected. When the layering takes root, it is separated from the common bush.

Flowering period and dormancy

When jasmine blooms, it is best to take it to the balcony or to the kitchen, as its flowers exude a strong sweet aroma. The flowering period lasts all summer. The dark green bush is covered with white, yellow or reddish flowers. During this period, the plant is abundantly watered, fertilized, sprayed and kept warm. But in order for the flowering to be plentiful and long, the creeping shrub should be very carefully looked after during the dormant period.At this time, it should be placed in a cool place with a temperature of +10 ... + 12 ° С. It is not advisable to allow an increase in temperature, as this will negatively affect the abundance of flowering. If it is difficult to maintain such a low temperature, then you need to constantly spray the bush and maintain high humidity. The soil is moistened 1-2 times a week.

Did you know? In the summer of 2011, as an echo «arab spring» (mass protest of the Arab people against the government), a wave of calls swept through the Internet, urging the Chinese people to go out on Sundays with jasmine in their hands for silent protests. Fearing serious consequences, the government banned the sale of this flower and censored the word "jasmine" on the Internet.

Diseases and pests of jasmine

Usually fragrant indoor shrubs are attacked by:

Pest control can be carried out using insecticides or alternative methods. Here are some recipes:

1. Dry 1 kg of potato tops and fill it with 5 l of water. Leave to infuse for 10 hours, strain and spray the tincture of the bush three times a day with an interval of five days.
2. In 10 l of water it is necessary to insist for two days 1 kg of burdock leaves. After strain and spray three times with an interval of five days.
3. Chop 0.6 kg of green mustard and pour 10 liters of water. Strain and spray in a similar pattern.

Jasmine is not only a very beautiful indoor shrub, but also a useful plant. From its flowers you can make wonderful aromatic teas that will help to cope with stress and suppress an aggressive state. So this very unpretentious flower is very profitable to breed at home.