Fragrant flowers are the worst. Said no one ever!
Having fragrant flowers in your garden will definitely give your nose and eyes a pleasing treat.
When it comes to fragrant flowers, some great varieties including roses, freesia, stargazer lily or honeysuckle might already come to mind.
Yet, the one deserved mentioning above all those flowers is the beautiful Arabian Jasmine.
The waxy pure white flowers are known for their sweet, exceptionally exotic fragrance.
The Arabian Jasmine plants are widely used in numerous purposes including perfumes, tea aroma, essential oils and certain types of medicines.
Often called as Jasminum Sambac, this plant lives in the form of a scrambling evergreen shrub. It has dark green leaves and a series of small white flowers.
During summer, the plant usually produces clusters of flowers that develop 3 to 12 blooms each.
1. Arabian Jasmine Varieties
The Arabian Jasmine can be grown in pots or outdoors ground. In warmer climate countries where they are originally from, the plant can bear flowers 6 to 9 months a year.
It is worth noting that these plants cannot survive frost. Hence, special gardening treatment and setting are needed if you want to cultivate them in a four-season country.
The flowers are harvested as buds because open flowers tend to last shorter and have way less fragrance.
Depending on how the flowers and leaves look like, Jasminum sambac is classified into several varieties, namely:
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Maid of Orleans
This variety bears blooms that usually have five short, round-edged petals. These petals are distributed in a single layer only.
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Belle of India
One plant of Belle of India produces single or semi-double layers of elongated petals.
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Grand Duke of Tuscany
Also known as Rose Jasmine, this variety bears a cluster of flowers. The blooms are characterized by a double-rosette center with semi-double side petals.
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Mysore Mulli
Except for having shorter petals, this variety shares an identical appearance with Belle of India.
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Jasmine Mogra
This variety of Arabian Jasmine is exceptionally unique for having such unusual colors.
Different from the common varieties, it produces white, yellow and slightly reddish blooms.
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Arabian Nights
Arabian Nights flowers bloom at night and rather than its smaller size, the variety looks a lot like the Grand Duke of Tuscany.
Read also : How to Grow Beautiful Pink Jasmine [Jasminum polyanthum]
2. Growing Arabian Jasmine
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How to Prep the Soil
The Arabian Jasmine needs well-drained and moderately fertile soil.
As this plant can be cultivated in both pots and outdoors ground, different preparations for these planting media are key to successful jasmine cultivation.
Planting Jasminum sambac in containers require several layers of planting mix. But first, get a container with a perfect size to your jasmine.
Too small container will not fully support the plants’ growth, while too large container can expose the plant to diseases caused by too much wetness on the soil.
After you get a perfect fit container, try to place any varieties of Arabian Jasmine of your choice into the container.
Fill up the container and add a 2-3 inch layer of mulch around the plant. Water the plant with water and put it in shaded areas for a few days.
When it comes to planting Arabian Jasmine on the ground, you can definitely use the same steps.
Just make sure to dig a hole twice the size of the plant’s container (the one from the nursery) before adding the mulch and watering the plant.
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The Ideal Climate They Need
Indigenous to tropical climate countries, Jasminum sambac loves high humidity.
This perennial prefers fully sunny conditions but too harsh direct sun will affect blooms to have a yellowish color.
Planting Arabian Jasmine in four season countries should carefully consider the temperature change.
They will likely be flourished with blooms and lush leaves during summer. However, winter will be a different story.
If they are still in the nurseries, make sure winterize them by bringing them indoors.
Allow them to sit in a normal temperature during the day and shift into cool temperature at night.
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Watering Your Arabian Jasmine
Overwatering your Arabian Jasmine will result in rotting roots and stems. It is important to give adequate water, not less not more, to keep the roots strong.
Always test the wetness of the soil by sticking your finger up to the end. Check if the soil is too dry or too wet and decide whether you should water your plant or not.
If you have your plants in pots, an ideal measurement for watering is in the saucers.
Pour some water into the pots until the saucers are filled up. Leave it for 30 to 40 minutes and see if there is water on it.
If the saucers are dry, an additional amount of water is needed. However, if the water remains there, you need to empty out the saucers.
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Pests and Diseases
Growing Arabian Jasmine should come together with awareness to a possible infestation of pests and diseases.
Some sap sacking insects such as whiteflies, scales and mealy usually attack these plants and cause small yellow spots on the leaves. Applying summer oil or neem oil will drop the population of these pests.
Larger insects such as grasshoppers and beetles usually chew on the plants’ leaves causing the plant to grow thinner over time.
Some common diseases affecting the Arabian Jasmine are blight, rust and Fusarium wilt.
These diseases usually occur at the plant’s leaves and stems, leaving these areas filled with patches and turned wilted and streaked.
Treating these diseases can be using natural remedies of baking soda solution.
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Pruning and Caring Tips
Pruning your Arabian Jasmine is key to flourishing blooms and lush leaves. Prune 6-8 inches branches in mid-summer to encourage those productions.
If the plant bears flowers far less than what you’ve expected, try to prune its branches’ tips and feed them on high potassium plant food.
Another Arabian Jasmine cares you should regularly do is related to fertilizing.
Different fertilizers and treatments are needed for indoors and outdoors jasmine plants.
Growing jasmine indoors require monthly fertilizing from spring to fall. The fertilizer should go high in potassium and is in liquid form.
Feed your plants through the plant’s root or spray the fertilizer to their leaves. Try to avoid fertilizing if your plants are experiencing water-stress.
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Pruning the plant in winter should precede fertilizing jasmine outdoors. Apply fertilizer granules or powder directly to the soil and then rack up. Give the soil a deep watering and do the fertilizing quarterly.
