It may seem a stretch to tackle growing a jasmine plant – indoor growing is easy! Growing indoors has many benefits, as plants aren’t subject to the elements. They’re less likely to encounter pests. Therefore, you can grow healthy jasmine plants and enjoy the sweet aroma of jasmine flowers year-round.
What is required for growing jasmine plants inside, as opposed to outside? Are there any special requirements? And how do you help an indoor jasmine plant thrive despite less access to sun and rainwater?
We’re talking about all of these things and more. We’ll cover the basics of growing jasmine inside your home, and we’ll discuss tips to help you encourage robust growth and to produce and maintain a lovely, happy plant.
Modes of Growing Jasmine Indoors
Jasmine plants thrive in warm regions like Southwest China. Jasmines like Jasminum polyanthum (white jasmine), Jasminum sambac (Arabian Jasmine), and Jasminum nudiflorum (winter jasmine) enjoy warm, humid conditions in the tropics and subtropics.
Growing jasmine indoors gives gardeners in regions with cooler temperatures a chance to grow tropical plants that they couldn’t outdoors. Especially when it comes to Arabian Jasmine, Pink Jasmine, and Primrose Jasmine, those north of zone 8 will have a hard time. Even the cold hardy winter jasmine grows best in USDA zones 6 through 10.
Growing jasmine indoors allows those without access to an outdoor garden the chance to grow jasmine plants. The same goes for people who have mobility issues that keep them indoors most of the time. But there are different ways to care for indoor jasmine plants. So let’s cover the ways you can keep jasmine as an indoor plant.
Sunny Window
Container-grow jasmine indoors in a sunny window. You’ll need something that can accommodate the vigorous roots of a jasmine plant. You also want to ensure there’s a lot of light coming in. In its native habitat, jasmine appreciates bright light. If there are obstructions that block out sun, like trees or buildings, supplement with a grow light. Direct sunlight can be a bit too much for jasmine, so don’t put it too close to available light sources.
Window growing is the most accessible method, and only requires one to two pieces of equipment: a container, and sometimes a grow light. It also takes up the least amount of space inside.
Grow Tents
Grow tents allow you to control all of the environmental conditions for your jasmine plant. You control the amount of light, heat, and humidity. There are several models of grow tent out there, too, with varying capabilities and specialties. Most companies have different sizes to choose from as well.
But most grow tents take up a significant amount of space either on the floor of your growing area or on your kitchen countertop. They are also more expensive than simply growing in a container near a sunny window. However, the trade-off of having control over the conditions makes it worth it.
Hydroponics
You can also grow jasmine in hydroponic settings. Your hydroponics could be homemade, and consist of plastic containers placed within larger containers that hold your water and solution. They could be a pre-fabricated system in the form of a single hydroponic container, or an entire system that requires space.
Similar to grow tents, you have options when it comes to the size and content of your hydroponics. But you have even more options when it comes to the size and complexity of the indoor system. How expensive your hydroponic setup totally depends on you. But consider how you will source your nutrient solution and growing media.
Caring for Indoor Jasmine
Now that we’ve covered the ways you can grow jasmine indoors, let’s talk about how to care for a plant. We’ll touch on the different modes of growing within each category to cover the specifics so you have access to all the information you need to have a lovely winter jasmine plant all year round.
Lighting and Temperature
Your jasmine needs full sun to partial shade, with lots of bright light. These tropical plants appreciate 6 to 8 hours of indirect sunlight per day. Their optimal growing temperatures range between 80 and 90 degrees during the day, with nighttime temperatures between 70 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Therefore, most homes that sit around 72 degrees are perfect. If you plan to open a window with cool air moving through, make sure your plant isn’t caught in the crosswind. Also keep your jasmine out of a direct stream of air from a heater, as the dry heat from that or wood-burning stoves will dry out the soil and the plant.
In a sunny window, make sure your plant gets enough indirect light. With artificial light, consider a timer that can turn the light on for 6 to 8 hours, and off when that time has passed. Grow tents often come with timers that you can set. In hydroponic settings, either manually turn your light on and off, or set a timer that will do that automatically.
A south-facing window is excellent for growers in the northern hemisphere, whereas a north-facing window is good for growers in the southern hemisphere. Even cold-tolerant varieties of jasmine will benefit from a well-lit room in a partly sunny spot.
Water and Humidity
Indoor gardening with jasmine requires humidity. If you’re working outside grow tents or hydroponics, you’ll need to lightly mist your plant daily. Another way to keep conditions nice and humid for this tropical understory plant is to place a humidifier nearby. Set the controls of the humidifier to give your Jasminum officinale plants (or other Jasminum species) at least 50% humidity.
To water container-grown plants, check the top two inches of soil. If they’re dry, add water. Water at the base of the plant rather than above. Overhead watering creates conditions where jasmine is more likely to experience disease. For plants grown indoors, include some kind of water catchment below the container so you don’t spill water everywhere as it drains through the pot.
In a grow tent and hydroponics it’s much easier to control humidity. Grow tents will have specific nobs for humidity controls, and hydroponics have a built-in system of humidity. If you find your plant dries quickly, mist them. In grow tents, use the top two inches of the soil to determine when to water. In hydroponics, replace water lost through evaporation, ensuring the proper water level is present at all times.
Growing Medium and Container
Jasmine prefers rich, well-draining soil when grown indoors. A basic potting mix is sufficient, but additions of fresh potting soil a couple of times a year encourage growth and support new growth. At the beginning of the growing season, top off your Jasminum officinale or Jasminum sambac with fresh soil just as you do for your other houseplants.
A good potting mix for jasmine includes equal parts pearlite, vermiculite, and peat moss. Additions of coco coir assist your jasmine with moisture retention. Keep some of the soil mixture on hand for transplanting. In a hydroponic setting, use a nutrient solution suitable for flowering plants.
Outside of a hydroponic system, grow jasmines in containers that are a couple of inches larger than the plant’s root ball. As new growth appears, transfer your Jasminum polyanthum or your common jasmine to a larger container a couple of inches wider than the one you transplanted from. A hanging basket, or even a large planter that’s plastic, terra cotta, or ceramic are all suitable containers. A grow bag works too. As long as it is deep and wide enough, you can grow jasmine in almost any pot. Note that clay, terra cotta, and grow bags will wick moisture away from the plant faster than a plastic pot and may require more water. For vining species, provide a trellis so the jasmine’s twining vine can train upwards.
Fertilizing
A diluted liquid fertilizer – especially in early spring – is the best way to encourage the robust growth of jasmine indoors. When you fertilize jasmine, saturate the soil with water and follow up with liquid fertilizer. Allow the excess to run off and empty the catchment below the pot. In homes set within the optimal temperature range, add more liquid fertilizer monthly. If the temperature drops below 70 degrees fertilize every 6 weeks. Use a 10-30-30 fertilizer to help your indoor plants produce flower buds with that heady scent that everyone knows and loves.
In hydroponics, add mineral fertilizers that have a similar NPK profile. In all cases, drop the fertilizer frequency in late summer as early fall approaches. Keep it to 6 weeks at a time through late winter. When late spring arrives, fertilize more often to help jasmine flower.
Pruning
Jasmines prefer good air circulation. One great way to assist with your jasmine plant and promote air circulation is to prune the plant regularly. The pruning regimen for jasmine grown outdoors is the same as jasmine you grow indoors. Prune in early autumn through late winter and sometimes through early spring while the plant is dormant. Use sharp shears that are sanitized with hydrogen peroxide. Remove any dead or bare branches first. Cut above buds to encourage strong growth. Regular pruning not only assists the plant with new flower development but also helps the plant develop strong roots.
If you prune a semi-deciduous variety like common jasmine or winter jasmine, practice regular pruning of twisted or wayward vines or branches. Prune the vines back so they are no larger than the length of their trellis, or so they remain compact enough for their container.
Planting And Propagation
The best way to propagate your jasmine is to plant rooted cuttings of a healthy vine or shrub. Take cuttings from the prior season’s growth for the best results. Cut a branch below the leaf node, and remove all but the top three leaves from the cutting. Remove any pink buds or other colored flowers as well. Dip the cutting in water, then rooting hormone. Then place it in potting soil or your hydroponic system. Keep the cuttings out of direct light. In a couple of weeks, you should see new growth if the propagation was successful.
Troubleshooting
If you’ve had some issues obtaining the sweet smell of poet’s jasmine or some other variety, no problem at all. Simple adjustments help immensely. Don’t fret. Here are some common problems that can arise when growing this plant indoors.
Improper Fertilization
Use correct fertilizers to ensure you have the sweet scent of jasmine flowers in spring. If you use a full-spectrum fertilizer that’s higher in nitrogen than it is in potassium and phosphorous, you may find you have plenty of lovely dark leaves and not many blooms. Switch fertilizers as needed. Use the schedule outlined in the ‘Fertilizer’ section and you’ll be set!
Mealybugs
Mealybugs are a form of scale insect that suck plant juices from their hosts. If your jasmine has been around other plants that have mealybugs, the likelihood they’ll host the pest is higher. If you see them on your plant, remove them by hand with a cotton swab dipped in rubbing alcohol. Then monitor the plant to ensure there aren’t any hiding elsewhere.
Improper Watering
If the plant gets too dry or too wet, it undergoes stress. Stress can leave it open to diseases it could otherwise fight off. So use the top two inches of soil to tell you when water is necessary. Another thing to look out for is drying leaves due to a lack of humidity. If necessary, increase your misting to multiple times a day. Especially where drying heat exists, you’ll need to monitor humidity levels.
Jasmine Rehab
For some plants, spending time outdoors in warm weather may be the best medicine. If you do plan to move your jasmine outdoors for a short period, remember to bring it in when there are weather extremes to ensure it doesn’t take on damage.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can you keep a jasmine plant indoors?
A: You can! There are many different ways to do so. See above.
Q: Does indoor jasmine need full sun?
A: Either that or partial shade. Remember to keep it out of direct light, though.
Q: How often should you water indoor jasmine?
A: Whenever the top two inches of soil dry out, add some water.
Q: Which jasmine plant is best for indoors?
A: Most jasmines are perfect indoor plants. Common jasmine, winter jasmine, and Arabian jasmine are some of the most common that are perfect for indoor growing.
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