Question
QUESTION: Hello there. I don't have a very green thumb but love plants. We have a patio that gets a few hours of sun around noon. We bought a pink jasmine last year. We re-potted it and wound the vines onto a trellis. The problem is that the bottom is very bare and and brown and the top is green but still sparse. We would like it to give us a bit of privacy and be very full and thick. Its about 4 ft tall and not very wide.  What can we do to make it more bushy? Thank you for all your advice.

ANSWER: I hope you don't want the privacy right away. . .
It sounds like you might have let it get to root bound in the old pot. When you put it in the new pot, the roots were still tight and thick. The water and nutrients aren't able to get to where the plant can use them, so the plant is starving and dry.
To salve this, you will need to take the plant out of the new container, and "prune the roots". You need to be careful not to cut too much off. Just enough to encourage new roots to go out into the new soil and take up the nutrients, and water it needs. Make sure the container you have for it, is not too large for the root ball. It should only be the next size larger then the one it came out of. If it is too large, the water will wick away from the roots, and the plant will be dry, while the soil seems wet.
As for the rest of the plant, it would be best to start over. The brown leaves will never be green. The leaves are dead. There may be a few leaves start once the trauma of the potting is past, but it will not be enough for privacy. I would suggest starting the plant near the bottom. This is done in phases.
Take half of the good vines that have green at the top, and cut them back to just above a leaf that is down where you want the privacy to begin. This is called pruning to a leaf node. The new growth will begin at that node. The reason we have left half of the vines uncut is, they are still giving the roots the energy they need, while the new growth is taking place. When the new growth is established, and able to give the roots energy, then cut the rest of the old  vines back as well.
Do not fertilize for a year. Let the plant pull it's food from the soil. Keep the soil moist for the first few months, then let the oxygen return to the soil between watering, to keep the plant from drowning from too much water.
The Jasmine does not like to be too hot or too cold. Does not like wind or frost. So protect it from extremes. Best grown on an East wall. It will flower better, the more light it gets. Too much shade will reduce the flowers, but the plant will tolerate low light.
I estimate if you "re-grow" your plant, it will be a nice size in about two years. You may need to pot it again to the next size pot at that time. Check the roots often, to avoid having it get root bound again. If the roots are thickening at the bottom of the pot, then get it in a larger one right away.

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QUESTION: thank you for your response. We bought it in one of those black containers (medium size i guess) and re-potted it in a terracotta  16in pot. I don't think we went a size too big and we did tear up the roots a bit. Maybe just not enough. hmmmm there are not a lot of dead leaves, the plant is leggy. Do you still suggest we start over or should we just re-wrap the plant and start lower. Maybe it isn't growing as good at the bottom as the top because it in not getting enough sun, water, or pruning?? Also, when I feel around the edges of the pot I feel roots. Do we need to re-pot again? Could that be the problem? None are coming out the bottom but we have rocks covering the hole. Thank you for your time and helping us be the best plant parent possible.. :)
ANSWER: It is my opinion that the only plants that can be successful in terra cotta are cactus, and succulents.
The Jasmine is neither. The problem with terra cotta is that it sucks moisture from the soil, which causes the roots to dry out quickly. Cactus don't mind being dry, but your Jasmine is showing signs of stress. Plant it right away in a nice plastic container.
Jasmine can tolerate some shade. But, they will bloom better if they have good light.
Yes, I would prune the vines, to encourage more leaves and branching.
Because it is a vine, it will look spindly when young. To create the kind of dence cover you are looking for, you will need to give your plant the extra attention it needs.
That means nutrients, soil, sun, water, and pruning.

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QUESTION: thanks again.. One more thing.. How far should we prune the vines?? And where do I prune? Have a wonderful day!

Answer
Look closely at the vine. Up from the soil to the area that you want to get thick, and full. Look for a swollen area on the vine. This is a leaf node. It is where the leaf was growing before it died. You want to cut the vine just above the leaf node. Nothing is going to grow on the bare stem part. All of the new growth will come from these leaf nodes. By cutting above this area, you are encouraging the plant to produce new growth where you cut it.
This is not the best time to encourage new, tender growth, with winter coming soon. So I would only cut half of the vines now, and the other half in the spring, after the danger of frost has past.