Question
Hi Will,
When i first bought my jasmine nearly 2 years ago  it was in flower(late winter?) since then it hasnt flowered at all. I pruned it back after it had flowered and nothing happened. It is now 5 ft high and supported on bean poles which it quiet happy wrapping around.I pull off all the leafs once they go brown on occasion. It loves indoors in winter and in the conservatory in summer. I water it when my finger does not have any soil/compost sticking to it when i stick it in.r

Answer
Hi Gaynor,

It sounds like your Jasmine is thriving as a foliage plant, but I am sure you purchased it for the flowers, not extensive foliage growth!

Jasmine usually bloom in January. Normally Jasmine is cut way back to half its size following a winter bloom and then new growth is kept pinched back to promote fullness until August. Keep the soil moist and fertilize regularly when it is putting out new growth. In August, discontinue the pinching.

Here is the key - in October, give it completely dark nights and cool temps (40 to 50 degrees) to promote January bloom. Keep the soil a bit more on the dry side and provide lots of sun during the day. It is usually recommended that you do this for 6 to 8 weeks. This will help set the buds. After that normal room temperatures and a sunny window will suffice.

This is a difficult regimen to provide. If you can only do this for a few weeks, it is better than not at all. If you cannot do it at all, your plant will remain healthy but it may not bloom quite as much. In any case do not fertilize during the winter months. In the late winter or early spring, prune the entire plant back by half. New growth will soon emerge. Flowers appear only on new growth.

Please let me know if any of this is unclear or if you have any additional questions. If you would like to e-mail me some photos, I may be able to provide some additional insights.

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Regards,
Will Creed, Interior Landscaper
Horticultural Help, NYC

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