QUESTION:
My jasmine plant is not flowering and the leaves are getting dryer and falling off.
ANSWER:
Hi Sadie,
Water: Jasmine plants lose leaves and leaves dry up from both too much and too little water. In the spring and summer, keep the soil moist but never soggy. The top 30% of the soil should dry out before watering. Soil that stays too wet, too long, damages the roots of the plant and eventually prevents the roots from absorbing water at all. When you do water, water well enough so that the water comes out the drip holes in the bottom of the pot. Do not allow the plant to sit in this excess water. During the fall and winter, keep a jasmine plant on the drier side.
Temperature: Like poinsettias and Christmas cactus, jasmine plants need cool temperatures and short days to set their fragrant flower buds. In the late fall, temperatures at night should be 45°-55°. During the day, keep the plants in very very bright light. At night, try to keep the plant in total darkness. An indoor jasmine plant usually flowers in January and February.
Light: A jasmine plant likes bright indirect light throughout the year, and in the winter benefits from a few hours of direct sun. However, avoid putting a jasmine plant in the direct sun during the summer, the intensity of the sun will burn the leaves. Try moving your jasmine plant outside for the summer, the plant will love it.
Flowering: Jasmine plants do well in cool rooms where the temperature is 65°-70°F (18.3°-21.1°C) and the light is very bright. If the room is too warm, a jasmine plant grows but doesn’t produce any flowers. These plants, like most houseplants, do poorly when placed near heaters, hot air vents, and fireplaces. Feed a jasmine plant every 2-4 weeks from March-August when the plant is actively growing. Do not feed during the fall and winter when the plant is dormant. Jasmine plants prefer a water soluble plant food high in phosphorous and low in nitrogen. This type of fertilizer helps produce more flowers.
You can read all my care tips for a jasmine plant in the Popular Houseplant section of the website.