How to Grow Jasmine from Cuttings

Taking a Cutting

Select a healthy, semi-hard stem that grew in the current year. Look for a stem that’s green and sprouting leaves. It should also still be flexible. It’s okay to take more than 1 cutting from the plant, as long as you don’t cut away more than one-third of the plant. Taking more cuttings from your jasmine increases your chances of successfully growing a new plant.

Use small pruning shears to cut 4 to 6 inches (10 to 15 cm) of stem. It’s best to cut the stem just below a leaf. The stem is more likely to sprout healthy roots if you cut right below a leaf node. A leaf node is the nub that the leaf grows from. You can also use a sharp knife or pair of sharp scissors.

Remove the leaves from the bottom of the cutting. Make sure that you don’t plant any leaves beneath the surface of your potting soil. However, the cutting is more likely to root if the top few leaves are left on the stem. Leave a few leaves at the top of the cutting while removing most of the leaves from the bottom. You can cut the leaves off the stem or pluck them with your fingers. Removing most of the leaves helps to balance the growth between roots and leaves.

Deadhead any flowers from the cutting. This helps to ensure that your cutting will grow healthier. Flowers naturally try to seed and will take nutrients from the rest of the plant to do so. Additionally, dying flowers will mold, damaging the rest of the cutting. You can cut the flowers off or pinch them off. Don’t take cuttings from stems that are in bloom. Even if a flower is cut off, it will still be in the bloom stage.

Encouraging Root Growth

Prepare a small container with potting soil. Fill the container with a fertile, pre-mixed potting soil. It’s okay to use 1 pot for several cuttings, as you will transplant them after they sprout roots. A small planter of about 6 to 8 inches (15 to 20 cm) works great. Choose a pot with drainage holes.

Wet the soil with water. You shouldn’t water the cuttings after you place them in the soil, as they don’t yet have roots. Instead, pre-moisten the soil. Simply pour water over the soil, allowing the excess to drain out through the holes at the bottom of the pot.

Use a pencil to create a hole for each cutting. Push the pencil down into the soil deep enough for the bottom third of the stem to fit below the soil. Make sure that your hole is wide enough that the cutting is not rubbing against the sides of the soil. You’ll need a gap that allows you to insert the cutting into the soil without the rooting hormone rubbing off.

Dip your cutting in root hormone. Use a quick movement to coat the end of your stem with rooting hormone. You don’t need to soak it. Rooting hormones come in powder and gel form. Rooting hormone encourages faster and stronger root growth. Make sure that you pour the rooting hormone into a clean container before dipping, then discard the used solution. Don’t dip the stem directly into your bottle of root hormone, as that will ruin the product.

Insert the cutting into the prepared potting soil. Gently lower it into one of the pencil holes you made, careful not to rub off the rooting hormone. Continue to hold onto the stem until you secure the soil around it.

Use your finger to press the soil around the cutting. Push the soil against the stem, careful to not move the stem. The top of the potting soil should be firm against the cutting once you’re finished.

Put a plastic bag around your plant, filling it with air. Twist the top of the bag closed. This will keep your cutting moist as it takes root. It’s important that the bag not touch any part of the plant, however, as this can make the plant grow mold. You can open the bag occasionally to spritz your cutting with water. Add more air before closing it again.

Place your cutting in sunlight. A good location is a windowsill that gets a lot of light. Jasmine needs lots of sunlight to thrive. Your cutting should get 6-8 hours of sunlight each day. It’s best to keep the cutting indoors.

Wait 4-6 weeks for the plant to sprout roots. Once the roots form, you can transplant your cuttings into a new container. If your cutting has not formed roots after 6 weeks, then the rooting likely failed. You can try again with a new cutting.

Transplanting Your Cuttings

Transplant the cutting into a hanging basket or pot. Jasmine grows best in a container, which you can place either indoors or outdoors, as long as the plant gets proper sunlight. Choose a container that has drainage holes at the bottom.

Fill the pot with loose, all-purpose potting soil. Leave a small space in the middle of the container for the cutting. You’ll want to bury the bottom portion of the stem, just as you did when you sprouted the roots. You can buy potting soil at a gardening store or online.

Cover the roots and lower stem of the jasmine stem with soil. Bury the part of the plant that was under the soil during the rooting process. Pat the soil lightly around the transplanted cutting, so that the soil supports the plant. Make sure that you don’t plant any leaves below the soil.

Water the jasmine. Provide enough water to moisten the soil. The excess water should flow away from the roots and out through the drainage holes at the bottom of the container. Water jasmine when the soil feels dry to the touch.

Place the jasmine where it gets at least 6 hours of direct sun each day. Jasmine thrives in full sun, especially in spring and summer. Check the area where you want to grow your jasmine to make sure that it receives proper sun by observing the sunlight at different times of day. During winter, it’s okay for your jasmine to get less direct sunlight, as this is its dormant period. It doesn’t have to be 6 consecutive hours. For example, the jasmine may get 3 hours of sun in the morning and 3 hours of sun in the afternoon.

Caring for Your Jasmine

Water daily during the spring and summer. Jasmine thrives in full sun during the summer, but all that sunlight can be very drying. Make sure that the soil is kept moist during the hot season by watering your jasmine every morning. Watering in the morning allows the excess to evaporate over the course of the day. It’s best to allow the soil to dry between waterings. You can check that the soil is dry by feeling it with your finger. Dry soil should feel loose. If your soil isn’t drying out every day, then you can reduce the number of waterings to every other day or twice a week.

Reduce watering to once or twice a week during winter. It’s okay to let your jasmine dry out during its dormant period. The plant will not be getting as much light and heat, so its water needs will lessen.

Provide a high potassium fertilizer once a month. You can use a liquid or granular fertilizer, depending on your preferences. Good options include tomato fertilizer, seaweed fertilizer, or wood ash. You can get a fertilizer at a gardening store or online.

Watch for signs of root rot. Jasmine is very susceptible to root rot. Early signs of root rot include slow growth, yellowing leaves, dying leaves, dark roots, and limp roots. If you notice these signs, your plant may have root rot, which can be treated with a fungicide. You can get a plant fungicide in a gardening store or online. Avoid overwatering to prevent root rot.

Protect against mealybugs by applying a natural insecticide. The best options are neem oil, horticultural oil, or insecticidal soap weekly. Jasmine is very susceptible to mealybugs, which enjoy eating the plant. If your jasmine is outdoors, then the best way to prevent mealybugs is to support your lady beetle and spider populations. If you spot mealy bugs on your plant, you can dab 70% isopropyl alcohol directly onto the bugs, which may kill them.

Use small pruning shears to shape your winter jasmine in late spring. This is right after the jasmine blooms. Trim the jasmine to your desired shape. Remove weak or crossed branches. Don’t trim more than one-third of the plant at 1 time. You don’t have to prune your jasmine if you like its natural shape.

Prune summer jasmine in late summer after it blooms. Use a pair of small pruning shears. You can shape the jasmine, as desired. Cut branches that feel thin or weak, as well as those that are crossing over each other. Make sure that you don’t prune more than one-third of the plant at 1 time.