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My Jasmine is drying out (indoor, potted).

17 years ago

Hi there, my first post here!

I was wondering if anyone could help - I have a farily small jasmine plant (I can't remember subspecies or proper name at the moment, but it has small white flowers) in a pot indoors.

I have been watering it fairly frequently (whenever I have felt the soil to be dry) but it still has dry leaves all over, except for at the very top of some of the shoots. The flowers are looking fairly sorry for themselves too, although are still trying to open.

It was positioned by a west facing window, so got sun, but not too hot, and I turned it around a couple of times a week. The only other factor that I could think of that might have affected it, was the fact that there is a radiator below the window where it was, which may have been drying it out. Could this be the case?

In any case, I have moved it away from the radiator and continued to water it fairly liberally. Is there anything else I can do? Am I taking the correct steps, or am I possibly over-watering it?

Thanks in advance,

Ed

P.S. I could get a pic up (if that's possible) this evening after work.

Comments (3)

lucy
17 years ago
Get a good humidity tray underneath to start with - a tray at least as wide as the foliage spreads out, with stones in it to put the pot on, and water in the tray never allowed to reach the pot bottom (so roots won't rot). Then put the whole thing in the brightest window you have that gets the most a.m. sun (and hopefully more during the day). Stop watering 'liberally', but considering repotting into something with a lot of grit (perlite, small aquarium gravel) in it for fast drainage (potting soil is mostly peat, and hangs onto water much longer than you want it to).
nanw_4wi
17 years ago
In addition to lucy's great advice....
Depending on which jasmine you have, I would guess that yes, that radiator above it had a lot to do with your plant's problems, as many of the jasmines are hardy or nearly hardy, and therefore need a quite cool to cold period/rest during the winter.
I have a couple, both different species, that I left on my unheated sunporch for most of the winter.

Mine did get too cold at one point, and I brought them in and cut them back completely. They have both already sprouted new, healthy growth.
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notanatural
17 years ago
This is actually a good time to repot too- so consider listening to Lucy's advice.

I too think it's probably the radiator.Humidity trays never worked for me but my home is very very dry and the jasmines are actually one of the few plants I have that never complain. But that hot dry air from the radiator can't be nice for any plant!

I don't think it's a sun/window issue too much- mine couldn't have gotten more than 2 hrs of sun every afternoon all winter but they flower about 11 months of the year.

Also, is your window very drafty? I noticed this winter I couldn't keep any plant by the window- they were turning yellow (I mostly grow tropicals). Strangely, last winter I didn't seem to have this problem.

I'd say- repot, move from the radiator and water less often.

If you can post a pic, we can see what type you have and better help you.

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