Desert Problems with Star Jasmine

Q. I have a Jasmine plant and it was flowering but not it’s not and not looking good. What is your call on it?

A. Most times when people say they have a “Jasmine” plant they mean star jasmine. Star jasmine is not a true Jasmine, but the fragrance can be delectable which is true of most in that plant family.

Star Jasmine, a vine or groundcover from warm areas of China, may develop iron chlorosis when grown in a rock mulch.

            Star jasmine comes originally from China so it will like improved soils and dislike rock mulch. Whenever a plant comes from a non-desert area then try to plant it on the East side of your landscape. This area receives shade in the afternoon and is more hospitable to plants that are not from the desert. It can be grown as a groundcover or as a vine, but it must be tied to a trellis to get it to perform as a vine.

Star jasmine grown near a door or window will provide a great fragrance to a home. Star jasmine needs an organic soil with woodchips covering it to look its best.

            Most star jasmine in poor health are surrounded with rock mulch. If your star jasmine is in poor health, then surround it with wood chip mulch rather than rock mulch. When it’s planted, make sure the soil is amended with compost. Dig the hole three times wider than the container or its root system and add the amended soil to this planting hole. If it’s a 5 gallon or larger plant, then stake it. The wood stake that comes with many local nursery plants is adequate for smaller plants as long as it is pounded into the solid soil beneath it and retied with nursery tape. Most plants require only one season of staking and then it’s removed.

            The only way to re-green yellow leaves is by spraying it with an iron solution. Early next spring, apply any iron chelate to the soil. For difficult yellow plants to “green-up”, use the EDDHA iron chelate applied to the soil in early spring.