I love seeing the beautiful delicate Jasmine flowers in the late Summer. Their Sweet, rich, and intense fragrance fills my heart with undiluted joy! But what if your Jasmine is not flowering? I see this problem quite often in my job at a garden center, where I often have to deal with plants in peril.
Therefore, I have some good first-hand experience, not only diagnosing the problem but also implementing the solutions. So, if you are looking for solutions, This post distills all the tips and secrets I’ve learned in a step-by-step guide so you can get your jasmine to flower.
What to cut to the chase and find out what are the most common reasons that prevent flowering?
The most common reason I see is that Jasmine does not flower if it is planted in shade, drought-stressed, or pruned heavily the year before. Too much nitrogen can also promote foliage at the expense of flowers. We should also be aware that different species of Jasmine can flower at different times of year.
And if you are going to prune, then I recommend you do so in the fall to prevent the removal of flower buds.
If your Jasmine is not flowering, then read on to find out why and how to promote blooming…
Consider Blooming Time…Do You Have The Right Species of Jasmine?
Let’s be clear about this! Three main species of Jasmine are cultivated by gardeners, and each species tends to flower at different times of the year, which can be confusing if your Jasmine is not flowering at the time of year you expected.
- Common Jasmine (Jasminum officinale) is more sensitive to cold temperatures and flowers in early Spring and can re-bloom in the Summer
- Winter Jasmine (Jasminum nudiflorum) flowers are more hardy and flower from November to March.
- Many Flowered Jasmine (Jasminum polyanthum) are more often grown as house plants due to their sensitivity to cold and typically flowers in April/June.
So my advice is to check the label that came with the plant to find out what species your variety of Jasmine is to determine when it should flower and whether it is hardy in your climate.
From my experience, the exact timing of flowering depends on many factors, so your plant may flower slightly before or after what is typical for the species.
If Jasmine has not bloomed all year, then read on why this could be…
Does Your Jasmine Have Enough Sunlight to Bloom?
From my research (and my own personal experience!) All species of Jasmine require full sun to flower their best and exude their strongest scent. Simply put, the fewer hours of sun the Jasmine receives, the fewer flowers will be on display.
For us to understand why this is, I think it’s good to understand how jasmine grows in the wild… Jasmine is native to tropical and subtropical Asia where it grows naturally in full sun.
While some species of jasmine do not require a tropical climate to grow and flower (such as winter jasmine), I must emphasize that they all need as much sun as possible for an abundant display of flowers.
Typically, the technical advice is that Jasmine will flower in 6 hours of direct sun or more during Spring or Summer, but to be honest, from what I’ve seen, the more sun, the better it is for flowering and plant health, so I put mine in pride of place in full sun.
The only caveat I have for this advice is that if you live in a very hot climate, then I recommend 6 hours of morning sun (which is cooler) followed by shade during the hot afternoon.
This ensures your jasmine gets its quota of sun without suffering from drought (which can also prevent your jasmine from flowering). It’s a tricky balance!
With less than 6 hours of direct sunlight, the Jasmine can be under stress and not have the energy to flower.
So the solution is very simple. If your Jasmine is in too much shade, then transplant it to a sunny south-facing wall, or if the Jasmine is grown as a house plant, ensure it is in the sunniest window of the house to promote flowering.
This gives the jasmine enough energy for flowering (which is, of course, quite an energy-intensive process). Obviously, this isn’t a quick fix, but when I instructed people to do this, they told me that the jasmine flowers would grow much more the following year!
Thirsty Jasmine? Dry Soil Can Prevent Your Jasmine From Blooming
What we need to know is that our Jasmine plants like a balance of consistently moist soil with good drainage so that excess water does not pool around the roots.
What I’ve observed is that if the soil around the jasmine’s roots dries out entirely, the stress can prevent the Jasmine from flowering, particularly if there is a drought in the Spring while the buds are developing.
Underwatered, Jasmine is characterized by drooping or curling leaves, poor growth, and fewer flowers.
However, we need to be aware that Underwatering is not always the only cause of drought stress; as I’ve seen, there can be a few reasons why jasmine does not flower, such as…
- High winds. Jasmines are climbers that are accustomed to living in sheltered areas, often against a wall or a fence with protection from wind but appreciative of a light breeze. If Jasmine is in overly exposed areas, then excess wind can sap moisture from the leaves, drying out the plant and impacting flowering. This is one of the strongest correlations that I’ve observed. Anytime a Jasmine is in a windy area, they do not flower well. I find it is even the same for indoor jasmine if it’s in the path of air conditioning.
- Poor sandy soils. Jasmine prefers moist soil with lots of organic matter (compost, leaf mold, well-rotted manure, etc.). If your soil is sandy, then it can drain too quickly for the roots of Jasmine to draw up the moisture it requires, resulting in drought and fewer flowers.
- Pots that dry out quickly. Jasmine grows very well in pots, however, there is an increased risk of drought stress if you are not diligent with watering. Jasmines prefer full sun and warm locations, which can dry out pots quickly, particularly if the pot is relatively small.
To revive a non-flowering Jasmine due to drought stress, it is important to make sure the soil is consistently moist. Follow my steps to improve the conditions for your Jasmine so that it flowers:
- Increase the watering frequency for your Jasmine to suit the conditions. Established Jasmines often only require water in times of drought due to their extensive roots, however, less mature Jasmines and potted Jasmines require more frequent water during the Spring and Summer to avoid drought stress and to be able to flower. Give your Jasmine a good soak once per week in the growing season to promote root growth and increase resilience to drought.
- Try to find a sheltered location for Jasmine or use other plants to buffer wind to prevent excessive moisture loss from the leaves. Spray the leaves with a mist sprayer in the short term to help increase humidity and counter the effects of drought.
- If your soil drains quickly, I recommend applying mulch twice a year. Mulch such as compost, leaf mold, or well-rotted manure adds nutrients to the soil, conserves moisture, and improves the soil structure. Apply a 1-inch layer of mulch to the surface of the soil in the Spring to conserve moisture at the start of the growing season, and add another mulch in the Fall to insulate the cold-sensitive roots from frost.
- My potted Jasmine suffering from drought stress always benefit if they are transferred to a bigger pot. A larger pot size can contain more soil and, therefore, has a greater capacity for retaining moisture.
- Avoid planting your Jasmine in clay or terracotta pots. So, for plants that prefer moist soil, I prefer to use ceramic or even plastic pots as these materials are better at retaining moisture. Whenever I have planted my jasmine in clay pots (which are breathable), I find that the soil dries out too quickly in the sunshine, which, of course, impacts flowering.
- For Indoor potted Jasmine, ensure that they are placed in as much sun as possible but keep the pot away from any sources of heat or air currents from forced air, radiators, or air conditioning and water more frequently. I would also switch to a ceramic or plastic pot indoors if you are suffering from drought.
My Best Tip for Outdoor Potted Jasmine: I have experimented with several different potting mediums for growing Jasmine in pots. What I found worked best was a mix of 1/3 multipurpose compost, 1/3 leaf mold, and 1/3 well-rotted manure for the best potting mix to conserve water and promote flowering.
Why does this potting mix work so well? The added leaf mold is what makes the real difference if you are looking to save your jasmine from drought stress.
In my testing, leaf mold stays moist for longer than any other potting medium, yet it retains the porous, well-draining structure so that the roots do not sit in boggy soil, which causes root rot.
The multi-purose compost also provides a good soil structure, and the well-rotted manure provides nutrients, which I always think is important. More nutrients mean the jasmine’s roots will not exhaust the soil as quickly.
If you have an indoor jasmine just use potting soil and fertilizer as you do not want the bugs that live in the soil in your home!
If you implement all these steps, your jasmine should recover from its underwater state.
Whether or not it flowers really depends on when it encounters stress as, like we discussed, drought in the Spring tends to disrupt the formation of flowers, but in my experience, if the dry soil is temporary you can get away with it.
However, a more hydrated Jasmine could perhaps re-bloom later in the season or be in a better condition to flower the following.
No Flowers? How Overwatering Affects Flowering
We have talked a lot about how dry soil can prevent flowering, but did you know that overwatering can also prevent your jasmine flowering?
Jasmine requires soil that is moist yet well-draining, and it does not tolerate boggy soil around the roots.
I have seen quite a few overwatered jasmine (in my job at the garden center) because I think people kill them with kindness!
From my observations, too much water around the roots can result in a Jasmine with drooping yellow leaves and fewer blooms, as excess water can cause fungal disease and deprive the roots of oxygen.
However, there are several causes for Jasmine not flowering due to water sensitivity that we need to consider:
- Overwatering. Watering your Jasmine too frequently to limit blooming is difficult if the soil is well-draining and has a good structure. However, frequent watering combined with slow-draining soils causes water stress and prevents Jasmine from flowering.
- Slow-draining soils. If the soils are naturally boggy or slow-draining due to heavy clay, the Jasmine is at increased risk of root rot, which prevents flowering and causes the plant to die back.
- Pots and containers. It is important to ensure that pots and containers have drainage holes in the base and excess water can easily drain without blockages of compacted soil or roots. Pots without good drainage cause water to pool around the roots of your Jasmine, preventing flowering and often killing the plant.
If you suspect your Jasmine is suffering from overwatering, then scale back the watering immediately.
The experts advised me to allow the top inch of the soil to feel slightly dry before watering again. This would give your Jasmine a chance to recover so it could survive and potentially display flowers.
I would also immediately transfer your Jasmine, if it is in pots or containers without drainage holes, to suitable pots and ensure that excess water can escape.
For Jasmine that is planted in boggy garden soil such as clay, I advise it is best to transplant the Jasmine, as saturated soil is likely to result in root rot and kill the plant.
I would either transfer the Jasmine to an area of the garden with well-prepared garden soil with lots of compost amendment to improve the soil structure or just replant it in a pot. I love growing jasmine in pots as you can tailor the soil conditions for your jasmine rather than trying to amend the soil, which, in my experience, can be very difficult.
If changing the location of your Jasmine is less practical (as it is attached to a wall or fence), consider lifting the root ball out of the ground and planting it in a pot, which I’ve seen work.
Again, we have to think about how to create the optimal conditions for our jasmine to bloom. I have seen overwatered jasmine bloom again, but to be honest, it often takes waiting until next spring/summer, so some deferred gratification is required!
Lots of Foliage but no Flowers? Why Balancing Fertilizer is Key
What I’ve always found (and always been taught) is that Jasmine grows best when planted in nutrient-rich soil and can prosper in terms of growth and flowering with some light application of fertilizer.
What I must emphasize is that jasmine does not flower as well if you apply fertilizer too frequently or in a concentration that is too high, particularly fertilizer with a high concentration of nitrogen. Again, this is a case of killing it with kindness!
Nitrogen is essential for foliage growth, but too much can promote foliage at the expense of flowers. This is a mistake I’ve made as a gardener!
If your Jasmine is healthy and green with lots of foliage but with no flowers then it is likely you are overfeeding it, which is a tragedy! You’ll mist out of those fragrant delicate flowers!
So, what’s the best solution for us? First, I recommend scaling back the use of fertilizer and watering your Jasmine regularly to dilute excess water-soluble nutrients.
If the Jasmine has no flowers due to too much fertilizer, then it is difficult to promote flowering this season but the Jasmine should recover and be able to flower the following year, so again its a waiting game I’m afraid!
To avoid problems associated with too much fertilizer I recommend using a slow-release granular fertilizer that releases nutrients at a slower rate and at the right concentration compared to liquid fertilizers to avoid excess Nitrogen in a short time frame.
A balanced all-purpose granular fertilizer such as miracle-gro provides all the nutrients Jasmine requires for flowering at the right concentration.
Few Flowers and Poor Growth? Your Jasmine is Hungry for Nutrients
What happens if your soil is growing poorly and has few flowers? If the soil is sandy and low in nutrients then what I’ve observed is the Jasmine leaves tend to turn yellow and display fewer flowers, often with stunted growth.
Also, let’s consider that Jasmine is a climber that is often planted against a wall.
I used to work as a landscape gardener and I’ve visited 1000’s of gardens and what I have noticed is that the foundations of walls can restrict the natural growth of roots which is why the nutrient rich soil is so important for Jasmine to flower.
Ideally, the soil should be amended with materials such as compost, leaf mold, and well-rotted manure for optimal soil structure, moisture capacity, and soil nutrients as we discussed ealier.
However, you can increase the fertility of the soil for established Jasmine with mulch applications, which I’ve found to be very effective!
Again, the best mulch materials are the same as the soil amendments, with compost, leaf mold, and well-rotted manure all adding nutrients and stimulating the soil ecosystem, which increases the availability of nutrients at the plant’s roots.
What I recommend is to apply a 1-inch layer to the surface of the soil, ensuring that the mulch does not make contact with the jasmine stem to avoid rot.
As stated, I recommend a slow-release, all-purpose fertilizer for Jasmine to prevent excess nitrogen from causing problems with flowering.
Granular fertilizer only needs to be applied twice a year, once in the Spring and again in the Summer to provide nutrients and promote flowers.
Look at your own soil and perhaps ask someone in the neighborhood, as any local gardening enthusiast is likely to be able to give you good advice about the local soil type. Of course, the importance of fertilizer increases if the soil is sandy and therefore does not retain nutrients.
I can assure you I have personally seen great results by using mulch and fertilizer, but you’ll often have to wait until the following year for more jasmine flowers.
Jasmine in pots and containers can also stop flowering due to a deficit of nutrients in the soil.
If your Jasmine has been in the same pot for a long time, the roots can exhaust the available nutrients in the pot.
At this point, my solution is to repot the Jasmine in a larger pot with new soil. As I’m sure you know, a larger pot has more soil capacity, and therefore, the roots have greater access to nutrients.
As with my advice, before flowering, use a quality multipurpose compost amended with leaf mold and manure for the optimal soil mix to ensure the Jasmine has the nutrients it requires.
When Jasmine is grown in pots indoors, there is often a greater requirement for fertilizer, so I apply a half-strength, well-balanced liquid fertilizer once per month from Spring until mid-summer to support blooms and plant health.
Blooming Blunder? Pruning Jasmine at the Wrong Time Can Remove Flower Buds and Prevent Flowers
This is a mistake that I encounter quite often and it breaks my heart! (Okay, I confess, maybe a bit dramatic?!) It is important to prune Jasmine at the right time of the year or you can cut back the growth from which this years the flowers are displayed.
But I urge you not to prune Jasmine in the Spring or Summer as you could possibly cut back the growth on which the flowers are developing, preventing it from blooming.
In my experience, Jasmine benefits from a light prune in the Fall after flowering with the objective of tidying any unruly growth and untangling any vines. This is the right time and the only time to prune Jasmine. I find this is even more of a priority for Jasmine, who is climbing by a structure such as a trellis.
I’m afraid the news is that a hard prune can prevent Jasmine from blooming for several years as the Jasmine redirects its energy to growing back the foliage before it can flower.
If you have pruned your Jasmine back hard or at the wrong time of year, then the Jasmine is more likely to flower the following year after its new growth has matured. I have seen jasmine bloom again after 2 years of growth, and by the 3rds year, the display was back to its spectacular best!
Do you have any specific questions about Jasmine flowering? If so, please leave a comment below, and I’ll reply! I love to hear from you!
Key Takeaways:
- Jasmines usually do not flower due to drought stress, too much nitrogen in the soil, or pruning at the wrong time of year. Pruning Jasmine back in the Spring or Summer can remove the growth on which the flowers develop.
- Different species of jasmine flowers are available at different times of year, so check the label to see when your variety should flower.
- Jasmine requires consistently moist soil during the Spring and Summer. If the soil dries out or becomes boggy, the Jasmine can struggle to flower.
- Too much fertilizer can promote foliage growth at the expense of blooms. Plant Jasmine in nutrient-rich soil and use fertilizer in the Spring and Summer.