il jasmine of St. Joseph (Jasminum nudiflorum) hija pjanta li tappartjeni għall-familja ta' Oleaceae. Il-ġeneru Jasminumwhich we have already told you about, includes numerous species grown in gardens for ornamental purposes. The cultivation of this shrub is very interesting as it blooms profusely in winter, which is why it is also called ġiżimin tax-xitwa u ġiżimin isfar. Furthermore, being a rather rustic plant, a few cultivation tricks are enough to have great satisfaction.
So let’s see everything there is to know about this ornamental plant.
Description of St. Joseph’s jasmine
St. Joseph’s jasmine is a shrubby species that emits numerous green, tenacious, semi-woody, angular and up to 2 m long branches. The branches are initially erect, then, with time, they take on an arched bearing and falling back to the ground. It can also be grown without supports or trellises, as a shrub bush. If you want to support its growth, it is perfect to plant on a wall, by fall. When the branches touch the ground, they emit roots with extreme ease, a bit like with the bumblethis must be taken into account when growing in the garden, as this jasmine tends to expand and occupy a fair amount of space.
Weraq
Hemm Jasminum nudiflorum is a deciduous shrub that sheds completely in autumn. The leaves are trifoliate, dense on the branches and small in size, with a smooth surface, dark green on the upper side, dull green on the lower side.
fjuri
The flowers of winter jasmine bloom in the armpit of the leaves on the branches of the previous year. They are isolated or in bunches distributed along the whole branch. The dimensions are small, about 2 cm in diameter. The color is typically yellow, the scent is delicate and not as intense as other jasmine species.
Flowering is the characteristic feature of St. Joseph’s jasmine. It takes place between December and March, before the leaves are released (hence the epithet nudiflorum). The milder the winter will be the earlier the flowering period.
Potted cultivation of St. Joseph’s jasmine
If you don’t have a lot of space in the garden, St. Joseph’s jasmine lends itself particularly well to being grown in pots on the balcony. Since the branches have a drooping habit, it is advisable to use cylindrical pots placed on a support or a wall positioned high up. In this way the branches of the Jasminum nudiflorum they will fall down, cascading, creating a nice scenic effect.
Cultivation of St. Joseph’s jasmine in the garden
As mentioned, St. Joseph’s jasmine is a deciduous plant, therefore it tolerates the winter cold well in all our regions and does not require protezzjoni mill-ġlata.
However, having winter flowering, it suffers from cold winds that could ruin the flowers. Therefore it is better to place it in a part of the garden sheltered by tall trees or a wall. By making this choice, the plant will also be protected from the scorching sun in summer.
As far as the soil is concerned, this winter jasmine prefers medium-textured soils, with a good supply of organic matter and basically neutral pH. This also applies to growing in pots.
When preparing the soil for the transplant of jasmine, it is advisable to carry out a basic organic fertilization, amending the soil of the kompost tad-dar orħumus tal-ħniex.
Multiplication by cuttings
Hemm Jasminum nudiflorum it is really simple to reproduce with the teknika tal-qtugħ. The cuttings are taken in late summer, cutting the ends of young branches, 10-15 cm in length. The leaves at the base of the cutting are removed and buried in a compost of soil e perlit (sand as an alternative), using small vases. The rooting soil must be kept well moist and the young cuttings protected, possibly in one cold greenhouse (like these), during the winter. In the following spring, if the cutting of San Giuseppe jasmine has taken root (you will notice it if it resumes the emission) it can be transferred to a larger pot or home in the garden.
Offshoot
The jasmine of San Giuseppe can also be multiplied easily with the offshoot technique, exploiting the natural tendency of the plant to emit new roots at the level of the nodes when it comes into contact with the ground. In spring or autumn, these new plants can be removed from the ground with a hoe, taking care to take as many roots as possible, and then plant them in another position in the garden or in a pot.
Trapjant
Hemm Jasminum nudiflorum purchased in the nursery (usually provided with supports), it can be planted, in the garden or in a pot, in two periods: early spring or early autumn.
When growing in pots, choose large and sturdy containers, in order to make the plant grow as much as possible and avoid immediate repotting.
In the garden, take into account the shrub development of the San Giuseppe jasmine, with the continuous emission and rooting of stems. It is necessary to leave adequate space for growth, not planting more than one specimen every 2 m. By planting with a distance of 1 m, you will basically create a hedge, perhaps an option to consider for your garden.
irrigazzjoni
The irrigation of St. Joseph’s jasmine is necessary especially in the first ha of life after the transplant. In summer, wet the substrate regularly and continue until autumn. In winter, the watering of plants in the ground is suspended, while water is given sporadically in pots.
From the second year, if the plant has taken root it will be able to get water on its own, even if during a long period of summer drought a little water is not bad.
Parassiti
Despite being a rather rustic species, the Jasminum nudiflorum it is prone to attacks by parasites, in particular afidi u koċinilja.
Against aphids we recommend a prompt intervention at the first signs of infestation, using sapun tal-potassju artab. Against the cochineal, on the other hand, a prodott organiku more incisive is theżejt minerali abjad.
How to prune St. Joseph’s jasmine
With its long branches, the Jasminum nudiflorum develops a bit of untidy hair. Pruning to keep the plant in order is done shortly after flowering and before the new leaves are released. The cuts must be light and targeted, in order to compact the foliage and not damage the future flowering, which will occur on the growing branches.
Periodically, every 4-5 years, the San Giuseppe jasmine can be subjected to a more drastic pruning, cutting all the shoots about 15-20 cm from the ground. With this type of intervention, the plant rejects new stems and shoots, resulting completely rejuvenated.
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