( photo / image / picture from catay5's Garden ) I bought this jasmine plant last week and got told it likes a lot of water. Obviously I've taken that advice too far (I've only watered it twice!) because as you can see the roots are all brown. I've had her in a plastic pot inside a pot and never sitting in water. Lots of sunshine too. Now she's drying on a towel and I'm wondering what to do next. Do I have to repot to get rid of those white rocky things? Thanks! ( photo / image / picture from catay5's Garden )
Hiya Catay. What type of Jasmine is that? It is not the J. officinale. There are a number of jasmin's though. I cannot be sure that the browning of the roots is down to too much water, though. most roots normally become brown when older. Most plants that are billed as liking to be moist do not mean that like having their "feet wet", as it were. That means that they do not like standing in water, but the soil they are potted in should not dry out. The white rocky things are meant to be there. They are either there to facilitate good drainage, or they are slow-release fertilizer balls. I would leave them ...even when you transplant your jasmin to a larger pot. Another thing-- Do you see that none of the leaves look yellow? That means to me that your plant is NOT yet too moist, nor too dry. I suspect that, actually, you may not yet have a problem...just be sure that it does not stand in water and you ought to be good. Don't hesitate to ask more questions should you have them. Good luck, meid.
Your plant looks beautiful and healthy. I do see the brown on the bottom of the roots, but it is minimal. You should be able to put a little dry soil on the bottom of the pot and put the plant back in as is. Make sure the pot has good drainage. When you water it, just make sure you pour out any excess water that the plant doesn't absorb after a few minutes. The white, rocky things are perlite. That is good for the composition of the potting soil. Leave them in. Try watering it once a week, keep an eye on how quickly it gets dry. It will communicate to you how often it wants water. You may need to water sooner than a week or every 10 days. It will "change its mind" on occasion, so you will have to watch it. Don't worry, it won't keep secrets from you. It will tell you when it is ready for more water.
Lovely! Thanks for your help. I'm a chronic over waterer so I guess I'm a bit paranoid. The tag says it's a gardenia (Woops!) followed by "jasminoides"... A cousin perhaps?
Aha! No wonder we couldn't quite place it. Ok, this plant needs bright indirect light. The last post I made still applies. Also, like the Jasmine, it likes humidity so don't keep it in a drafty place and keep it at normal room temperatures. Enjoy! I'm sure it will be lovely when it blooms. Be sure to post pics.
Gardenia is the genus, jasminoides is the specific species of Gardenia. So it is a Gardenia. This species has synonyms: Gardenia augusta (L.) Merr. (nom. illeg.) Genipa florida (L.) Baill. Genipa grandiflora (Lour.) Baill. Genipa radicans (Thunb.) Baill. (Wiki) The only thing I can add to the wonderful advice above is about pot color. If it's been in the terra cotta pot that goes with that saucer, that's great (and know it may dry quite fast when baking in the sun, possibly daily.) In case not, in general, full sun plants don't do well in dark colored nursery pots, those can cook the roots.
Here is an update on my gardenia. It got one flower last week but then I was away for the weekend and when I got home it was already yellow. It fell off quite quickly too. As you can see it has a few yellow leaves and a bit yellow around the buds. I'm guessing I've been underwatering it now (summer here!) and the yellow leaves are still firmly attached. It is in a Terra cotta pot but unfortunately it is painted dark blue. Do you think this is a problem? I was so happy to find the perfect colour and size! Forgot my picture! ( photo / image / picture from catay5's Garden )
