Jasminium azoricum is suddenly very unhappy

[tenderloingardener]

Wah! I started three new plants from cuttings, one was still holding back but not dying, while the other two were really taking off, one even forming it's first pink bud cluster. I wake up one morning and the little pink buds are gone, leaves are starting to shrivel or have turned yellow, and seem to have ceased growing.

I keep these in a pot outside along with a poppy. We had a brief break in the drought but this variety grows all over SF outside-should I panic and start rooting some new cuttings? Could it be the large poppy which is making it's flower right now?

Move them into another pot maybe?

These sweet smelling trellis climbers are so ubiquitous in SF they are almost like "honorary indiginous." That's why I'm so baffled-once established I anticipated easy sailing except a transplant mid summer.



What should I do?? Did I mention that my 2nd wedding anniversary is coming up -assuming no casualties -and along with rosemary this is "our" flower?

PS-If there is already a thread here I'm sorry. I use the search tool but rarely find what I'm looking for.

[imafan26]

I usually keep cuttings in a shady area until they root and make sure they do not dry out. It sounds like your cutting may have dried out. I would start with a new cutting.

I usually root all of my cuttings in perlite, but you can root in potting soil. Moisten the media. Take your cutting preferably early in the morning when the plant is actively growing. Make a slanting cut just below a node. dip in rootone or dip n' grow. Poke a hole in the media with your finger place the cutting in the hole and firm around it. put some stakes or chopsticks or if your pot is small. Cut the bottom off a large bottle and use it as a cloche. Otherwise. place a clear bag over the stakes and place the cutting in a protected area with good light. If the bag sweats too much open it up more until some of the moisture has dried. Mist to keep the media moist but not soggy. Jasmines can root in two to 6 weeks, so once in a while give the cutting a gentle tug. Transplant after the roots have formed or if you started the cutting in potting soil, remove baggie and harden it off until it gets to its final home.

[tenderloingardener]

Thanks for responding. These were all rooted well and growing in soil-that's why I was a bit baffled. The one which had developed buds literally turned black and died overnight. Its root system was quite well developed. I kept another with a good root system and new growth, though I'm not sure if it's going to continue. The new growth is kind of yelowish. The soil wasn't dried out. The poppy, hilariously, turned out to be a calendula. In any case I moved the jasmine into another pot.
I am out of rooting gel and can't get more right now so I went without when I started rooting some new cuttings last week. I'm using a synthetic rooting medium that I have used successfully before, though I also had rooting gel. It's nice to know about perlite though. A friend gave me this stuff, and it's great, but perlite is likely more affordable, and I just used the last of this stuff. I put them in a rectangular shaped tall glass container that works great for keeping the moisture level good and also stable. The plastic bag over the top also helps keep my plant mauling feline at bay. I'm thinking of making a few holes since I am getting moisture condensation on it.
Not having rooting gel I'm concerned about the ends rotting before rooting, but I'm not sure I can do much about it except hope.

I'm going to take your advice and slant cut the ends. That's how I cut the flowers to keep in a vase-don't know why it didn't occur to me. Thanks!

Thanks again for responding! It's really helpful to gain from the experience of others.