How to Plant Asiatic Jasmine

Unlike other types of jasmine, Asiatic jasmine is a true ground cover. It grows in low-spreading clumps on woody stems and never reaches more than a few inches high. Asiatic jasmine shows its versatility through tolerating cold, drought and growing well in both full sun and some shade. It produces shiny evergreen oval leaves and blooms with tiny white and fragrant flowers in the spring. New growth requires mowing early in the season on a high setting to prevent it from invading the rest of your garden, but the new growth returns quickly. This lush and leafy ground cover is perfect for steep inclines, tree island plots and patchy places with poor soil.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You’ll Need:

• Mature compost
• Tiller
• Trowel
• Asiatic jasmine seedlings
• Water

1. Push your tiller blades about 6 inches into the ground at the edge of your garden plot. Turn the tiller on and push it slowly forward, moving up and down the plot until the soil is loose and crumbly. Spread the area with about 3 inches of mature compost and till it under.

2. Dig holes for each Asiatic jasmine seedling about 2 feet apart. The holes should be about three times as wide as the root ball and 2 inches deeper than the root ball is tall. For instance, if the root balls are 4 inches tall and 3 inches wide, dig holes 6 inches deep and 9 inches wide.

3. Slip each seedling into its own hole and cover the roots with soil. Water deeply; the soil should be very moist around each plant. Mulch each plant with about an inch of compost to help keep in the water and provide extra nutrients.

4. Water your Asiatic jasmine deeply every three days, especially in hot, dry climates. It tolerates drought by conserving moisture in its roots; dry jasmine will turn brown but bounce back when watered regularly.