Cloning a Jasmine

Propagate jasmines through root cuttings or tip layering.

Propagate jasmines through root cuttings or tip layering.

Jasmines (Jasminum spp.) are deciduous or evergreen shrubs and vines prized for their clusters of usually fragrant white, yellow or pinkish flowers. Jasmines are generally very easy to propagate vegetatively if multiple jasmine plants genetically identical to the parent plant are desired. The best way to produce several new jasmine plants from a single parent is by rooting semi-hardwood cuttings in late summer. It is also possible to propagate vining jasmines beginning in spring using tip layering.

Taking Cuttings

Jasmine cuttings root best if taken in late summer from the current season's growth. Only take cuttings from healthy, disease-free plants that show no nutrient deficiencies, are not drought-stressed and have not been over-fertilized. Use a sharp knife or pruning shears to remove a cutting 4 to 6 inches long from the tip of a jasmine stem. If diseases are a concern, dip the cutting tool in alcohol or a bleach solution between cuttings. If possible, perform the cutting in early morning when the plant is fully turgid. If the cuttings are not placed in the rooting medium immediately, store them in damp paper towels or peat moss and transport them in a cooler or refrigerate them.

Rooting Medium and Container

Use only clean, sterile flats or other containers and sterilized rooting medium. The rooting medium should offer excellent drainage, have low fertility and could contain half peat moss and half sand or perlite or a similar combination of materials. The flat or other container must have adequate holes for drainage. Cuttings will also benefit from a plastic or glass cover that fits over the container and helps to maintain a high level of humidity around the cuttings.

Placing Rootings in the Medium

Remove leaves from the lower third of the jasmine cutting. Use a pencil or other thin tool to poke a hole for each cutting in the moistened medium. Dipping the end of the cutting in rooting hormone is not necessary but often encourages better, more uniform rooting. Place each cutting gently in a prepared hole so that the lowest remaining leaves are still above the surface of the medium, gently firm the rooting medium around the cutting and mist the medium thoroughly to help it settle around the cutting.

Encouraging Rooting

Place the cutting container in bright, indirect light where the temperature remains around 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Mist the cuttings and medium frequently, always keeping the medium moist but not damp and never allowing the cuttings to dry enough that they wilt. Roots will generally develop in four to five weeks. When roots begin to emerge, begin to gradually decrease the frequency of misting and lower the humidity level. After roots an inch long develop, the cutting is ready for transplant into a container with well-drained, fertile potting soil. Cultivating the young jasmine in a container for about a year before transplanting it into its permanent position in the landscape encourages greater success and allows for more control over the growing environment.

Propagating Jasmine With Tip Layering

A jasmine with a vining habit and a low or flexible branch that can easily reach the ground is suited for propagation using tip layering. With this method, the tip of a jasmine stem is bent to the ground and the bark and underlying cambium layer are scraped off in a ring 1/2 to 1 inch wide, about 4 to 5 inches back from the tip. The wounded portion of the stem is then buried or covered with 2 to 3 inches of soil. Always keep the soil evenly moist to encourage root development and prevent drying. Tip layering is best performed in the spring; successfully rooted tips are then cut free and planted in late fall or spring.

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