Wondering what to do with jasmine in August? It’s a crucial month in the climber’s calendar, because it’ll either be pumping out blooms or winding down for the season.
Learning how to grow jasmine is incredibly rewarding, because the fragrant flowers put on a real show during the summer months. If you want to keep your plant healthy, tidy it up, and have it bounce back next year, a few simple care tasks can go a long way at this time of the year.
Here’s what to do with jasmine in August to help your plant perform its best for the remainder of summer (and for summers to come!).
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What you’ll need
Spear & Jackson
Razorsharp Advantage Bypass Secateurs
My favourite budget pair of bypass secateurs!
A watering can is hosepipe-ban-proof, if you fill it up at the tap.
Tenn Well
100m Green Garden Wire
A 100-metre reel of garden wire with an attached cutter.
1. Deadhead
There are plenty of plants you should deadhead in August to keep them flowering, and if your jasmine is still blooming this month, it’s worth keeping on top of that, too.
‘August is generally about keeping jasmine healthy and flowering well, rather than doing anything too drastic,’ says Andrew Jackson, award-winning garden writer, designer and creator of The New Build Manifesto. ‘For summer flowering jasmine, I’d keep deadheading where practical and remove any obviously dead, damaged or wayward growth.’
You can either use your fingers or, to make things smoother, a pair of garden snips like these Spear & Jackson Garden Snips from Amazon.
If your plant is beginning to finish flowering, you can take a slightly harder approach…
2. Prune lightly
This one depends on whether or not your plant’s flowering period is coming to an end. If it is, you can prune your jasmine in August – but only lightly.
‘Once flowering begins to finish, you can prune summer jasmine to keep it in shape, cutting back flowered shoots to a strong side shoot lower down,’ says Andrew. ‘Avoid very hard pruning at this point unless the plant really needs renovating.’
You’ll need a pair of quality bypass secateurs for the job, since they’re best suited to cutting green stems without damaging them. If you’re after a budget-friendly pair that work really well, go for the Spear & Jackson Razorsharp Advantage Bypass Secateurs from Amazon – but I also had a whale of a time using the Niwaki Sentei Secateurs to prune my jasmine plant (they cut through stems like butter!).
3. Tie in shoots
You don’t always need to prune a jasmine plant that’s put on a lot of new growth by August. Sometimes, it’s more about training the new shoots into a wider framework.
‘If it’s starting to outgrow its space, you can tie new shoots into their support rather than immediately reaching for the secateurs,’ says Andrew.
Learning how to train climbing plants is easier than it sounds. You’ll just need some garden twine or similar, like this tenn well 100m green garden wire from Amazon (there’s a cutter on the reel to make things even easier), as well as a support frame like a trellis or wires.
4. Look out for pests
Many garden plant pests tend to be drawn out of hiding by hot weather, and your jasmine plant could fall victim to a few critters in particular.
‘Look out particularly for aphids, scale insects, and spider mites, especially during hot, dry weather that we have been experiencing,’ says Ross Dyke, horticulturist, founder of Get Children Growing, and host of The Plant Pod.
‘These can usually be treated by adding some ladybirds on to the plant, because they will enjoy the free meal. If you can’t do this, you can use pesticides, but I would always try the organic route first.
Companion planting ideas are a fantastic way to attract ladybirds to your garden (they love marigolds!).
5. Water consistently
Watering is also an important care task for jasmine in August. Although it’s a fairly drought-tolerant plant once settled, it still needs consistent hydration in hot weather.
‘An established jasmine growing in the ground should be relatively resilient, but during prolonged hot or dry weather it will benefit from a really thorough soak, perhaps once or twice a week, rather than a little water every day,’ says Andrew. ‘Deep watering encourages the roots to travel further into the soil and makes the plant more resilient.’
Container-grown jasmine, on the other hand, needs a slightly more attentive approach. Andrew says pots can dry out really quickly, so it’s best to check the compost with your finger, watering when the top few centimetres feel dry.
‘In very hot weather, that could mean watering daily,’ he explains. ‘Water thoroughly until you see water coming through the drainage holes, ideally in the morning or evening, rather than simply wetting the surface.’
New jasmine plants need to be watered even more.
‘For my newly planted jasmine, I usually give them 5 litres of water daily for the first four days, especially in hot dry weather,’ says Ross.
6. Mulch
Mulching is the gold standard for a healthy garden, and a simple layer of mulch around the base of your jasmine plant can keep the entire thing healthier, weed-free and better hydrated.
‘Jasmine likes its roots relatively cool, so a layer of organic mulch can be useful during a hot, dry August, particularly if it’s planted against a sunny wall,’ explains Andrew.
There are lots of different types of mulch, but RocketGro Organic Magic Mulch (which you can buy from Amazon) is a long-standing favourite among reviewers.
Knowing what to do with jasmine in August can make a huge difference to your plant’s health and performance.
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