Please check for mites ASAP. My one jasmine gets mites almost religiously, though it hasn't since I sprayed it with MiteX. One sign it has mites is that new growth is not flat and nice but kind of quilted looking. Also, it drops green colored leaves that are crunchy and dry.

Look behind the leaves for webbing and what can appear as dust. If you look closely though, they are little tan specks that move.

If you see them, give it a shower immediately. If you have a spray bottle or shower attachment, use it to try and forcefully rinse them off. Leaves will fall off, but as long as you have enough left for it to feed itself, it should be ok. As soon as possible, get some insecticidal soap or MiteX or something like that, and spray it. Spray it every few days or at least once a week until you see no traces of mites.

Then just keep an eye on it. If you see translucent new growth or quilty leaves, get ready to fight mites.

No, one thing it definitely does not have is mites, believe me. It's not a promiscuous plant to be sure.

Hmmm,

I'm guessing the relationship started to sour in the fall? You've correctly surmised that changing conditions probably put it into shock a bit, but even aside from that, you can't expect j. sambac to do that much during the dead of winter up north, indoors, unless it's in total full sun, day temps up near 80, and humidity like Alabama in August. Otherwise, it tends to sulk and not grow much.

The problem here is that many growers keep watering like it's still summer, or react to the slow growth and leaf drop by giving it more water (not accusing you, mersiepoo, just talking generally here), and if it's cold and wet at night, it starts to get root damage.

The combination of lower light, temps and humidity and wet roots is enough to make anyone resentful, not just those afflicted by SAD.

If the stems are still green, then you can save the marriage with therapy: keep it barely moist, not wet, for a few more weeks and see if you can get some new growth to stay with you. Then gradually up the watering as day length increases, and with luck your Maid O' Orleans will be merry again by Mother's Day. If it's still not happy with your domestic arrangements in a few weeks, it's time to gently ease it out of the pot when the soil's dry and inspect the rootball for brown, soggy, rotten roots. Trim them off, dust with cinnamon (an anti-fungal trick learned from the orchid growers), and repot with fresh mix.

If it all goes bad, just remember, it was never meant to be between the two of you, and there's plenty more jasmines out there waiting . . . .

By all means drink heavily and get a gardenia, too -- just make sure it's coffee or tea so you can pour the leftovers onto the gardenia!

Good luck!

Jim

Hi Jimshy!

Thanks for your moral support! I made sure to not overwater it (it was really dry when I watered it this winter), because I know that too much water can make it think you love it too much and they will distance themselves from you sometimes. I should play hard to get, right? I've let it get more light, and tried to not pay it too much attention (in case it's still interested in me). I do see a single leaf bud at the base, so I still have hope that it'll come back to me. I'll keep ya updated on our relationship. :)

It's official. Dead. Now I'm FREE to get another one, HAHAHAAAAAAAAAAAAA!

Hopeless romantic and all.
Don't you think some nurseries have perfected the craft of growing plants with a self timer so they wither and die after several months of bouncy healthy existence?
Any conspiracy theorists out there? :)

Yes, they do have a method of destroying the plants, but instead of timers, the have bred the plants to emit an internal cyanide gas and they commit suicide that way. No way to tell except by autopsy or spectroanalysis. I've seen the secret videos....