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fragrantgrower

Belle of India Jasmine

Last night the temperatures dropped to the lower 50's so I moved some plants including my Jasminum sambac 'Belle of India' into the garage for protection. This morning when I opened the door the scent was amazing!

I wanted to let people know not to get discouraged by the size of mail order plants. I ordered 3 plants last year from Pepper's Greenhouses. They were tiny cuttings (I think two cuttings per pot).

Now they're about 4ft wide and 2ft tall! :)

So far this is my favorite sambac scent.

-Robert

Comments (15)

  • Dar Sunset Zone 18
    11 years ago

    Wow that is amazingly fast growth Robert. What are you feeding them? And could you tell us about the potting mix you use? :P
    Thanks.

  • Robert (zone 7a, Oklahoma)
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Thanks, Dar!

    I try to give them as much sun as possible and I use a fast draining potting mix that I make myself (5:1:1). I add Dynamite (a slow release fertilizer) and some Ironite to the mix to keep the leaves dark green (looks like I need to add more from the pic, ha!). If the plant looks like it needs some liquid fertilizer I'll use either Dyna-Gro Foliage Pro or Miracle-Gro (I still have a lot of that left over from last year before I bought the Dyna-Gro that Kemistry recommended).
    I also move it inside if the night temps are below 60.
    I think the fast draining soil, sun and warmth are the keys to the fast growth...though you do have to water more often. :)

    Good luck!

    -Robert

    Here is a link that might be useful: Al's 5:1:1 fast draining potting mix

  • olympia_gardener
    11 years ago

    Robert, Your Jasmine Sambac blooms earlier than mine. Mine are still in small flower buds. I can't wait to smell the sweet enchanting aroma. They are very easy to grow from cuttings. Temperature in my area dropped back to mid/upper 40s at night, boy, feel we are back to April, cold!!. I left all my plants except curry leaf outside. I inspected them this morning, They all looked OK.
    How do compare the scent of Belle of... to other J. Sambac varieties?

  • Robert (zone 7a, Oklahoma)
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Olympia,

    Belle of India doesn't like cold weather. It comes from warmer parts of southern India than other sambacs so I'd bring yours inside at night if you want blooms sooner.
    As for scent I'm not nearly as skilled at describing scent as Kemistry is but to me it's a much higher, sweet note that sort of reminds me of honeysuckle compared to Maid of Orleans or Grand Duke.
    I could sniff a bloom for hours. :)

    -Robert

  • kemistry
    11 years ago

    That's a great looking Belle, Robert! Mine lacks sun and heat so it looks a bit naked. :o)

    I think all sambac are similar in scent though some cultivars are more scented than others. Which j. sambac cultivars are you growing Olympia_gardener?

  • dl99
    11 years ago

    I agree with Robert. What a nice fragrance, less powerful than grand duke,sweeter than maid of orleans.
    Kandhi also mentioned that Belle is her favorite. It is now my favorite too.

  • olympia_gardener
    11 years ago

    Nice flower, dl. It has many buds on it.

    I like my Belle of..., but I notice my Belle.. leaves are a little pale green than MOO's which are thick and dark green. I am wondering if this is due to lack of fertilizer or this veriety has light green leaves naturally.
    I also notice that my Belle.. does not put a lot of flowers like MOO does. When my Moo blooms, it has flowers everywhere on the branches. It realy puts out a show. But Belle..., has few here and few there, a lot less flowers open at the same time. Is it just my Belle... or all the Belle... ?

  • Robert (zone 7a, Oklahoma)
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Looks good, Lakshmi! I'm glad you like its scent.
    Mysore Mulli is similar but so far Belle is still my fav. :)
    You might want to add some iron to your jasmine to make its leaves darker green.

    Olympia,

    My Belle (or more correctly Belles since I have several in one pot) have been covered in blooms for a month now. They're now starting to slow down but man was it heavenly while it lasted!
    I'll probably give it some liquid fertilizer to see if I can get the ball rolling again.

    -Robert

  • kasiec
    11 years ago

    Hello All - I am a Jasmine Sambac junkie too...LOL

    Okay, I have Grand Duke and MOO of that I am positively sure. But I am for the life of me confused as to what I have, Belle of India or Mysore. The more I searched for info on line that showed pictures, the more confuse I've become. San Gabriel nursery, the supplier of many nurseries here just calls it "Jasmine Sambac Double". Or should I just sit back and forget about it and just enjoy knowing that I have 3 different kinds.

    Kasie

  • dl99
    11 years ago

    Olympia ,I like MOO for its profusion of flowers.in spring, I see flowers even before leaves start to sprout and it blooms in winter too. So far I have had 5 blossoms in Belle! but they stay on a couple of days and smell so good.

    I never wondered why the leaves of Belle were paler.
    Based on TT's description -'light green paired leaves', I just assumed that belle has paler leaves!

    Thanks for the suggestion Robert.

    Aren't jasmines everblooming? Should we apply iorn + fertilizer in winter too, how much & how often?

    Thanks.Lakshmi.

  • Robert (zone 7a, Oklahoma)
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Kasie,

    Belle has elongated petals. Mysore has rounded. Give us a pic and we can quickly get this figured out for you! ;)

    Lakshmi,

    Do you have a greenhouse or will you be growing it inside during the winter with supplemental lights? The decreasing light levels will probably send your jasmine into dormancy (meaning don't fertilize when it's not actively growing).
    I cut mine back and shove them down into the basement and only water occasionally but I don't fertilize during the winter since mine are in the dimly lite basement.
    Foliage-Pro by Dyna-Gro is an excellent fertilizer. Some people dilute the amounts and fertilize every time they water or you could follow the recommendations on the label.
    I throw Ironite on top of the soil when my leaves look yellowish (I don't follow the instructions and just give what I think they need since I've so many other potted plants to tend to).
    I hope this helps!

    -Robert

  • kasiec
    11 years ago

    dl99 - that is a very nice looking plant. Did you get it from TT?

    Robert - I will take photo when the bloom is more presentable. It's hot and windy here so the blossoms are half white and half brown. And thanks for the Ironite info to green up the leaves.

    Kasie

  • dl99
    11 years ago

    Robert, no greenhouse, all are in the basement during winter. I will follow your advice.
    Yes I have read some use 1/4 tsp every time they water.

    Kasie I got mine from accents. TT is strictly window shopping website for me.Small plant but jasmines grow quickly.

    Thanks,Lakshmi.

  • xiaosuidian
    6 years ago

    I bought a pot of Belle of India in July. It's about 2 ft tall. It was blooming when I bought it. How often will they bloom? How do I promote blooming? Btw, the temperature starts to drop to 50 or lower at night now. Should I take it indoor?