Trachelospermum (Star Jasmine)

[MattA]

I bought a variegated chinese star jasmine a while back and have been trying to find information on growing it as a bonsai to no avail. I know it is often used as a bonsai so you would think there would be information available.. nope....

CRaigw mentioned they are really slow, would really like to hear more from you on this one. Also anyone else with experience growing them as bonsai?

At present I havent touched it apart from watering when needed but am itching to get in & sort out the mess. How far can I cut it back and when would be the best time to do it and also repot?

Matt

[Jerry Meislik]

Matt,
I grew the regular green variety for years and yes they move along very slowly. Trunk thickening is quite slow. They are basically a vine of sorts and need to be grown out a lot and then cut back to get a nice trunk going.
I always repotted in spring as new growth began.
No other unusual care.
Hope this helps.
Jerry

[MattA]

Jerry,

Thanks heaps for sharing your experience with them. One of the reasons I grabbed this is because it already has a fairly decent trunk given what it is (about 2cm) with lots of branching close to the base and plenty of movement. If anything there are too many branchs and its hard to see a tree for the ball that it had been grown as.

It is in a 30cm hanging pot and spreads 50 x 80 x 30cm high, its in serious need of repotting but i wasnt going to complain at $5.. I have started trying to work out a trunk line and will then take it from there. It is probably the most confounding plant I have ever owned. SOO many options, almost too many.... I brought it inside to take some pics and study it a bit more, the one of the interior is a bit dark but you can see the trunk and spread of branchs.

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Matt

[craigw60]

Hi Mat I have quite an old star jasmine grown in the cascade style, it as been very neglected in the styling over the past few years but I have been feeding and watering of course. I think they are quite hungry plants so I would recommend lots of food over the growing season. And don't expect a thick trunk tree because it won't happen they are pretty slow to develop. the perfume is great
Craig

[MattA]

Craig,

Thanks for the extra info. Your not wrong about slow to thicken, I have a triple trunk in my garden that hasnt perceptibly thickened in over 2 years, tho it has run half way across the garden & back I am thinking small tree with this one but wanted to find out as much as possible before I started working on it as I have never had one as bonsai before.

I need to spend alot more time studying its lines before I do any styling, there is just sooo much of it! In general when I get a new piece of stock I like to let it sit around for up to a year or more before I start hacking, the more advanced the stock the longer it gets studied before going at it. Unless it presents itself to me sooner, which this one hasnt as yet. I will repot it in a few more weeks and clean up a few unneeded bits and see what presents after that.

Matt

[Jamie]

Gday Matt

i dont know much about star jasmine, but if they are generally a slow grower then the variegated one might be even slower as generally variegated trees are generally weaker genetically. i know with a fig i had that was varigated it was a bugger of a tree as it refused to back bud, cuttings refused to strike, and the ones that did ended up dead anyways.

i think you have plenty of options with this one and a small tree would suit it well.

Jamie

[Ron]

Matt,

You certainly got your money's worth with the amount of roots there, mate.

How's the plant going these days? Did you get a handle on it, so to speak?

Ron ...

[MattA]

Hey Ron,

It was a good buy & from Flower Power of all places...I have to admit that I havent done anything beyond the odd bit of water. I was going to add food but stopped myself I dont think I have even fed it. just water when I remember.. I doubt much gets thru the roots tho It gets dragged up on the workbench every now & then, studied for a couple of days & put back in a new corner for a while more... I looked at it yesterday & its flowering!

I might take it to the club meeting tomorow, see if anyone there has some ideas for it. I have seen them around the 'burbs hacked right back to barewood and they regrow so hopefully this one will for me when i finally do something to it...

A light repot might not go astray either, atleast give me a chance to find the actual nebari.. I know its buried in there somewhere, just have to fight thru the roots to find it. remove a bit of root all round & start reducing it, not completely just yet as I want it to thump lots of growth once I begin working it... Pics once I do something.

Matt

Edit:
This thing just keeps stumping me... each time I think I see it... I blink its gone
might get some better pics in the morning see if anyone here can see a line....

[craigw60]

I have been meaning to post a pic of this tree for Matt for ages. It languished in my do nothing corner for ages, earlier this summer I cut it back to bare bones and it seems to have enjoyed the harsh treatment. Now I need to get some wire on it and arrange the branch structure.
Craigw

[Ron]

... star jasmine, but if they are generally a slow grower

This one of mine acquired recently, was grown from a cutting 6 years ago and the trunk diameter is 5cms. It went into the pot last Spring. Foliage grows fast and needs regular pruning.

StarJasmine1.jpg

[craigw60]

Hi Ron your star jasmine is looking great, the perfume must be really sweet. I have no trouble getting mine to grow its just that they take a very long time to thicken.
Craigw

[Jan]

Soooo many possibilities!

I can see a semi cascade (reminiscent of apricot blossom in chinese scrolls) using the first major branch on the left of your dark pic; a windswept using that branch and the one above it; an informal upright using branches from the second up on the right and whatever above that is needed for balance…and, who knows, there may even be root over rock possibilities with such a large root system (if you could just find the right rock).

Have you considered slip-potting (larger pot, and a bit of fresh soil) it just to give it a health boost before you start to style it?

So many choices, its little wonder you are still studying it. Delicious problem – I’ll be interested to see where you decide to go with this one.

Jan

[dragon]

all i did find out about a month ago there is a chinese jasmin tree aswell as the vine
we got one from bunnings and was told it was a orange blossom but in the end it was the chinese star tree
also i got 3 of the vines in front yard very very slow to grow i am thinking of digging them up
and placing in pot to help bring back the full growth
dean

[MattA]

Hey all,

Craig thanks for the pic of your, how long did it take to grow a trunk that thick and how do they go with healing? scarring?? I have a yellow flowering one in the ground & its painfully slow, I just chopped it back from half the bed & no real change in it.

Ron you have a nice start there now to plant it on & let it grow wild. Your kick got me moving & I repotted the octopus a few days later. Sorry to say no pics (bad boy I was in a hurry in poor light). It is kicking back really well given I cut it back to nothing & reduced the roots to a 10 x 15 cm ball.

Jan, the tree as always made the decision. When I cleaned up the rootball, the branch that looks like it comes out at ground level is 5cm above the actual nebari! It turned the whole tree over on its side into a spriralling cascade. I will take some pics in the morning to show where its heading & the new growth thats coming along nicely.

Matt

[craigw60]

Hi Matt, I have had this one for around 20 years but never really done much with it. There used to be a crown with branches flowing to the left so it was more like an informal upright, The scars take a very long time to heal, but I don't worry too much about scarring.
Craigw