Published: 18/04/2010 at 12:00 AM
Newspaper section: Brunch
Angsana Ekabhot wrote: "I love jasmine but I found it very difficult to grow. I put it in full sun, on the rooftop. I find little worms all the time and in the morning the leaves have been bitten during the night. Do you have any advice?"
REWARDING: If you have the space, jasmine is one flowering plant worth growing. Its lush leaves provide a welcome respite for the eyes and the white flowers lend a gentle fragrance to the air when they open in the early morning.
Known as mali in Thai, jasmine (Jasminum sambac) is one of the first flowers I had known as a child. This is not just because it is the national flower of the Philippines, where I was born, but my Aunt Sally was a keen gardener and jasmine, or sampaguita in our local language, was among the flowering plants she grew in our family compound. I grew up picking jasmine, ginger lily and gardenia from the bushes my aunt grew, and these flowers remain among my favourites as they bring back memories of my early childhood.
Originally growing wild from Persia, now known as Iran, to Kashmir in India, the common variety with single petals was brought to Thailand and the rest of tropical Asia from northern India through Szechuan in southwestern China. While my aunt grew this common variety, my cousin Sofia, who was as keen a gardener as our aunt, grew the one with the common name Arabian jasmine, which has double petals. Both are equally fragrant, but the single variety bears more flowers nearly all year round.
If you have the space, jasmine is one flowering plant worth growing. Plant it near the house, where the lush green leaves provide a welcome respite for the eyes and the white flowers lend a gentle fragrance to the air when they open in the early morning.
POPULAR: Jasmine is sold in pots at plant shops at Chatuchak Weekend Market, but it is happiest when planted in the ground.
When I was a child my Aunt Sally took a needle and thread and showed me how to string the flowers into a garland. From then on, I'd pick the flowers and make garlands which I'd put at the foot of the image of the Virgin Mary in my mother's bedroom. Jasmine is made into garlands for use as floral offerings to religious images in the Christian-dominant Philippines, or to welcome dignitaries the way the plumeria, or frangipani, is used in Hawaii as a lei to welcome visitors.
In Thailand the Arabian jasmine, known as mali sorn, is chosen over roses as a gift to mothers on Mother's Day, apparently because the white and fragrant flower represents the pure love that only a mother can give. The single variety is used to lend an aroma to the summer favourite, khao chae, or to the coconut milk and sugar palm concoction used to lace some Thai desserts, like lod chong. Dried flowers mixed with tea gives the tea a jasmine flavour. Be careful, however, when buying jasmine as a food flavouring, as commercial growers usually use pesticides, which makes growing your own flowers a safer option.
PURITY: Arabian jasmine, known in Thai as ‘mali sorn’, is the symbol of Mother’s Day in Thailand, apparently because the white and fragrant flower represents the pure love that only a mother can give. Jasmine is happiest when grown in the ground rather that in a pot, in soil enriched with compost and decomposed animal manure, and where it gets plenty of sun. Keep the soil moist but not soggy. If the only option is growing it in a pot on the rooftop, make sure to grow several plants together to provide humidity and water the plants every day, as the air is usually drier and the sun hotter on the rooftop than on the ground. Water preferably in the early morning before the sun is hot, as watering in the evening sometimes makes some plants susceptible to disease. And make sure your jasmine does not outgrow its pot.
It is not necessary to apply commercial fertilisers if the soil is enriched with animal manure. However, if your plant is robust with plenty of dark green leaves but no flowers, then apply a fertiliser that hastens flowering, such as NPK 0-20-0, or its equivalent (the middle number is higher than the other two).
If you are growing only a few plants there is no need to use pesticides. The safest way to control insect pests is to examine your plants and remove any worms that you may find, as these are the ones that are feeding on the plants' leaves. A few holes on the leaves do no harm to the plants, but if their growth is being affected then use malathion, which is available at garden supply stores. It is safe to use but like other pesticides make sure to follow the instructions on the label as to the proper dosage.
Like people, plants are less susceptible to pests and diseases if they are healthy and strong, and jasmine is no exception.
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