Jasmine Flowers

Jasmine is one of the oldest fragrant flowers cultivated by man. The flower is used for various purposes viz., making garlands, bouquet, decorating hair of women, religious offering etc. It is also used for production of Jasmine concrete which is used in cosmetic and perfumery industries.

More than 80 jasmine species are found in India, of which only three species are used for commercial cultivation. They are Jasminum sambac (Gundumalli / Madurai Malli), J. auriculatum (Mullai) and J. grandiflorum (Jathimalli / Pitchi). The first two species are mainly cultivated for selling as fresh flowers whereas the last one is cultivated for concrete extraction. Jasmine may look like a delicate vine with star-shaped pink, white, or yellow flowers, but don’t be fooled. When planted in a sheltered area, jasmine can grow so rapidly and aggressively that it needs frequent pruning.

Jasmine is known in India as the "Queen of the Night" because of it's intoxicating perfume that is released at night. In China ,Jasmine is used a symbol of feminine sweetness and beauty. Jasmine also symbolize deep affection, happiness and elegance. This is why it is used in wedding toss. Jasmine has been used for healing the female reproductive system. In Ayurvedic medicine jasmine is used to calm the nerves, sooth emotional problems, help with PMS and tension headaches. Because Jasmine has antispasmodic properties it can help relax the uterine cramps and pain during childbirth. Tamil Nadu is the leading producer of jasmine in the country with an annual production of 77247 t from the cultivated area of 9360 ha. The flowers produced in the state are being exported to the neighbouring countries viz., Sri Lanka, Singapore, Malaysia and Middle East countries.

The major jasmine producing districts of Tamil Nadu are Dindigul, Salem, Madurai, Tirunelveli, Virudhunagar, Trichy, etc. Since the crop requires lots of manpower for harvesting and other operations, only small farmers are cultivating the crop. It is an ideal crop for small farmers whose land holdings are less than 1 acre. Jasmine flowers are generally white, although some species have yellow flowers. Unlike most genera in the Oleaceae which have four corolla lobes ("petals"), jasmines often have five or six lobes. They are often strongly and sweetly scented. Flowering is in spring or summer in most species, but in a few species, notably J. nudiflorum, in winter on the bare branches of this deciduous species.

Package of practices
Varieties
The species-wise recommended varieties are Gundumalli (Jasminum sambac), Co-1 and Co-2 (J. Auriculatum) and Co-1 and Co-2 (J. Grandiflorum).

Soil and Climate
Jasmine can be cultivated in wide range of soils i.e., from sandy loam to clay soils. However, itcomes up well in well drained rich sandy loam soils. The ideal conditions for successful cultivation are warm summer with ample water supply and sunny days.

Land Preparation and Planting
One or two initial ploughings are required to remove the weeds present in the land, which is followed by digging of pits at a size of 30cm3. Each pit should be applied 10 kg of Farm Yard Manure (FYM) before filling the pits. Planting should be done during June-November at a spacing of 1.5m x 1.5m.

Irrigation
First irrigation should be given immediately after planting and subsequent irrigation at an interval of 7-10 days depending upon the weather conditions and soil type.

Manuring
It is recommended that each plant should be applied with 10 kg of FYM and 60 g of Nitrogen and 120 g each of Phosphorus and Potassium and should be applied in two split doses i.e., once after annual pruning and again during June-July.

Inter Cultural Operations
Weeding and strengthening of irrigation channels and bunds are the intercultural operations followed for jasmine cultivation. The first weeding should be done 20-25 days after planting and subsequent weedings are done once in 2-3 months.

Pruning
Training is basically done to give the desired shape to the plant whereas, pruning is done to get the desired crop. Normally, irrigation is withheld prior to pruning and plants are pruned by removing all past season shoots including dead and diseased branches. It is advisable to prune the plants during the last week of November to get increased yield and quality flowers. Plant Protection Pests - Bud worm, blossom midge and red spider mite are the major pests of jasmine. Spraying of monocrotophos 36 WSC @ 2ml /l is recommended to control bud worm and blossom midge. To control the red spider mite, spraying of sulfur (50% WP) @ 2g / l is recommended.

Diseases -

Nematode and root rot are the major diseases attacking the jasmine crop. Control measures for Nematode - 10 g of Temic granules/plant near root zone and for Root rot - Drench the soil around plant with Copper oxychloride @ 2.5 g / l .

Season of flowering and harvesting
Flowering commences after 6 months of planting. Fully developed unopened flower buds should be picked in the early morning i.e., before sun rise.

Backward and Forward Linkages
The crop is grown widely in Tamil Nadu and the major inputs like planting material, fertilizers,etc. are available locally. The flowers have a good demand in the local market as well as it is being exported to some of the South East / Middle East Asian countries. No problems are
anticipated on inputs or on marketing front. No new infrastructures need to be created for the activity.

Autumn and Winter Wedding Flowers

Marrying in the Autumn or Winter does not mean that you need to be restricted when it comes to choosing floral arrangements. Some couples want their wedding to have a particular look associated with a wintry time of year. A wedding with a particular theme needs to be meticulously planned so that it doesn’t look too contrived. There are certain times of the year that lend themselves to certain themes such as Christmas and Valentine’s Day that have strong visual images to work with. Choosing plants and flowers symbolic of the time of year can give guests a sense of time and place. These can then be easily developed within the wedding flowers.
There is quite a chasm between Autumnal flowers and Winter flowers in terms of colour, style and fragrance. However, some blooms are clearly suitable for either season and – depending on the colour – can be incorporated into a winter or autumn themed wedding.Obvious choices for Autumn may be berries with plenty of dark green, brown, orange and gold foliage. Equally though, purples, dark pinks, burgundies and anything in chocolate browns look quite at home during the Autumn season. In fact, if there is an introduction of a different colour it can prevent arrangements looking contrived or clichéd. If you focus your flowers around a ‘Harvest’ style theme, and work outwards from this centre point, then you can’t really go wrong. Autumn is such a great time as there is such an abundance of seeds, fruits, berries and grasses that contrast beautifully together. When choosing flowers to accompany berries, seeds, twigs and foliage choose from or combine vibrant orange Tiger Lillies, Chocolate or peach roses, honeysuckle, cream freesia, orange gerbera and ivory carnations. Your florist will help you with which flowers are seasonal if you are still unsure as to what to go for.

When it comes to winter wedding flowers and Christmas wedding flowers there is still plenty of classy choices without your reception tables and bouquets feeling tacky. Chinese lanterns, poinsettias, holly berries, Christmas Roses, Grand Prix roses, leatherleaf fern, beargrass in gold, crisp white flowers of any kind, ivory roses, Mistletoe, gold foliage, twisted branches and pine cones are to name but a few ideal choices. The most popular of all choices really is the red rose; these are the epitome of beauty, romance and seduction. Many a bride bases her entire theme on the red rose and why not? You need not be restricted to roses solely in the bouquets, they may also be used as button holes, as napkin decorations, attached to placecards, placed in bowls of water along with floating candles, on the wedding cake and petals scattered on the tables. Team the red roses with cream roses and insert diamante or pearls into their centres to give the occasion a sense of festive opulence. There is no way that when done properly, these beautiful flowers could ever look inappropriate or tacky.

So, whether you are a Autumn or a Winter bride, there are so many unique and unusual floral ideas that can be incorporated with ease into your big day. You won’t go far wrong if the flowers are in season and in keeping with the overall theme of your wedding. This includes the style of your dress, reception venue décor as well as the general ‘feel’ of your event – i.e. modern, simple, fairytale, lavish, funky, minimalist etc. Ensure that any floral arrangements are tied with co-ordinating ribbon to complete the look. This ribbon can also be used on napkin settings, favours and wedding cake to keep everything ‘uniform’ rather than something just thrown together.

Flower Gardening

A well maintained home flower garden is everyone's dream. While most of the people believe that flower gardening is not everyone's cup of tea, I'd say that it's not that much difficult too. People project it as if it's a nightmare, but we work hard to make money we must work hard to have a beautiful flower garden. Like we receive a salary as the reward of our hard work you'll get beautiful flowers which will erase any kind of fatigue or pain you incurred due to your flower garden. Just use a little bit of creativity and design a flower garden and get closer to nature right outside your home. The first thing to do is to plan your home flower garden. There are usually two methods of gardening.

The first method stresses on the use of fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides. These chemical in the long run may prove to destroy the soil organisms and throw flowers out of their natural balance. The other type of gardening is known as organic gardening where everything natural is used for the maintenance of the garden. Organic gardening is preferable for flower gardening. This is because flowers are delicate and organic gardening is most suitable for them. You will have to decide which type of flowers you would like to grow in your garden. Next you will have to check whether the climatic conditions and the soil in your garden will be able to maintain the growth of the flowers.

It is recommended that you read flower garden books to get more details about the different types of flowers and the climates and soils in which they grow. You can use natives in your garden as they are relatively easy to maintain than exotic species. Exotic species can be aggressive and disruptive in your garden as their natural predators are not present in the new environment. You must take the time to closely observe the relationships between plant communities in nature. You can also visit a nursery and take guidance from the staff in the nursery. The staff at the nursery will ask you basic questions about your choice, the nature of your garden, etc. Based on your answers, the staff will recommend you the types of flowers that you can grow in your garden and also give you tips on how to look after you flower garden.
The local nurseries are more helpful than big nurseries as they can give you special assistance on the types of plants to be grown and also give you tips on planting and maintenance. You can also take help from the local gardeners and also refer to websites on flower gardening for further information. Think about the different possibilities that you can have in your flower garden. Think about the possibilities of raised beds, borders, benches and trellises.