Melissa, if your jasmine is Jasminum mesnyi (formerly J. primulinum), it should root anywhere a branch touches the ground. It isn't hardy here, but I grew five potted ones for several years until I lost them in an especially cold winter. The garage wasn't enough protection to save them.

Late Spring semi-hardwood cuttings should root, though they take a lonnnnng time. The easier route is just to bend down some supple limbs and layer them. The best time is early Fall. I've found that you don't need to make any kind of cut, just wound the part of the stem that will be buried. Make your wound about 6-8" from the end of the twig. You want at least that much left above ground. I use a moderately rough sandpaper and rough up about a three inch section of the bottom side, just exposing the cambium layer. You can use rooting hormone if you like, but it's definitely optional. Bury the wounded part, and wait. Every single one should root by the next Summer, if you can keep the soil moderately moist. I know your summers are brutal, so you might choose cuttings instead of layering so that you have more control over the conditions. Good luck, and grow one for me. I wish it were hardy here!

John

That I will, John. Mine hasn't shown much disposition to layer, which I thought it might be capable of, but it's growing in a hostile situation, with particularly unreceptive soil. I hope that's changing. I'll try it as per your suggestion.

I read that primrose jasmine isn't hardy, but mine has been though quite a few winters here. People in zone 8 who are interested at least ought to give it a try, though I know that's not you.

I hope you've got some eighty year projects going. Though as I recall your garden has been a mature one for a while.

Happy New Year!

Melissa, my 80 year project this year, is planting several (about 25) native chestnuts. These are a cross/hybrid of 99% American chestnut (Castanea dentata), 1% Chinese chestnut (Castanea mollisima). The hope is that they will be resistant to chestnut blight. I've previously planted Dunstan hybrids (25% Chinese, 75% American), and I'm in line to receive seed from 100% American chestnuts that have shown some resistance to blight. There is work being done on genetically modifying American chestnuts, and I'm plugged into that program as well. If they are approved by the gov't for release into the wild, those trees will have a gene from wheat inserted that will negate the acid the blight releases, which is the actual cause of death for the tree. I'm a member of the American Chestnut Foundation (<link), whose goal is to restore the chestnut to American forests. At one time, chestnut trees comprised as much as 50% (!!!!!!!) of the forest in its range. I won't live to see whether the trees I plant will survive to adulthood. The blight usually doesn't kill them until they are at least 20 years old. But I'm trying to do my part. IF they survive, once they begin bearing nuts they will hopefully spread naturally, passing blight resistance to the next generation.

Sorry for the info overload, but this is one of my passions.

Wiki article on Castanea dentata

I love your project, John, and hope you live long enough to see good results. And, if not you, then those who follow you.

Watching things grow is a splendid activity.

Happy new year Melissa! I love the observation about how gardening attunes a person to the future. Our world seems to be stuck in a living-in-the-now moment, and we could use garden thinking more than ever. How wonderful it would be if our leaders were gardeners, planting the seeds of trees under which they might never sit.

John, when I was in Arkansas I planted a few chinquapins that were from plants judged to be resistant to blight. Only one grew into a robust young thing, and I ended up passing it along to the local woodworking professor before leaving the state. Hopefully chestnuts will populate this country again! How exciting to hear that you are planting so many of them!