Jasmine (Chameli / Mogra)
Jasminum sambac / auriculatum / grandiflorum
South India's great fragrant flower crop — a perennial bush that crops for a decade and is picked, famously, as plump unopened buds in the cool evening so they open and release their scent through the night in the garland or the hair. It turns on three things: the right species for the market (sambac mogra, auriculatum mullai, or grandiflorum for jasmine oil), an annual pruning that times the flush into the high-price festival and wedding window, and relentless control of the jasmine budworm that bores the buds.
Quick Summary
The key points from this page in about two minutes — read it or have it read aloud.
Quick Summary
Jasmine (chameli / mogra, Jasminum species) is one of India's most important commercial flower crops, grown above all in the south — Tamil Nadu (Madurai is the "jasmine city", home of the GI-tagged Madurai Malli), Karnataka (Mysore Mallige, another GI), Andhra Pradesh — and in Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, West Bengal and Maharashtra. It is prized for its intense night-opening fragrance and feeds three markets: loose flowers and strung buds for garlands, hair and worship (the biggest volume); the premium jasmine-concrete and attar industry, built mainly on Spanish jasmine (J. grandiflorum); and a smaller fresh-decoration trade.
Three species cover almost all commercial growing, and the species is the first market decision. Jasminum sambac (gundumalli / mogra / Arabian jasmine) gives the round, bold, intensely fragrant buds most wanted for garlands and hair. Jasminum auriculatum (mullai) — the TNAU CO 1 and CO 2 and the variety Parimullai — gives long-tubed buds that are easy to pick and string. Jasminum grandiflorum (pitchi / jathimalli / Spanish jasmine) is the species distilled for jasmine oil and concrete.
Jasmine is a perennial that crops for roughly ten to fifteen years, grown from rooted cuttings or layers (not seed) and established on a well-drained, sunny, fertile plot. The single operation that decides the crop's profit is the annual pruning — a hard prune (in the plains, usually in the cool season) removes old wood and forces a strong new flush that flowers a few weeks later, so pruning is timed backwards from the festival and wedding window the grower is targeting. The flowers are picked as plump, fully-grown but unopened buds in the cool of the evening (or very early morning), because the bud is what the garland and hair trade wants and it opens and releases its scent overnight.
The crop's defining pest is the jasmine budworm, a caterpillar that bores into the buds and destroys the marketable product from inside; a bud mite (gall mite) and red spider mite also attack, and leaf blight, rust and a phyllody disease appear. None is unmanageable on a well-grown, open, well-fed bush. With the right species, timed pruning and steady budworm control, jasmine is one of the highest-value and most dependable flower crops in the southern states, and it genuinely trades as a priced loose-flower commodity on the markets.
- Crop type
- Perennial fragrant flowering shrub (loose flower & oil), from cuttings
- Season
- Main flush warm season (~Mar–Jul); pruning times the flush
- Suitable states
- Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, West Bengal, Maharashtra
- Bearing life
- ~10–15 years from one planting
- Water requirement
- Moderate; steady moisture, good drainage, no wet foliage
- Temperature
- Warm, ~20–35°C; a warm-season flowering crop
- Soil type
- Fertile, well-drained loamy soil, pH ~6.5–7.5
- Difficulty level
- Moderate — species choice, pruning timing and budworm control decide profit
- Expected yield
- ~7–11 t/ha flowers depending on species/variety (CO 2 highest)
- Key risk
- Jasmine budworm boring the buds; wrong species for the market; mistimed pruning
Overview
Jasmine (chameli / mogra, Jasminum species) is one of India's most valuable commercial flower crops, grown above all in the south — Tamil Nadu (Madurai, with the GI-tagged Madurai Malli), Karnataka (Mysore Mallige), Andhra Pradesh — and in Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, West Bengal and Maharashtra. It is prized for its intense night-opening fragrance and the steady demand for loose flowers and strung buds for garlands, hair and worship.
Three species cover almost all commercial growing, and choosing the species is the first market decision: Jasminum sambac (gundumalli / mogra) for round, bold, fragrant garland and hair buds; Jasminum auriculatum (mullai — CO 1, CO 2, Parimullai) for easy-to-string long-tubed buds; and Jasminum grandiflorum (pitchi / Spanish jasmine) for the jasmine-oil and concrete industry. Loose jasmine genuinely trades as a priced commodity on the markets.
Jasmine is a perennial that crops for ten to fifteen years, grown from cuttings or layers (not seed). It turns on the species, the annual pruning that times the flush into a festival/wedding window, and relentless control of the jasmine budworm that bores the buds. Flowers are picked as plump unopened buds in the cool evening, because the bud is what the trade wants and it opens and releases its scent overnight.
Crop timeline, sowing to harvest
A quick visual map of the season — jump to any section below for the detail behind each stage.
- Year 0
Planting rooted cuttings/layers
Rooted cuttings or ground layers of the chosen species are planted into well-drained, manured pits on a sunny plot in the cool/rainy season and established over the first few months.
- Months 4–8
Establishment & framework
The young bush builds its framework; light training and the first flowers come in the first year, with full bearing from the second to third year.
- Annual · pruning
Pruning (cool season)
The key operation — an annual hard prune removes old, weak wood and forces a strong new flush, timed backwards from the festival/wedding window; flowering follows a few weeks later.
- ~weeks after pruning
Flush & budding
The pruned bush throws a vigorous flush; a balanced feed and steady moisture build heavy budding, which peaks through the warm season (the main flowering is roughly March–July for most species).
- Flowering season
Daily bud picking
Plump, fully-grown but unopened buds are picked daily in the cool evening (or very early morning), because the bud is the product and it opens and releases scent overnight; picking is labour-intensive and must be daily through the flush.
- Years 2–15
Productive bearing life
The planting crops for roughly ten to fifteen years with annual pruning, feeding, irrigation and pest control before vigour declines and it is replanted.
Suitable states
States where this crop is grown at scale, highlighted below. Your local Krishi Vigyan Kendra is still the final word for your specific block.
- Jammu and Kashmir
- Himachal Pradesh
- Punjab
- Uttarakhand
- Haryana
- Delhi
- Uttar Pradesh
- Rajasthan
- Bihar
- Jharkhand
- West Bengal
- Sikkim
- Assam
- Arunachal Pradesh
- Meghalaya
- Nagaland
- Manipur
- Mizoram
- Tripura
- Gujarat
- Madhya Pradesh
- Chhattisgarh
- Maharashtra
- Odisha
- Goa
- Telangana
- Andhra Pradesh
- Karnataka
- Kerala
- Tamil Nadu
- Puducherry
- Ladakh
- Chandigarh
- Lakshadweep
- Andaman and Nicobar Islands
- Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu
Grown here
Climate requirements
The crop is decided as much by the pruning calendar as by the weather: prune so the flush flowers into a festival/wedding window, and pick the buds in the cool of the day so they reach the garland-maker plump and unopened.
Ideal temperature
A warm-season flowering crop that buds and flowers best in warm weather, roughly 20–35°C, which is why the main flush runs through the warmer months. It grows well up to about 1200 m. Very cold weather and frost check flowering, and extreme heat without enough moisture reduces bud number and size.
Rainfall
Grown under irrigation; a well-distributed 800–1000 mm suits it, but it needs good drainage and dislikes heavy continuous rain, which causes flower and bud rot and worsens leaf disease. The dry warm season is the main flowering period.
Humidity
Moderate humidity is fine; prolonged wet, humid weather raises leaf blight, rust and bud rot, so airflow and dry foliage help.
Sunlight
A full-sun crop — strong sunlight gives the most buds and the best fragrance. Shaded or crowded bushes grow leafy, flower poorly and hold pests and disease.
Soil requirements
A fertile, well-drained, sunny plot with plenty of organic matter is ideal; good drainage and an open, well-pruned bush are the keys to a long, productive, disease-free planting.
Suitable soil
Grows on a range of soils but does best on a fertile, well-drained, deep loamy soil rich in organic matter. Waterlogging-prone heavy clay causes root and collar rot on a long-lived planting; very poor sandy soil needs heavy manuring.
pH range
Prefers a near-neutral soil, roughly pH 6.5–7.5.
Drainage
Good drainage is important — jasmine will not tolerate waterlogging on a planting meant to crop for a decade or more; on heavier land, plant on raised beds or ridges.
Organic matter
Responds strongly to generous well-rotted farmyard manure or compost worked into the pit and top-dressed each year after pruning.
Land preparation
Same four steps whichever region you are in — only the timing shifts with the sowing window.
- 1
Prepare a well-drained, manured plot
Plough and work in generous well-rotted FYM; on heavy or wet land, form raised beds or ridges so water never stands around the roots of a decade-long planting.
- 2
Dig and fill planting pits
Dig pits (about 45 cm cube) at the chosen spacing a month ahead, expose them to the sun, and refill with topsoil mixed with well-rotted manure so the young plant establishes fast.
- 3
Source rooted cuttings or layers of the right species
Buy healthy rooted cuttings or ground layers of the species matched to your market — sambac (gundumalli) for garland buds, auriculatum (mullai, CO 1/CO 2) for easy stringing, or grandiflorum (pitchi) for jasmine oil.
Seed information
How the main varieties compare, so you can pick by duration, yield, disease pressure or what you are growing for.
| Variety | Duration | Yield | Disease resistance | Best state | Suitable for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
A Jasminum auriculatum (mullai) variety with medium, round buds and a long flowering duration of about nine months a year, reported as resistant to the jasmine gall (bud) mite and yielding about 8 t/ha of flowers — a valuable trait given the mite's damage. | Perennial; long flowering span (~9 months/year) | ~8 t/ha flowers | Resistant to the jasmine gall (bud) mite | Tamil Nadu and the southern belt | Long-season mullai loose-flower production |
A TNAU Jasminum auriculatum variety whose flowers have a long corolla tube, which makes them easy to harvest and string, with an average yield of about 8.8 t/ha — a standard mullai loose-flower variety for Tamil Nadu. | Perennial; warm-season flush | ~8.8 t/ha flowers | Good field tolerance in its target region | Tamil Nadu | Easy-to-string mullai loose flowers |
A TNAU Jasminum auriculatum variety with bold buds and a long corolla tube, tolerant to phyllody disease and the highest-yielding of the mullai types at about 11.1 t/ha — the choice where phyllody is a problem and yield is the priority. | Perennial; warm-season flush | ~11.1 t/ha flowers (highest of the mullai types) | Tolerant to phyllody disease | Tamil Nadu | High-yield mullai loose flowers; phyllody-prone areas |
The famous round-budded, intensely fragrant Jasminum sambac (Arabian jasmine / mogra) grown around Madurai — the GI-tagged "Madurai Malli" — and the classic garland and hair jasmine of the south, yielding about 7–8 t/ha with the Ramanathapuram strain. | Perennial; warm-season flush | ~7–8 t/ha flowers | Hardy, widely grown traditional type | Tamil Nadu (Madurai, Ramanathapuram) | Premium garland and hair buds; the GI Madurai Malli trade |
An ICAR-IIHR (Bengaluru) Jasminum sambac variety released in 2000, suited both to fresh loose-flower production and to oil/concrete extraction — a more recent, improved sambac for the garland and processing trade. | Perennial; warm-season flush | Good flower yield; dual fresh-flower and oil use | Good field tolerance | Karnataka and the southern belt | Fresh loose flowers and oil/concrete extraction |
A TNAU Jasminum grandiflorum (pitchi / jathimalli / Spanish jasmine) clonal selection, the species distilled for jasmine oil and concrete, and also sold as a loose flower — the main variety for the premium jasmine-oil industry. | Perennial; warm-season flush | Good flower yield for oil and loose-flower use | Good field tolerance | Tamil Nadu | Jasmine oil/concrete extraction and loose flowers |
The GI-tagged Jasminum sambac jasmine of the Mysuru–Mandya belt of Karnataka, a traditional, intensely fragrant garland jasmine with a strong regional and cultural market — Karnataka's counterpart to Madurai Malli. | Perennial; warm-season flush | Good flower yield of fragrant garland buds | Hardy traditional type | Karnataka (Mysuru, Mandya) | The GI Mysore Mallige garland and hair trade |
- Seed rate
- Jasmine is not grown from seed — it is planted from rooted stem cuttings or ground/air layers of the chosen species. Planting density runs roughly 10,000–15,000 plants/ha depending on species and spacing; gundumalli and mullai are planted closer than the more spreading grandiflorum.
- Certified seed
- Buy healthy, true-to-type rooted cuttings or layers of a named variety from a reputable nursery, an ICAR institute (IIHR) or TNAU; match the species to the market — sambac (gundumalli/Madurai Malli, Mysore Mallige, Arka Aradhana) for garland buds, auriculatum (mullai — Parimullai, CO 1, CO 2) for easy stringing, or grandiflorum (CO 1 Pitchi) for jasmine oil.
- Spacing
- About 1.5–2.0 m × 1.0–1.5 m depending on species — gundumalli and mullai closer, the more spreading grandiflorum wider. Pits about 45 cm cube.
- Seed treatment
- Not seed-sown; instead plant only clean, healthy, disease- and mite-free rooted cuttings, and start with a hygienic, well-drained bed to avoid carrying bud mite, wilt and root rot into a long-lived planting.
Sowing guide
Do not plant on waterlogging-prone land without raised beds, and do not skip or mistime the annual pruning — the prune, not the planting date, decides when and how heavily the bush flowers, and picking must be daily or the buds open and are wasted.
- Best time
- Plant rooted cuttings or layers in the cool or early-rainy season (roughly June–December depending on region) so they establish before the main flush. Flowering itself is set by the annual pruning, timed backwards from the festival/wedding window.
- Row spacing
- 1.5–2.0 m
- Plant spacing
- 1.0–1.5 m
- Sowing depth
- Plant the rooted cutting/layer to the same depth it was in the nursery, firmed in and watered
- Method
- Plant healthy rooted cuttings or layers into prepared, manured pits in the cool/rainy season; water in and train the framework. Prune annually (hard, in the cool season) to force the flowering flush, and pick the buds daily in the cool evening through the flush.
Fertilizer schedule
A split dose beats one large dose applied at sowing — nitrogen especially is lost to the air and to leaching if it all goes in on day one.
- 1
Basal / at pruning
At planting and after each annual pruning
Work generous well-rotted FYM (about 10 kg/plant/year) plus the full phosphorus and potassium and part of the nitrogen into the root zone after pruning, as the new flush begins — the main feed of the year.
- 2
Flush top-dressing
As the new flush grows and buds form
Top-dress nitrogen (with potassium) as the pruned bush throws its flush and buds, to build bud number; split the nitrogen rather than giving it all at once.
- 3
Micronutrient / foliar
As symptoms show / to lift budding
A foliar micronutrient spray corrects deficiencies on poor or alkaline soils and can help lift budding on a weak bush.
Irrigation schedule
1. After planting / pruning
Regular until established / flush starts
Water regularly after planting and immediately after each pruning to drive the new flush; keep the root zone moist but never waterlogged.
2. Flush & flowering
Every 5–8 days
Steady, even moisture through the flush and flowering holds up bud number and size; water stress at budding drops and shrinks the buds.
3. Rest period
Reduced between flushes
Irrigation is eased back during the rest period after the main flush, keeping the plant ticking over without pushing soft, disease-prone growth.
Critical stages
- Establishment and after pruning
- Bud formation and flowering
Water-saving tips
- Drip irrigation keeps the root zone moist without wetting the foliage, which helps hold down leaf blight and bud rot.
- A mulch around the plants conserves moisture, suppresses weeds and keeps the roots cool.
- Never let water stand around the collar — waterlogging causes root rot on a long-lived planting.
Weed management
Common weeds
Organic control
- Regular shallow hoeing and hand-weeding around the plants, timed with top-dressing, keeps the bed clean without damaging the surface roots.
- An organic mulch around the plants suppresses weeds, conserves moisture and keeps the roots cool.
- An open, well-pruned, weed-free planting also lowers pest and disease pressure.
Chemical control
- A pre-emergence herbicide cleared for ornamentals may be used on larger plantings with care around the plants; confirm the product with your local KVK or horticulture office.
Nutrient deficiency identification
What a shortage of each nutrient actually looks like on the plant, so you can tell a deficiency apart from a disease before you spray the wrong thing.
Nitrogen
Visible symptom
Pale green, small older leaves, weak flush and fewer buds; the most common deficiency and the one that most directly cuts bud yield.
Iron
Visible symptom
Yellowing between the veins of the youngest leaves while the veins stay green, mainly on alkaline or waterlogged soils.
Potassium
Visible symptom
Scorched, browning margins on older leaves and weak budding with poor-quality flowers.
Diseases to watch for
Symptoms, likely cause and what actually treats it — not just a spray name.
Alternaria leaf blight
- Symptoms
- Brown-to-black spots and blotches on the leaves, sometimes with concentric rings, enlarging and merging in humid weather until leaves yellow and fall, weakening the bush.
- Cause
- Alternaria (and related Cercospora) fungi, spread by rain-splash and favoured by warm, humid, overcast weather and a dense canopy.
- Treatment
- A protective mancozeb or copper-based spray at first sign, repeated at 10–14-day intervals in humid weather; remove badly affected leaves.
- Prevention
- Open, well-pruned planting for airflow, dry foliage (drip not overhead watering), and removal of infected leaf litter.
Rust
- Symptoms
- Reddish-brown powdery pustules on the undersides of the leaves, which in a heavy attack yellow and drop the foliage and weaken flowering.
- Cause
- A rust fungus, spread by air-borne spores and favoured by humid weather and a dense canopy.
- Treatment
- A protective fungicide at first sign on a susceptible planting in a wet year, and removal of badly affected leaves.
- Prevention
- Keep the canopy open and the foliage dry, and remove infected leaves to cut the spore source.
Fusarium wilt
- Symptoms
- Wilting, yellowing and dieback of shoots or whole plants, with browning of the vascular tissue inside the stem, often on patches of waterlogged or infested soil.
- Cause
- Soil-borne Fusarium fungi, favoured by waterlogging and carried on planting material and in the soil.
- Treatment
- Remove and destroy badly affected plants, improve drainage, and drench the root zone with a recommended fungicide or Trichoderma; a severely affected patch is best rested.
- Prevention
- Plant clean, healthy cuttings on well-drained raised beds, avoid waterlogging, and incorporate Trichoderma into the pit on disease-prone land.
Pests to watch for
What to look for before the damage is visible, and organic options before you reach for a chemical.
Jasmine budworm
- Identification
- A small caterpillar that bores into the flower buds, webbing and hollowing them from inside; bored buds have a hole and frass, fail to open and cannot be sold — the single most damaging pest of the crop.
- Damage
- Destroys the marketable product directly — bored buds are worthless, and a heavy infestation at peak flowering is a serious loss.
- Organic control
- Pheromone traps to monitor and mass-trap, Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) or an NPV spray against young caterpillars before they bore in, prompt removal and destruction of bored buds, and conserving natural enemies.
- Chemical control
- A recommended insecticide timed against young larvae before they enter the buds; once inside the bud they are hard to reach, so monitoring and early, well-timed sprays matter most, observing the interval before picking on a daily-harvested crop.
Jasmine gall mite
- Identification
- A tiny eriophyid mite that causes the buds and growing tips to swell into hard, green, malformed galls instead of normal flower buds, with no bloom forming — flower buds are replaced by useless galls.
- Damage
- Converts flower buds into galls, directly cutting the flower yield; a heavy infestation can ruin a flush, and the mite builds up on a neglected planting.
- Organic control
- Remove and destroy galled shoots and buds, keep the planting open and well-pruned, use sulphur or a botanical/neem spray against the mite, and grow a resistant variety (Parimullai is reported resistant to the gall mite).
- Chemical control
- A recommended acaricide/miticide where galling is heavy; sulphur is a traditional, effective option, applied to the new flush before galls form.
Red spider mite
- Identification
- Fine stippling and yellowing of the leaves with fine webbing on the undersides, worst in hot, dry weather; leaves bronze and dry under heavy infestation.
- Damage
- Sap-sucking weakens the bush and reduces flowering, worst in the hot dry part of the flowering season.
- Organic control
- A strong water spray to knock back colonies, keeping the crop unstressed and well-watered, botanical sprays, and conserving predatory mites.
- Chemical control
- A recommended acaricide where infestation is heavy, rotating products to avoid resistance and treating early before webbing builds up.
Common mistakes to avoid
The mistakes that cost growers the most, ranked by how often they show up in the field — not in the order you might expect.
- 1
Choosing the wrong species for the market.
Why it hurts
The three jasmine species serve different markets — sambac (gundumalli/mogra) for round garland and hair buds, auriculatum (mullai, CO 1/CO 2) for easy-to-string long-tubed buds, and grandiflorum (pitchi) for jasmine oil. Planting the wrong species for the buyer you are selling to is a decade-long mistake; decide the market first.
- 2
Skipping or mistiming the annual pruning.
Why it hurts
The prune, not the planting date, decides when and how heavily the bush flowers — the flush follows a few weeks later. An unpruned bush grows leafy and flowers poorly; a badly timed prune misses the festival or wedding window that carries the profit. Prune backwards from the market you are targeting.
- 3
Not picking the buds daily, or picking them open.
Why it hurts
Jasmine is sold as plump, fully-grown but unopened buds, which open and release scent overnight in the garland or hair. Buds left on the plant open, lose value and are wasted, so picking must be daily, in the cool of the evening or very early morning, right through the flush.
- 4
Letting the jasmine budworm and gall mite build up.
Why it hurts
The budworm bores and destroys the buds from inside, and the gall mite turns buds into useless galls — both directly destroy the marketable product. Monitor with traps, remove bored buds and galled shoots, spray at the right stage (Bt/insecticide for the budworm before it bores in; sulphur/acaricide for the mite on the new flush), and grow a mite-resistant variety like Parimullai.
- 5
Growing on waterlogging-prone land without raised beds.
Why it hurts
Standing water causes root and collar rot and Fusarium wilt that kill a planting meant to crop for a decade or more. Plant on well-drained raised beds or ridges, water at the roots, and keep the bush open and dry-leaved.
Harvesting
Pick the flowers as plump, fully-grown but still unopened buds, in the cool of the evening or very early morning, because the bud is what the garland, hair and worship trade wants and it opens and releases its scent overnight. Picking is daily and labour-intensive through the flush — a bud left on the plant opens, loses value and is wasted. Flowers for oil/concrete (grandiflorum) are picked at the same tight-bud-to-just-opening stage and processed quickly.
Signs it is ready
- Buds plump and fully grown but still closed (the saleable stage)
- Picked in the cool evening or very early morning
- Picked daily through the flush, never left to open on the plant
- For oil: tight-bud to just-opening, processed quickly for maximum scent
Tools
- Hand-picking into shallow baskets kept cool and shaded
- A shaded collection point to keep buds cool until dispatch
- Clean containers for oil-flowers moving quickly to the processor
Expected yield
Roughly 7–11 tonnes per hectare of flowers depending on species and variety at full bearing — about 8 t/ha for Parimullai, 8.8 t/ha for CO 1, up to about 11.1 t/ha for the high-yielding CO 2, and about 7–8 t/ha for gundumalli.
Post-harvest & storage
Storage
Jasmine buds are highly perishable and are sold the same day, kept cool and shaded; they open overnight, so the trade runs on daily fresh dispatch and not on storage. Flowers for oil/concrete are processed within hours of picking, as the scent is lost quickly.
Packaging
Pack buds loosely in ventilated baskets or cloth kept cool and lightly moist; never pack tightly or in sealed bags, which heat up and spoil the buds.
Transportation
Move buds to the market or garland-maker quickly in the cool of the day; oil-flowers go straight to the extraction/distillation unit within hours of picking.
Shelf life
Essentially the same day for fresh buds (they open overnight); nil for oil-flowers, which must be processed within hours.
Market prices
Today's mandi price near you, pulled live from the government's own Agmarknet data.
Live daily mandi prices from the government Agmarknet dataset.
Synced from data.gov.in (Agmarknet). Rates are ₹ per quintal.
Weather
Current conditions and a 5-day outlook for your selected location, with one line of stage-aware advice.
Pick your state for current conditions and a 5-day outlook.
Live data from Open-Meteo
Profit calculator
Your own cost sheet, expected yield and selling price — not ours.
Where the money goes
Share of the total cost per acre, using the calculator’s own default cost sheet below — adjust the numbers there to match your field and this picture will no longer apply to you exactly, but the ranking rarely changes.
- Labour45% (₹22,000)
- Land rent16% (₹8,000)
- Fertiliser10% (₹5,000)
- Pesticide & weedicide10% (₹5,000)
- Irrigation7% (₹3,500)
- Interest5% (₹2,500)
- Seed3% (₹1,500)
- Machinery2% (₹1,000)
Official downloads
Government and ICAR documents only — everything below is hosted on an official server.
TNAU Agritech Portal — Jasmine
CO 1, CO 2, Parimullai, Pitchi and jasmine package of practices
ICAR-IIHR, Bengaluru
Arka Aradhana and jasmine production technology
National Horticulture Board (NHB)
Floriculture cultivation and marketing guidance
Kisan Call Centre — 1800-180-1551
Free crop advice in your language
Frequently asked questions
Which jasmine species should I grow?
It depends on your market, and this is the first decision. Jasminum sambac (gundumalli / mogra — Madurai Malli, Mysore Mallige, Arka Aradhana) gives the round, bold, intensely fragrant buds most wanted for garlands and hair. Jasminum auriculatum (mullai — Parimullai, CO 1, CO 2) gives long-tubed buds that are easy to pick and string. Jasminum grandiflorum (pitchi / Spanish jasmine — CO 1 Pitchi) is the species distilled for jasmine oil and concrete. Decide who you are selling to, then choose the species — it is a decade-long choice.
Why are jasmine flowers picked as unopened buds?
Because the bud is what the garland, hair and worship trade wants — it opens and releases its scent overnight, in the garland or the hair, which is the whole point. So the flowers are picked as plump, fully-grown but still closed buds, in the cool of the evening or very early morning. A bud left on the plant opens, loses its value and is wasted, so picking is daily and labour-intensive through the flush.
What is the worst pest of jasmine?
The jasmine budworm — a caterpillar that bores into the buds and hollows them out from inside, destroying the marketable product. Bored buds have a hole and frass, do not open and cannot be sold. Control it with pheromone traps, Bt or an insecticide timed against the young larvae before they bore in, and prompt removal of bored buds. A bud (gall) mite, which turns buds into useless galls, and red spider mite are the other key pests — a mite-resistant variety like Parimullai and sulphur sprays help against the gall mite.
How is pruning used to time the jasmine crop?
An annual hard prune (in the plains, usually in the cool season) removes old, weak wood and forces a strong new flush that flowers a few weeks later. So growers time the pruning backwards from the festival and wedding window they are targeting, when jasmine prices are highest. A bush that is never pruned grows leafy and flowers poorly, and a badly timed prune misses the high-price window.
Does jasmine have an MSP or a mandi price?
There is no MSP for jasmine, but it genuinely trades as a priced loose-flower commodity on the markets, reported on Agmarknet (under "Jasmine") in states such as Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, with large flower markets like Madurai and Bengaluru setting the daily rate. Prices swing sharply with festival and wedding demand and with the flush, and GI jasmines like Madurai Malli and Mysore Mallige command a premium, so check your nearest flower market for the current rate.
How long does a jasmine planting keep cropping?
Roughly ten to fifteen years for a well-grown planting, with annual pruning, feeding, irrigation and pest control, after which vigour declines and it is replanted. Because it is a long-lived perennial grown from cuttings, the species you choose and the drainage of the site matter for over a decade — start with clean planting material of the right species on well-drained ground.
Still have questions?
The FAQs above cover the common ones. For anything specific to your field and soil, your nearest Krishi Vigyan Kendra is the authoritative answer.