Jasmine thrives in full sun during the summer, but all that sunlight can be very drying. Make sure that the soil is kept moist during the hot season by watering your jasmine every morning.  Watering in the morning allows the excess to evaporate over the course of the day. It’s best to allow the soil to dry between waterings. You can check that the soil is dry by feeling it with your finger. Dry soil should feel loose. If your soil isn’t drying out every day, then you can reduce the number of waterings to every other day or twice a week. It’s okay to let your jasmine dry out during its dormant period. The plant will not be getting as much light and heat, so its water needs will lessen. You can use a liquid or granular fertilizer, depending on your preferences. Good options include tomato fertilizer, seaweed fertilizer, or wood ash. You can get a fertilizer at a gardening store or online. Jasmine is very susceptible to root rot. Early signs of root rot include slow growth, yellowing leaves, dying leaves, dark roots, and limp roots. If you notice these signs, your plant may have root rot, which can be treated with a fungicide.  You can get a plant fungicide in a gardening store or online. Avoid overwatering to prevent root rot. The best options are neem oil, horticultural oil, or insecticidal soap weekly. Jasmine is very susceptible to mealybugs, which enjoy eating the plant.  If your jasmine is outdoors, then the best way to prevent mealybugs is to support your lady beetle and spider populations. If you spot mealy bugs on your plant, you can dab 70% isopropyl alcohol directly onto the bugs, which may kill them. This is right after the jasmine blooms. Trim the jasmine to your desired shape. Remove weak or crossed branches.  Don’t trim more than one-third of the plant at 1 time. You don’t have to prune your jasmine if you like its natural shape. Use a pair of small pruning shears. You can shape the jasmine, as desired. Cut branches that feel thin or weak, as well as those that are crossing over each other. Make sure that you don’t prune more than one-third of the plant at 1 time.

Summary: Water daily during the spring and summer. Reduce watering to once or twice a week during winter. Provide a high potassium fertilizer once a month. Watch for signs of root rot. Protect against mealybugs by applying a natural insecticide. Use small pruning shears to shape your winter jasmine in late spring. Prune summer jasmine in late summer after it blooms.


There are three different size/weight ranges for a laptop: a netbook, a laptop, or desktop replacement. Although all of these fall into the broader concept of a "laptop", their end usability differs and can impact your choice.   There are several important things to consider when it comes to laptop size: Weight, screen size, keyboard layout, performance, and battery life. You will typically find netbooks to be the cheapest yet smallest of the choices, while regular laptops will need to strike a balance between all of the factors that suits your needs. Portability is a major concern for laptops. Getting a larger screen will sacrifice weight and portability. Consider the size of your bag when looking at different laptops. Netbooks, also known as a mini notebooks, ultrabooks, or ultraportables, are small laptops with a portable small screen of 7"-13"/17.79 centimeter (7.0 in)-33.3 centimeter (13.1 in). This has a compact size, is light in weight, and is usually suitable for emailing and browsing or light internet usage as their memory is small. Since netbooks tend not to have as much RAM as laptops, their ability to run sophisticated applications is limited.  The keyboard for netbooks will be significantly different than that of a standard-sized laptop. Make sure to give it a try before committing, because typing will feel odd for a while. Many tablet hybrids are now available. These come with detachable or flip-over keyboards, and usually have a touch screen. Consider these if you find yourself needing a tablet but can’t afford an iPad. These have a screen size of 13"-15"/33.3 centimeter (13.1 in)-38.1 centimeter (15.0 in). They are of medium weight, thin and light, and are able to hold a lot of memory. The decisions to make about a laptop's capacity really come down to your own preference as to screen size, and the amount of RAM you think you'll need (See next section).  Laptops come in all shapes and sizes. As technology improves, they are becoming slimmer and lighter. You will find that Mac laptops don’t necessarily match up to these size descriptions. If you have decide on a Mac, consider your portability needs when looking at different models. These have a screen size of 17"-20"/43.8 centimeter (17.2 in)-50.8 centimeter (20.0 in). These are larger and heavier, have full features, and tend to be bound for the desk rather than being lugged around in your backpack. While not as portable as the other two, it's still very mobile when needed and the added weight when carrying it isn't really a big issue for many people. If you're not sure about this size, weigh up your desk and portable needs.   Some desktop replacement laptops have the ability to upgrade to a limited extent, allowing you to install a new video card. These laptops are the most suitable for gaming enthusiasts. Larger laptops will typically have a much shorter battery life, especially if you are running intensive programs such as video games or graphic development. Decide on whether you'd prefer a metal or plastic exterior. Nowadays the choice of casing is mostly an issue of personal preference, as the weight of each outer-casing is fairly similar, with well-made metallic laptops being no heavier than plastic ones. In terms of durability, metallic casing is probably best for a laptop liable to get knocked around a bit but it's still best to ask your retailer for advice.   If you are doing fieldwork or a lot of "rough travel" with a laptop, you might need customized extras to protect it. Ask for a stronger screen, shock mounting of internal components, and protection against water and dirt. If you are a professional in the field and you really need it to last then there is a class of laptops called Toughbooks, which tend to be quite expensive, but you can run them over with a truck or bake them in the oven without damaging them. Most consumer model laptops in retail showrooms are not built for durability. Look for a corporate model laptop built from metal or composite materials if durability matters. Laptops by their nature are very public devices. Much like watches, purses, sunglasses, or any other accessory, laptops have style. Make sure the laptop you want isn’t one that you would consider ugly, or you might be less likely to use it on the go.

Summary: Think about the size of laptop that will suit you best. Decide if you want a netbook. Look at the standard laptops. Consider a desktop replacement laptop. Consider your durability needs. Keep style in mind.


Use room temperature water. Wet the soil so that it is moist, but not overly wet. Shake the container so that the seed moves deeper into the loose soil. Place the jar or bag in the refrigerator to start the stratification process. This cool, sprouting process germinates the seeds so that they can be planted and grown into a tree.
Summary: Soak the seeds overnight in the glass of water that you just filled. Fill a plastic bag or a canning jar two-thirds full of rich compost. Place the seed or seeds inside the compost and seal the plastic bag or jar. Turn your refrigerator to about 40 degrees Fahrenheit (4 Celsius).