How to Grow Jasmine in a Container

Choose a container large enough to allow the jasmine vine to grow and spread. The container should be about two times as wide and deep as the jasmine's original nursery container. Common jasmine can grow 20 feet tall and spread 15 feet, so keep the plant's mature size in mind when selecting a container. Consider the weight of the plant and container, and whether it will summer outdoors and move inside for the winter. Some pots come with wheels or small trolleys. Clay pots offer stability for large plants, but plastic pots are lighter. Use a pot that has drainage holes, or drill holes into the bottom of the container for drainage.

Fill the pot halfway with any good quality commercial potting mixture that has good drainage properties. Look for a mixture that includes light ingredients such as vermiculite, peat moss or perlite, and organic components such as pine bark. Jasmine likes a moist, but not wet, environment. Moisten the potting soil to eliminate air pockets.

Take the jasmine out of its nursery container and place it in the center of the new container. The top of the jasmine's root ball should be about an inch below the top of the container. Use your fingers to loosen the jasmine's roots, then add growing medium all around the plant to the top of the root ball. The roots should be just below the surface of the potting soil. Water thoroughly. If the growing medium settles too much, add a little more to cover the top of the roots. Insert the trellis or other climbing support on the side of the pot where you want the jasmine to climb.

Spread the decorative pebbles or organic mulch around the top of the growing medium, but leave 1 to 2 inches of clear space between the mulch and the jasmine's main stem.

Place the container in a warm, bright spot in the house or in full to partial sun outdoors. Water whenever the growing medium dries out on top. If the plant summers outdoors, you may have to water it daily to keep it moist. Some containers have wells that release water to the plant as needed.

Use a liquid, general purpose fertilizer for flowering plants to feed the jasmine monthly during the spring and summer growing season. Cut back on feeding in winter. Follow label directions for the proper amount and procedure to apply the fertilizer.

Use the pruning clippers or scissors to control the jasmine's height and spread. Jasmine plants tolerate heavy pruning any time of the year, but right after the plant finishes flowering is the optimum time to cut it back.

Repot the jasmine when it becomes pot-bound or after heavy pruning. Pot-bound jasmines often signal distress by using ever-increasing amounts of water.