From our perspective, water is the very essence of life and the primary component of our cells. Bud formation is a hydraulically demanding process. When our roots cannot draw sufficient water from the soil—due to either drought or waterlogging—a severe internal conflict arises. The vascular system prioritizes water distribution to sustain vital vegetative growth (stems and leaves) over the luxurious development of buds. This creates a water deficit within the bud tissues. The delicate cells that were rapidly dividing to form the flower begin to desiccate and collapse. The plant, in a act of self-preservation, initiates an abscission layer at the base of the bud stem, effectively severing it to conserve water for the main body. Conversely, waterlogged soil suffocates our roots, preventing them from absorbing water at all, leading to the same tragic outcome of bud drop.
We are finely tuned to our environment, and sudden changes are interpreted as threats to our survival. Jasmine buds are particularly sensitive to fluctuations in temperature and light. A sudden cold snap, a draft from an air conditioner, or excessive heat from a radiator can shock our systems. This stress triggers the production of ethylene, a plant hormone that accelerates senescence and abscission. Similarly, if we are abruptly moved from a high-light environment to a low-light one, or if daylight hours diminish rapidly, our photosynthetic output drops. We can no longer produce enough sugars to support the high energy demand of developing buds. Faced with this energy crisis, we must jettison the most energy-intensive, non-essential organs—the flower buds—to ensure our own survival.
The journey from a tiny bud to a fragrant bloom requires a massive and precise allocation of nutrients. A deficiency in key elements like phosphorus (P) and potassium (K), which are crucial for energy transfer and flower formation, can directly cause bud abortion. However, the issue is often not a lack of nutrients in the soil, but our inability to access them. An improper soil pH locks these nutrients away, making them insoluble and unavailable for our root systems to uptake. Without this steady flow of nutritional building blocks, the bud development program is halted mid-execution. The plant re-absorbs any mobile nutrients from the bud and allows it to fall, redirecting those precious resources elsewhere.
Our buds are soft, nutrient-rich, and highly vulnerable to invasion. Sap-sucking pests like aphids, spider mites, and thrips are a direct menace. They pierce the tender tissues of the bud stem and calyx, feeding on the nutrient-rich sap destined for the flower. This physical damage disrupts the vascular flow, starving the bud. Furthermore, their feeding activity often introduces toxins or provides entry points for fungal pathogens like botrytis. These pathogens rapidly colonize the moist, confined spaces within the bud, causing rot and decay. From our point of view, the bud is now a lost cause and a potential source of infection for the rest of the plant. We must seal it off and sacrifice it to protect the whole.
For a jasmine plant, being repotted or even simply rotated is a significant event. Our root systems are our anchor and our primary interface with the world. Disturbing them, whether through repotting or rough handling, causes immediate trauma. Fine root hairs, responsible for the majority of water and nutrient absorption, are damaged or destroyed. This immediately creates a severe imbalance between the water-absorbing capacity of the roots and the water-losing potential of the leaves and buds (transpiration). To reduce this demand and prevent wilting and death, we must drastically reduce our top growth. The most sensitive and expendable parts—the buds—are sacrificed first to give the root system time to recover and re-establish itself in its new environment.
