Jasmine Vine Dying

Q: We have a Confederate jasmine vine growing up both sides and over our front door. Part is dying on one side, and would like to arrest that ASAP. Can you diagnose anything from my photos?

A: Hmmmmmmm…I don’t think it is a disease. I don’t see any fungal or bacterial spots on the leaves.  Honestly, it looks like one of the stems coming from the ground has suffered unseen damage that led to blocking the sap from traveling to everything connected to the vine above. I noticed the electric outlet behind the base of the vine. Could you have snapped a stem while wrestling with a recalcitrant plug? Was any damage done while installing Christmas lights?

For repair, I’d start by pulling off all of the brown leaves. They will not turn green again. Then, starting at the bottom, try to follow the afflicted vine stem upwards. When you reach two feet take off some small stems and snap them. If they’re brown and dry it likely means everything above that point is brown and dry. That part of the whole green vine is dead; there is no reason to remove it. But don’t despair: the rest of the vine looks green and healthy. Water occasionally and mix some Osmocote into the soil, going out about two feet, and you’ll give the remaining green vine great impetus to grow and fill in the openings the brown-leafed vine once occupied.