- 1). Wait until the spring and visit a local garden center or nursery. Although star jasmine is an evergreen, most nurseries will not sell it in flats until the warmer months.
- 2). Examine the leaves of the star jasmine and look for a flat that has healthy green leaves. There should be few, if any, yellow leaves and they should not have holes in them.
- 3). Look for a flat that does not currently have any flowers on it, although an abundance of flower buds is fine. Flowering plants do not respond as well to transplanting as those without flowers. In addition, if the star jasmine already has flowers, it is almost through blooming, which means you will not see flowers again until the next spring.
- 4). Remove one of the star jasmine plants from the flat and look at the roots. They should be white and firm. If the roots are brown, soft or slimy, do not purchase them since they are diseased and probably will not survive. In addition, if all you see is a mass of roots with little soil, then the plant is rootbound and will not thrive.
- 5). Feel the top of the soil in the flat with your hand to make sure that it is moist and not dry. Dry soil can damage roots, and the evidence is not always visible on the plant immediately. Choose flats in the center of a display since they retain water better than ones near the outside areas.
- 6). Look for bugs anywhere in the location of the star jasmine and avoid the plants if insects are evident.
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