My first post - sorry if I’m the wrong place. I have a 70+ year old jade tree which is growing in the floor of my beach cottage - I’ve had it for 3+ years since owning the house. A few stems have fallen off here & there, but today when we arrived a large part of the trunk was falling off - it’s soft and mushy and has green mold on the inside. I can’t move the tree. I can’t change the soil. I haven’t watered it since September. Any suggestions? I’d feel awful if it died under our care. Here are some photos of the branch that fell off and is mushy. Thanks!
Since no one else has ventured a reply to the problem with your jade tree, I will share a couple of observations, for what they're worth. First is that the circumstances of this plant's life are beyond your control. Growing as it is in a contained area below the floor means you really can't tell how large it is or if there is any drainage. It looks like it may have been overwatered. Temperature plays a role too. I wonder how it ever came to be planted there in the first place and how old it was at that time? Compared to other very old jade trees, yours seems quite small; the leaves are certainly smaller than you would expect. Perhaps it has survived against all odds, dealing with what looks like stem rot but somehow managing to stay alive. It might be a good idea to take a cutting or two to start new plants but I'm sure you won't want to replant them in the same situation if the parent plant completely dies. Finally, you should not feel badly if does die - its problems began long before you arrived.
Thank you Margot - I think we'll just support it as best as we can. It's in Oregon and maybe just so small from being indoors? Anyway, I have a few broken branches from the past in little pots around the house & maybe I'll try to save a larger section next time I'm there. Thank you for making me feel better about it maybe dying on my watch :)
