I have a jade plant my son (now 26 years old) started when he was a child. My mother started my plant with a cutting off of the original. The trunk is apx. 3" in diameter and she cut it back to transport it to me in Steamboat, Colorado three years ago. It has done very well. Lots of new grow has brought it to be a beautiful little jade tree. This past winter, a couple limbs started to wilt. I went to a local "florist" who said I needed to water it. WRONG! I did so, and the next day, it wilted more. I now have it staked, and have been letting it try to recover. New growth has returned, but if I try to remove the stake, the limbs fall. How do I get the limbs to be self supportive once again? Only knowledgeable advise please. Thank you for reading.
By wilt do you mean that the stems just seem to be overly pliable such that they are falling over if not held in place? If so, I've been having similar problems with my (much smaller) jade. I'm thinking that my problem is over feeding thus making the new growth less strong than it should be. Does that sound like what's been happening to yours? I should have remembered to only feed my jade during the active growing season. Oddly enough when I took cuttings from the plant, they firmed right up again. I should also ask if the leaves on your plant are firm. If the leaves nearest to the base are not firm then it would tend to suggest that more water is needed. Is it possible for you to trim the stems back to where they are self supportive again or will it be too drastic of a cut? Best of luck, Ryan
I hope that someone actually looked at the root ball to determine if it really needed water, or is not rotting. Plants that are rotting can still grow new leave (for a time) and even flower. Stems can become weak and grow thin not able to support the weight of the leaves iF there isn't enough direct sun light and would need staking to keep them upright. If the limbs are just top heavy with leaves, you can trim some of them back some, which in turn will produce new more compact growth. Let the soil completely dry out (every week to weeks) then water thoroughly with plenty of direct sun. The soil should be fast draining that freely drains out the bottom. A little bit of fertilizer at watering time in the spring and summer can help as well.
Hello Bluewing! thanks for your information. I'm new to UBC and still learning how to converse back and forth. Hope this gets to you. My jade sits next to a very large south facing (lots of sun) window. Where my mom had originally trimmed it back, so my dad could drive it out to me, two much thinner branches have grown off of the once thicker branch. each new branch has at least 10-12 beautiful leaves on them. Since moving it closer to the windows, some of the leaves have developed a redish cast to them. There is still new growth appearing, but the limbs can't support the leaves. I have cut way back on water. your continued advice is much appreciated.
The red your seeing is just in response to all the nice sunshine it's getting, so it's fine. For even growth to all parts of the plant, your jade should be turned weekly. Do make sure the roots are firm and healthy. If everything checks out, it may just be a low watering issue. Soak, let dry. You might want to do a "little bit" more pruning now or a hard pruning that spring is here, because new growth will develop back quickly, also make sure it's getting enough water when you do water, and the weak stems should get a little stronger as time goes by and able to support the leaves better. A hard pruning can be hard for some owners to do but, the tree will come back stronger and even more full and beautiful!
Hi again Bluewing......... turning my jade is already a habit. I do so weekly. I am willing to prune it, but I don't know where to begin. Could you teach me how to prune? Length of limbs, number of leaves to leave. Also, how do I check the roots with out destroying the plant? Thanks for all the time you are giving.
Hi again Susan.... To prune, you can cut what you want, a couple inches, to a few inches, all around, same length, or in a more curved fashion, like the curve of an umbrella top, sides and top. Cut the stems back to a leaf node, or a pair of leaves. This is where the new growth will sprout, from near where you made the cuts. Prune like your pruning a small tree, or bush, make it look neat and balanced. Cut a few stems back some and stand back and look at it, maybe cut a little further back. It might not look as nice after pruning, but remember, it WILL grow again and be much more fuller. If you go on Google and click (Images) type in jade plant. you will see a few different shapes of these trees, One you might like more than another and you can shape your tree similar to it when your pruning. I have seen jades cut back from 2ft or more to 6" Ouch, a little too drastic for me! You should be able to slide the entire root ball out of the pot if it's a little on the rootbound side and not in too big a pot by holding the pot on it's side, or on an angle and tapping the side a few times toi loosen it, like on a table, or you other hand and grab onto the thickest stem, or "main stem" and give it steady slow but firm tug or pull. If it's stuck, you can run a knife around the inside of the pot near the inner wall and try tapping the pot again. Look for nice white roots. Any that are mushy can be cut away. I hope this helped some:)
Your responses have been much appreciated. I will try them as soon as I have a day off. Thank you again for your time. I will let you know how it goes, and most likely ask for further instructions. Victoria
Victoria, Your very welcome and good luck with the jade! I'm sure you'll do great! Would love to see pictures when you have the time!
