I've had this jade for about a year. It recently started dropping leaves, and the leaves that are on seem to be sagging. I water it about every 3 weeks. What's up with it?
did you move it to a new spot that has different lighting?? these will pout and drop leaves if there is a drastic change to the lighting they get. what about soil? when was the last time it was repotted?? what kind of soil is it in? could be a rot issue going on. even with little watering, rot can happen if it's very humid and/or it gets splashed by rain coming in an open window. have you looked for bugs?? spider mites could be the issue - although you can't see the mites, you can see the webbing they drape over the leaves. also, scale and mealy bugs like jades. it actually looks quite healthy! if the leaves that are dropping off are at the bottom part of the trunks, then, i'd say it's just normal growth/death. if it's leaves near the top, then it would indicate something is off.
Yes, it does look healthy. Agree with Joclyn's points. Sometimes plants just drop old leaves and replace them with new ones. : )
Thanks for the quick reply! I did recently move it. It dropped 2 bottom leaves, and then the top leaves started looking quite droopy. So I thought it could use more light. It still doesn't get direct light, but it's closer to the window then where I had it originally. Should I move it back to it's original place? I did repot it about 3 months ago. I don't remember the dirt I used, but I added some plant food to the dirt. And I don't remember the roots looking rotted or anything. I just replanted it in a larger pot with fresh soil. I don't see any webbing, or anything on the leaves.
Sounds like it may be having trouble making the adjustment to it's new spot. Jades can be sensitive - I have one too. When we make a change and our plant reacts differently than it did before, it is a very strong indication that the plant is saying 'I don't like the change you've made' , or at the very least the plant is telling us... 'introduce me gradually - it's too much, too fast'. I always introduce all my plants to higher light levels gradually, and not all at once. The 'hardening off' process can take several days for the plant to adapt. Yes, I would pull your plant back a bit, and then when it's ok again in a week or so, move it gradually into a little bit more light at a time. This method works wonderfully with my Jade as well as other plants too. Slowly and gradually, is the key to success. Good luck. : )
Overwatering will cause them to lose their leaves, (it is easy to identify overwatering by the characteristic crinkling look that the fallen leaves have) So, allow the soil to dry before adding more water.
Wow, I had no idea it was so sensitive. It looks so hardy, I never would have guessed. So I guess I'll move it away from the window, and gradually bring it closer until it's ok. Thanks for all the help!
I don't think so. I only water it once the soil is dry, which is about every 3 weeks or so. The leaves that dropped off weren't crinkled, they looked just like they do on the plant. Smooth, and thick. They looked perfectly healthy, except they fell off the bottom of the plant.
Sometimes shrivelling can indicate under-watering too... is this possible? P.S. I am thinking it's the new spot, but just checking all the possibilities. : )
HBL, I have learned the last week that these plants can cope swith dry during the winter. Below is a great link about and care of Jades. http://www.squidoo.com/jadegarden
Yes of course Katalina, in the winter I know all about how Jades can survive with little water, but this is summertime! My leaves get shrivelled a bit too, when I push the limit too much, and don't give enough water in the dry, hot summer months. I treat all my succulents the same, actually. When I notice shrivelling beads on my 'string of pearls' plant, I know it's time for a bit of water. : )
Ah but one day leaving it so late, may just be that little bit too late (to save the plant) Or you may prevent flowering.
Some look http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jade_plant I was given my Jade plant off a lady of 100 years old so if it flowers I will do the happy dance HBL.
OMG!!! : O I had no idea! My plant has that reddish tinge on the leaves like they describe! I am amazed and had no clue that Jade bloomed - wow. Thanks, Katalina. My plant gets full south sun all day, but it is accustomed to it. This is why the leaves edges have an attractive reddish tinge to them because of the high light levels. What a cool plant this is. I love how easily cuttings will root as well. It's so ready and anxious to grow. : )
I am looking now for that particular seed, Now HBL remember for a moment the above qoute. I was in a shop on friday, used their **** cash machine. I wanted £10 only from an account I never really use. Anyway, to my amazement it gave me £80...lmaoooooooooo which I knew I did'nt have in that account. I went to a superviser to let her know a cash machine on their premises was spilling out more cash than asked for. She in turn spke to her manager who said tell her to take it home. I then said, nope. I will take it to the bank in question (reason for the *** in my post is name of bank) I saw yet another manager at the right bank and he said put it in your account..ahahahahahaha My Jade did indeed bring me a day to remember, and I look forward to a great big lottery win..sometime. Maybe: To encourage bloom, allow the plant to go without water around the time of the first frost. When the days get short, withhold the water completely and let the plant withstand the cool nights. Several weeks of this dry, cold treatment followed by regular watering will result in blossoms around the shortest day of the year. Regular watering, or nights too warm, and the plant will remain healthy, but bloomless.
bruno, if you moved it and the change in light was a big change, then the leaf loss would be related. move it away from the light a bit - give it a month to adjust/recuperate and then introduce the brighter light gradually - over the course of a couple weeks (increase the light every 3-4 days until you have it where you want it). although, by then, it'll be getting on to fall/winter and the sun will be lower in the sky, so won't be as intense...once you have it situated where you want it, it'll be okay next spring because the increase in light will happen gradually over the course of weeks and the plant will have plenty of time to adjust to it. jades don't need fertilizer too often, if at all. so that may also be part of the problem - with stuff that's added to the soil, you never really know when it's being released and can end up with a bunch all at one time and that can burn the roots a bit. i wouldn't worry about it now though - it is what it is and it's not the right time to repot - plus, whatever you added is probably gone by now. it does sound like water is a bit of a factor here as well as the type of soil used. does that container have drainage holes?? if not and you used regular potting soil without anything added to provide drainage, then you may have an overwatered plant. yes, overwatered even though you've only watered it every three weeks. regular soil will compact and hold moisture. if you added in perlite or something similar, then that's a plus. still, regular potting soil isn't the best for succulents because it retains too much moisture - which can, in the long run, cause root rot. it also ends up becoming compacted and that will cause the roots to be unable to take up the water that is there. i think the main issue is the change in light. if you've moved it back now, let it be for a bit and see what happens. if you have continued leaf drop (other than at the bottom), then i'd take a look at the trunks - if there is bad rot happening, it'll actually be visible - the rotted part will look darker than the rest. you can also feel rot before it's visible - give a squeeze to various parts of the trunks and branches. if anything feels squishy, then, it's likely there is rot there. update this thread in a couple weeks and we'll go from there :) you can subscribe to it so it's easy to find from within the 'my settings' tab.
Wow - thanks Katalina for the details on how to get it to bloom! I am so amazed that it produces flowers. I will try what you suggested... : )
