My sister had a jade tree that made me envious because of its stately beauty. When I asked her how she grew the plant into such a beautiful succulent, she said she ignored it. She gave me a cutting to root, and years later I have an abundance of jade plants to enjoy and give as presents to friends looking for an easy care, beautiful houseplant.
In winter my jade plants sit on the south-facing kitchen windowsill. Jades need lots of sunlight and an average temperature of 55-70 degrees which my kitchen supplies. They are succulents and require minimal water or attention. I water mine once a week if the soil is dry. If I forget a week, the jades are fine. The plants will rot if left in a water-logged environment.
During the summer I move the plants to the south side of the front porch. I had a catastrophe this summer with my largest jade tree. A summer storm blew the plant from its stand to the patio and broke off several limbs. Crushed, I did a quick rescue and potted the broken limbs in several pots and hoped for the best. The faithful jade rewarded me with healthy clones within the week. I learned to set the top-heavy plant on the porch floor rather than perch it on a stand where the wind could topple it.
Jade tree propagation is quite easy. Every individual leaf that falls from the plant has the opportunity to root if the conditions are right. If an occasional small branch breaks off, I put it in a small vase until roots appear before potting. In some cases, like my toppled plant, I just insert the branch or cutting into potting soil and water. Usually it grows.
Jade trees like to be root-bound and only need to be re-potted every two or three years. Pots should have good drainage to keep plants from becoming water-logged, The jade plant’s roots are quite shallow, and full-grown plant limbs put on tiny root shoots along their branches. I guess it’s as a precaution, just in case. to provide emergency supplies in case of a crash landing.
I have never fertilized my jade trees; however, my plant soil mix has worm castings and compost in it which is probably richer than most jades require. Jades will also benefit from a succulent potting soil that doesn’t get water-logged. Too much water will induce root rot, so go sparingly on water rations. I have some new neighbors and the extra jade propagation plants will make a nice housewarming gift. Happy growing!
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