Jade plants are succulent house plants, which makes them fairly resilient and easy to grow indoors—plus, they’re long-lived! See how to care for your jade plant.
With its thick, woody stems and oval-shaped leaves, jade plants have a miniature tree-like appearance that is very appealing. They live a very long time, often reaching heights of three feet or more when grown indoors.
Though jade plants like the warm, dry conditions found in most homes, they are not as drought tolerant as other succulent species. It’s important to keep the soil moist (but never damp).
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Huge Jade
I have a HUGE jade. Its about 5 1/2 feet tall. I repotted it last fall. It lives on my patio in the spring and summer and comes inside for the fall/winter. It usually blooms after I bring it in. This year (its been inside about a week, and its "sagging" branches are being pulled down by gravity. Its never done this before. It did grow ALOT this year being in its new pot. Ideas about what I should do. I hate to tie and stake it as I want it to stay strong.
Jade With Sagging, Drooping Branches
The issue likely comes down to watering or lighting. Both over- and underwatering jade can make their branches droop. How does the soil look? If it’s been a while since the last watering, give the plant a good drink. If it was just watered recently, let it dry out sufficiently before watering again (bear in mind that it may take more or less time to dry out indoors, depending on the humidity of your home and whether the plant is in direct sunlight). Speaking of light, your jade could just need time to adjust to indoor lighting again. Even if it’s in a sunny southern window, the rays won’t be as strong as they were outside, and the plant needs to get used to the lower light levels. Alternatively, if the plant was in a shady spot outdoors all summer, its branches could have been weakened and droopy.
We would advise you to keep the above in mind in regards to watering and lighting, and wait a few weeks to see if the plant shows any signs of improvement. If it doesn’t, consider staking it to ensure that the branches don’t break off.
Jade Plant - cuttings & roots
I have a large jade plant with multiple long branches which are now becoming more horizontal. This summer, new little branches with several little leaves have begun to grow off of the closer in portions of the longer branches. Further out along the branches it looks like the plant is trying to put down little roots.
What shall I do? Shall I trim off the older ends of the bigger branches and try to root them in the soil? Shall I just let it be?
Thanks.
Jade Plant Growth
This sounds like pretty normal growth for a jade plant! If you’d prefer your plant to be a little bushier, let the new branches that are close to the central stem grow out. Otherwise, you can prune them off and plant them like cuttings, though it would be best to do this in the spring.
As for the roots, they’re nothing to be concerned about and can also be trimmed off if you don’t like the look of them. Older jades sometimes grow aerial roots due to environmental stress (water, temperature, lighting)—or for no reason at all. If yours has been exposed to more extreme conditions than usual this summer, this could have spurred on their growth. But, it sounds like you’ve had your plant for a long time, so just continue to care for it as you have in the past and it should be fine!
Horizontal trunks
I have a jade plant in my office close to a South-facing window and it has grown wonderfully in the past couple of years. This past March, however, I had to leave town suddenly to take care of my mother & wound up being gone for seven weeks b/c she passed away. Four weeks in, I remembered my poor plants and got my co-worker to water them. They all survived, but the three main (trunk-sized) branches off of the jade's primary trunk now grow horizontally and are 12" long. They are quite heavy & starting to grow smaller branches off of them, and I'm worried that they will snap right off & not survive the fall to the floor. For now, I'm going to try to use twine and physics to bring the branches up into a goblet-type shape. If anyone has a better idea for trying to get the branches to grow more vertically, however, I'd love to hear it. Thanks!
Jade Plant Trunks
It sounds like you are doing everything you can! Leave the branches tied up and care for the plant as you had been previously. Hopefully, the plant will become strong enough to hold its branches up again, though they may be too heavy at this point and could always need support. To give the plant an extra boost, feed it with a liquid cacti and succulent fertilizer, following the dosage instructions on the packaging.
Jade Plant
When I lived in Southern California I had a Jade plant outside on the north side. My Basset Hound slept under it while we were at work. It was over 15 years old with very little care when we moved. I hope it is still doing well. It was 5 feet tall and wide, Very attractice and easy to care for,
Jade plant
I watered my jade plant but after a day the leaf starts to fall or drop what is the cause of falling.
I noticed my other jade plant leaf is thin and starts to look like wrinkles or like a light crumpled paper,but also the cause.Please help and teach me how to make my jade plants healthy.
Jade Plants
Jade plants are landscaping plants here (San Diego)! Throw trimmings on the ground, hit them with a bit of water, and stand back. Once they root, there's no need for supplemental watering, even in our multi-year drought.
Black/Brown spot on my plant
I have this sunset Jade plant which have been growing pretty well. I have placed it in my patio and it gets 2-3 hours of sun. From a week time, there is lot of black/Brown spot appear on the leaves. Water shouldn't be an issue, as mentioned in this article. I wish I could attach a picture here. I don't know what's causing this. Please advise. Thanks!
Succulent VB plants
Succulents prefer a certain pH. Are those black spots, tiny furry bugs? Or just black spots? Vinegar water will make the soil more acidic, and the tiny bugs fall off. But you might want to check what oh level your succulent likes.
Jade plant question
My jade plant is growing well & looks healthy but it has never stood on its own..had it for several years but branches curve every which way and i have several stakes in pot to hold up each branch..i see pictures of plants standing upright and trimmed like a bonsai but i can't even move mine without it falling over..help
Jade Plant
Jade plants can get top heavy if they do not develop a large or deep enough root system. To encourage yours to put down deeper roots, try watering only from the bottom of the pot. This will encourage the roots to reach deeper for water.
Jades may also get too leggy (and thus, top-heavy) if they are not exposed to enough light. If it’s not already getting full sun for most of the day, try putting yours in a place with more light.
Over or Under Watering?
Hello, my jade plant seems to be dropping leaves quite frequently. I water it every other day by sprinkling the top layer with water, to prevent from overwatering. I am not sure if I am overwatering or underwatering it. Thanks!
Watering Jade Plants
It sounds like you are watering too little too often. With jade plants and other succulents, you want to water deeply and infrequently. In other words, you should only water when the top inch or two of soil is dry, and when you do water, you should make sure the soil is saturated.
When watering, put a dish under the pot to collect excess water and let the pot sit in the excess water for 10 to 15 minutes. Then discard of any water left in the dish. This gives the soil a chance to get completely saturated. Keep an eye on the soil, checking every once in a while to see if the top layer is dry (use your finger to check). Depending on how humid your home is, you may only need to water once every two weeks.
Jade plant
I just brought a piece of a jade plant home, how do I get it started?
Starting a Jade Plant
Place the leaf or stem cutting in a small pot with a well-draining potting mix (such as a succulent mix). Do not water. After a few weeks, when you pull gently on the leaf, you should feel some resistance. This means that the plant has put down roots. At this point, you can water it. Do not water again until the top inch or so of soil is dry. Jade plants take a while to really get going, so be patient!
Jade plant sterns
I've had my jade plant for about 2 maybe 3 years now and it is an indoor plant lately I noticed the stems look like it's drying up or withering and the leaves are dropping off. after reading the few of the Articles below I think I may be over water in it but what do I do now
Jade plant
I just bought a baby jade plant. How long do I wait to start trying to make it start branching?
New Jade
I just bought a Jade plant (around 5 inches tall) from Home Depot 1 week which is potted in a standard plastic pot with drainage holes. It is doing well in a sunny west facing window, but I would like to repot it - is it safe to do so or would it shock the plant too much?
Jade Bonsai Tree
Just received small 7" x 6" Jade bonsai tree in a water wick container. Needless to say I am concerned since it seems too wet. Came with Bonsai care instructions saying the water wick works like a straw a lets your plant drink water when it want.........what is your thought?
Jade
My pastor has a Jade plant. I brought it home and plan to repot it. Is it normal to have just one long stem? Thanks.
In a Pinch
Hi, Kathy: This can be normal, yes. Just “pinch off” the top, and two new branches will start. You can continue to do this on successive branches once they are robust enough, if you wish. If left alone, the plant will do this itself; you are just helping it along. Thanks for asking!
Jade Plant issues
The leaves now have red along the edges of the leaves and the leave are very spongy?? Aren't the leaves suppose to be green and firm ??
Jade plant leaf drop and stem soft?
I was given a cutting of a Jade plant about a year ago now.. it's grown nicely in that time. I always let the soil dry out before watering and keep it near a window for a couple of hours sunshine and daylight.
Recently, it's been dropping leaves.. they haven't discoloured or gone rotten looking, just dropping off?? I've also noticed that the very base of the main stem feels very damp to touch, it's even a darker colour than the rest of the stem because of the damp feeling. The soil always dries out in between watering so I'm not sure what to do?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated as I love this little plant and really want it to survive. Thanks so much.
Jade Plant Leaves and Stem
It sounds like you are doing everything properly, however, a soft, damp stem is an indication of root rot, which is typically caused by too much water in the soil. Does the pot that the plant is in have a drainage hole in the bottom? If not, water could be staying in the soil for too long.
In the winter, jade plants should be watered less often than in the summer. If you are watering approximately once a week, try extending that to once every two weeks or so.
Another factor is temperature. How cold does it get by that window? Jade plants don’t like to go below 50°F at night and colder temps from drafty windows can damage some varieties.
Unfortunately, once a jade plant has root rot, it’s hard to get it to recover. Let it sit for a while without watering and see if anything changes. If the rot spreads, you could try cutting the stem above the rot and replanting the healthy part again. If you do, let the cut part sit in the air for a few days to form a protective “skin” over the wound, then plant it in dry soil.
If the fallen leaves are healthy, you can start new plants with them by placing them on top of soil, too.
pitiful Jade Plant
I have a jade plant I repotted and now it looks like a jungled mess. No tree for sure, the plants branches are not going up but out to the sides of pot. The leaves are getting a little wrinkled and not much substance to them. I don't water much, but I do live in Colorado and it is near a window as it needs the sun. Any suggestions?
Jade Plant Wrinkles
Generally, wrinkled leaves are a sign of underwatering. However, they can also occasionally be caused by overwatering, so we should first consider the conditions which led up to this point. Firstly, how long ago did you repot your jade? It’s a good idea to avoid watering right after transplanting, as this allows the plant’s roots to get properly established.
You mention that you don’t water much, which is good, generally. The important thing is to let the soil dry out completely between waterings, and to water deeply. Check if the trunk of the plant feels mushy at all. If so, this is a sign of rot (and overwatering).
How much direct sunlight does the plant get in the window? Too much direct sunlight could be drying out the plant faster than normal, especially in the dry winter air. Additionally, how cold does it get near the window at night? Jade plants don’t like to get below 50°F at night, and should be kept away from drafty, cold windows.
With all that in mind, it seems most likely that your plant is too dry. Water it deeply and let it dry out completely before doing so again in a couple weeks.
Shamrock plants
Hello. Last year in the spring I was given a Shamrock plant as a gift and I can't find any advise on how to care for it. It almost died off from what I'm guessing was over watering it, but I babied it and got it to come back. It's still in the original pot, about 5 or 6" with the holes in the bottom. I'd like to transfer it into a regular pot, but the plants are so delicate I'm afraid to without some recommendation. Can you help?
Lucky You Asked
Hi, Brenda: While we think of it, there’s a little more about shamrocks at https://www.almanac.com/content/houseplants-growing-tips. Meanwhile, sure, if you feel your shamrock is crowded, gently transplant it into a pot that is at least 4 inches larger in diameter and depth. Put some stones or broken pottery in the bottom (obviously, you would then set this on a dish or tray), then fill as needed with good potting soil. Shamrocks usually need to go dormant for a few months. As the leaves turn brown, clip them off leading up to this stage. Water only when the leaves first appear to wilt, usually once or twice a week. Thanks for asking!
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