Jade tree (Crassula ovata & arborescens) as bonsai ... pics

10 years ago

Hi,

there is often the discussion if you can use Jade trees for bonsai. In my opinion they are suited quite well ... especially for african style bonsai like peernef or baobab style. However, when googeling for crassula+bonsai you only find very few good examples ... most of the pictures are from still relativ small speciments with a bad leaf-size to trunk-size ratio.
In this thread i ask you to show pics of your jade bonsai, just to get ideas what you can do with this species and it cultivars.
To start, here some pics of my largest jade trees, not yet in typical bonsai pots ...

"Hummels Sunset"
{{gwi:19302}}

normal green Jade
{{gwi:19307}}

"Skinny Fingers"
{{gwi:19311}}

C.arboreescens Silver Dollar ... due to its big leaf size this cultivar is not perfectly suited for bonsai, however just want to give it a try. Maybe if the plant is very big one day i will work.
{{gwi:19315}}

The best Crassula ovata cultivar for bonsai seems to be the small leaf variant "Crosby's Compact".
{{gwi:19319}}

... finally a project that i started five years ago with a small cutting of crosby's compact. The goal is to produce a strait main stem of around 60 cm with an umbrella shaped top. To get the strait stem with no bigger wounds i cutted away all developing new site branches just when they started to develope, only allowing the main branch to grow. Additionaly to get very short internodes, which later should give an interesting branch structure, i never fertilized the plant and grew it under quite hard conditions with lots of light and little water. I know that it will take very, very long to get a nice plant, but if you compare the internodes to the skinny fingers that was started in a dutch greenhouse and was very fast growing in its first years, i think it might be worth and one day could produce an outstanding bonsai. Right now the stem is about 45 cm ... so maybe two more years until I will allow the developement of the treetop ;)

Looking forward to see pics of your jade tree bonsais

Best regards,
Ben

Featured Answer

littlekirstenjr

9 years ago

I'm happy to contribute to this thread. I love bonsais and I love jades even more. Just whacked mine and finally got it into a bonsai pot. I'd love to see if I could expose some of the roots in the future. While the leaves are a bit large and mess with the proportions, I think it kinda works :)

Variegated Crassula argentea/ovata

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (72)

dethcheez
9 years ago
littlekirstenjr
Not a problem
Happy it helped

As long as you can go without removing the cup / LOL
They seem to be cool in about 5 - 6 months
But the longer the better I guess

Best Of Luck
My Braided Red Tipped Approx. 4 to 5 years old From small cuttings Pic 1
dethcheez
9 years ago
Pic 2
Related Discussions
Enthusiastic and Ignorant Seeks Crassula/Jade Expertise
Q
Comments (13)
Thanks for the tips zzini! Josh, can you explain screening? I assume that is to remove fine particles and thus improve drainage... but I may be way off. Norma, I was also hoping you'd stop by. I'm hanging onto every word you guys tell me. I'm aware of your experience, and would gleefully read a book all about your experiences raising jades. Write away! Do you lower the ratio of bark to decrease water retention? And to more accurately replicate their natural environment? I imagine for optimal growth, you can makeup for any lost macronutrients with fertilizer. I live in nearly the most northwest corner of the lower 48 (Bellingham, WA). There is plenty of granite here. My proximity to the ocean keeps it more temperate here than some nearby areas, as well. Does "pinch" simply mean "cut"? Always right above the growth nodes? Two last questions for you guys: What are the foliage signs that differentiate between overwatering and underwatering (with jades)? Especially relevant when purchasing plants. Also- as far as portulacaria afra soil mix, should that be the same? I was thinking more bark/organic material to increase water retention. What do you think? Thank you!! Gray
...See More
Jade (Crassula) Tree, potting
Q
Comments (104)
Wow, did someone add Superthrive? This thread has grown! lol 5:30pm 58.5F 44% humidity.. I don't know where to start..So much has been written. Ryan, your job as pilot has to be exiting, but I still feel safer on land..lol. Still, it's quite an accomplishment. I love your plants..your amaryllis are gorgeous..Was the pic taken during winter, or now? That olive is amazing, and you call it dwarf? What size pot, and what type of soil do you use? Someone told me to plant my olive in Alfalfa, which is strawy, soil-less. It's doing fine, but slow-growing. Pug your Jelly Beans are THE Best..they're sooo red..do you set them in direct sun? The foliage is twice the size of my guys..darn..lol..Next spring it'll be kept in direct sun..more sun than previous years..Do they have to be a certain size before turning red? Josh, your sisters plants are gorgeous too. What do you guys do to your plants? They're all so red. I must learn your secret. lol. I want to move!!! lol. One problem, the front gets a lot more sun than the back, but I'm worried someone with sticky fingers will come by and help themselves. Which sucks! Ryan, congrats on being the 100th entry! Too bad there's no prize, huh? lol I must have missed you said you were moving..you lost your garden? Do you have a garden where you're now living? I hope, before leaving the old place, you took cuttings.. Everyone's plants are lovely, and I'm green w/envy.. Does anyone here shop at www.gosucculents.com ? They have some beautiful, red succulents. Some are 4.00. I've ordered from this nursery before, got nice-sized, compact plants..They sell cactus and succulents. luv the place. Pug, I didn't notice you posted a link w/suspected insects..after sending this post, I'll come back and check. Green with Envy, Toni, who lives in Il w/o sunlight..boohoo
...See More
Crassula ovata ssp. obliqua (re-potted)
Q
Comments (27)
Thanks, Teatree! :-) Thanks, Sir Andrew, very interesting! By the way, it's good to see you at the Forum again. I bought the Silver Dollar Jade at a local nursery where they're always in stock. I selected the tallest specimen with the most branches, and then I promptly removed a branch. I rooted that cutting for a friend, and then I removed another branch and rooted it for myself. (I like to make duplicates of my plants for insurance purposes). I look forward to the day when my plant has a beautiful peeling golden trunk with new bits of pale green leaves emerging. The following two pics are from when I bought the Silver Dollar Jade (I apologize for the blurriness). And here's how the Silver Dollar looks now. You can see the old scars where I removed the other branches. And you can also see the two new branches growing from lower on the trunk. Since the new branches are growing in the direction I want, I can finally chop the head off this thing and bring it down to size. That top piece is going to make one hell of a cutting. Josh
...See More
Please help me "Bonsai" my Jade Tree
Q
Comments (7)
During summer and depending on how you sun it The prior cut ( with the longer nub ) will probably harden off during summer and decrease the chances of newer growth. If me I'd let the bottom growth stay on and all the single leaf growth as long as possible. In a sense to say allow the smaller new growth to continue growing to help fill in the sling shot look. Also If your handy with wiring wait until the bring in time (fall) and wire the older growth in the more desired shape you want Tip : I water first wait two days then wire for easier bending of thicker branches. Tip two : At this time of the year older tired leaf drop and drying is normal inside in your zone I tend to thumb the discolored dry wrinkled foliage off as soon as possible but I also let older discolored foliage hang on as long as possible.. IMO ( if not already ) place in a nice south window, mid window if wide or mid window section if not A. few inches away from window ( 8-12 inches) for a while until it can be bought out. If you bring outside for summer use a slower transition to help new growth to grow . If climate is like late spring though summer last season don't be afraid to yank it back from outside or move it to a late day sun if things become to warm and dry. Uncertain of your indoor lighting but lighting could/ should also be used to enhance the indoor growing. Side note : Not to bad looking on the top tips Rina considering the date stamp in pic and all.
...See More
dethcheez
9 years ago
Pic 3

Just going to keep braiding the top branches as they grow
Not sure what I'm going to do with the two draped ones???
I'll post some of my Fallen C. Arborescens a little later on PEACH...
dethcheez
9 years ago
Fallen Silver Dollar...
dethcheez
9 years ago
And Now For #2
moochinka
9 years ago
As long as you realize that braiding is considered to be quite tacky in bonsai... not a bonsai at all, but a cute way to sell plants in supermarkets...
littlekirstenjr
9 years ago
Oh please, he's having fun with his jades and trying different things. I think it's pretty cool. I can't wait to see how they all look once they start getting bigger. I need to get myself a small jade and start working on the root over rock idea. I have some pretty chunks of glass that I think would work well.
moochinka
9 years ago
Knock yourself out, just don't call it a bonsai (this is a bonsai forum).
dethcheez
9 years ago
Please Forgive Me
For I Have Sinned Against The Bonsai Gods

My Braided Jade Is Blasphemy
An Abomination

I Shall Paint a Large Scarlet "F B" On My Chest
For "Fraudulent Bonsaier"
And
Hang My Head In Shame

Ummmm
Don't Think So
\*\*\*Attention\*\*\* If you have posted a photographic image of a plant in this thread And Said plant does not strictly comply with the 'Rules' of Bonsai listed in the link below You May NOT Call It a Bonsai And Must Remove It Immediately Or You May Offend "moochinka" 'Cause This Is a "Bonsai Forum" D@mmit And Yours Is Not a Bonsai Because the trunk doesn't flare to the apex & doesn't taper as it ascends + the branches cross & the don't caliper properly to the proportion to the trunk Etc. & So On Blah Blah Blah "Can't We Just All Grow Along" ??? PEACE... Here is a link that might be useful: [The Rules of Bonsai by Brent Walston](https://www.evergreengardenworks.com/rules.htm)
dethcheez
9 years ago
PS~ Sorry Forgot To Apologize For Being "Tacky"
I Hope My Blatant Tackiness Did Not Offend Anyone
If It Did I Sincerely Apologize
The next thing I know Someone's going to the me that "Zombies" are "Tacky" What a World What a World
moochinka
9 years ago
Get a grip! Sheesh! And don't quote BW please - he knows more about bonsai than you and I put together ever ever ever will.

This post was edited by moochinka on Wed, Jun 4, 14 at 10:51
littlekirstenjr
9 years ago
This just became my most favorite thread on GardenWeb/the internet.
greenman28 NorCal 7b/8a
9 years ago
Relax, folks ;-)
Everyone knows that regular Jade leaves are too big for bonsai, hahaha. A joke of course. I often say that my Jades aren't true bonsai but that they're grown in bonsai fashion (potted small, kept small), or that they're grown with a bonsai aesthetic in mind.

Josh
greenman28 NorCal 7b/8a
9 years ago
Good morning from the west coast!
Here's my largest 'Hobbit' mother and daughter bonsai...beside a 'Crosby's Compact' that I hard pruned a while back.

Josh
dethcheez
9 years ago
Gollum in its new ceramic pot
3 - 4 years old
From small cutting
dethcheez
9 years ago
Top view
dethcheez
9 years ago
***WARNING***
It's About To Get "Tacky" Up In Here
LOL

My first attempt at inter-twinning different plants

The Gollum in the center is 2 - 3 years old
Planning on twisting the middle branches & cascading the left & right branches

The P. Afra & Red Tip (small "Y" tip cutting) were more recently added

I guess for right now I'll let the P. Afra drape down between the Gollum & Red Tip
And
See where the Red Tip takes it as it grows
???

One Way Or The Other
It Should Be Interesting looking In a Few Years
dethcheez
9 years ago
And Now For Even More Unadulterated Tackiness

~Twisted Red Tip~

This ones around 4 years old
Was started from a leaf pulling sprout

I brake off any & all new off shoots that form
I like the look of the bare branches with leaves just on the tip
dethcheez
9 years ago
I have around 30 some to 40 Bonsai
(NOT one of which was store bought / All are form cutting or seed)
Probably half of which are Jade
So I can do this all day / LOL

But Would Love To See More Pics Of Other Peoples Projects
KrysJ
9 years ago
Hello all!

Just stumbled across this forum. I am starting to propagate a baby jade plant I bought a couple months ago that I would like to "bonsai" (meaning a tacky, non-traditional "bonsai"). There are some great pictures here, and hopefully I can contribute some in the near future.
greenman28 NorCal 7b/8a
9 years ago
Welcome, Krys.

Deth, I have lots of little Jade projects....plenty of pics to come. These two cuttings are grown in pure, screened Turface, and bloomed last Winter for the first time.

Josh
greenman28 NorCal 7b/8a
9 years ago
The Jade on the left has bloomed every year since I received it as a cutting from a GardenWeb member in Oregon (taken from his motherplant). It has pinkish blooms that are very nice.

The Jade on the right is a 'Crosby's Compact' that I rescued. I pruned it a year or two ago, but I haven't consistency pinched it, so it isn't looking its best. It has a smooth trunk that I like...

Josh
greenman28 NorCal 7b/8a
9 years ago
Here's a shot of the Jade that I've had the longest...my mother Jade, grown from the first cutting I ever propagated. I nearly froze it to death, but it survived.

Josh
greenman28 NorCal 7b/8a
9 years ago
...The other side of one of the Jade tables.

Josh
littlekirstenjr
9 years ago
Josh,

I love that you have a table all to your jades. As it should be! After I pruned my variegated jade, I thought I was going to have all sorts of cuttings that would eventually root. But NONE of them made it and I'm bummed about it. The cutting were placed on top of dry soil and they all either dried out completely and shriveled up or they rotted even though I added absolutely no water. Something tells me that because my variegation is so intense, with a lot of my leaves on the cuttings being entirely white, that they weren't strong enough to root. At least that's what I'm telling myself. Still, the most intensely variegated were the ones to go first. I researched all about rooting jades and still can't believe ZERO of mine made it. Not even single leaves. I wonder what I did wrong....

:(
dethcheez
9 years ago
littlekirstenjr

Was that the one in the pic above
It would be cool if you could get one of the branches that's almost solid yellow to root

Just tossing this out there & wish I remembered all the technical terms & what not

But wonder if you having problems with them rooting has anything to do with the color

Not enough color for photosynthesis & the plant can't sustain itself type of thing???

Just a Thought
greenman28 NorCal 7b/8a
9 years ago
Hello!
Variegated Jades (the 'Tricolor' especially) are difficult to root. Few have success with them...and the greater the variegation, the less likely they are to root. It does, indeed, have to do with the lack of chlorophyll for photosynthesis.

Here are a few more that are hanging out on this bench:
greenman28 NorCal 7b/8a
9 years ago
...and here's an update on my C. arborescens 'Silver Dollar' - one of my favorites. So stout. Not a great picture....I'll have to take a few more until I catch the proper angle to show this one off.

Josh
littlekirstenjr
9 years ago
Ok COOL. I thought I was a failed gardener/jade appreciator. I've had other succulents accidentally root for me, and yet, the only one I truly wanted to root was my variegated jade haha.

Dethcheez,
Yup, that's the jade! Some of the branches I was trying to root were entirely or nearly entirely white and like I said, they were the first ones to go. It's like they all had a mass jade suicide. The mother plant is doing great though. Sprouting new leaves here and there.
greenman28 NorCal 7b/8a
9 years ago
Here's another favorite -
Crassula ovata var. obliqua.....the green form.
KrysJ
9 years ago
Littlekirstenjr,

I've had best luck propagating my jade by doing stem cuttings and putting them directly in water. I keep the cuttings inside under a light. It takes quite a few weeks, but strong white roots should appear. Make sure you change the water often and I test my water (I have acidic water with lots of chlorine, so I adjust my pH to be more neutral and let the water sit out for at least 24 hours). I have not attempted to propagate from leaf cuttings.

What was odd during propagating was that some of the leaves were wrinkled as if they weren't getting any water, but were sitting in water. Once I planted them they filled out.
harman75
9 years ago
These are all amazing!
David Glyn
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
I wonder if any owners of the previous pictures would be willing and able to post updates on their jade bonsai projects. Great thread, great trees, great imagination! bens2bens, how's your experiment with the tall skinny jade with umbrella top?

ez
greenman28 NorCal 7b/8a
8 years ago
Certainly, David.

But it might take a few days before I have a chance to take pics.

Josh
Amynoacids (z6 MI)
8 years ago
I would love to see current pics of all of these!
breathnez
8 years ago
Thanks, Josh! That Silver Dollar looks to be a great one! I haven't sen Dethcheez posting this year, hope he's still out there. What imagination!

ez
supertinyviolet
8 years ago
Wow! I absolutely love all of the pictures on this thread!! What fascinating plants :)

I'm new to the world of bonsai trees, but I really want one! I just have no idea where to get them from. Where did you guys get yours from? A breeder? A Home Depot / Lowes??
greenman28 NorCal 7b/8a
8 years ago
A few updates...
breathnez
8 years ago
Josh, that silver dollar has gotten taller. Are they slower to branch?

008a9a, you can get them sometimes at the big box stores, generally the larger plants are found at a nursery. In both cases the soil will probably be more water-retentive than is needed. You will either need to get used to watering quite infrequently or study up on better draining soils in the 'cacti and succulent' forum.

ez
laticauda
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
@Gman

So, you've been at these particular trees about two years now?
supertinyviolet
8 years ago
Thank you, breathnez!! I'll keep an eye out for them next time I go out :)
greenman28 NorCal 7b/8a
8 years ago
Laticauda, probably closer to 5 years on some of these.
I've kept them quite small by confining them in small containers and inorganic mixes.

Josh
greenman28 NorCal 7b/8a
8 years ago
Ben, this is a small-leaf / compact Jade that I decided to shape into a Ben style bonsai :-)

There is a significant scar from where I pruned it, but I will just make that the 'back' side for presentation. I am pinching the branch tips regularly to really focus the canopy.

Josh
breathnez
8 years ago
Nice Josh, this will be an interesting project to follow over the next years.

ez
halocline
8 years ago
I'm sorry, can someone please direct me to the Bonsai forum? I think I accidentally clicked on the moochinka knows best channel. AGAIN.

Rob
Ian Deighton
8 years ago
Hi Ben..

I live in a 3rd story apartment in London Over the past few years I have been growing some Crassula to provide partial window screening.. My original plan was to have them shaped something like African savannah trees. It has sort of worked..

Although not strictly savannah like, this one has turn out best I think..

One problem I have is the older leaves tend to fold down, which is not bad, but not so savannah like. I would prefer if they were more horizontal. Any advice on that?

Great page by the way, there are many useful tips here..

Ian
greenman28 NorCal 7b/8a
8 years ago
Hello, Ian! Nice "trees" :-) The reason the leaves are downfolded is simply due to lower light levels. But, for lower light specimens, they don't look half bad.

Josh
Ian Deighton
8 years ago
Thanks bro
Laurenda Breda
8 years ago
This is my gorgeous Jade bonsai :) thank u for all the advice on how to fatten up the stem and pinching off the new growth. It's extremely helpful :)
Laurenda Breda
8 years ago
waiting patiently for the canopy to close nicely with this Crassula tetragona.

Jade tree (Crassula ovata & arborescens) as bonsai ... pics

Comments (72)

Related Discussions

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US