Hi Norma & Karen! I haven't been over here on the C&S forum much lately... Even though Denver's climate isn't too far off from ours, I have a feeling being 4000 ft. higher in elevation probably makes a difference in growing plants... Ed, when I "whack" mine back, I usually get pretty radical. I have one 'Skinny Fingers' (which I think is probably a clone of 'Gollum') that had gotten pretty heavy with foliage and out of shape, and I was ready to give it a good pruning. I kept putting it off, but then it got sunburned this spring, so it was time. This is the before photo, from a couple years ago... After a good whacking, new growth is coming mostly at the tips, but some down further on the branches... The best part is that the trunk will thicken now, too. By next year, your Jade should look fabulous if you give it enough sun. Denise in Omaha

Thanks for inquiring Marguerite! Well, it's been a struggle... The large piece finally seems to have rooted and drank some water, it hasn't gown at all and it lost a couple bottom leaves. I added the fine sand as there were roots poking out. There was a tiny little variegated piece, it shriveled and died. A couple months ago there was a tiny solid green jade cutting that needed a home, so I stuck it in. I just started to use weak dosage of Foliage Pro, so hopefully it will put out new growth soon. Nancy

Issac, is that area always that shady? Or are you trying to slowly harden them off? If in the early stages of hardening them off, they should still get a few hours of morning or evening sun. I have a couple little jades and mine are already out in full direct sun from 8am-2pm. If these plants are receiving enough sun and are fully rooted, they should not need any staking. I also agree with the dear lady, Greenclaws, your mix still looks a bit heavy on the organic. With regards to pruning, try to envision how you would like the plants to look. For example (if your plants were mine), the pot with the bricks in the last post -- I'd cut off the little branches near the base and get rid of the one growing at the out edge of the pot. But, then, my personal preference is for nice section of trunk before having branches for that tree look. I would also plan on either chopping those branches facing the house back by about a third in hope that in doing so some branching might occur on the naked opposite side or I would consider trying for a bonsai look in which all of the growth is sweeping to that one side. (With as many jades as you have, I'd lean towards the latter idea as something fun with which to play around. If it fails, no great loss.) In your second to last post, I probably wouldn't cut where you have the line. Instead, again because I like a bit of trunk before branching, I'd get rid of the lower two branches and instead keep the trunk all the way up to the next fork. Once the plant gets a bit more growth and had recovered from the pruning, I'd shorten the branches above the trunk crotch in hopes of getting them to branch further for a bigger canopy.

Hi Rina. I’m only a couple months behind on this thread ha ha but I really need your guidance. I’ve read your posts on this site for many years. If you ever wonder if anyone is benefiting from your experience wonder no more. I’m a fan. My husband and I moved a few years ago. The only plant we barely had room to move was our large jade. I call her the mothership. :-) I’m shaping the mothership into a tree so I’ve pruned her three times since our move. I was a beginner and she’s healthy so I kept every leaf and stem. Now I’m a beginner + with at least a hundred jades. I have learned SO much (and still do) reading your posts. I took your advice and planted each cutting in its own pot. I also took your advice, per the photo, and left all the bottom leaves intact to promote a thicker trunk. Most of my jades are the same size as those in the photo or a few inches shorter. I pruned most to branch. My dilemma is this … where do I go from here? For example, I allowed the two on the left to get tall before pruning to branch. Should I shorten them so they won’t get top heavy? And the plant on the right. Should I prune the two branches? If so how much? Leave two sets of leaves on each branch correct? Or do nothing? She’s a beauty but I’m afraid she’ll be a top heavy beauty in a few months or years. I now have this unexpected but awesome hobby. I’ve learned a lot the past three years but I have a long way to go. I’d love to learn from you and your experience. Thanks! -Kelly