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Cacti & Succulents

Jade plant rotting after pruning

11 years ago

I have had my jade plant for almost 5 years and have had very little issues with it. Recently I noticed some of the branches were very heavy, so I began a slow pruning process.

Since the end of the pruning process, my plant has gone down hill. It does not look as if it is growing much at all and I have lost some smaller branches. Today I noticed some rot on one of the large cut branches near the base. Also, in the fork of the two main branches, a crevice has opened up. It almost looks as if the branch on the right is going to die off.

I must have watered too much and caused this indirectly. I want to save the plant, but at this point I feel very stuck.

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Comments (7)

salixsun
Original Author
11 years ago
Here is another picture
salixsun
Original Author
11 years ago
Here is the main branch fork
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I found an absolutely beautiful Jade in a dumpster when I was tossing my trash. I pulled it out and after trimming a bit it was absolutely fantastic. I proceeded to over water it and practically kill it. It got so bad that I thought it was a goner...and then I did the unthinkable. I cut off the entire matted and ruined root ball. The whole thing. I let it air a few days and stuck it in an awful mixture of street dirt. 6-months later, it is making a huge comeback. I barely water it now and give it a shower every six weeks or so to blow away any mites or whatever crawlies happen on it. It is doing fine. I happened on another specimen with an 8-inch trunk and I broke it up to make about 5 new plants with 4-inch trunks (the 8-inch was rotting). I'm hoping to get at least 3 of those rooted using the same method. Re-rooting a 4-inch trunk gave me some confidence with Jades. They seem to be really resilient if you sorta be a little mean to them ;-)
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Comments (5)
Yes, you can cut. Feel the stem. Is it squishy? You will want to cut the stem back until you reach healthy tissue (start at the roots, of course). I see some brown on the stem. I would start cutting there, and work up. Keep cutting until you reach tissue with no black or brown. You want creamy white-green. After you finish cutting, dust with cinnamon to discourage disease and rot. Let the cut stem sit out of soil for a few days (in a dry, dim, cool place). the cut end will feel rough and hard (not moist or juicy). Put it in new DRY soil. I would suggest using 60% perlite and 40% cactus and succulent mix. wash the perlite to get out the dust. Don't breathe in the dust, either- it is harmful to the lungs. Prop up the stem in the soil with rocks, so it stays upright. In a few weeks, you should see roots :) Don't check often for roots, or you may break existing ones. It is best to wait until you see new growth, and then you can water a bit. The soil you have in the picture looks like it has a large contingent of peat. Peat holds water for a long time, and that rots the roots. By doing the above mix, you can avoid rot, but still be careful with watering. To check if you need to water, you can use a wooden skewer. Poke it into the soil, and if it comes out dry, you can water. Good luck! ~palmsandsnow
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Old Jade plant pruning(?) and other Q's about other jade plants
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Comments (6)
NP, they are showing now. Pretty good looking plants. 1st needs support because it has big branches growing bit 'wildly' (that is not a criticism :), one I can see is too much to the side. Not a problem, you can just prune one off, or prune some of the smaller branches off to make it more balanced. I am only looking at the photo - but think I would prune off the left branch and the lowest big branch. When repotting, I would get original plant into more upright position. Just a suggestion... As jades get bigger, you should decide what shape you want them to grow into. That is personal preference - I like one thick stem/trunk (that's why I said to prune extra branches off). Once you decide, pruning in early spring will help to keep plants balanced and grow the way you like. Variegated jade looks like 'Tricolor' (but I can't see it clearly), and they are as easy to propagate from leaves as green ones. Sometimes they revert to all green, but will grow. They just grow bit slower in my experience. But plant is very small, and you should grow it bigger before taking leaves on - they feed the plant and help it grow. I have many grown from leaves and also from stem cuttings. The colorful plant is probably sedum and could be propagated very easily from leaves or stem cuttings.
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hanzrobo
11 years ago
I'm sorry to tell you that your plant looks like it won't be recovering. If you want to preserve it, cut off the fresh growth and re-root the cuttings. In my experience, the variegated C. ovata is prone to weakness and needs all the help it can get. If not given close to perfect conditions, it will droop, lean, drop branches and finally, show deep grooves between the segments on the trunk. Once the trunk looks like that, I haven't brought one back from there. I also haven't lost one in a long time. They like bright diffused light/shade, morning sun only or afternoon sun only. I've seen big ones growing under the shade of a tree. I've never tried to bring one indoors but I suspect it wouldn't take more than the bare-minimum indoor wintering. Also, I'm pretty sure there are two varieties of variegated Jade, one being more healthy and hearty than the other.
greenman28 NorCal 7b/8a
11 years ago
There are many varieties of variegated Jade on the market now, but this one is the common 'Tricolor.' Many folks have difficulty rooting cuttings from this plant.

I don't know if the pruning introduced a pathogen of some sort or not, however this is a poor time of year to be pruning Jades (in most places). We've all done it, yes, but it's not optimum for recovery or for the quality of the new growth.

Next time, sterilize the cutters (if you didn't) and dust the fresh cuts with cinnamon.

Josh
salixsun
Original Author
11 years ago
It is a house plant in a south facing window, so I figured the time of year really didn't matter. I also had to prune it because the branches looked really heavy. Maybe I should have waited though.

I did use sterile tools and I did dust with cinnamon as well.
greenman28 NorCal 7b/8a
11 years ago
Yes, the timing of the season matters immensely, especially if the plant is kept in the house where it will never achieve full growth potential. For the fastest recovery and the sturdiest, most compact and vital growth, you want to prune during the primary growing season.

With the clean cutters and the cinnamon, you are two steps ahead. Not sure what went wrong, I'm sorry to say. There are others out there with molded Jades, though, so don't feel alone.

Josh
salixsun
Original Author
11 years ago
Well, I definitely learned my lesson. I think I am going to let nature take its course. I will definitely never prune in winter again, that is for sure!

Should I cut back the branch on the right of the fork or even both to get one main stem? Or, will that cause even more trauma?

This post was edited by salixsun on Thu, Feb 21, 13 at 18:41

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