12yr old Whacked Jade Repotted

15 years ago

Hi there:

Just want to share my 12yr old whacked Jade repotted in a 24inch bowl. Her trunk is 13inch in diameter. Just to get an idea, my daughter is about 34inches tall.

And here is my daughter again at my back yard. Just kidding!!

We were at the South Coast Botanic Garden, Palos Verdes Peninsula, CA.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (12)

greenman28 NorCal 7b/8a
15 years ago
Fantastic!
Thanks so much for sharing these...
While I am a Jade man without question, that last pic is exceptional!
And it really helps to have your daughter there for scale.

Josh
Denise
15 years ago
I'm sure you must have meant the trunk is 13" in circumference and not diameter, right? At any rate, that's an impressive one! Your daughter could become a professional plant-model - she's a cutie!

Denise in Omaha
Related Discussions
Whacked my Jade
Q
Comments (32)
1 yr after the wacking. i can report that she is very happy and healthy again! recap: my jade was severely infected with scale insects on the leaves and root mealies on the roots. after losing the battle i decided to cut off all the foliage and complete replace the soil. so i wacked it back, took it out of the pot and removed all the old infected soil. re-planted it and then waited until it started sprouting some new leaves. once new growth appeared, i watered with a very diluted systemic that had the active ingredient imidacloprid. i used bayer advanced tree and shrub insect control. for the first few months i used the systemic every watering. now i just use it once every 2-3 months just to be sure those little bastards don't return!
...See More
A 'Best Practices' for Jade Whacking?
Q
Comments (2)
Blut... Jades can take a whacking any old time, really. I've whacked them spring, fall, winter. It doesn't seem to make much difference, realy. Now is probably a good time, as we're going into spring when growth will be optimal. You can prune them when they're big enough to have a trunk, even a little one. Just be sure to prune above a "joint" (as I call it...) Trunks tend to have places where it's obvious a set of leaves once were. As long as you have a "joint" or two, it'll sprout new growth. It's probably best not to whack right after or just before repotting. A few weeks before/after is better. After whacking, just treat it pretty much the same - let it dry between waterings. Of all the succulents I grow, Jades have to be the hardiest, so don't feel intimidated at all by pruning. In the end, you'll be glad you "whacked away!" I used to be a little leary of pruning. But (as I'm sure a lot of you have heard over and over!), my first German Shepherd taught me the value of pruning. His big ol' overly enthusiastic tail would periodially "prune" a plant by knocking it silly. Initially, I would be so pi$$ed!! But after it happened a couple times (and I saw the results a few months later), I figured out that in the end, I had a remarkably more beautiful plant! Oh the things we learn from our pets (and I'm sure mischevious children, too!) Denise in Omaha
...See More
Time of year to 'whack' jades?
Q
Comments (6)
It is debatable when the best time to do it really is. Part of the issue is that Jades are pretty variable in terms of active versus dormant season. Depending on your climate, you can have a very distinct dormancy. Typically when it gets too hot, Jades will go dormant. Otherwise, they are pretty opportunistic growers. Here in Santa Monica, they are basically always in growth, if you provide them with water. However, they seem to be most active in early spring after they have bloomed. Personally, I prune mine in early spring, so that the new growth forms almost right away. Having said that, if you are providing anywhere near the right conditions for your Jade, then you can prune whenever you want and not really hurt the plant. Jades are incredibly resilient plants! So pretty much, I'd say do it whenever you want to! You definately have the right idea with the water. If you are really going to do a whack-job (completely remove all leaves) then keep it almost bone dry until you see new growth. If you are just doing a little pruning here and there, you can just cut back, but not stop watering altogether. Of course this assumes you are keeping it above 50 or 60 F at all times... If it is colder than that, keep it drier. And how about some before and after pics!
...See More
How would you whack this jade?
Q
Comments (12)
I don't think any of these are large enough yet for a major trim. That will reduce the number of leaves (where all the food is made), and it takes the plant a while to recover. A plant left alone in strong light, a good soil mix, with proper watering, and light fertilization in early spring and fall, will probably grow thicker faster than a plant of the same diameter after a major trim. Trimming makes limbs look bigger than normal because new growth appears on older limbs. Plants I have wacked have all been 6-10 years old before the first cut. Your plants are much smaller and thinner than four year olds in my backyard. I think you should not trim at all, just concentrate on growing them well. Separate the plants. The root system of jades is only a few inches deep, so plant in shallow clay containers about 4 inches diameter. You could leave four together in a larger diameter shallow bowl and make a jade forest. Get rid of that awful looking peaty soil, and make your own mix that is at least 75% perlite, pumice, gravel, etc. Orchid bark and redwood fines are good for the organic component. Give them as much light as you can, outside if possible. You could play around with one or two, chopping down any green stems, leaving only older brown stems no more than four to five segments tall. There may be no leaves at all after your done, but come spring, they will sprout new growth, and by the end of the summer, you will have plants with relatively thick trunks compared to the new growth. You could even make a direct comparison of the trunk sizes between trimmed and untrimmed plants. That could be an interesting experiment. :) Brad
...See More
gargaile
Original Author
15 years ago
Josh. Thanks you.

Denise. You're right, i was thinking of my television in terms of diameter...lol

Gary
stanofh 10a Hayward,Ca S.F. bay area
15 years ago
And I would say Burbank is more z10 than 9.
yep,I have a hard time too giving up on Jade.I might have 6-7 pots of them and a huge one in ground. Versatile....
BTW, I have that same granite rock too..I got mine at an aquarium store. Screamed Chinese mountains more than guppy bowl-lol.
joscience
15 years ago
What a great plant Gary! Really looks nice. You might consider giving it more sun though, as those leaves look a little too big and green for my taste...

I keep meaning to get down to the South Coast Botanic Garden. Looks pretty sweet!
puglvr1
15 years ago
That's absolutely amazing!! Can't believe that little metal table didn't break from the weight,lol...

Thanks for sharing...
birdsnblooms
15 years ago
Beautiful Jade!
What's the tree in back of your daughter? It's amazing. Toni
gargaile
Original Author
15 years ago
Thanks for the compliments folks!

Toni, sorry but i dont know. I wrote it down somewhere but could not find it. I was just overwhelmed with its size.

Gary
joscience
15 years ago
I'm pretty sure that is Euphorbia ingens.
birdsnblooms
15 years ago
Jo, I'm sure not going to debate with you, you're way beyond my league. But I did a search..Gary's tree looks similar to E. ingens, but not exactly..I had no idea Euphorbias grew so tall. Beautiful! I want to move.

Gary, your daughter is a cutie...Toni
joscience
15 years ago
Toni, I'm not 100% sure, more like 90%. If Gary has a shot of the ends of the branches and flowers, we could tell for sure. The key trait (beyond being a tree form) is the distinctly four-sided stems. The mature growth looks much much different than young growth, so it is difficult to compare to most of what you see on the internet.

The other compelling reason to believe it is E. ingens is that there simply weren't that many tree species available in Southern California when that tree was planted. Now, I understand that it is a botanical garden, so they might have gotten a more esoteric species, but I still think that E. ingens is more likely.
christoula
15 years ago
Gary,
Gorgeous example of the true beauty of the Jade.. Ive become a bit of a "freak" for them myself over time.. Every time I prune, I just cant see throwing them out, so I grab another pot, mix up some more soil, and another is added to the list! It is very addictive!
Thanks for sharing, and your daughter is a doll!!
Christina

12yr old Whacked Jade Repotted

Comments (12)

greenman28 NorCal 7b/8a

Denise

Related Discussions

gargaile
Original Author

stanofh 10a Hayward,Ca S.F. bay area

joscience

puglvr1

birdsnblooms

gargaile
Original Author

joscience

birdsnblooms

joscience

christoula

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

12yr old Whacked Jade Repotted

Comments (12)

Related Discussions

gargaileOriginal Author

gargaileOriginal Author

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

gargaile
Original Author

gargaile
Original Author