OK, Ed. Now you're freaking me out: I shaved off parts of the bottom of the trunk because it was the only way I could expose any raw flesh that would offer a possibility of rooting. This was not only unnecessary, but dangerous. I'm assuming you mean the side of the trunk, not the bottom. Did you water after you did this? Any open wound allows entry of fungus. This can kill the plant. Please, take it out of the container, remove any soil, and inspect very carefully. Any softness means trouble. Fungal infections move slowly upwards through the plants vascular system. The only way to cure this is to transect the stem above the infection. You can see this as dark colored tissue in your cross-sections. Cut upwards in 1/4-1/2 inch increments with a clean knife dipped in rubbing alcohol until the section is clean, free of dark colored vascular bundles. Then you let it sit around in the air for a few days to callous over. Then, place it into a container with dry growing media and wait for roots. It will take a long time with a stump that big. One month per inch is something I've read, but I think it's better to simply say that bigger stumps need more time to root than small cuttings that can root in days. New growth means it's time to start watering again. There are a couple of ideas that all succulent growers come to understand. They are: Benign neglect: leaving a plant alone unless the plant's health will suffer. Don't fuss over it. Don't water too much. Give it the right amount of light, not too much not too little. It's a simple idea, but one sometimes hard to practice. If in doubt, DON'T! It means just what it says, and applies to any action you take. Don't water if you are not certain the soil is dry, top to bottom. Know your plants normal growth pattern. Many succulents are dormant in the winter and watering then can kill them. Others are dormant in the summer, and want no water even though it may be 100F and dry dry dry. Succulents are better able to withstand long dry periods, but will not tolerate more than a few days with wet feet. I guess that's enough for now. Go save your plant :-) Brad

You can't just slap your jade out in the sun or it'll burn for sure. I usually start acclimating mine in spring, by putting them out when it's sunny, and the temps get into the mid 60's or higher. I start with an hour, then after a few times out, 2 hours, then 3, and so on. At this point, you can keep it out, but keep it in the shade to start. Even an hour or 2 of morning sun would be good. I don't know what your situation for outside placement is, so it's hard to say. Basically though, start with an hour of sun, and work your way up, with a few days for each exposure time. Jades can handle full sun after acclimation, although I find that mine perform best when in full sun from sun-up, until around 3 or 4PM, then shade the rest. You'll know it's happy when the edges of the leaves get a little reddish in color. As for temperatures, I like to bring mine in if the nightime lows are going to be less then 55. As for high temperatures, from what I have read, once you get above 90, they tend to go dormant, so a hot & humid attic isn't really ideal. I don't know how true this is, because I'm in Wisconsin, where we average about 2 days a year in the 90's. In fact, last year, we had none. The key is that jades like sun, which is why I get mine outside even on those odd warmups in early spring, then bring them in. I don't leave them out full time until nightime lows stay 55 and above. For the rest of the year, they sit in a south window in my kitchen, with typical home temperatures. Mine grow all year, although MUCH slower in winter. Provide lots of sun in summer, and you may get rewarded with flowers in late fall. Joe

GN, No, it's in an 8" pot. The trunk is 3" in diameter, the whole thing about a foot tall and a little more than a foot wide. (I know - it's hard to tell from a photo...) It's way over due to be moved up to a bigger sized pot, but I really don't want it to get a LOT bigger. I can still move it around without too much trouble, but it's a bit of a back-breaker... Notice the Haworthias growing in the pot with it? I think this just proves that Haworthias can take an awful lot of sun. Those are H. cymbiformis and have been in that pot with the Jade for years, sitting in direct sun all summer long. Granted, the Jade provides a bit of shade during the hottest part of the day, but they get several hours of full sun every day and look great. Here's a closeup of the Haworthias... Denise in Omaha

This is somewhat of a disadvantage, Gill, b/c I don't know what your goals are. Some might like it just as is, others might be looking to make it look like a large, old tree in miniature. For now maybe I could just pass on two impressions. 1. I wouldn't prefer the last view, where the two smaller trunks are more or less hidden. The second-to-last view I like to best show the good features. 2. There could be more dead space. Right now it looks too crowded together, and it creates tension when trying to view and enjoy it. Here is a suggestion for removing a branch on the left. If you agree, then maybe take the same idea to the right side, where the growth is very thick (several branches crowding each other). Then going forward don't let any new backbudding fill that area, but encourage growth up and out. The way it's growing fast and flowering shows impressive health- hats off to you! ez