Hi Mamas

I have been keeping Jade or Money Plants as there are called around here for over 20 years

What I do about every two years, I remove the plant from the pot and remove as much of the soil that I can, I clip the small newer roots off with pruning shears then re-pot it with multi purpose compose with a hand full of sharp sand.

Pot size you can see the size of the pot to the size of the plant, I donâÂÂt think they want too much room, when I have removed a much soil as possible and clipped the roots, I like no more that the width of my middle finger each side of the root, I put stones in the bottom of the pot, I donâÂÂt like a lot of room at the bottom, if you find the plant is top heavy like photo one, the stones at the bottom help to counter balance it, I use small stones I get from the beach, wash all the salt off and leave them out side in an old pot for the rain wash through them before I use them, but you can use any small stones

Hope this helps

Old-n

I could not get two photos on the one posting so I am finishing it here.

First photo, this plant is about 20 years old, photo two is a cutting off this first plant about ten years ago, I thought it was getting one sided, you can see where I cut it from front bottom of the plant.

I think your pot is too big

Old-n

Mamas:

I can't tell if you have one plant in that pot or several stems. If the plant were mine, I would repot it into a smaller unglazed clay pot, and I would cut back the plant quite a bit, or, to use the vernacular popular on this forum, "whack" it.

If there were more than one main stem, me being me, I would pot each plant individually. I would make sure my planting medium was a fast draining mix, also, with less organic material.

Christopher

kaktuskris- its one main stem underneath, like a y or a v shaped.

i would love to cut it but not sure where to start.

I agree with Kaktuskris it needs cutting back.

If it were mine I would

1) Cut some of the lower pieces off, which you can use as cutting to make new plants.
2) Trim then dip the ends of the cutting in rooting powder and pot up

3) Put the big plant in a smaller pot so the bottom parts of the plant were not touching the top of the pot.
4) Put small stone at the bottom of the pot to help drainage
5) DonâÂÂt have a lot of room both at the side of the pot and at the bottom

Hope this helps

Old-n

what is rooting powder? and can you find that at like homedepot, lowes etc? ive tried doing cuttings but most seem to die, idk why. i water the same and they are in small containers...

do i cut right next the trunk? or further out on the branches?

#3 is a little confusing to me.. sorry

#5 - can i havr more room on the bottom and narrow on the top? or narrow on the bottom and wide on the top is that what your saying?

Small stones at the bottom of the pot actually impede drainage, instead of helping it. What is most important, is the proper planting medium, as inorganic as possible is best.

Jade can be pruned back severely, and the result is only beneficial. How severely is up to you, but I would prune most of the branches back to maybe a couple of inches from the main stem, or more.

I would repot in a smaller clay pot, as long as the roots fit that is fine, if not, prune some of the roots.

As for rooting cuttings, I have never used rooting powder on any of mine, for Jades root so easily, it is not necessary. I just basically leave them out until they start to show roots, then pot them up.

Christopher

#3 confusing
To clarify look at old-n pics you can see the outer pot at about 3 inches from the base of trunk and the jade is centered in the pot. Also notice the base of the jade trunk is viewable and not sunken in the pot..

#5 I cant see the roots in any of the pics either but old-n saw his roots at one time. I think they meant the roots shouldn't have contact with the bottom of the pot and seems to suggest roots shouldn't be exposed in a pot that's to shallow.

Yes your pot is in my view to deep and also to big in roundness.

I also think you should re-pot in a better size pot in a good draining soil first and wait a week (plus or minus a day or two) to do any pruning.
Pruning : No I wouldn't hard prune yours even though it can handle a hard prune as suggested yours can take a nice shape as well
Where to start as a guide:
Bottom to top then inside to outside

Expose the trunk working upward cut the stringy, thinner, looser or drooping growth on the outside to the firmest section even if it is a hard cut to a firmer branch.

Inside : crossing branches are blocking better branches growth they cant be easily seen by the pic with it's fuller foliage. If you twist the leaves in pairs they should easily remove and you can get a better view of whats inside by twisting leaves that are inside and finger pruning toward the out side.
I like razor cutting over growth foliage wall paper razor knives.... hardware shop

old-n has a very nice " see though the tree " in pics and is a good guide.
Kind of funny, but it's harder to block drainage if all the soil is rocks but I highly suggest that you dont go the all rock route.

Mamas

There is a number of videos about Jade plants have a look and see what you think

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZN_Sm7wdSUE

thanks for the link. i had watched that exact video a little while before you posted your message! seems easy enough..

just spoke with my great grandma (90yrs strong) she said she recieved the plant from a neighbor in 1988, when she moved to california from arizona, at the it was given to her the neighbor told her it was about 10yrs old! so that would make it about 35 yrs old, if the age is correct from the neighbor. So i really cant let it to die.

i have taken some branches off to make starters again, see how my luck goes again with those. ive gotten soo many mixed ways to start so i will try each and see what works for me- ive taken a branch and put it directly into soil, i have some setting out to calus over n get roots and i have some leaves patiently waiting to take root lol

Do it in first of October, or when it cools down where you live. In Africa most of these plants live on all rock hillsides by the thousands. Getting water only when it rains. They are just nOT fussy, and will flower for Christmas. Norma