:)

I just put my Jade outside going to bring it inside in 1 hour.

Is this enough morning sun for startering to introduce it to outside sun?

After I know how long to keep it outside I will bring it in and make the cuttings.

Can you also tell me a name of a *dry* mix you would recomend me to buy. I have a home depot, local nurserys, menards close by to where I live if that helps on a recomendation.

Hey, an hour is just fine to start.
Outdoor shade is brighter than a sunny window indoors, so don't hesitate to move the Jade in
and out of the sun throughout the day. Also, turning your plant frequently will allow sun to
hit all sides, making for a more balanced, healthy, colorful, and compact plant.

You can make your cuts whenever you're ready - I'd cut now, in fact.

Keep the cuttings indoors, but put the plant back outside.

If you have an area of partial sun/partial shade, you can leave your Jade outside longer.
When I bring my plants outside in early Spring, I set them close to the deck-rail so that the
sun is shaded through the pickets.

Josh

Golden,
I honestly cannot recommend a mix that comes in a bag.
However, you can start by purchasing a bag of large-grained Perlite.
You can root cuttings or grow Jades in pure Perlite, in a pinch.

There are many different soil mixes that will create excellent drainage.
Gritty ingredients are key. I use a mix of Perlite, Pumice, and Orchid Bark.

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Josh

Going to make the cuts now I'll post a follow up picture shortly.

Divide and conquer....! ;)

Josh

I made the cuts & put my jade back out in the sun for 15 min then going to move it into the shade outside.

My fiance currently has the camera I see and she wont be back till later today so I'll have to wait on the picture upload till later tonight.

I measured the cuttings & here how big each of the 3 are:

5 1/4"

6 1/4"

9 1/4"

How deep down do I plant these in a week when they are callused over?

How far up should I break leaves off for planting the cuttings?

Excellent. Great questions, too.

In general, I bury the bottom 2 - 3 nodes.

Post a pic of the cuttings (when the camera and fiance return) - it'll help to determine
how many leaves to pull. You might not need to pull any leaves. The lower, older leaves
will shrivel and fall from the cuttings over the next few weeks anyhow.

Josh

Ok I found our old camera & took a picture :).

Let me know how the cuttings look.

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Here are 2 more pictures of the cuttings to get a better look at the nodes.

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Great cuttings.
Give me a minute to make some marks on the image....

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The tip-cutting is perfect.

On the 5+ inch cutting, pluck that lowest leaf (marked X).

On the 6+ and the 9+ inch cuttings, pluck those lowest little branches/stems.
When you pot these two, cover the area where the branches were with potting mix.
New roots will spring from those nodes.

I think you're in business, sir.

Josh

Here are the pluckings & a picture of the whacked jade.

Are all the smaller cuts & leaves supposed to be discarded, or will they take root also?

They are in front of a south window blocked by the blinds on the window. Would it be better in my room with a west window?

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Looks like you are going to get quite a few more plants out of that one..

Wow, what a very informative thread for all of us, even newbies like my niece..

Thank you for this and the illustrations..

Hi Josh, great job and very kind of you to illustrate!

Mike

Oh Brad, your plants are amazing!! I stopped by and had to tell you!

Great work.

Mike

I bought "Bontone ROOTING POWER" today & am wondering when I am supposed to use this?

Do I wait for the cuttings to callus over then use this?

I have never used rooting hormone before any help would be appreciated.

Don't bother, it's entirely unnecessary, your Jades will root just fine w/out it.

One thing about rooting hormone is many folks use more for the antifungal it contains than the rooting hormone.

Since you've said you're new to gardening, pls. know that not everything sold out there as plant accessories is necessary for good growing. The more one grows, the more one learns these things.

Often it's helpful to learn about the basics first like mixes, watering & light, before progressing to fertilizers, amendments, etc. Good basic Gardening books like Readers Digest Success w/ Plants can offer great information on all this stuff. Reading over the basis a few times can be really helpful.

Very nice plants Para, thanks for the show.

Ooops, sorry for the typo --

"Reading over the basis a few times"

sould have read --

"Reading over the BASICS a few times"

Brad, thank you. A kind word goes far...

American, thanks for the additional pics.
While the Jade is inside, I think the South window is better than the West window.
However, can you open those blinds? Jades need a lot of light if they aren't in the sun.
That said, I assume that you're sunning your Jade outside again this morning?

As for rooting hormone...I've never used it on Jades! ;)
Pirate Girl is correct - it really is unnecessary with Jades.
*If* you were to use the rooting powder, you would apply it to the wet ends of your
cuttings/leaves. But they're probably well on their way to forming a callus at this point.

Josh

Thanks & yes I can open the blinds. I did take the Jade outside this morning doing a little over a hour today.

Alright thanks I can tell that the cut parts are starting to callus over they have a shivel look almost like they are trying to close around the end.

Very good!
The little cut parts will shrivel and fall off, leaving a smooth callus below.
Soon, two little red dots will appear on opposite sides of the callus. These will
grow into new branches.

Josh

How does the process work with the single leaves I have? There is no end to shrivel and fall off.

Thanks again for all the information. I am glad this helps others as much as it helps me! I am learning so much about my Jade plant :).

American,
peruse this Thread.... ;)
I love Jades, and I encourage everyone to grow them!
Roots grow from the stem-end of the leaves. Set the leaf 1/4 to 1/2 inch into your dry mix.

Plucked my Jade's Leaves (pics)


Josh

Only 1 day later and I can tell the process is starting.

Here are some pictures of the cutting ends & plant ends where the cuts were made to 3 parts of the Jade plant.

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Like clockwork... ;)

I can even see some new buds at various nodes below the recent cuts.

Josh

I'm excited to plant the cuttings & watch the new growth on my Jade plant!

Brad, those are some really NICE Jades...love the thick trunks on them.

American, you've gotten some great advise here, best of luck with your newly pruned Jades and rooting them! Keep us posted!

Wow...this thread really took off! AG, you got some great advice from the Jadeophiles on this forum. Looks like your on the road to a healthier, fuller plant.

Here is a picture I just took of my Jade outside. I see new growth coming out by the 2 leaves on the last picture.

All the cuts seem to be callusing over well too! I'm suprised how fast it's moving along :).

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paracelsus, very nice gollum (or hobbit, can't tell!)

My soil in my Jade plant feels pretty dry. Is it time to give it a good water? How far down should I be feeling testing for dryness?

How much do I need to let my cuttings callus over? Do they need to be fully shut on the ends or when will I know they are ready?

When did you last soak it? I usually wait about 2 weeks between drenchings and usually guage it more on how the leaf feels. If it's full and plump....no water. Soft when you apply a bit of pressure to it...water. I think we all have our own tips....be interesting to see others input.

I'd say you are fine to plant those cuttings.

Josh...how are those cuttings doing? Everyone one of those un-rooted CC cuttings you sent me have grown new segments.

American,
have those end-pieces dried up and dropped off of the cuttings completely?
If you can see the actual callus, then the cuttings can be potted.
But remember: No roots, no water.

For the potted Jade:
Feel the leaves of your Jade, as John mentioned above.
If the leaves are soft, like an earlobe, then water. If the leaves are firm, do not water.

John, that's great to hear!
Your Jade is looking fantastic - a lovely lime-green. It's my mom's favorite...

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Josh

The ends have not fallen off yet so I will wait.

I feel the leaves and they feel firm but a little soft. I'll wait a few more days maybe they will get softer?

A rule of thumb for C&S with regards to watering....."when in doubt, don't"

Hello everyone!

I bought a small pot and planted the very small cuttings & leafs in a C/S mix. I set them in a west window for the moment unsure how much sunlight they should be getting right away? I am supposed to wait until I see new growth of them before watering correct? How long does this usually take? Should I be putting them outside with my Jade plant or keeping them inside with low doses of sunlight until growth?

On my Jade plant 2 of the callus ends poped off when I touched them today. Still waiting for the 3rd one to come off. I see a lot of new growth at almost all of the nodes on the plant :)!

I had the ends pop off on the really small cuttings that I potted today but still waiting on the big cuttings. You can see in the pictures they are closed off so I should keep waiting till they pop off correct? I had 2 leaves & the top part of the big cutting fall off, is this normal? The part that fell off of the big cutting seems fine and I took a picture of it.

I took some pictures let me know how you think everything is coming along and any info you can give me on the next steps I should be taking. I also haven't watered my Jade yet.

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It's been exactly 7 days since I made the cuttings. The ends have not fallen off of any of them and if I wiggle on them they don't seem like they are going to come off either.

Am I supposed to wait for these ends to fall off before potting or has it been long enough?

I don't want to repot and lose the cuttings so if anyone can answer ASAP I'd really appreciate it!

Hey, Golden!
Go ahead and pot the cuttings! It's been long enough.
Eventhough the ends haven't popped off, I think you can be sure that the callus has formed.
Also, go ahead and dribble a little bit of water around the pot of leaves and tip-cuttings.
Just try not to splash the leaves or tips directly. You want the roots to find the water,
not the water to find the roots.

Your main Jade plant is already responding well.
The cuts that you made have formed a perfect, smooth callus - and growth is erupting
from all those nodes. If the dried piece of the internode doesn't pop off easily, I just leave
it alone - eventually, the new growth will displace it. Also, a drop of water on the dried
piece will often loosen and free the cut-end within minutes...especially on a hot day.

How is the Jade doing with the increasing outdoor exposure?

Josh

Alright awesome. Should I be putting the leaf cuttings that I have potted & the new cuttings in outdoor sun or keep them indoors in a south or west window?

I will dribble a little water :).

My Jade seems to be doing great with outdoor exposure. With the new growth starting does that mean it is still using up moisture in the new soil?

I potted all the cuttings & gave a little dribble of water to the leafs & cuttings. I have them sitting on the step outside in the shade for now.

The cuttings need to be in shade for the time being.
I would keep them inside to prevent the tender tissue from drying out before the cuttings have developed roots.

Your Jade might be drawing moisture from the new soil, or it might be using moisture from its own reserves.
Feel the leaves - if they are soft, like an earlobe, your plant could use water. If the leaves are firm, don't water...
eventhough you see new growth.

Josh

Ok I'm bringing the cuttings inside then :). Do I give it any sunlight fron window inside or just keep it in a shaded room?

The Jade outside is starting to feel soft on the leaves and the soil is very dry. It has been very hot here lately! I gave it a nice soak :).

Here is a quick picture before I head out for today of what I all got from the cuttings/leaves :). Now the wait, hope they all root!

Here is what I all got waiting to root now:

4 Large cuttings
4 Small cuttings
6 Leaves

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They will do best if they receive bright, indirect light at first. A window is fine, but make sure
that they aren't getting too hot in the south or west window.

The larger cuttings will usually take a little longer to root, and they'll look worse before they
start to look better. Don't get discouraged, and don't overwater.

Wait until you see new growth before you water again.
Have a great day!

Josh

Thanks for all your help! I really appreciate it :)!

I will keep this thread updated with how the plants are doing!

It's been awhile just giving a update how everything is doing. Some of the jade cuttings started roots and a few of the leafs also started roots. I bought perlite and mixed it in with everything to help with better drainage. I switched some stuff around hopefully it helps out with everything.

Also one main branch fell off of my Jade plant yesterday where I made one of the 3 cuttings. I was just feeling one of the leaves and it poped off. I potted it in pure perlite hopefully it roots. You can see in the picture below.

Is it normal that it broke off after this long it was right where the cut was if you look at pictures above you will see what I'm talking about.

Lastly my Jade is started to turn red around the leave edges. I've been putting it in the sun as much as possible :). Hopefully you can tell in the pictures. I'll try to get some better pictures outside in the sun later this week.

Anyways enough talk here are some pictures :).

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I am not sure of what kind of terracotta pots are best for jades-- how shallow can they be and does this cause them to not stand up alone-- I have a 7.5" pot 6.5" deep is it too shallow-- is it best to put 2 or 3 plants together or do them
separate ???? from your pictures mine seem much stronger
I have 2 plastic pots and they hold the moisture longer--than terracotta but so far so good-- I have pictures just not sure how to post them Pls Help on all questions..
I fear I UNDER-WATER S THESE came from my deceased brothers plant and it is important it grows for as long as I do.
Thanks
Mari

Mari,

That's a great sentiment to have, but you might want to post your question separately if you want more potential responses. Briefly,

1) Post pictures at Photobucket or like - grab HTML code and post in message here.

2) Read about jade plants (Crassula ovata) here by using the search function. Your reading of previous posts, along with the illustrative pictures that are there by the hundreds for the thousands of words, will do you well.

3) It's all dependent on the size of the plants you put in. You can prop them up with rocks and mist (not water) them until they're in active, visible growth.

Hi Americangolden,

Just wondering what your Jade looks like now. (six years later)

Cede

What an informative thread!

I'd love to see how the Jade looks now too!! :)

Marie