Hi Smoochas,

I've seen you around here recently, so I know you've read some of the recent threads on Jades.

Pls. be reminded what's been said frequently lately (I too am in NYC). It is both too hot & too humid for Jades here right now. I believe this has been commented on repeatedly of late. Kindly review those threads.

I believe Josh (Greenman) has commented that he believes his Jades (out in Calif) have stopped growing these last several weeks. I think he said end July as it was too hot.

I myself have just watched two small Jade cuttings I had been rooting shrivel up, blacken & die w/ these conditions. This is why I don't usually grow Jades in NYC, I can't seem to keep them alive here.

Same too for me & Portulacaria afra (which you call Elephant Bush).

I try to avoid common names for plants; sorry I haven't a clue what Firesticks are.

Perhaps you'd do better w/ plants which aren't so compromised here in our summer conditions.

Major problem #1: these are NOT houseplants and will not do well if grown indoors for most of the year without a major effort on the grower's part to improve light, temp range and air circulation.

Major problem #2: any plant needs a period of acclimatization after being tortured at a big box store

Major problem #3: education, or lack thereof. Growing succulents is exciting and lots of fun, but a level of horticultural competence is needed to achieve good results. Stick with easier plants and better growing conditions in the beginning. Otherwise, as you describe, the results do not meet your expectations and can lead to bad feelings towards an otherwise rewarding hobby.

x

hiya fellow nyc-ers.
I hear you guys on all points and I confess I had NO IDEA jade did not do well in our climate. Maybe my head has been in the sand... Wow, I'm really sad now! I generally assumed stores would not sell plants that don't work for the climate the store is in but boy was I wrong. ACK! Is it the humidity that is the killer of the jade and portulacaria afra?

What I called Firesticks is Euphorbia tirucalli - tell me, are those doomed for our climate too?

How about Hens & Chicks? Will this also suffer the same fate?

Its true, I am greatly lacking in my succulent education, how do I find out what will work in our climate?

Thanks!

Smoochas,

Your conclusion is correct - they don't like high ambient humidity. Just leave them alone for now, in terms of trying to propagate them - they'll be fine until later September, when they'll want to grow again.

They're not doomed, but they can difficult to grow in your climate - you'll have to watch the watering and the sap.

H&C, if you're talking about Sempervivum, will do wonderfully in your climate - just be spare with the water when it's colder and dry.

What you do is search this forum for the three plants in question, using both your common and botanical names, and also perhaps join a plant club of NYC folks, as suggested, or talk with gardeners in your area. Once you have some experience, it will be easier. As to the reading for you here via the various plant posts, it's literally years of botanical pleasure in store for you.

You absolutely can grow these plants exceedingly well in NYC as long as you understand what you are doing. I know because I have tons of stuff - it just doesn't grow as quickly as in California but I believe the quality of growth can rival anything. I have Jades, Crassulas, and many other plants outside and they grow very nicely.

One must learn to observe cues from the plants to understand their needs. It takes time. There will be many mistakes and deaths along the way. That's just the way it is.

Peruse this forum's topics such as potting mix, watering, etc. Don't expect to get it all right away, there's simply too much to learn.

Start with something easy to take care of. In a northern climate, I believe the only way to grow a wide variety of succulents well is to have a place where the plants can enjoy the outdoor sun and rain for most of the growing season, as well as place indoors that stays consistently cold during the winter, such as an attached garage.

If you cannot provide those conditions, your choices become very limited.

Try a Mammillaria or other basic cactus for starters. If you can get it to bloom 2 years in a row, then you are doing something right and have graduated onto bigger and better.

x

I would disagree that heat and humidity are always the death knell for Crassula ovata. Illinois, where I live now, has both hot and humid summers. The humidity is at 81% humidity right now, and this is in no way atypical. Neither are temperatures in the upper 80s and 90s. My plants are outdoors right now, in the thick of it, so to speak, and they are fine. I have been growing Crassula ovata here for seven years, (and one plant in NY for a year before that) so they can obviously live through the hot and humid summers. I am from the NYC area originally, and while I did not grow many succulents there, that was because I lived in dark apartments and had nowhere to summer my plants outdoors.

But I agree on the following points:

They stop active growth during extreme heat, therefore the peak heat of summer is not the time to be attempting to grow from cuttings.

Most succulents do better the more time they can spend outdoors. However, I would not automatically discourage people from attempting them as indoor plants.

Xerophyte, I actually have an outdoor space so perhaps the thing to do is for me to move my Crassula ovata, my portulacaria afra outdoors right now. Although for the jades, since you guys have convinced me our current temperature has stunted/stopped its growing period it seems kind of odd to take it outside...

Come winter, I have either an unheated detached garage that gets ZERO light or an attached sunroom with skylights that is heated like the rest of the house but stays rather cold and only warms up in the afternoon when the sun has moved to the west/back of the house. Which place is better for these plants in question?
So for us, nyc, when is the jade's optimum growing season, late spring?

karen715, I'm glad to hear there is some hope! I actually have two jade plants I'm having issues with.

I was hoping to root some Hummel Sunset cuttings that I bought but I understand now that my weather has been working against me - I should have attempted this in a diff. season

I have another jade that I bought at a big box store that had appeared really healthy, with nice big leaves and all. The pic of the 2 leaves aboves came from this plant so when I found them, I started getting a little worried...

I started a 'rock garden" last year with mostly cuttings of Mom's and a couple 2"from the local garden club. I dont think they will be doing that again.
it gets hot in the summer and a bit of snow and cold temps in the winter, not so cold as it still came back. Is there any groupe that I can find cuttings?

Smoochas - if you will put your plants outside, expose them to sun gradually. A shady spot first for 5-7 days, then somewhere that gets morning or late afternoon sun for another 5-7 days, and finally give them more sun after that. Also, keep them dry and protected from rain for the first 10-14 days.

Many succulents slow down during the heat of the summer, especially those from S Africa. They lose some color, while growth is slow or non-existent. If you use a very porous soil mix, it is safe to leave a healthy plant out in the rain during the heat. But a weak plant or a soil mix that retains some moisture warrants protection from excess rain. What is too much rain? To me, 2 consecutive days of real rain - not thunderstorms. A sprinkle or shower is generally harmless. The pot dries out quickly when the sun comes back out. Some plants are more sensitive than others, which you will figure out with time.

As for the winter, I keep most of my plants cold, dry and dark for months at a time. They do not grow. The sunroom you describe seems pretty good. As long as light is adequate I have no problems with winter growth. If light is poor, growth is weak. Try it out and see how it goes. Keep the plants drier than you would during warmer and sunnier spring or fall conditions. The goal for my plants is to stop growth in the winter because I cannot possibly provide enough light for most of my collection - so instead I keep them in suspended animation.

Spring and fall seem to show the best growth for most plants, outdoors in the NY area: April-May-June, and Sept-Oct. July-August growth tends to be slower but not always so.

x