How to grow tree-like jade plants - pruning question
summerstar
11 years ago
Featured Answer
Sort by:Oldest
Comments (15)
bikerdoc5968 Z6 SE MI
11 years agoRelated Discussions
Question on How to Prune Strangely Growing Tree
Comments (5)I reminds me of the miserable little bushy crab apple tree that I was blessed with in my back yard when I moved here 4 yrs ago. Ugh! Rotten thing, some dolt hacked it off at the base nearly, then it did the same thing this thing appears to be doing. Same shaped leaves too nearly, well from what I remember after 2 years time. Hehe, looped some semi chain around its base, hooked it to the Dodge Ram and slowly ripped it up out of the ground. Was quite worth the fun of watching that miserable thing go. :) I'd yank it like the guys suggest. Even have some fun doing it too, if you can. LOL ~Tina...See MoreHow to prune a jade plant
Comments (7)If you are serious about wanting a more tree like appearance, you have to provide this plant with way more light. Over the course of three weeks or so, gradually introduce it to more and more light. Ultimately it should be getting full sun for a minimum of half a day, but would even be better all day. You plant is currently etiolated (severely lacking light) which is why it looks so stretched out and the leaves are elongated. Pruning it now will only result in more of the same, unhealthy growth. The other thing the plant needs to get thicker stems is time. Not a year, not two years, but many years. In maybe five years you could expect to have a plant that doesn't look like a cutting anymore, assuming you start giving it an appropriate amount of light. When properly grown, the stems will be much thicker and the plant will generally look much more substantial. Despite the fact I've recommended against pruning at this point, no one ever wants to do things the patient way, so here are some quick tips about pruning Jades. Always prune just above a leaf node. The stem will die back to the node, so there is no reason to leave any more than necessary. Jades will almost always branch at the node you just pruned above. So, if you want it to branch in a particular spot, prune just above that node. You can prune as little or as much as you want. You could prune all the way down to the soil, and as long as the plant had some roots to begin with, and is kept warm, it will produce new leaves and go right back to growing. Spring and early summer are the best time to prune. That second plant is "Elephant's Food," Portulacaria afra. Everything I said for the Jade goes for that plant too. Finally, welcome to GardenWeb!...See MorePruning Advice for my Jade plant/s
Comments (6)Soooo… I repotted one of the two Jades. Now, I'm a little worried if I'd done it right and if I got the right mix for it. Hoping to again tap into everyone's wisdom. I'd removed the Jade from the pot there was a lot of roots. Mostly thin ones webbed on the outside against the pot. It took a while to get the old soil off and some of the thinner roots came off in the process. I know as much that losing the thinner roots when repotting is okay but I still had heaps left - definitely more than the 1/2 of what I started with. Oh and I didn't know I needed to rinse the roots either. Then when I opened the bag of Succulent/Cactus mix from the nursery, it wasn't as loose or gritty as the mixes I've seen on the threads here. I didn't think I could leave the Jade out of the pot so I reluctantly repotted it with this mix. And now I don't know if I should go to the shops, grab something to mix in with the new mix it's in and in the process further trim the roots. Is that going to be too stressful for the plant to be repotted twice? It was cold and very windy last night so I've kept him in my kitchen in a well-lit corner for now so he doesn't topple over. If I do prune the roots, is it right that it's around 2/3 of it? I've put photos of the mix it's currently in, the plant in this new mix and also a Coarse Grit product I've seen and considering mixing to provide more aeration....See MoreJade Pruning questions
Comments (22)You can see that I removed about 90% of the trees top mass in the picture above. I can show you pictures of a half dozen more that had similar or even more severe treatment if you like. Point being, now is a good time to prune or repot, but not both and not for much longer - it's getting late for the Steeler's fans. Allowing the plant to continue to grow more leaves at the ends of branches is just going to make it harder to chase the foliage back (closer to the trunk). ..... no need to train the low branch further downward unless its current position is an optical illusion. If you prune that branch back to tiny branches so there are only a few leaves on the whole thing, you'll get back-budding back at least as far as the distal aerial root, which I assume you want to keep, and more likely all the way back to the trunk; then you train THOSE new branches that occur. If every leaf that is on the tree right now were to remain viable indefinitely, none would become a part of the composition. The branches that will make up the composition are yet to pop. Also, the top is already very heavy and hogging all the energy. If you don't prune/reduce it to remove the heaviness and to slow it down, you're going to get a LOT of dieback on lower branches because the tree is genetically committed to its top third unless you trump that by pruning. You need to reduce the top third significantly to strengthen the middle & bottom third of the plant before your only recourse is a chop and a do-over. Al...See More
scsva
11 years agobikerdoc5968 Z6 SE MI
11 years agoPat z6 MI
11 years agomrlike2u
11 years agorina_Ontario,Canada 5a
11 years agorina_Ontario,Canada 5a
11 years agosummerstar
11 years agorina_Ontario,Canada 5a
11 years agojeffrey_b
11 years agoCorpsmanCooper
11 years agonoki
11 years agoamericangolden
11 years ago
Steven Diaz
8 years ago
Related Stories
EDIBLE GARDENSHow to Grow 10 Favorite Fruit Trees at Home
Plant a mini orchard in fall, winter or early spring to enjoy fresh-off-the-tree fruit the following year
Full Story
GARDENING GUIDESGrow Your Own Privacy: How to Screen With Plants and Trees
Use living walls to lower your home and garden's exposure while boosting natural beauty in your landscape
Full Story
GARDENING GUIDESGot Frost-Damaged Plants? How It Happens, and When and How to Prune
Crispy brown leaves are a sure sign that Jack Frost has been to your neighborhood
Full Story
GARDENING GUIDESHow to Prune Your Flowering Shrubs for the Best Blooms
Less is often more when it comes to properly pruning flowering shrubs. Here’s what to do and why
Full Story
WINTER GARDENINGPruning Secrets for Exquisite Roses
Encourage gorgeous blooms year after year with this time-tested advice on how to prune your rosebush in winter for health and shape
Full Story
GARDENING GUIDES7 New Plants to Grow for Beautiful Foliage
Add color, structure and interest to your garden with these recently introduced plants that sport exceptional foliage
Full Story
HOUSEPLANTS10 Top Plants to Grow Indoors
Brighten a room and clean the air with a houseplant that cascades artfully, stretches toward the ceiling or looks great on a wall
Full Story
GARDENING GUIDESTidy Up Sprawling Native Shrubs With These Pruning Tips
Sound horticultural pruning methods work for native and nonnative plants alike
Full Story
GARDENING GUIDES8 Plants That Snobs Love to Hate — and You'll Love to Grow
Don't dismiss these common annuals, perennials and shrubs — there are reasons they've been popular for so long
Full Story
EDIBLE GARDENSWhy Grow Quince? For Beauty, Fragrance and Old-Time Flavor
Delightfully perfumed fruit and lovely spring blossoms make this apple and pear cousin worth a spot in the garden
Full Story
greenman28 NorCal 7b/8a