I am nervously on the verge of repotting my very large jade. Part of nervousness is sentimental... it was a gift from my daughter some 15-20 years ago. It's 2.5 feet high and same in diameter, has 9 trunks, is top-heavy, and in its original pot. It has been spending summers outside, faces the northwest and has been faithful and splendid 100%. Spoke with local univ. horticultural contact & we agree it should be repotted by an experienced horticulturist at a respected nursery. I'm still very nervous. This blog has helped tremendously. Thanks all.

I would give it a total makeover. In that I mean that I would bare root the thing, carefully so as not to damage too many roots, and give it a home in the gritty mix. Jades are a tough plant, usually only being vulnerable to root rot, and occasional mealy bugs, which can be a serious problem if left unchecked. Anyway, it won't be easy to do this kind of work on such a large plant, which is why I never buy anything that big. But, for $9, I don't know that I could have passed it up either. I don't know you, so I have to take your word that such a large plant costed only $9, and if you truly did, someone made a mistake or is a complete moron. I was at a nursury looking around, and they had several large jades. They had a 6 foot variegated one for $1500. The 2 to 3 footers themselves were around $100. Enough on that. As for how to approach such a job, well, it'd probably be easiest to make some contraption to gently snag on the trunk, and hang it from something. If you use rags or old cut up t-shirts to make straps, you can snug them up around the trunk below some thick branches. You'll need a few to keep the pressure off any one spot. You then strategically loop a rope through the straps, and hoist it up. Then you'll have to sit injun style and loosen up the roots, which can be tough when they intertwine. After removing ALL the peat soil and washing the roots, remove any that look rotted. Then lower into the new pot, one that is big enough to fit the root ball, with a couple inches to spare around the edge. Fill with gritty mix, making sure to get the soil in around all the roots. For support, you can use plastic spring loaded clamps, found at your local hardware store or big box store. Also get some romex cable, the type used for electrical wiring in houses. Romex cable is thick enough not to damage the tree when you wrap it around the trunk. It is a bundle of solid wires, so it bends good, and provides rigid support. Put 3 or 4 clamps on the pot rim, and use these to run your support cables to. Do this while to plant is still supported by the hanging contraption. Then, you need to figure out how you're going to move this monsterous heavy tree. Hold off on watering for a week after the repot to allow any damaged roots to heal. Again, this project is going to suck, and you'll be asking why in the tarnation you bought it. For a piece of mind, I've done this before, only with a 7 foot tall madagascar palm tree. I had to wrap it in fiberglass insulation to prevent breaking the huge thorns before making the custom noose. As for where to set your jade, well, if it was in shade, then start with that. Slowly acclimate it to the sunny spot where you intend to keep it. Good luck! Joe

Hi Martin, It is still alive, not growing much, but hopefully rooting. It lost all it pale leaves except for one which I removed, and is now in a nursery box in my kitchen window. It has four very light green leaves, not white, with a hint of variegation on one of the newer ones. We'll see how it goes, but thanks for enquiring. I hope you had a nice Christmas.

Thanks :) Perhaps it grew those fat leaves when I was neglectful of watering and the sun was lower in the sky (and therefore reaching all the way into that little window-box). I'm learning quickly here on this forum that my previous notion of "a lot of light/sun" is seriously inadequate for succulents *Off to research how many windows one can legally cut into the south face of one's home* I have purchased jute and am going to learn how to make macrame hangers from my mom. She was the macrame queen - the stereo even hung on macrame shelving in my childhood home LOL