Huge jade plant! Need pruning help

11 years ago

Hello, I just moved into a house and found this huge neglected jade plant in the back yard. I've been reading up on some pruning, but this thing is mosterous and I'm fairly intimidated. An instructional video would really have been helpful. Just when I thought YouTube had a video for everything! Can you help? I really just want to take off the droopy stuff and give it some air. It looks like it got too much sun and also not even a drop of water for who knows how long. I hosed it down, brought it out of the scorching sun, gave it a drink and took off some badly damaged leaves. I'm in San Diego.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (11)

mrlike2u
11 years ago
From a past GW posting

Not as big as yours but should give a nice pic demo
americangolden
11 years ago
Hello stephlmccoy1,

That's a very nice big Jade that someone left behind, lucky you :-).

I would start by trimming off all of the branches that have any down curve to them. Take a step back after that is all done, and see what it looks like. Try to invision what you want it to look like, and go from there.

Good luck, and post pictures what you decide to do!
Related Discussions
Help with huge fresh cut jade branch
Q
Comments (10)
Wow, Linda! I've never rooted anything that big, but I'm guessing it would be done about the same way as a small cutting. I set them aside for quite awhile - usually at least 2 weeks, up to a month. However, since this is the ideal time to root them, here's what I'd do with a giant thing like that. I'd still put it aside for a min. of a week (did you happen to ask her how long ago she took the cutting??) Then I'd get a very large, deep clay pot - large enough so you could set the cutting in the pot, upright, and the trunk would not quite reach the bottom of the pot. You could take off bottom branches as necessary to make this work. This will support the cutting as it roots. Then put just enough soil in the bottom of the deep pot so that the cutting is touching and maybe just a bit below the soil line. Jades root quickly. Only mist the soil surface every day or two until you know you have roots forming. Then you can water it and let it dry between, like normal. I'd leave it like this until the roots fill that bit of soil in the bottom (a couple inches or so...) then you can try to figure out how to support such a big, heavy plant with a minimal root system. But this is how I'd get it started rooting. Denise in Omaha
...See More
Help Pruning Jade Plant
Q
Comments (2)
Some secateurs are fine and I'd cut anything that's leaning back towards the ground. Chop, chop, oh the limbs you'll lop!
...See More
Jade Tree Pruning Help Needed
Q
Comments (11)
OH MY GOSH! The jealousy is pulsing through me right now. Ditto on above. If your weather is dry right now, I doubt you'd have any trouble with any disease on the cut parts and they'd callous quickly. I don't know about rooting hormone, but I usually use a fungicide powder. Most rooting hormones have fungicide in them. I would think you could go up as high as you wanted to go. Please post follow up pics. You may need a fine saw to get the bigger branches off though. There are two different theories about how to cut something like that. If you cut about an inch away from the branch, the piece left on would rot and fall off (at least it does on a smaller version). Others would say, if you want a smooth trunk, you would cut close to the trunk and actually scoop out a little of the flesh of the main trunk so that when it heals over and forms the bark it will be smooth. If you cut it flush with the trunk and don't carve an indent in it, most trees will callous over and leave a knot on the tree. Sometimes that gives it character though. These are all bonsai theories, but I would think it would hold true of a larger tree as well. Whatever you do, please post follow up pics. I can't wait to see what happens. I don't know if you have enough friends or an e-Bay account but you could make a small fortune on these cuttings. Don't sell them like others, for a fortune, that is. I paid $18 for an 18 inch cutting with a 1 1/2 inch diameter trunk. Many people would fiend over that stuff, especially for bonsai enthusiast. I'd buy one, that's for sure.
...See More
Pruning Advice for my Jade plant/s
Q
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 More
greenman28 NorCal 7b/8a
11 years ago
Nice Jade :-)

Start by removing any drooping or downward growing branches.
That ought to allow you to see what you're working with. After that, I'd start by
cleaning up the lower part of the trunk.

Josh
stephlmccoy1
Original Author
11 years ago
So here's what I did so far. I'll leave it for several weeks and see what happens. Took off the droopies, sunburned and icky leaves, took out some criss-crosses and left enough to sort of keep the bushy look for now. Boy, I will be busy with all these cuttings! I heard I should let the cuttings caulus a bit. Anyone have an opinion on that?
americangolden
11 years ago
Great job,

Wow a lot of cuttings for sure. I would recommend letting them callus over. The reason behind this is it helps stop disease from entering the wound and killing your cutting before it has a chance to form roots.

What does the soil look like that is in there? Now that we have a better look, it looks very hard.
elichka
11 years ago
its already looks nice. it seems several plants in one pot. I would separate them,especially thick trunk one in the back. its a beauty. Also i would repot in fast draining Gritty Mix preferable.
You are so lucky. Congrats

Inna
stephlmccoy1
Original Author
11 years ago
Americangolden,
The soil was loose enough for me to pull out some of the little ones at the bottom. Lots of dried leaves on top. Should I leave the leaves as a mulch or remove them? I think I may repot in a month or so into a sturdier pot and I can separate them at that time.
americangolden
11 years ago
I would recommend doing some research on Al's Gritty Mix on this forum, and doing a re-pot in a month or so like you had suggested. Your Jade plant will thank you :-).

Jade plants like gritty mix to grow in. They are native to Africa where they grow in dry, rocky soil.
stephlmccoy1
Original Author
11 years ago
Americangolden,
The soil was loose enough for me to pull out some of the little ones at the bottom. Lots of dried leaves on top. Should I leave the leaves as a mulch or remove them? I think I may repot in a month or so into a sturdier pot and I can separate them at that time.
hookilau
11 years ago
Wow! That's a fantastic find!!!
You did a great job of pruning, by the way =) I would remove the old leaf litter and I can't wait to see what you end up with after you separate & re-pot. Looking forward to updates on this big mamma jamma.

Antoinette
silentsurfer
11 years ago
wow, its amazing what some people consider 'just a plant, too big to bother with',,

so glad you made time to give it the attention amidst your settling in Steph!
Nice job! Pls keep us posted :)
ss

Huge jade plant! Need pruning help

Comments (11)

mrlike2u

americangolden

Related Discussions

greenman28 NorCal 7b/8a

stephlmccoy1
Original Author

americangolden

elichka

stephlmccoy1
Original Author

americangolden

stephlmccoy1
Original Author

hookilau

silentsurfer

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

Huge jade plant! Need pruning help

Comments (11)

Related Discussions

stephlmccoy1Original Author

stephlmccoy1Original Author

stephlmccoy1Original Author

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

stephlmccoy1
Original Author

stephlmccoy1
Original Author

stephlmccoy1
Original Author