skip to main content

Cacti & Succulents

Pruning and Re-potting a Neglected Baby Jade

8 years ago

Hi All!

I recently moved into a new place and was gifted a jade plant by the previous inhabitants. I've grown jades before and have the basics down - lots of sun, make sure it's dry before watering, proper soil, and a well draining pot - but I just don't know where to start with this one. Half of the leaves are sad and wrinkled while the other half are thick and bulging with water. There are air roots all over the place and tiny off-shoots from the main trunk. The trunk itself is curved and held up with a chopstick. It looks like there are 4-5 separate plants in the pot. My plan is to separate out the plants, prune them, and re-pot in separate pots. Questions:

1. How can I prune this plant without cutting back too much? My first instinct would be to cut it back to where it starts curving, maybe midway up the chopstick, but this takes off more than 6 inches of growth, which is a significant percentage of the plant.

2. I've never taken care of a jade so young (i.e. without a thick, developed trunk), should I be pruning the little ones back as well?

3. It's going into winter here, which typically isn't the best time to re-pot jades - should I wait til spring to start taking it apart?

4. The more I look at it, the more I kind of like the splayed overgrown mass of it (maybe this is just a different way of growing jade instead of the clean-cut bonsai-ish type that I used to have?) but I definitely want it to be healthy, and those wrinkled leaves do not look healthy at all. Is there any way to keep it sort of growing together like a jungle and still have it access the nutrients it needs?

cheetah_pita39's ideas · More Info

full plant - the main trunk has a branch to the left and curves all the way over and then under... it's a mess

cheetah_pita39's ideas · More Info

thin unstable trunk held up by chopstick

cheetah_pita39's ideas · More Info

lots of air roots!

cheetah_pita39's ideas · More Info

thin sad wrinkly leaves :(

cheetah_pita39's ideas · More Info

bulging super hydrated leaves

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (4)

breathnez
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
It looks like it's been getting enough light, whether it has been getting fertilizer is secondary right now. That leaves us with water and soil, and they very much go together. I cannot see the soil, but that is what I zero in on. It looks healthy enough to handle a repot into some fresh, quick-draining soil so from what I can see that is where I would start. Perhaps minimal pruning right now, enough so that you can get your hands in there to do the work. Once repotted, give it healthy amounts of food, light, water and temperature until Spring. At that time, you can prune for shaping.

When you repot, if it looks marvelously healthy you could consider a harder prune right away. The key will be firm trunks and lots of healthy roots. You can search for images on google to see how crassula ovata grows in nature, but if you like the jungle look I'm sure it will comply to a degree.

Btw, the term baby jade(I assume your using that term because it's small) was mistakenly given to portulacaria afra as a nickname, a similar plant in similar habitat.

ez
N K
Original Author
8 years ago
Thanks for the reply! I'll work on repotting it into quick-draining soil first, then. It's quite floppy though - if I don't prune it, it'll have to be supported by sticks or something after repotting. Right now, in addition to the chopstick, it's supporting itself by leaning on the nearby little plants. I'll post a picture once I'm done!

I didn't know there was an actually plant called "baby jade." :) I called it that because it seems much younger than the jade plants I've seen before - the trunk is thin and still green in places.
Related Discussions
Baby Jade
Q
Comments (4)
I'm not sure where my first reply went, so I'm going to try again: Nope. The name on the tag was "Baby Jade: Crassula Argentea". I'm not sure if it's 100% accurate but that's what it says it is. :)
...See More
Stake or prune this jade?
Q
Comments (6)
Very nice Jades! The ones in question look to be 'Crosby's Compact' or some other compact form. I grow these and they have a very gangly habit unless they are regularly pruned or pinched. You can certainly support the trunk until it has taken a set, but that growth will keep going out and up, which means you'll eventually want to prune. My sister also has a twin-trunk growing from a stump that was frosted, and it grew bolt upright and then began to droop. So I pinched the tips earlier this Summer with the following results. I will need to prune it again before long. Also, as the plant leans toward the sun, I turn it ever so often to keep the foliage centered above the trunk.
...See More
Where this forum took my Jade - 1 year later [photos] - pruning ideas?
Q
Comments (6)
Hello Vlad, more natural light would also benefit the plant in many ways. If you have a sunnier spot move it gradually over the coming week as a sudden increase in strong light can burn...as you found out earlier on : / They are very resilient plants, it should now do well for you in the coming seasons, a great recovery story btw! I would nip off the top two sets of leaves now as it will soon sprout branches...that's what I would do anyway as I personally find they put forth growth at any time when stimulated by decapitating and I tend to do things sooner rather than later!.....but obviously the call is yours. Gill UK
...See More
Pruning and caring for neglected rose bush
Q
Comments (20)
Krissy, You're already a pro at pruning! Good job! Now, as you have been advised, it's time for a mulching as you indicated you will shortly do. I would extend the area of your cleared soil 6" more, all around. It's good to keep the root zone of a rose with nothing growing in it, if possible....moisture and nutrient competition is minimized thereby. Is that a gate I see behind your rose? If so, you don't have to worry about your rose opening it and making a break for it. With the excellent care you will be giving it, your rose is there to stay. (kidding!) The Bayer Advanced Disease Control is an excellent disease control. It appears your rose was defoliated by the fungus black spot, the bane of all rose lovers. A regular spraying program will keep your rose nice and disease free....blooming like crazy. Also, expect to see basal canes start emerging from your rose's crown. They are so important for rejuvenating a bush. Old canes begin to poop out and must be replaced with new ones. Healthy roses generally produce a new basal cane or two on a yearly basis. Moses
...See More
kaktuskris
8 years ago
There is no actual Jade called 'baby jade'. The only true Jades are Crassula ovata and Crassula arborescens.

If your Jade were mine, I would do some serious pruning. I don't know how many trunks you have there, but I would separate to one trunk per pot. Honestly, as it is now, it is a tangled mess. I would cut it back even further than where that stem starts to curve. With Jades, there is no such thing as pruning too much. But it all depends on what you like. and the look you are hoping to achieve.

Christopher
greenman28 NorCal 7b/8a
8 years ago
It looks to be a tangled grouping of a small-leaf Jade variety. Yes, re-pot it, prune the lanky stems, and get it into stronger light to bring out the compact nature of these Jades.

Josh

Related Stories

DECORATING GUIDES Meet a Houseplant That Doesn't Mind Neglect

By creative jewish mom.com

Got better things to do than remember to water your houseplants on schedule? Schefflera will forgive and forget

LIFE 10 Reasons to Be Happy You’re a Renter

By Laura Gaskill

Homeownership has many benefits, but there are upsides to not owning a home too

HOUSEPLANTS One Pot, One Big Shot of the Tropics

By creative jewish mom.com

Give your rooms exotic flair in a single stroke. Tall Kentia palm fits the tropical bill beautifully

GARDENING GUIDES Herb Garden Essentials: Grow Your Own Delicious Mint

By Marianne Lipanovich

Pull out a pot for this one. Mint's spreading habit and hard-to-kill nature can be a blessing — if you're properly prepared

HOUSEPLANTS 8 Houseplants You Can't Kill

By J. Peterson Garden Design

They're forgiving and let you forget. Houseplants don't get any easier than this

GARDENING GUIDES Roses: Crowning Touch of Gardens

Whether you're the Miss or Mister America of gardening or take a hands-off approach, roses can be a winning addition to your landscape

12 Gifts for Green Thumbs

By Erin Lang Norris

Use your imagination — or borrow some here — to turn a potted plant into an even more special gift

HOUZZ TOURS Houzz Tour: Lovingly Resurrecting a Historic Queen Anne

By Mitchell Parker

Dedication and a keen eye turn a neglected eyesore into the jewel of its Atlanta neighborhood

FALL GARDENING 5 Fall Fruits You Can Grow in Containers

Brighten your porch or patio with a potted pomegranate, kumquat, blueberry bush or another great fall fruit

CONTAINER GARDENS Happy Houseplants, Happy People

By Laura Gaskill

Potted plants add life and beauty to a room. Learn easy ways to keep them healthy

Sponsored

KP Designs Group

50 Reviews

Franklin County's Unique and Creative Residential Interior Design Firm

More Discussions

Are cacti legal to sell online?

3

Moon Cactus help

4

Easter Cacti in bloom

4

Hens and chicks - help needed

8

6