Quick help ?s from noob on repotting a newly gifted baby jade.

8 years ago

last modified: 8 years ago

Hi,

Have enjoyed reading here, but completely new to Jades in-person. Today given a tiny plant which was growing on a low-light windowsill in the same pot as its very etiolated mother, in an old wet peaty mix.

Just popped it into some water to soften the compacted medium from the (short) roots.

Main question: would you recommended keeping and using the roots, planting just roots, planting roots and some of the bare stem under the new mix, or cutting the bare stem closer to the leaves, letting it dry, and waiting for new roots to grow?

The plant for now will remain indoors under lights as windows are currently too leaky/cool, and daylight rather short.

Completely understand the usual recommendations of a well draining mix - chosen from among the successes reported here (standard gritty with bark, completely inorganic mineral mix, or 50-75% perlite or other inorganic particle added into a cactus or other peat mix).

Thanks.

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Comments (8)

rina_Ontario,Canada 5a
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
If the roots are healthy, I would not cut them off.

Any soft spots on trunk? (it looks good in the photo).

If my plant, I would try to tease out rest of the soil from roots (using tepid water helps to soften the peat, and help yourself with a wooden skewer) and inspect them - if any very damaged and/or soft-mushy-slimy, I would cut those off. I would dry off all the water (the leaves look too wet to me - did you soak whole plant?) and pot it up (I use mix of grit+perlite+turface). Give it bright and warm (not drafty) spot and wait patiently for roots to grow in.
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acg85
Original Author
8 years ago
Thanks for the advice, Rina.

The trunk is only about 3mm wide, so it's not stiff, but nothing at all seems rot-soft.

Yes, I had gently washed off the plant right before the photos since it was very dusty, and it's already dry.

I'll try to inspect the roots as soon as possible. After 5 hours of soaking, the peat remaining is still hard, but I'll attempt to "chisel" carefully with a toothpick.

I'm looking forward to my first jade. Just hope I can be patient!
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kaktuskris
8 years ago
Should be easy enough to rinse off the old mix without damaging the roots, really. If it were mine, I would pot it to the depth of about an inch below the lowest leaf. Do not water after potting.

Christopher
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acg85
Original Author
8 years ago
Thanks. Sounds good, as it would put at least another potential root-making node into the mix.

(Heck, after seeing rina's and kaktuskris' succulent photos in the past, I'd be silly not to do my best to try to heed their advice.)
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acg85
Original Author
8 years ago
Done (and now to wait).

As best I could tell, no roots were black or slimy, just peat-stained brownish. Tried my best, but don't feel so bad about my inability to entirely remove every bit of the concrete-like old mix, as I found out that the medium was the original (dating from the early- to mid- 1980s).

Thanks again.
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Tamiya #1 (AU, SG, MY & ZZZzzzz...)
8 years ago
If you had left the plant barerooted for a few days before repotting, that old soil would dessicate and become brittle like a cookie... it'll just crumble away into dust. :)
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rina_Ontario,Canada 5a
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
If the 'old soil' was old and very dry peat, it more likely will not crumble away - dried out peat is like a rock. But if it was mostly soil, then it would crumble.
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acg85
Original Author
8 years ago
Thanks for the tips. Always learn something new here.

Very interesting, and will note these two possible scenarios for future re-potting situations.
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Quick help ?s from noob on repotting a newly gifted baby jade.

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Quick help ?s from noob on repotting a newly gifted baby jade.

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rina_Ontario,Canada 5a

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