Overall, it looks healthy.

Is the entire growing medium a rocky "gritty mix" like what's visible on the top, or is there soil underneath?

Do you water with tap water?

Since a jade plant is a succulent, you may also want to check out the a cacti and succulent forum: http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/cacti

also, about the leaf color, yours appears to be a variegated variety. It's supposed to look like that.

That is a Portulacaria afra, it's related to crassula (jade) but has smaller leaves.

@jpciii it has soil underneath. I can see tiny bits of roots at the top of the soil, but again it's been that way since I bought it. Is that a sign that I need to repott? I do use tap water...I live in Tallahassee- not sure if that matters but I've heard we have some of the best tap water. Whatever that means.

Glad to know that is how the leaves are supposed to look. That one really yellow/faded section of leaves was that way when I bought it and has never changed in color but has grown taller!

Yes, Portulacaria afra, but I didn't think it was related to crassulas. A nice little plant, good luck with it.

Portulacria afra is also known as Crassula portulacaria.

Hi, Madalyn. I'd assess your plant as being highly stressed and low in vitality. I think all of us recognize that too little light is a significant player in the plant's decline, and I'm guessing that you're watering in small sips so you don't overflow the collection saucer, which would mean that a high concentration of dissolved solids (mineral salts from fertilizers and tap water) is causing a problem with water uptake and causing nutritional issues associated with badly skewed nutrient ratios in the soil.

The best way to fix those issues is by repotting into a soil that allows you to water correctly w/o the roots rotting off and the plant toppling over - which is this plant's habitual response if it's over-watered. A full repot (vs simply potting up) into an appropriate soil fixes any root congestion, which can be severely limiting, helps prevent over-watering, and makes fertilizing monkey easy, if you use an appropriate product.

Since we don't know where you live, we can't advise when the best time to repot might be, but for best results and minimal plant stress, you should make a plan that takes into account the plants own natural rhythms. Working WITH those rhythms instead of against them is not only easier on and less stressful for the plant, knowing you're adjusting to accommodate the plant's best interest makes YOU feel better about your plant interactions and helps you get more from the growing experience.

It also needs a rather hard pruning once it's back on track, a topic for future discussion.

Al

I live in Tallahassee, Fl. The windowsill it's on faces north. Not sure exact number of hours of bright light it gets. I do water in small sips and I don't allow water to sit in the dish. That being said, I have watered once a week year round and on some info I've read it seems I should have decreased watering in winter months. I am BRAND new to the plant world so I am much appreciative of the feedback and any further guidance. I have been hesitant to prune bc of my inexperience with that and all other aspects of plant ownership/parenting :) also, I like the look of it overgrown; however, would be open to pruning if it's important for keeping her healthy. I would love some more specific, dumbed down, direction as to what to do next in terms of repotting or otherwise...such as type and size of pot, type of soil, etc. I was worried she was stressed!! Not sure I know what following the plant rhythms even means...

leaves aren't very limp per say but they are beginning to look a bit wrinkly (which has happened and resolved in the past) and have some brown spots (which hasn't happened before recently). More help please!

Yes, Mentha, I have also seen it called Baby Jade, but it is not in the Crassulaceae family at all. The closer you look the less it resembles crassulas, in fact. Since 'jade' is just a common name, it would have more right to be called that than a crassula.

Madalyn - you look very young in your picture and you express yourself very well for someone so youthful. ;-)

Even in FL, plants go through an annual growth cycle. During this cycle, the plant's level of vitality and growth rate waxes and wanes. The best time to do serious work on a plant, like full repots and hard pruning, is when the plant's potential for making food and its stored energy reserves are highest. In human terms, it might be like an athlete planning his training so he reaches peak performance when his biggest contests are scheduled. For plants, the longest, brightest days are usually in June, so the best time for me (in Michigan) to repot P afra is in June - around Father's day. For you, it would be a few weeks earlier due to how much further south you are.

The pruning isn't necessary for the plant's health. Actually, pruning always robs a plant of potential growth and vitality, but I'm one of those people who are unwilling to sacrifice appearance on that altar. IOW, I'm willing to let a plant look temporarily unkempt if I have a good reason, but if there is no reason, I'll gladly sacrifice some of that growth potential and vitality in the immediate for long term good looks. I don't think anyone understands that concept better than a bonsai practitioner. We don't consider existing plant mass sacred. We'll gladly sacrifice limbs and bend branches and trunks to produce something that's pleasing to the eye, rather than something that jars the eye because the eye knows 'something's wrong'. Often, we can't even express/describe what we know is out of place, we just know it is.

Fortunately, it's not that difficult to keep your plant healthy AND looking good. Working on your plant when it's in the strong part of the growth cycle and avoiding subjecting it to unnecessary stress when it would rather just be left alone (Sep thru May), are sound strategies that put you in sync with the plant, which makes the plant's life easier. Make sense?

Let's change places - I'm you and you are me. I would check to see how crowded the roots are - just to satisfy my curiosity, and post a picture of the roots. It will lift right out of the pot with little fuss. Then, the next time the plant needs water, I'd flush the soil thoroughly to get rid of any accumulation of mineral salts in the soil. Then, I would fertilize with an appropriate fertilizer at recommended strength. Following that, I would start checking the soil moisture level with a wooden dowel rod sharpened in a pencil sharpener. It gets stuck all the way to the bottom of the pot and pulled out after a few seconds. If it's moist or stained dark by the soil - withhold water. If it's dry - water. In early June, around Memorial day or a week later, I would do a full repot into a soil you know you can water to beyond saturation w/o having to worry about the soil staying wet so long it wrecks root health or function. That last part is a whole conversation in itself, but I'll wait to hear your thoughts before I elaborate - if you're even interested.

This P afra bonsai was getting too heavy (branches too thick) near the top, so I cut it back hard and am in the process of reworking the top of the tree.

It will look pretty ugly for a while (see below), but it's a sacrifice I had to make in order to improve the tree.

It will take 3 years to restore the tree to something that has some eye appeal.

Al

Great advice tapla! what nusery do you work at if you dont mind? Ive lived and worked in homestead when i was younger. The stick advice is great for moisture sensitive plants like my favorite china doll.

This type of jade ive had before, its not the same as the bigger leaved ones. Its Fast growing loves light, easy to take every leaf and dry out for a day or two, pot the base of the leaf into dry media, turn each one into a new plant.

Hi, Matt. I don't work at a nursery or GH, but thanks for thinking I do. ;-)

P afra also comes very easily from cuttings of all sizes (that have come from healthy plants). Both of the following plants are newly established cuttings. The top one is about 1.5" in diameter

Al

Also this is the pot and potting materials my local nursery suggested

I would use only the Hoffman's soil. Even though it's labeled "Bonsai Soil", it's quite water retentive, so mix at least 1 part of perlite into 2 parts of the soil. I would prune the large roots off that hang straight down from the trunk. and prune the top back to a basic structure that gives you something to work with. After looking at the picture, I see there IS no basic structure to work with, so I'd prune it back to a stump and remove 1 of the branches that make it look like a slingshot - I'd choose the heavier branch as the one to remove because it increases the amount of taper in the trunk line. As long as you don't over-water, the stump will back-bud profusely within a few weeks. Try to get the plant outdoors if weather allows. What I said seems like it will take a load of guts on your part, but it really isn't that risky.

Al