That is very thick trunk!

Is the big fleshy part (chicken, lol) perhaps a part of the trunk that was buried?

How about rest of the roots - are they dry? soft and slimy? Lots of roots there that were circling the pot.

Thanks for your reply! I am so sick at myself for almost (or maybe I have!!) killing this plant! I hope I can save it! I don't know--would a trunk go that deep? I cut some of it off thinking it was rotted since it's so watterlogged then thought maybe it's just waterlogged and not rotten? The other roots seem dry--like sticks--some may be mushy though, I'm waiting for them to completely dry to be sure. What should I do?! I hope I can save this poor plant ! It must be old based on the trunk size? I feel soo guilty!!

I think it will be saved...From what I can see in your photo, the main trunk looks good. Is it firm all the way down - as far as you can touch/gently squeeze? If it was rotting, it will be soft.

How long since you took it out of the pot? Do not keep it in sun while bare root, but otherwise there is no problem to leave it out of soil.

Dead roots should be cut off, and any soft/mushy/slimy too.

When you cut the part of the 'chicken' (haha, I like what you called it) off, was it all same color on the cut part? If you still have that slice, can you post a photo? If it is part of original trunk (and it could be), and if all same light color, trunk is likely healthy.

Wow! That is a pretty impressive specimen! It would be such a shame to lose that plant... The roots look pretty decent, some even look dry? (is it just me?) It will recover, given you care for it properly.

thanks to you both for the encouragement :) So it appears I have rot in the stems as they withered like raisins and broke off and inside was brown .From what I read i have to cut back the stems until I see healthy tissue, which I will do. But my fear is not getting the rot out of the bottom. I just don't know enough to tell if they roots are rotten -as I said some seem dry, like twigs, but the center 'chicken' like part is very wet. Attached are picts of some of that big chicken piece I cut off--I'm afraid it appears brown inside and not white and healthy :( Is it part of the trunk??

rina_Ontario--I think some of the roots are firm, they seem like sticks, but some seem softer and this weird chicken middle I am pretty sure is rotted, even though it's soaking wet but I don't think it's 'just' wet. But here are the pictures. I just took it out of the pot yesterday and am hoping it will dry out but am covering the roots with a towel so the sun doesn't directly hit them. I can't figure out if it is the trunk why would it grow down below the roots?palmsandsnow yes some roots seem dry but there is definite mush in some and this main chicken middle is very mushy. Do I cut it all out? Is it the trunk? Ugh...

Yes the base of the trunk is firm, its some of the branches that are soft and brown in side. I hope thats a good sign, but with rot in the bottom it will spread if I don't cut it out right? I just can't quite tell what to cut, exactly. this big thing in the middle is bizarre (to me--i don't know plants very well !!)

I agree with what Rina has aLready said,it looks like your plant has been rooted from a large cutting and the chicken (that bit cracked me up, I've never heard of that description before lol) is the base of that cutting, it was part of the trunk in a former life. It's a beautiful looking Jade, I do hope it will pull through, jades are very tough plants so I'm confident all will be well.

You need to cut the chicken back till all the soft rotted portion has gone, you need clean fresh white tissue. The roots don't look that bad IMHO but If any roots are soft and rotted, cut them right off or back to solid tissues. Sometimes they can be dehydrated/dead and the outer coating just slips off leaving a stringy bit, if this happens then the root is useless and needs to be cut off. Go through each root as best you can. Let the whole thing dry for a day or so, out of the sun, don't just cover the roots, sun on the unpotted plant will stress it even more. Dust the cut end of the 'chicken' I can't believe I'm saying this! with either cinnamon, sulphur powder or an anti fungal if you have them , if not just let it dry naturally out of the sun for a few days, it will be ok.

Repot into a pot with at least one hole in a free draining gritty mix that's damp, not soaking wet. Say the diameter of the base of the trunk is 3inches, your pot would need to be around 9 inches wide at the top. It's a big plant so will need a beefy soil. Don't please just use c/s mix and perlite, it will need grit of some kind to stabilise it so use either scoria, pumice, aquarium gravel, chicken grit, horticultural alpine gravel or similar, what ever you find available as I don't know what's available in your country. You will also need some kind of potting soil. Mix the potting soil, your gritty component and perlite (that you've already seived and will use just the largest particles not the dusty fine rubbish that falls through your very best kitchen seive) in equal amounts, you can tweak the ratio if you don't think it's right for you and your conditions if you wish, but don't use too much more of the potting mix as its too water retentive. Keep the plant out of the direct sun and rain for a couple of weeks, and don't water, then introduce gradually to more sun and an occasional drink...if you keep it outdoors that is, all my jades live inside...I am in the UK after all!

Good luck, I really hope it will be OK, it will be if you follow what others have already told you to do., plus it's a good looker!

Gill

Gill described it well.

Yes, the thick part is trunk that was
stuck into mix and rooted from above - where it was buried. After you
clean up the roots you'll see. Look here - click me pls- similar situation.

Keep out of sun, outdoors is good because of better air circulation but do not cover with anything.

Clean up all mushy & dead roots (Gill described perfectly how dead ones look.

Start
cutting thin slices off the end of the trunk ('the chicken') until
there is no mushy-soft and discolored flesh visible. It may be a little
or a lot, can't tell until you start. Use scalpel or sharp blade, wipe
between the cuts with tissue/cloth moistened with rubbing alcohol. Here is another thread showing how infected tissue looks; keep cutting until there are no blackish marks-dots-threads left -also this thread-. Look thru those threads, there are many good photos there.

Same
cutting should be done with branches. Start with thin slices, continue if still discolored. Leave only healthy parts,
everything else should be cut off. Leave healthy leaves, but if parts
with leaves are rotted, do not worry to cut all off. Dust with cinnamon or
antifungal lightly.
You could see the type of mix you should
use, many photos in above threads are very clear. Use as little soil as
possible, lots of inorganics (grit, perlite scoria...) - this plant needs to recuperate from too much water - it was
sitting in the wet soil. Do not overpot (I would probably use smaller pot than Gill suggested, 1 or 2" bigger than diameter of the trunk; so if 3" trunk, 6" diameter could be used - but it could be bigger as long as you don't keep overwatering). Clay/terracota may be good because it is heavier, but plastic will do. You may have to rig some kind of fastening to help it stay steady, and perhaps use bigger rocks to help.

Could you tell us your general location?

I would, first, use the jet function of a hose sprayer and clear away all that soil in between. It would be a shame if you whittled away to healthy tissue and repotted with still some rot hidden in the roots within the old soil. Also, be ruthless in pruning to good tissue- if you had to cut the entirety of the root system so there's only the above ground part of the plant left, it could still be planted and a new root system would develop, whereas if you leave behind a small amount of rotting tissue it will continue to spread and threaten the plant. I have rescued quite a few waterlogged jades, and they are amazing in their ability to recover.

While it's healing out of the pot, you can get the recommended soil together and settle on a shady spot in which to have it convalesce for a couple weeks after repot.

ez

Hello everyone and thank you for your help!! To answer some questions asked above by you helpful folks--I live in Alameda, an island on the East side of San Francisco Bay. Our natural soil is sandy and there are many jade plants growing around town in the soil as well as in pots. I actually did spray off the soil with a water sprayer--I hated to get the roots more wet but the soil ball was incredibly hard and compacted. It sounds like breathnez you think I should try and do more? I was wondering what you said--if the roots are all rotten or the trunk above the root is rotted, could I actually try and root the stem again? It's such a large stem I didn't know if that would work. I think I have a handle now on what healthy and rotted tissue looks like, thanks for the links rina_Ontario,Canada! Thanks greenclaws for your soil suggestions. I am scared to mix my own, I have no clue what a good soil should look like. Does anyone out there think it would be okay for her to be out of soil for a couple weeks? I found some online gritty mix I can buy that was recommended in some forums but would have to wait for it to arrive. I've attached a photo of the new pot I plan to use if the size is right--it's clay and short. I thought that would be good for drainage.

Ok I just gut off the trunk that sticks below the roots almost flush with the roots and the trunk still looks rotten. I don't know how to keep cutting away the trunk without cutting above the roots

They are very forgiving. Jet spray away ALL the old, bad soil. Once that is done, perhaps you could take more pictures, esp closeups of what still looks rotten underneath.

ez

thanks ! Will try to get more soil out with a bamboo skewer! I am glad to hear they are forgiving. The soil is soo hard!!

Got a bit more soil off--but I have made some roots drop off as I did this; the stump is more dry and seems less brown and lighter in color but I'm not sure it's healthy. It certainly doesn't look like the creamy/light green edge of the healthy tissue on the photos I've seen. Many of the roots are sort of hollow and look inside as this picture shows (might be kind of hard to see).

The soil seems almost impossible to get out without damaging the roots, although I think they are not healthy anyway...Here is a better picture of inside of a root--white with a dark brown/red middle. Is this rot?

I would keep doing as Crenda suggested, alternating between water jet and skewer work, then when you've got it the best you can, let it dry a few days, maybe even a week, then repot. I think cinnamon powder was mentioned earlier for any wounds. They will dry and callus over in a few days. Maybe you can find someone locally who is knowledgeable that can inspect it personally. I'm sure a local bonsai club would help.

If you are still seeing more rot and it's too tough to clear out, the most drastic step would be to cut the trunk clean across at ground level with a hacksaw. If free of rot there, plant the top half, brace it so it can't move at all, and let it grow in a semi-shady spot for several months.

This sounds impossibly bad for the plant, but I'm sure yours started life that way- someone cut off a branch, let it callus, then stuck it in a pot. That fat piece of 'root' at the bottom of your rootball was the cut end of the branch.

ez

The reason to get the old soil completely gone is that, if left behind, it will likely always stay soggy when repotted.

ez

thanks EZ. Maybe i will continue working at it, then repot and see what happens. It seems impossible to get all the rot out, and inspect every root and I fear more rot in the trunk. A local group to inspect is a good idea. Here area couple more shots . I got more soil off. I'll keep trying!!

Is 'the chicken' soft in the middle or is the the natural colour of the inside if a previously mature trunk? Just wondering :-/

Gill UK

I wish I could be there to inspect it up close and personal. So hard with pictures on such a complex surface. From one angle, I think 'ok', then another angle and 'hmm'.

ez

thank you all so much!! Green claws: It appears now that the chicken part is more dry, it is not very soft actually. I just checked it this am but on the way to work so will inspect again when I get home. If it becomes firm when dry should I assume it's okay and not rotted?

I would have thought so, rotten material also smells off too as well as being soft. Hopefully the chicken is neither. As Ez says, this is difficult for us as well as you.

Gill

I have a feeling that the end part of the stem, (the 'chicken' part) is kind of woody - does it sort of crumble (perhaps not the best word for it?) or break in pieces when you try to cut it? It could have just dried out, especially if it was kept dry. That may be actually better than rotting. I would get off all dead tissue if that's the case. I think you have good chance of salvaging this planat.

After cleaning & washing/spraying all what you can get off, let is dry out as already mentioned, set it standing or laying on angle (so the root part is lower) on some kitchen towels or newspaper, in shade. You could leave it for few days, paper will help to draw out more moisture.

Should all fail for some reason, the healthy stem/trunk could be re-rooted (this was already pointed out too).

Thank you all!! Yes the chicken part is more woody now that it's dry. I have decided to quit chopping up this poor gal. I have cut off a lot of roots but still hard to see them all. I dusted a lot of the bottom with cinnamon and also cut off the stems until I got to green healthy tissue. I am going to try to replant it and see what happens. If the stems continue to rot I'll cut the trunk above the roots and try to re -root it as was mentioned. I have a question---if the rot comes from the roots and goes up the plant, why is that the rot in the stems seem to come from the tips down (meaning I can cut down the stem and find healthy tissue)? I would have thought the rot would come from down upwards but it seems to be in the opposite direction from the stems.

Also--should I put rooting hormone anywhere?

I have saved some of the stems and will re-plant those. Can I put rooting hormone over the cinnamon?

thanks everyone! I'll post photos once she is safely in the dirt again :)

Just called my local Dry Garden Nursery, They sell succlent/cacti mix they make themselves comprised of : perlite, pumice, lava rock, lava sand and spiral rock dust. Anyone have any thoughts on this?

Sounds quite good, but wonder about the sand and dust - they could fill up all the spaces between bigger particulates (perlite, pumice, lava rock) - defeating the purpose of creating great gritty mix...Depending on how fine these are (and 'dust' sounds awfully fine to me), I would sift them out...

I'm here passing time, waiting for an NBA game to start... And I stumbled on this thread. I am now finding myself cheering for you.. Go, Jade! Go Jade GO!!! You can DO IT!!!

Best of luck!!

thanks for your input, rina_Ontario. i was hoping to buy a mix because 1) I'm lazy and 2) so many differing opinions on what is the 'right ' mix and I figured they would know (the dry garden people) but I take your comment to heart. Hmmmm. For some reason getting the right mix seems like the most important decision I've had to make in a long time!! I'm probably overthinking it!! If I buy it I will sift the dust out!! So the succulents can get nutrients though a very gritty mix?!

You are right, getting free draining mix helps a lot. The mix sounds really good except 2 things I mentioned - not sure what it is like price wise, it may be good to buy it and if there are small particulates, sift them out using kitchen sieve.

It is difficult to get a ready made gritty mix, and if you don't have too many plants, it may be worth buying it. These ppl are on right track - do you think you could get a sample? Or ask them why they are using 'the dust', and how grainy the lava sand is - it may work. I just don't 'like' the dust and maybe am over reacting???

edited to add: I just remembered that there is a fertilizer called Rock dust, so maybe that's what it is...(it is finely ground rock)

My mix has no compost in it, so I use bonsai pro liquid fertilizer for both my bonsai and my succulents with each watering. It is a weak fertilizer that is fit for foliar feeding, and I drench my plants from the tips of the leaves to the center of the root ball.

ez

Here's a couple of sources of gritty mix

http://www.bonsaijack.com/Quart-BonsaiJack-Inorganic-Bonsai-Soil-Mix-5775-cu-in-pH67-Mix-11011_p_123.html

https://www.repotme.com/potting-mix/Gritty-Mix.html

Thanks everyone for your help!! I'm grateful for so many wonderful comments. I just bought the premixed stuff from the Dry Nursery but it doesn't look as gritty as I thought. Ingredients: perlite, pumice, lava rock, lava sand and spiral rock dust. Maybe I will order from the links above instead (thanks hellkitchenguy Manuel!)

No matter what mix you settle on, it will be important to 'get to know it'. Use a method to test for soil dryness, so you water your jade appropriately. Some people claim to be able to know just by looking, but I'm not a plant-whisperer. I stick a wooden skewer deep into the soil for ten(ish) minutes. If it is dry when I pull it out, I water. If it is wet enough that bits of soil stick to it, I don't water. Anywhere in between is a judgement call based on weather, my availability to water, etc. If in doubt, err on the side of dryness.

ez

Well, it seems to me that they used minimal amount (almost could count them...) of pumice, lava rock and perlite....is there also bark or sapwood? That's what it looks like in the photo.

Thank you ! I will use the wooden skewer to test ! I just planted her in the mix I got, although I agree it doesn't look as gritty as the recommended mixes and maybe I should add some perlite to it. Supposedly no bark or sapwood in there from what he said...I put her in the dry soil without watering which actually does feel very slightly moist. Here she is:

Add me to the list of those "rooting" for your Jade

Me three!

ez

The mix looks dark in the photo. Did you water it?

I don't know about what the person in the store said, but I don't believe there is no bark/sapwood. All kind of 'sticks' too, are they some roots or thin branches??? I circled just few of them - can you tell me what they are?

I was thinking the same. That mix looks too organic?? I'm no expert but I've been on this cacti forum for some time and every "recommended" mix I see looks much much more gritty than that. I'm sure the pros can advise..

I think this could work as a temporary solution, but this wouldn't work long term, I think. I also think you will need to invest in a gritty mix for your plant's best health.

My advice would be to get some ordinary fish tank gravel from the pet shop and mix it half and half with what you have already used, then add a good handful of seived perlite. You will then have a free draining and weighty mix to stabilise your plant and hopefully it will pull through. Sorry, but we did say this several times before......

Gill

IMO - you go thru all of that work and worrying to save the jade (and it should be, such nice plant!) - why not to get better mix...? Plant is so stressed, planting it in the mix that has much more potential being water retentive just doesn't justify it. I am not criticizing, just stating the facts. I know you must be tired and worried, but just one more step...

I am 'rooting' for your jade as others are. And you did lots of work. It should be rewarded.

(just saw your post above Gill, we do think alike :)

Rina, I think the plant is a real good looker, but sadly if left in this mix it will suffer the same problem as before. It looks like part of it is composed of ordinary garden compost. Sometimes I do wonder....

Gill

Hi everyone, and thank you all for your comments and help!! Yes, I do want to put her in the best mix possible. I just figured that the Dry Nursery who specializes (ONLY sells cacti and succulents) would be the pros and sell appropriate mix. As I have said before I'm a novice and no, I can't tell anyone what is in the mix myself by looking at it, I can only tell you all what the guy told me . I am going to order a gritty mix online from the links already suggested. I am happy to do that, just thought that the local guy would have a great mix. By everyone's suggestions, I believe it is not! Ordering a gritty mix right now online. Thanks everyone!!

Let's hope the mix will be ok for your plant keep us in the loop :-)

Gill

I found an absolutely beautiful Jade in a dumpster when I was tossing my trash. I pulled it out and after trimming a bit it was absolutely fantastic. I proceeded to over water it and practically kill it. It got so bad that I thought it was a goner...and then I did the unthinkable. I cut off the entire matted and ruined root ball. The whole thing. I let it air a few days and stuck it in an awful mixture of street dirt. 6-months later, it is making a huge comeback. I barely water it now and give it a shower every six weeks or so to blow away any mites or whatever crawlies happen on it. It is doing fine. I happened on another specimen with an 8-inch trunk and I broke it up to make about 5 new plants with 4-inch trunks (the 8-inch was rotting). I'm hoping to get at least 3 of those rooted using the same method.

Re-rooting a 4-inch trunk gave me some confidence with Jades. They seem to be really resilient if you sorta be a little mean to them ;-)

Just to say you did very well with the plants you found. Congrats, and hope it thrives for you. It would have been nice to see photos of it..

Cutting off anything rotted - trunk, roots - is not unthinkable; it is the only thing one can do to save rotting plants. Occasionally it doesn't work if the rot has spread thru the plant, but more often it does.