Have you considered a direction prior to any waking ? More upright for all the branches or sweeping ?

Sweeping would need a hard cut of one branch that could be re rooted and follow for form

Upright would need a bit of wiring puling branches inward and upward over time.

IMO the base looks great and assuming you want to do something about the Y axis distances I'd preference wiring them inward for upward.

I think you've hit on my problem - I have no clear vision. I was leaning toward wiring them to close the gap, but I have never done that before. I rather like the look of the trunk too, but I wondered if it will be a continued problem with the Y branches. (Not if I start pruning correctly, right?)

I'd start by shortening or completely removing the lowest branches that have the downward hanging growth. Then I'd tip prune the branches, taking off an inch or two, but leaving a few pairs of leaves at each branch tip. After that, I'd use wire to slowly and gently work the branches into upright posture. I like the shape overall, though, so I wouldn't wire too tightly.

Josh

Displaying a 2-D pic for a 3- D project isn't easy only to fall short on actual size and scale Some wire pics could be used as reference.

#3 wire in pics

On the tree it could look like this .

I used the thicker arm to upright a leaning thinner arm

I'd agree to removing bottom leaves in pairs for space for thinner wire if needed but usually and more commonly when wiring them leaves may fall off on there own and result in an amount of fewer leaves than you had hope for Leaf tips being the more softer are/may be the ones that self remove themselves. Best advice be careful softer tip leaves are the most sensitive to manipulation you want to use a thinner wire in thinner areas on tops.

Snug enough to hold them but loose enough to not cut in and chock the branches An apx time frame for how long does the wire need to be on. Here it's apx 6- 8 months before re-wiring or for bending more to htat wanted direction you seek. Your zone VS my zone you may be sooner than 8 check as often as you feel the need usually a firm enough / not vigorous wiggle of wired arms & areas will decrease the wire to not mark.

After ALL wire is on a branch you can manipulate the branch or area to go where you want it to go for direction in reasonable increments that wont stress your jade. Thinner area require less time when being directed by wire while thicker areas require longer wire times you may need to remove ( cut )all the wire off after a few months then rewire again

IME It's easier to wrap any part of a tree twice ( sometimes even three wraps) with thinner wire than thicker wire but use a wire that is thick enough to give the moving areas enough support.

Size matters. A bit off topic the demo is much smaller and is easier to work and can handle some rigorous manipulation because of it's size.

but to show a thin wire double wiring up then down to get the entire leaning( space hog) off the pot

Thank you! Reading up on wiring was my next step.

Does watering make a difference in when wiring should be applied? For some reason I think I remember hearing that the plant should a little thirsty, and therefore more pliable before wiring.

Pick a day when you water wait two or three days before wiring. You may need to place it away from your harder sun for apx two three weeks then should be an easy transitioning back outside Follow the same watering regiment that you are already familiar with in both locations.

I find re- transitioning them back to the original location after wiring is a little quicker. Depending on your day to day sun some monitoring may be needed, suggesting you not be afraid to remove it away from stronger sun and let it set in it's wired location on a stronger UV sun day and as well much warmer days. Be a pot jockey in a sense, as I say during the harder sun of warmer summer months better safe than sorry.

Just an update! Back in its usual spot in the sun now after repotting, pruning and wiring. It seems to be doing well and is showing new growth.

My wiring may look a little odd, especially seeming to connect 2 branches. Actually, I made the wires too long. It is not tight on the branches and is holding them up nicely. So thanks for all the advice! Hopefully things will keep going well.

I will be snipping some more, but I wanted to have enough leaves to feed the plant for now. I see a couple of candidates on there.

It took some courage, didn't it? Looks very good to me!

Crenda

Thank you for posting follow up, and I hope you'll post more. I would like to see the changes. What is the goal here exactly - just to get the trunks more upright & close together? Not so easy to tell from 2D photo.

Yes, it was top heavy and splayed out. I just knew that droopy form would get worse with time. That would probably lead to more branches drooping and growing downward - and requiring quite a whack down the road.

So for now I'd like to get the trunks more upright, and closer together seems to be the way to do it. I have a couple more that need pruned and I may get more adventurous with those. I was trying to wait to see if cooler weather would trigger some flowers. But since today was 91 F (I can't believe it!) I may give in and prune in January.