Repot it only - there's really not much to trim. That's next year's project, IMO.

Thank you for the reply! I thought maybe I should cut entirely the stems? It lost many leaves at the bottom in the past and now it's getting quite long with only leaves at the top, it almost looks like a palm tree lol. Would this be a good idea like this?

No, but it's your plant and you want to cut it, so....

Hi,

i think but am not sure that the leaves will grow back on the stem. Someone else may need to step in and set me straight, but....

i think cactus is saying that it might be better suited for a trimming next year, though I'm not exactly sure why....

now that I think of it, why, Cactus?

Your plant looks like it needs more light. Internodes are a little far apart. I wouldn't prune it yet, either. I'd let it get stronger and develop thicker trunks for a year before doing anything. But that's me . . .

To get the best growth and progress, your jade needs leaves. If you cut nearly all of them off, then it's ability to photosynthesize is diminished greatly.

With a lot more light, this jade could actually sprout many new leaves from the bare spots on the stem. Which would fill in your plant without cutting anything at all. =)

Lauren,

Crenda's and Kevin's replies are why.

Best,

Jeff

Thank you so much everyone for your helpful replies & information. I understand better and will definitely wait until next year.

Internodes - Sorry for my ignorance, I have never heard about the meaning of far apart internodes, would you kindly be able to inform me in that regards? And can it change?

Light - It has been next to my brightness window in indirect light with bits of direct sunlight here and there (Ive previously read to not put jades in direct sunlight more than a few hours). When I noticed that all the lower leaves started to get droopy and with brown spots, I tried placing it on the windowsill in direct sunlight, it's been a few weeks since, she seems to be doing better.

New leaves - I did not know that new leaves could sprout directly on the stem where previous leaves were. That is definitely reinsuring!

Thank you very much

I learned something new today, too!

The internodes are the parts where the leaves emerge on the stem. The little parts all the way down the stem where leaves come from: those are the internodes:)

Marie

There are nodes and internodes - two different things.

A spot where the leaf grows is called node; space between 2 nodes is internode.

If plant doesn't receive enough light, internodes are far apart since the stem is stretching - etiolating - toward the light.

I borrowed drawing from net, easy to see what internode is:

Oops! Thanks, Rina !

Mariec - the longer internodes will not fix themselves in better light, but all new growth will be tighter and stronger.

BTW - I hope you now know that jades actually do like lots of sunshine. I have mine growing outdoors in full Florida sun all year. Some of the variegated specimens prefer some afternoon shade in the summers, but otherwise they thrive in the sun. You can't, however, plunk them into the sun without an adjustment period. They will get a sunburn. So wean them into the sun or strongest light you have available.

With more sunlight, you may get some color changes, too. I like the rosy red look. =)

Wow!! thank you SO MUCH Rina, mayo & Crendra for such detailed responses, you guys are just simply amazing, as always, thank you for taking your time to help me understand, it means the world to me and it is extremely appreciated.

I have researched so much to find out if new leaves could grow from removing an old leaf directly on the stem and the only information I could find was either from cutting a branch or the top. Thank you for confirming this information to me, I'm so glad that there's still hope for my jade to grow new leaves now on her stem!! :D

I will definitely keep her in the sun from now on!! I think when I was reading the word "stress" associated with jades that are exposed to lots of sun by starting to show colours got me thinking it was something negative/to avoid. I think I'm still confused about it. Perhaps they should have chosen a better word for it hihi..

I love this forum, thank you so much guys!

Stress could be from too much sunlight or too little. If you acclimatize your plants slowly as Crenda suggested, they will not burn and that stress will be positive = nice coloring on the leaves. Too little light is negative as plant grows skinny, excessively tall, branches may twist toward source of light, color gets bleached out.

Stress could be from too much or too little water; also from very high or very low temperatures. Or from congested roots. Or from repotting too often, or from digging up the plant to see if roots have grown. Or from overfertilizing...and some more. Some stress is producing results ppl like (like the coloration I mentioned), other - and too much of any stress - will affect plant negatively in some way. So most of the stressful conditions are to be avoided, but some - in 'just right amount' - is OK.

Many plants will grow new leaves and branches along the stem:

Hi Rina, thank you for the information. I just want to kindly clarify that when I mentioned "stress", I was referring specifically to this word associated with the colouring of the leaves. Just like you said, "that stress will be positive", and I think it is that part that gets me confused. How is "stress" something positive (when referring specifically to leaf colour changing) ?

Oh, I was aware that succulent leaves could go directly on the stem when cutting off the top (just like on the pictures you shared) :P but I wasn't aware that they could without cutting off the top - which is why I initially thought I should chop my jade :P I've read many times that when removing a leaf on a jade new growth will not sprout on that specific spot, so I guess I was misinformed in that matter.

Marie

I apologise, didn't mean to lecture you.

And as for stress - light or otherwise - I am not suggesting stressing plants. All I wanted to say is that...some (stress)- in 'just right amounts' ....'is producing results ppl like (like the coloration...

Haha no worries Rina, I did not feel like you lectured me at all :P And I actually appreciate very much you taking the time to share this information to me, and to others that may read this thread looking for answers :-)

Ok so if I well-understand, colour-stress related caused by a bit too much of sun exposure (but not "TOO much" to the point of burning/damaging the plant) is acceptable/ok but is not the most "ideal" to the plant itself. Is that correct? :P

It always confused me because for example variegated 'tricolour' jades don't have "tri"/3 colors but when "stressed" they do.

Yes, if you like bit of color :) Some ppl want only green color, and that is OK.

I do not feel I am stressing plants (maybe a bit, haha); I keep them in full sun when outdoors. They get acclimatized to it, since even coming from under supplemental lights, direct sun is still stronger. All of them grow in sunny locations in their habitat; some that naturally don't, I give only few hrs of morning sun.

Btw, variegated jade, Tricolor, does color up. It may even have 4 colors: green, white, yellow,pink/purple :) Here are some of mine under the lights now:

Oh wow Rina!!! They look so beautiful!! I love their yellow, and pink, and purple colours!! I must admit, I first fell in love with your jade variegated tricolour pictures back when I actually first found this forum and was digging through information and answers haha, and it actually got me to get one myself :P

And wow that is indeed a major pruning, it looks like a tree-plant just on its own! The thickness of the trunk is lovely. What do you do with your prunings? Do you always replant them and make more plants from them?

See, this is so strange.. the grower that I actually purchased my jade tricolour from, she told me that it is supposed to be only 2 colours (green and white) and if they happen to show a third colour such as pink, then that will mean that they are "stressed" from too much sun. Very misleading lol.. no wonder why I became so confused.

I will root all cuttings. I started with 1 plant that I keep pruning and hope for it to have thick-fat stem eventually. I don't want just tall plant, it grew to about 18" or so, now is less than half of that :)

Haha, you must have many of them :-) Well they are beautiful! Thanks again for your kind replies Rina, and happy growing :-)

Just wanted to give an update of my jade, she is already doing so much better, and guess what surprise I am seeing today... :D

Thank you so much again!!!!

Oh @Rina, what is this lovely plant of yours?? I forgot to ask :P

Kalanchoe orgyalis Copper spoons...here are couple of leaves of the same plant growing little plantlets (kalanchoes proagate very easily from leaves):