As you say, cut off that branch to the right, and anything else that might, in your mind, make it a better-formed plant. The cuttings can all be used for more plants.

I'd repot and then prune, seeing as how you're after a sculpture in its new home, not the old one, and you'll get a better idea of how you want to shape it when it's in its new...digs.

A piece of screen covering the drainhole will help keeping your porous mix in the pot.

You might gain some insights on this thread, also mentioning the current soil of choice (Bonsai Jack), which seems to be pretty good stuff.

Crassula ovata resurrection

It may be your preference to keep 1 plant per pot or several. IMO, most jades look best if potted soltary, espeially if older. It shows off their thick trunk better. Plant gets light more evenly, even more important if kept indoors. It is easier to see 'shape' of plant, and easier to solve any problems should they arise. There are style that include multiple plants and they are beautiful, like 'mother & daughter' or 'twin trunks', or 'forest' styles (photo from net):

They need to be tended to regularly to look best. But there is nothing wrong if you like multiple plants in same pot - decide what you like.

If my plant, I would do some serious chopping...but that is just me. Even if 2main trunks are growing from same rootball, they could be separated and grown as 2 plants.

Repotting into well draining mix and giving it (gradually) best light/sunlight, will start you off. Many branches are etiolated right now, and some should be eliminated - all possible new plants.

Main things it needs are a bigger pot and better light exposure.

Thanks all for the help! I think the advice to repot, and then prune after, makes a lot of sense, so that's the plan.

I am planning to wait for it to dry out a bit, take it out of its pot, try to remove all the soil (and probably give it a good soak to remove buildup, since it hasn't been drained properly all this time), and then let its roots dry out in the air for a few days. Then I was planning to pot it up from its current 8" pot to a 10" plastic nursery pot, and probably wire it in until its roots re-establish themselves.

Since a 10" nursery pot is so deep, and I don't think a jade plant will use most of the lower space, can I put a few bricks or something in the bottom to conserve my expensive soil? Pebbles? I have a bunch of perlite handy, but worry that will retain too much water.

I'll be sure to post photos of the roots, once they're exposed. I suspect there's some pruning needed just because of the soil/pot it was in.

No, that shouldn't be done - it's better to use a smaller pot.

It is better to remove plant from the pot/present soil if it is wet. Without proper drainage, it will take forever to dry. Letting plant to sit in wet soil will only speed up damage to roots - they could rot in wet soil (I am going by what you said about wet soil).

Remove plant, get rid of old soil and let air-dry. Using big pots doesn't help, they keep lots of soil and if porly drained, creates perfect environment for rotting. For big and top-heavy jades, it may be better to use pots with wider base (helps stabilty), not deeper. Here is photo of 2 pots, both have top dia of 8". The 'sqat' pot would be quite good for big jade (plastic is as good - I have most succulents in plasic pots):

Big pots could be used, but potting mix should be very well draining - usually it would be made of mostly inorganic ingredients. Many ppl do not use that kind of mix, and "love" plants to death by watering too often :)

Check roots (take photo and post for us to see); remove any damaged (dry, rotted, broken). Separating plants would help at this point.

Repot as cactusm suggested. Perlite is excellent additive to help drainage, doesn't retain water (vermiculite does - maybe that's what you are thinking of). I would make a well draining mix by mixing at least 50% of sifted perlite with it (could be even more).

Not sure why you are planing on ...'good soak'...Making roots even wetter than they are is not going to help. Remove all soil you can, put plants on something absorbent (paper towets, rag) and keep removing leftover soil as it dries - it should be just crumbling off. Swishing rootball in bowl of tepid water is recommended if soil is very dry and hardened (as hard as brick - hydropobic peat does that) around rootball.

Thanks Rina! I won't soak it, then - I was assuming that the old soil would be caked on there and need to be soaked off. As for the new soil, I have half a big bag of Bonsai Jack that should do the trick. I have a few other succulents that are loving that stuff.

What is that short pot called? I've been looking for something that shape (in plastic, ideally), but unable to find it anywhere.

They are, I think, called "bulb" pots - or somehing similar. I have some plastic ones too, I buy them if I see any as they are not sold as often as regular pots. There are many others made of resin, plasic and similar materials - I prefer those since they are not as heavy...that may not bother you :) I bought pot in the photo just week ago in Rona for just under $6 (in Canada). I have seen even nicer pots in Garden centre, but they are more expensive if that is important to you. They had many different types, just do not buy one with recurved top (like a fish bowl) - it is difficult to remove plants from those. If there are no drainage holes, I always drill some.

I never used BJ mix, but some ppl mentioned that it was still bit water-retaining. Easy way to solve that is to add sifted perlite, or pumice if you have some.

Old soil could be caked on, but you mentioned plant was in drainless pot and wet. Dry soil (or mostly dry) usually crumbles off; if it contains lots of peat it could be more hard. You may loose some roots when removing soil, but it shouldn't be much of problem. Better fewer healhy roots than many mushy. And jade will root very easy and fast, as long as they are not kept too wet.

It’s not anathema to having water-retaining soil.

Rina is correct- those bulb pans have their uses for rooting cuttings.

Here they are! I'll need to give them another clean once they dry, but I got most of the soil (which was very compacted) off. The roots look good, not mushy, and it was indeed two plants.

Loks like roots are in decent shape. I would definitely pot them up separately. Few new trunks seemingly growing from a rootball (last pic) would grow into new plants too, if you cut them off before potting up...at least you'll have couple of plants to experiment with. And prune off some of those lowest branches - but first, I thik, it would be best to tip-prune, and shorten all long, skinny branches. Plants should be acclimatize to really good sunlight after. It should be really good timing, it is getting warmer and plants should grow really well. Give it some time after potting up (I pruned extensively - lierally left with bare trunk - right at repotting time - but if not sure, perhaps wait a bit). Even the long roots could be trimmed some..

Eventually, I would get rid of some of the lowest, thick branches to shape plants somehow (you'll end up with new plants! :). That could wait, even until next spring.

I've repotted the smaller of the two trees (the other is still drying out). It seems happy and healthy, and I could probably get away with pruning it a bit. I was thinking I would cut back most of those green tips, and consider chopping off that lower branch on the right that's growing horizontally.

Yes, you can.

Paul

That's the name I couldn't recall :)

Alex

Looking good. I woudl shorten all branches, leaving 2 sets of leaves. And wold make sure plant is gradually moved into good sunlight, to assure compact growth. You could prune off that horizontal branch and root it: let callus after cutting off with sharp blade; stick into fast draining mix and do not water for a while. It should start growing roots fast. I wouldn't put it into strong sunlight immediately, but slowly.

Ikea has a bunch of 6” pots with drainage dishes, you have to buy both. I use the pot for other houseplants and the bottom for my succulents. I love using these, but as with all IKEA pots, you have to drill your own holes, but that’s super easy. Just an FYI to add to the conversation about short pots.