Can the Jade Plant Purify the Air? Here's the Latest Answer

The jade plant, also known as the silver jade plant, fleshy evergreen, and jade plant, is an evergreen small shrub in the Crassulaceae family, genus Crassula. Its branches and leaves are thick and fleshy, green in all four seasons, with unusual leaf shapes, a stately plant form, easy cultivation, and simple management. Potted plants can be placed on a balcony or on indoor tables as an accent, appearing very delicate and elegant. Let's take a look below at whether the jade plant can purify the air!

Can the jade plant purify the air?

The jade plant can purify the air. The jade plant is a very good landscaping plant. It has a good purifying effect on indoor benzene pollution and also has a certain anti-radiation effect. It has a special form of photosynthesis, and can absorb carbon dioxide even at night, playing a very good role in purifying the air. At the same time, the jade plant has thick leaves, stays evergreen all year round, and has an unusual shape, making it suitable for keeping at home for viewing.

What uses does the jade plant have?

1. Ornamental use: The jade plant has thick branches and leaves, with green and glossy stems and leaves, unusual leaf shapes, and stays evergreen all year round. It is also easy to cultivate and manage, and can be grown alone in pots to decorate desks, windowsills, tea tables, and tabletops, embellishing the home environment in a very delicate and elegant way. With proper cultivation, it will also produce beautiful white clustered small flowers.

2. Ecological use: Experiments have shown that the jade plant has a significant purifying effect on indoor benzene pollution. It can absorb harmful substances in the air and purify the air. At the same time, the jade plant also has a certain anti-radiation effect.

3. Medicinal use: Research has found that natural jade plant has a significant blood sugar-lowering effect. In some tribes in Africa, people even use the jade plant as a food ingredient, making it into a paste-like food to drink. In addition, boiling a small amount of jade plant stems and leaves with milk and drinking it has a certain therapeutic effect on diarrhea.

How to grow the jade plant

1. Soil: For potted jade plants, it is best to use a mix of 2/3 leaf mold and 1/3 garden soil with a small amount of river sand as the growing medium. A small amount of long-acting fertilizer such as horn shavings can be placed at the bottom of the pot as a base fertilizer. To help with drainage, some crushed stone or tiles should also be placed at the bottom of the pot. Every spring, the jade plant needs to be repotted and given fresh fertile soil.

2. Temperature: The optimum growing temperature for the jade plant is 15-32°C. It fears high temperatures and stuffiness, and enters a dormant state when the summer heat exceeds 33°C. It cannot tolerate cold or frost, and the overwintering temperature needs to be kept above 10°C. It also enters a dormant state when the winter temperature drops below 7°C. If the ambient temperature approaches 4°C, it will die from cold damage.

3. Sunlight: The jade plant likes sunlight, but in summer it should be kept out of direct sunlight and placed in a ventilated, shady spot for care. In other seasons, light can be appropriately increased, and the leaf color will become more emerald green and full. In winter, when the temperature is low, increasing light and reducing watering helps improve cold resistance. If kept in a dark place for a long time, the plant will become leggy, and the leaves will become thinner and yellow, reducing its ornamental value.

4. Watering: From spring to autumn, the jade plant can be watered once every 1-2 days, but waterlogging in the pot should be avoided. In summer, when the heat is severe and the temperature reaches above 30°C, the plant is in a dormant or semi-dormant state, so watering should be controlled. At the same time, shading and cooling work should also be done well. The ground around the pot can be sprayed with water 2-3 times a day, and attention should be paid to ventilation. In winter, the frequency of watering should be appropriately reduced, keeping the potting soil slightly dry.

5. Fertilizing: The jade plant does not have high fertilizer and water requirements. In spring and autumn, apply a liquid fertilizer for cacti once a month. Generally, no fertilizer is applied in summer. In winter, when indoor temperatures are too low, fertilizer is generally not needed either. Potted jade plants are generally repotted once every 3-4 years. When repotting in spring, compound fertilizer or decomposed organic fertilizer can be added as a base fertilizer.

6. Pruning: The jade plant grows relatively quickly. If it is not pruned in time, the plant's shape will be ruined, and its ornamental value will also be greatly reduced. It is best to prune the jade plant in spring and autumn. These two periods are its peak growing seasons, and after pruning its “body” recovers quickly, and it is also easy for it to grow new branches again.

7. Pests and diseases: The jade plant has relatively few pests and diseases. Under high temperature and high humidity conditions, it may suffer from anthracnose and leaf spot disease, which can be sprayed with a 600-800 times dilution of 70% thiophanate-methyl wettable powder, or a 1000 times dilution of 60% propineb · tebuconazole wettable powder. If indoor ventilation is poor, the stems and leaves are prone to damage by scale insects. Once pests are found, they should be immediately brushed off by hand. In severe cases, a 300-500 times dilution of 0.5% veratrine soluble concentrate can be sprayed for control.