How to Grow a Jade Plant? Detailed Guide to Care Methods and Precautions
The jade plant, also known as Eight Treasures, Kanqing, and Dongqing, is an evergreen small shrub in the Crassulaceae family, genus Crassula. As a houseplant, its crown is upright and elegant, with emerald-green, glossy stems and leaves that stay green all year round, making it very refined and distinctive. It can be combined with a plant stand, gravel and other materials to create a small bonsai, or grown alone in a pot to decorate a desk, windowsill, coffee table or tabletop, adding a touch of greenery to the room. Now let us take a look at the growing methods and precautions for the jade plant!
Growth Habits of the Jade Plant
The jade plant is native to southern Africa. The plant has a multi-branched subshrub form, with distinct, round stems, and a green or yellowish-brown epidermis, with small dots on the leaves. The fleshy leaves are opposite, oblong-ovate, and the flowers bloom in clusters, with small white or white-pink flowers. It is cross-pollinated between different plants and does not flower easily. It prefers a warm, dry environment with plenty of sunlight, is not cold-tolerant, fears strong light, and tolerates slight shade. A fertile, well-drained sandy loam soil is best, and the winter temperature should not fall below 7°C.
Propagation Methods of the Jade Plant
1. Cuttings: Generally carried out in spring and autumn. Cut healthy top branches 7-10 cm long, preferably let them dry in a cool place for 1 day, and after the wound is slightly dry, insert them into moist sandy soil or perlite. They will root in about 3 weeks after insertion, with an extremely high survival rate. Single-leaf cuttings can also be used: after cutting the leaf, let it dry slightly, then insert it into a sand bed. It will root in about 4 weeks after insertion, and when the roots are 2-3 cm long, pot it up.
2. Water propagation: From April to September, cut off high-quality, robust, disease-free branches, each 10-15 cm long, keeping 3-4 pairs of leaves at the upper end and removing two pairs of leaves at the lower end. Rinse off the sap on the cut surface, fix the cutting with foam or thick paper, and place it in a cup. The water depth should preferably submerge 1/2 to 1/3 of the cutting. Place it in a ventilated, shaded spot and keep the temperature above 25°C. After insertion, change the water every 2-3 days. Generally, roots will form in about 7 days, with a rooting rate of almost 100%.
Growing Methods for 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 added as the growing medium. A little hoof pieces and other slow-release fertilizer can be placed at the bottom of the pot as a base fertilizer. To help drainage, some gravel or tiles should also be placed at the bottom of the pot. The jade plant needs repotting every spring, with fresh fertile soil added.
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 dislikes cold and 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, and if the ambient temperature approaches 4°C, it will die from frostbite.
3. Sunlight: The jade plant likes sunlight, but in summer it should be kept out of direct sun and placed in a ventilated, cool spot for care. In other seasons, light can be appropriately increased, and the leaf color will become more emerald and full. In winter, when the temperature is low, increasing light and reducing watering helps improve cold resistance. If placed 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 avoid water accumulation in the pot. In the high heat of summer, when 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, shade and cooling measures should be taken, and the ground around the pot can be sprayed with water 2-3 times a day, while paying attention to ventilation. In winter, the frequency of watering should be appropriately reduced, keeping the potting soil slightly dry.
5. Fertilizing: The jade plant has low fertilizer and water requirements. In spring and autumn, apply a liquid fertilizer for cacti once a month. Generally, no fertilizer is applied in summer, and in winter, when the indoor temperature is too low, no fertilizer is usually 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 fast. 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, as these two periods are its peak growing seasons. After pruning, its “body” recovers quickly, and it is also easy for new branches to grow again.
7. Pests and diseases: The jade plant has relatively few pests and diseases. Under high temperature and high humidity, 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 susceptible to scale insects. Once pests are found, they should be manually scrubbed immediately. In severe cases, a 300-500 times dilution of 0.5% veratrine soluble concentrate can be sprayed for control.
Precautions for the Jade Plant
1. The jade plant likes light. It should be placed in a warm environment with sufficient light all year round. This is the key to flowering.
2. The jade plant is a fleshy, succulent plant and is very drought-tolerant. Usually, it should not be watered too much. Water only when the soil is dry, and water thoroughly after it dries out.
3. In the high-temperature summer season, be careful to avoid heavy watering after sun exposure, which can cause leaf drop.
4. During the growing season of the jade plant, apply a once every 7-10 days a diluted, fully decomposed liquid fertilizer containing nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Never make it too concentrated.