How to grow a Jade Plant (Portulacaria afra) well? A detailed guide to the latest care methods

The Jade Plant, also known as the Elephant Bush, Miniature Jade, and Chinese ginkgo wood, is a perennial evergreen succulent shrub of the genus Portulacaria in the purslane family. Its stems are succulent, ranging from purplish-brown to light brown, with branches growing nearly horizontally. New branches turn purplish-red under conditions of ample sunlight; if the light is insufficient, they are green. It has extremely high ornamental value. Now let us take a look at how to grow a Jade Plant well!

Growth Habits of the Jade Plant

The Jade Plant is native to South Africa and prefers a warm, dry environment with plenty of sunlight. It tolerates drought and partial shade but not waterlogging. Although it can also grow in shaded places, the distance between stem nodes will increase, and the leaves will become large, thin, and lusterless, affecting its ornamental value. It is best grown in sandy soil of medium fertility with good drainage and aeration. During the growing season, water the Jade Plant according to the rule of “do not water until dry, and water thoroughly when you do”, avoiding water accumulation in the pot. In winter, the temperature is best kept above 10°C. At around 5°C, although the plant will not die, a large number of leaves will drop.

Propagation Methods of the Jade Plant

The Jade Plant can be propagated during the growing season by cuttings taken from robust, well-developed branches. Before inserting, remove the lower leaves and let the cuttings dry for a few days until the cut surface is dry, then insert them into a growing medium made of 2 parts leaf mold, 2 parts coarse sand or vermiculite, and 1 part garden soil. After inserting, keep the soil slightly moist. Once rooted, place it in a sunny or partially shaded spot for care, keeping the potting soil moist but not waterlogged. Do not fertilize for the first 2 months to promote root growth. After that, apply a diluted, well-rotted liquid fertilizer about once every 10 days, and promptly prune young shoots sprouting from the base to concentrate nutrients and speed up the growth of the main trunk.

How to Grow the Jade Plant

1. Soil: The Jade Plant likes loose, fertile, sandy soil with good drainage. You can use a growing medium mixed from leaf mold and garden soil, then add an appropriate amount of river sand to improve soil aeration and facilitate drainage.

2. Temperature: The Jade Plant prefers a warm, dry environment with ample sunlight and tolerates partial shade. The most suitable growing temperature for the Jade Plant is 15-25°C. The Jade Plant is not cold-hardy and must be protected from freezing in winter. The overwintering temperature should be above 10°C; below 5°C, it is prone to cold damage. In summer, shade it to prevent scorching by the blazing sun.

3. Light: Although the Jade Plant likes ample sunlight, it needs appropriate shading during high summer temperatures to prevent scorching by the blazing sun, and attention should be paid to ventilation. In winter, move the Jade Plant to a sunny spot indoors to keep the leaves fresh and green. Long-term insufficient light will cause the distance between its stem nodes to increase, and the leaves will become larger, thinner, and lose their luster.

4. Watering: From spring to autumn is the growing season for the Jade Plant, and it can be watered moderately, but water must not accumulate in the pot. In hot summer, you can spray water around the Jade Plant to increase air humidity. In winter, watering should be controlled to keep the potting soil slightly dry. Note that watering the Jade Plant should follow the rule of “do not water until dry, and water thoroughly when you do”.

5. Fertilizing: During the growing season, the Jade Plant needs a diluted, well-rotted cake liquid fertilizer or a diluted fertilizer solution based mainly on nitrogen fertilizer once every half month. If the Jade Plant is growing too weakly, add a potassium-containing liquid fertilizer. Fertilizing the Jade Plant should be light and diluted, not thick or concentrated. Stop fertilizing in winter.

6. Repotting: The Jade Plant can be repotted once every two years in spring. Trim off part of the root system, remove 1/2 to 1/3 of the old soil, and replant it with fresh growing medium.

7. Pruning: The Jade Plant has strong sprouting ability and should be pruned and its buds pinched frequently to maintain a beautiful tree shape. Also, when repotting the Jade Plant, you can give it a heavy pruning, cutting off weak branches and other branches that affect the tree shape, and trim off part of the root system, then replant it.

8. Pests and diseases: The Jade Plant is susceptible to anthracnose. Spray with a 50% thiophanate-methyl wettable powder at 1500 times dilution on the leaves. Pests include whiteflies and scale insects; spray with a 50% fenitrothion emulsifiable concentrate at 1000 times dilution to kill them.

Precautions for Growing the Jade Plant

1. Scattering a few soybeans in the soil where the Jade Plant is grown can improve the soil and also release nitrogen fertilizer.

2. Remember not to place the Jade Plant indoors for long periods. It is best if the growing medium is mixed with things like sawdust or charred wood.

3. When watering the Jade Plant, observe and keep records carefully; its root system is fleshy, and too much water easily causes rot.

4. In winter, keep the room temperature for the Jade Plant no lower than 10°C so it can overwinter safely; at around 5°C, the leaves of the Jade Plant will drop in large numbers.

5. The Jade Plant likes ample sunlight, so you can let it bask in the sun more; the sunlight must not be too intense, and about three hours a day is enough.