How to Grow and Care for the Jade Plant: Methods and Precautions

The jade plant is native to South Africa and is an evergreen bonsai-like shrub. Its thick, fleshy leaves are shaped just like gemstones, with multiple branches of leaves overlapping and clustered together. Its rosette-shaped leaf arrangement closely resembles a blooming lotus, which is how it got its name, and it is hailed as "the flower that never withers." Below, we introduce how to grow a jade plant.

How to Grow a Jade Plant

1. Soil

The jade plant comes from Africa, where the land is generally exposed to intense sunlight, so the jade plant prefers fertile, loose, well-draining sandy soil.

2. Water

The reason the jade plant has such thick, fleshy leaves is that its growing environment lacks water, so it is very drought-tolerant. Do not water it too much, otherwise the roots of the jade plant will easily rot. It is worth noting that you should not water it directly after exposure to intense sunlight, as this will damage the leaves.

3. Light

Growing natively in South Africa, it is bound to love sunlight, so if you want to see it bloom, it is best to place it year-round in a spot where it can receive sunlight. Of course, this does not mean exposing it directly to intense sunlight.

4. Temperature

The jade plant has no special requirements for temperature; as long as other plants can survive at a given temperature, so can it. Of course, below 10°C it basically stops growing, so in winter be sure to remember to move the jade plant indoors to grow it.

5. Planting

Propagation of the jade plant is rather unusual; it generally uses the cutting method. Select well-developed stems, trim them, let them dry, and plant them in soil, and they will take root.

6. Repotting

The jade plant needs relatively more nutrients during its growing period, so generally after 1 to 2 months, you should replace its soil.

7. Fertilizing

When choosing soil, you can add some fertilizer to the soil; for example, putting fermented soybeans into the soil makes a very good fertilizer.

Is the Jade Plant Toxic?

The jade plant is not toxic and is easy to keep and manage, making it very suitable for growing at home. It is full of vitality and can create a pleasant, cozy home life. In addition, it also has certain medicinal value, with effects of clearing deficiency heat, stopping bleeding, and detoxifying, and can treat sprains, bleeding, joint pain, burns, coughs, and more.