Jade Plant Care & Complete Growing Guide

Jade plants are well-known for attracting wealth and prosperity. The majority of Feng Shui experts recommend Jade as an excellent money plant.

Generally, the most famous Feng Shui money tree has evergreen leaves that are round, heart-shaped, thick, and succulent. And the Jade plant meets all of those criteria!

Another reason is that the Jade plant emits beneficial “chi,” or positive energy. Interested in growing Jade plants? Read more below to learn the proper care for this plant. One thing is for sure: it is one easy-to-grow succulent.

Your good luck may be one plant away!

jade succulent plant care card

More About Jade Plants

Jade plants live up to 70 years when cared for properly, making them popular houseplants. The succulent houseplants are slow-growing and gain about two inches of height per year. Hence, the Jade can take a while to become mature plants.

The jade plant can reach three to six feet and has thick, woody stems with green, oval-shaped leaves. The green leaves are attractive, and when you place jade plants, choose a spot that is out of reach of animals as the foliage is toxic.

Still, with the above in mind, the jade plant remains a beautiful specimen with its tree-like appearance and drooping stems. So, you can feel assured those oval to tubular leaves will become an attraction in your living space.

jade plant

How to Care for Jade Plants

The Jade plant is one of the easy houseplants to grow and care for. But before diving deep into this succulent, we’ll provide an overview.

  • Like a succulent potting mixture, Jade plants do their best in well-drained soil. Ensure the pot has enough drainage holes.

  • Place jade plants in a west or south-facing window to receive enough light when grown indoors.

  • Water sparingly but frequently during spring and summer to keep the soil moist. When the soil is dry, water your jade plant and reduce watering in winter to prevent root rot.

  • For a new plant to help encourage growth, we recommend a 20-20-20 fertilizer during the growing season.

Soil 

Succulents, like Jade, require well-draining soil. It thrives in the sand and grit-rich rock gardens. The Jade plant is better anchored in somewhat heavier soil that contains more organic content. One part sterilized organic soil, sphagnum peat moss, and three parts coarse sand by volume can suffice. Such a potting mix is best for growing jade.

They may also grow in acidic or alkaline soils. However, extremely low or high soil pH can cause nutritional deficits or toxicity. So make sure to give it just right.

Remember: Soil should be kept moist but not soggy, especially during spring and summer when plants actively grow.

Watering

Although the succulent appearance of Jade plants may lead you to believe that they require little water, this is not the case. Drought can induce dwarfing, foliage spotting, shaped leaves dropping, and even death! You can determine the plant’s watering requirements by touching it with your finger.

Check your plant weekly to see whether it needs more water. Always avoid spraying water directly on their leaves. This will expose your lovely plant to harmful fungi and the like. Jade plants grow more slowly in the winter, so they may not require as much watering.

Considering Jade plants are sensitive to salt, it’s recommended to use filtered or distilled water. This is to avoid the salts that may be present in tap water. When you’re done watering, dump any remaining water from the pot saucer. Root rot may occur if water is left in the saucer.

A helpful tip to remember: If blisters appear on the leaves, the plants are getting too much water. Thus, reduce the frequency and amount of watering.

Lighting Requirement

plant lighting requirement

Jade requires plenty of light but cannot handle direct sunlight as it can scorch the leaves. It will bloom at its best with four hours of direct sun in the morning with afternoon shade. Baby plants need different lighting conditions than mature plants.

Young plants prefer indirect sunlight. Still, your mature plant can stand in full sun in the morning. Although Jade plants are adaptable to various lighting situations, abrupt changes in lighting can impact their development and health.

Keeping your Jade plants in a bright area in indirect light is excellent in a south or west-facing window, so you don’t have to worry about their light sources. As they will receive bright light in the morning to afternoon shade

Note: To avoid harm from the cold, keep jade plants away from windows at night throughout the winter.

Temperature 

Daylight temperatures of 65 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit (18. 3 to 23.8 degrees Celsius)  and night temperatures of 50 to 55 degrees Fahrenheit (10 to 12.7 degrees Celcius) are ideal for Jade plants.

If your Jade is exposed to frost or cold temperatures for an extended period, it may become limp. Any stem part that has turned black or rotting should be cut back.

Humidity 

he Jade plant’s plump stems and leaves are trying to tell you something: they hold a lot of moisture. That’s why overwatering must be avoided at all costs. It would be best never to mist the jade plants’ leaves, as they are succulents that store water in the foliage.

If we mist our Jade plant, the oval leaves will become damp, resulting in fungal and pest problems. You will start noticing yellow leaves and stems, and can eventually die. The usual humidity level for Jade plants is 30-50%. It may, however, flourish in typical home humidity. 

Reminder: You can mist newborn Jade plants after you propagate them, and this is the only time you will need to do this.

Fertilizer Requirement

Fertilize your Jade plant once every six months to ensure optimal care. Use a balanced, water-soluble fertilizer. Leave the soil dry when fertilizing your jade plants.

Remember to fertilize your Jade plant only when the soil is dry. Choosing the correct fertilizer for your jade plant is critical to replenishing the soil with needed nutrients and encouraging new growth.

A 10:20:10 fertilizer is required for your Jade plant. This ratio indicates that your bag of fertilizer contains 10% phosphorus, 20% nitrogen, and 10% potassium, with the remaining 60% of other nutrients.

Jade plants, especially young new plants, require high nitrogen for best growth and development. Mature plants prefer high nitrogen levels but can flourish on a well-balanced diet.

Propagating Jade Plant

leaf cutting

Stem or leaf cuttings can be used to multiply Jade plants. You can detach each leaf and lay it over the potting soil. Moisten the leaves until they develop their own roots.

If you don’t have any patience, don’t use leaf cuttings because they take too long to grow. Go with stem cuttings instead. Remember that summer is the best time to propagate Jade plants.

Jade Plant Stem Propagation

Steps on how to produce Jade plants from stem cuttings:

  • Make a clean cut of the stem with a sterilized knife or scissors. Choose a portion with at least two nodes.
  • Leave only a few healthy leaves at the very top of the cutting after carefully plucking away the leaves from the bottom.
  • Allow the cutting to sit for three days in a warm, dry location.
  • You can directly root your Jade plant stem cutting in soil. Because succulents are so hardy, this method always succeeds. The only drawback is that you won’t keep track of your cutting’s progress in the roots until new leaf growth appears. But that doesn’t matter, as long as your plant stays alive.

Growth Zone

They are hardy in USDA zones 10-11. They prefer hot, arid weather. They’re also susceptible to rot and other fungal issues in damp environments. Broken or fallen branches of outdoor plants will grow new roots in the right conditions. It will allow them to fill in as luxuriant hedges and borders and even form colonies!

Potting

potting

A Jade plant doesn’t bother having root bound in a small pot. In fact, keeping the Jade roots confined will keep them smaller and easier to manage. However, to foster growth, have 2 to 3 years before repotting it.

Pot Jade plants early in the spring, just before the growing season begins. After repotting, leave the plant indoors for a week or so without water. To avoid mistakenly burning new roots, wait as least a month before fertilizing.

Pruning

When pruning your Crassula ovata, the optimal season is in the spring or early summer. This is when the plant is actively growing. Drooping branches are an indication that your Jade Plant is getting too big and needs to be pruned.

Use sharp pruning shears or knives to prune it right above the brown rings around a stem, known as a leaf scar. Two new branches will develop at the pruning point. So, choose the stem where you want the Jade plant to be thicker and healthier. This kind of pruning is ideal for older jade plants that have become lanky.

Important Note: It’s preferable to wait until the plant is a year old before pruning it.

Jade Varieties and Similar Plants

The Jade plants belong to the genus of Crassula. There are plenty of them, and they come in a choice of colors and sizes. If you want to add these green-colored houseplants to your garden, we’ve narrowed your options. See below:

Crassula ovata ‘Little Jade Tree’ 

Lives up to its name, this tiny and compact cultivar grows up to 12-16 inches tall. It has oval-shaped green fleshy leaves with crimson borders.

Crassula ovata ‘Botany Bay’ 

This compact, bushy ovata cultivar was introduced in 2011. It produces red tints in the dry season. It has light green leaves that are meaty and feature red tips.

Crassula ovata ‘Harbor Lights’

In wintertime, the red tinges on the tips of the green plumped leaves become more prominent, making it more appealing. Its leaves are smaller than those of Crassula ovata.

Jade Diseases & Pests

Although growing Jade plants are easy and manageable, this plant also attracts sorts of insects and critters. Add this to your Jade plant care checklist: how to take care of pests and diseases.

Pest

mealy bugs plant pest

The mealybug is the most frequent Jade plant pest. At the joints where leaves and stems meet, mealybugs develop white, cottony patches.

Since Jade plants are sensitive to horticultural soaps and oils, mealybugs and other pests can be challenging to control. Insecticides can also be excessively severe on succulent foliage, leading the plant to suffer even more damage. Instead, Jade plants need to be cleaned with cotton balls dipped in rubbing alcohol.

Diseases

Black ring disease

This causes the black rings on the undersides of the leaves which are caused by a virus. Infected plants are not killed by black ring disease. The only way to stop it from spreading is to get rid of the contaminated leaves. Additionally, avoid planting cuttings with affected leaves to prevent the disease from spreading.

Powdery mildew

This is caused by fungus invasion. Plants infected appear to be scabby and change gray to dusty white in appearance. If the plant is infected, the leaves, buds, and flowers will grow distortedly and eventually die. Premature leaf drop will also happen.

For treatment, use a high-quality fungicide that is specifically created to treat fungus infection.

Frequently Asked Questions

Other plants similar to the Jade are the hen and chick succulent or the string of buttons with similar care needs.

Following our jade plant care tips, your succulent can live up to 70 years or longer. Hence, they are passed down generationally.

As jade plants store water in the leaves, shriveled leaves indicate your plant needs more watering. It can signal temperature changes and move your plant away from cold drafts if the soil is moist.

or jade plants to bloom, you must mimic the native growing conditions. With little water, bright light during the day and cool nights will encourage buds to form. These plants produce starry white or pink flowers in early spring.

Yes, jade plants are succulents and native to Southern Africa. It looks like a bonsai tree with green fleshy leaves and thick stems when it grows. As it ages, it develops woody stems.

The Jade is easy to propagate using leaf or stem cuttings and multiplies well. When it has a leaf drop, the plant will drop to the ground and start rooting by itself.

Whether you want to buy, sell or simply reach out to other plant enthusiasts, Plantly is the right place to be!

Leave a Reply

Plantly Menu