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Spindly jade plant

mchuamchua Posts: 210
in Plants
Hi, so my mum has a jade plant which is mostly stems and little foliage. It’s root is also coming out of the pot 😳. How best to fix? Can you prune jades? And is it ok to repot this time of year? I don’t have all the special compost types or anything like that. Just some multipurpose kicking about.

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  • philippasmith2philippasmith2 Posts: 3,742
    Looks as if it needs a bit of a clean up and a re pot so more work for you I'm afraid ;)

    Any leaves which are dead or turning yellow can be removed as can a lot of the thin spindly growth - any live stems can be used to propagate more plants if you want.

    It looks as if the main trunks are healthy and producing new growth so you could be fairly drastic about the pruning.

    It needs a larger pot and a decent growing medium such as a JI 2 or 3 to which you can add a bit of your MPC and extra grit as required. You will be bringing it indoors soon I imagine so keep in a light position and turn regularly to ensure the new growth is even. 
  • mchuamchua Posts: 210
    Great, thanks for the advice. It’s ok to prune and repot now, or should I wait till spring when it starts growing again? I see many conflicting information online, don’t know which to go with. 
  • philippasmith2philippasmith2 Posts: 3,742
    If it were me, I'd remove the dead and/or spindly stems and repot now.  Major pruning I would probably leave til Spring.
    Having said that, I am in coastal SW UK and have a GH ( albeit unheated ) so I could afford to stretch the timing somewhat.
    If you are still unsure, clean up and repot now and leave any major pruning until the warmer weather - hopefully by that time you should see some improvement in sturdier growth and can then take it from there :)  
  • mchuamchua Posts: 210
    Thanks, I did it. There’s an awful lot of cuttings. I want to try and propagate some so as to not waste them all. Do you think it will still work at this time of year? 
  • mchuamchua Posts: 210
    I’m a little worried that since I’ve repotted and pruned it quite a bit (not drastic but still a few thicker branches), that it may not make it all the way through to spring now. So I’m thinking of buying a grow lamp to try and give it a boost, or will it survive without?  Anyhow, does anyone use grow lamps and recommend a type?

    Thank you 🙂
  • wild edgeswild edges Posts: 10,497
    Jades have a winter dormancy period so grow lights can be a bad idea if you don't regulate the hours. They like to be kept fairly cool (not too cold) but in a bright place, a window away from a radiator is ideal. That plant looks like it has enough stem thickness to have plenty of energy stored up to start re-growing in the spring so I wouldn't worry about it over the winter now.
    If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
  • Bee witchedBee witched Posts: 1,295
    Hi @mchua,

    Jade plant cuttings root easily in a jar of water.
    Worth a try with your prunings if you want more plants.

    Bee x
    image
    Gardener and beekeeper in beautiful Scottish Borders  

    A single bee creates just one twelfth of a teaspoon of honey in her lifetime
  • mchuamchua Posts: 210
    Bee witched said:
    Hi @mchua,

    Jade plant cuttings root easily in a jar of water.
    Worth a try with your prunings if you want more plants.

    Bee x
    image
    Propagating?  Because the plant is mature, and badly etiolated (yes I’ve done some reading!), all the cuttings are woody.  Can I put more than one cutting in the same jar, or will they be competing too much that way?  Propagating will still work at this time of year too, even though the plant is entering dormancy?  
  • ScarletmistScarletmist Posts: 23
    I’ve had jade or money plant plants for years. Just cut some of the branches down by half and push them into any good indoor potting compost and the cuttings will root. You will end up with loads of plants. 
  • mchuamchua Posts: 210
    Ok I’m trying cuttings from stems and leaves, in both compost and glasses of water. It’s been a few weeks now, it’s completely the wrong time of year, coupled with the fact that the cuttings were taken from a really unhealthy parent plant.  Amazingly some of them are starting to root, most notable in the water method.

    I was wondering what is considered an established root system before transferring to compost to grow on? Do you think this one still needs longer in the water?


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