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jade plant questions

ColmOColmO Posts: 101
in Problem solving
i have two jade plants, which i've had for quite a long time now, and they were cuttings from a friend's plant. they're growing pretty well, but they won't stand up on their own. i've tried various things for them to be tied to, but they don't work, i think perhaps the pots are too small? i'd like to repot them, but how to keep them upright? also, there's a couple of cuttings which fell off one of the plants, and i've been keeping them going in a tray with tissue and water, but i'd like to pot them up, just not quite sure how. i can't put them in water, as there are no roots to speak of, and they're too small. any advice for with either problem gratefully received. many thanks.

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  • bcpathomebcpathome Posts: 1,313
    Jade plants aren’t supposed to stand up they are trailing plats . You hang them up in a basket or one of those net thingys and let the plant hang down .You can’t make it do what it’s not meant to do I’m afraid .
  • bcpathomebcpathome Posts: 1,313
    Plants not plats stupid keyboard .
  • B3B3 Posts: 27,505
    edited August 2023
    Mine stand up. I think it needs a bigger pot and more light but not direct sun. A healthy, mature one will have the shape of an oak tree  That looks like a crassula.
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • ColmOColmO Posts: 101
    thanks bcpathome, i had no idea about that. i've seen loads in Chinese restaurants which do grow upwards. also, the one they were cuttings from grew outside, and it didn't trail, it stood upright, it was quite big and solid. and in my image search for them there were also none that were trailing. sorry, i'm not arguing with you, just making sure i understand. perhaps there are different varieties?

    do you have any ideas for the cuttings?
  • B3B3 Posts: 27,505
    edited August 2023
    Just poke them in damp soil.
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • wild edgeswild edges Posts: 10,497
    bcpathome said:
    Jade plants aren’t supposed to stand up they are trailing plats . You hang them up in a basket or one of those net thingys and let the plant hang down .You can’t make it do what it’s not meant to do I’m afraid .
    This might be a common name problem. 'Trailing Jade' is not the same as Crassula Ovata which this is. This Jade only trails when it isn't given the best growing conditions. The best way to get them to stand up is to prune them back to a solid structure and let it regrow. It always seems harsh but they need to be fed well, given good light but not too much sun, allowed to rest in winter and pruned selectively to build up a solid main structure. Pot size will also restrict growth so you need to move them up every few years.

    If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
  • ColmOColmO Posts: 101
    thanks B3, yes, they're Crassula ovata, it seems. i didn't realise there were so many species of Crassula, over 200 (thanks Wikipedia!). i think you're right about them needing repotting. but i still need some way of keeping them upright. they won't stand up on their own, so they're currently leaning against the window, which i know isn't ideal.

  • ColmOColmO Posts: 101
    thanks wild edges. that's very helpful.

    that does seem harsh, but maybe i can pot on some of the cuttings. i just need people who'll want them. at the moment i have loads of spider plant cuttings i need homes for as well.
  • wild edgeswild edges Posts: 10,497
    Honestly my one plant is about 15 years old and about 4' tall. I remove half a bucket of cuttings each year just to keep it manageable. If you start worrying about keeping all the cuttings you'll soon have a house full. Get a wide bonsai style pot though and you can make lovely mini forests out of them.
    If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
  • bédébédé Posts: 3,095
    They need a lot of light.  What you call "cuttngs" are just leaves that are falling off.  Bin.

    They also would appreciate the stability of a heavier pot.
     location: Surrey Hills, England, ex-woodland acidic sand.
    "Have nothing in your garden that you don't know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."
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