Jade Plant Care: Complete Guide To Grow & Care For Jade Plant

Are you the one who wants to care for your Jade plant then you are on the right website, read the complete article on “jade plant care” and get a better understanding of the sunlight requirements, fertilizer requirements, watering frequency, etc.

Introduction

Jade is a succulent plant that is known by several names such as lucky plant, money plant, money tree, etc. They are native to KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape provinces of South Africa and Mozambique and have small pink to white flowers.

They are believed to bring good luck at home.

Most of the gardeners consider it an indoor houseplant but the Jade plant requires a good amount of sunlight to survive with a little amount of water so if you are keeping it indoors then place the pot in the southeast-facing window that receives at least 4 to 5 hours of sunlight. However high temperature is not preferable for this plant.

They are hard to kill plants but few mistakes can kill your plant like overwatering and fewer hours of sunlight exposure.

Jade Plant Care Guide

Growing Season

Jade plant grows well in spring to summer and remains dormant in the winter season. If you are planning to add this plant then purchase it directly from the nearest plant nursery.

There are nearly 1400 varieties of jade plant with differences in size, color, and shape of the plant so you can select anyone eyecatching within them.

You can grow this plant in two seasons, first from February to March and the second is in Late September to October. It remains dormant in winters, hence no new growth is observed during this season.

Propagation

The propagation of the jade plant is quite easy. Prepare cactus potting mix i.e. 70% soil and 30% coarse river sand or 30% cocopeat. But I will not recommend you for selecting cocopeat for this purpose as it retains moisture and that is not good for succulents. 

But if you have good experience in gardening then you can use cocopeat because you have experience of watering frequency and to control root rot disease.

However different soil scientists consider various components and proportions for the cactus potting mix. You can also 100% sand directly.

I will suggest you to try different cactus potting mix ratio and components for your succulents and then select one that gives you better results.

You can grow this succulent plant from cuttings. Select a mature hard woody stem branches for this purpose and avoid selecting a weak and light green colored stem branches. Cut 3 to 4 inches branch with the help of a gardening tool.

Selection Of Pot For Propagation

You can take germination tray or small earthen pots or any small container like disposable glass for this purpose. I use disposable glasses for propagating my jade plant. Ensure good drainage with 3 to 4 drainage holes at the bottom of each container.

Fill the container with potting mix and leave at least one-inch space at the top. Apply water gently after filling your germination pot with potting mix. Do not apply excess of water.

With the help of the pencil tip or finger make small holes in the growing containers. Remove all the leaves from the lower region and dip your cutting ends in rooting hormone powder IBA and NAA. You can easily get them from online stores as well as any well-established plant nursery.

Put this cutting one by one in the holes and cover the hole completely with potting mix and fix it firmly with the help of your hands.

Jade plants are prone to fungus so you will need to apply one teaspoon of Bavistine or an antifungal powder mixed in 5 liters of water on the growing pot. Do not apply excess of liquid solution in the pot and keep the growing container under shade.

In the interval of two to three days apply the same water solution in the pot or whenever you notice that the potting mix is completely dry.

It will take nearly 40 to 50 days for roots to grow completely. Now the plant is ready to be transplanted.

Selection Of Pot

If your jade plant is small or you have grown it yourself from cutting then select 3-inch pots with 3 to 4 good drainage holes for transplanting your jade plants. For bigger jade that you have purchased directly from plant nursery select medium-sized pots. 

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Potting Mix

Prepare potting mix with 50% normal garden soil + 25% sand + 25% any organic compost like Neem Khali and mix them thoroughly. Pour this potting mix into the container and leave at least one-inch space at the top.

In the place of this potting mix, you can directly use Cinder media for growing succulents. They are available in online stores.

These are succulent plant that requires well-drained and pours medium to grow properly.

Transplantation

With the help of hand or any gardening tool like Khurpi dig a small hole in the center of the soil medium in the pot and take out newly grown cuttings from each container carefully without damaging the plant and the roots. 

Place newly grown plants in the dug holes in the soil medium of new containers separately and cover them with the potting mix at the base of the plant. Apply a little pressure around the base of the plant with the help of your hand to fix the plant.

Apply water to the pot gently. Next water application should be done only when the soil in the pot seems completely dry.

Sunlight

The jade plant light requirements is quite confusing for many garden enthusiast. Most of them do this mistake of considering it a perfect indoor plant but in reality, this plant requires at least 4 to 5 hours of indirect sunlight. 

If you are keeping it as an indoor plant then place it in the southeast direction of your home that can at least receive 4 to 5 hours of indirect sunlight from windows.

Do not keep in direct sunlight if you are keeping it in an outdoor garden. Place the pot in the semi-shade area.

Watering

Jade plant requires very less frequency of water. I do not prefer watering on fixed days. I water my jade plant only when the soil medium seems completely dry in the pot. In summers I water a little once in 7 days and in winter once in a month. 

Avoid overwatering because jade plants are prone to fungal attack in roots just like other succulents. Overwatering can cause the death of your plant.

Pruning

It is the most important part to maintain the shape and growth of your plant. Beautiful and attractive shape in this plant is achieved due to the proper pruning of the plant. 

Cut the long lateral branches into half. With time it will develop new branches, prune this again, and later on by controlled pruning your plant will become more attractive with good growth of branches.

Avoid pruning in dormant season i.e. in winters and also in extreme summers in tropical regions.

Fertilizers

Once used in potting mix this plant doesn’t require so much fertilizer to grow. Apply a handful of Neem Khali once in a year.

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How To Repot Jade Plant?

Most of the gardeners asked this question that how to repot jade plants but practically you don’t need to repot this plant until the roots start coming out from the drainage holes and it takes a lot of time for roots to develop so much in this plant.

To change the pot take out jade plant along with the soil gently by holding the potting mix with hand and turning the pot. Tap the bottom of the pot firmly and the whole setup will come out.

Remove all the soil medium attached to the root gently with hand. Select a larger pot with good drainage holes and then repeat the process of transplantation as mentioned above.

Note: Frequent repotting can harm your plant, change the pot only when root grows bigger than the pot, and emerges out from the holes.

Pests & Diseases

These succulent plants can get affected by mealybugs that gives white waxy appearance on the leaves. In the case of infestation wipe out with alcohol-soaked cotton swab. Delaying in cure can result in the death of your plant. Removing heavy infested part immediately.  

Author’s Note

Thanks for reading the complete article on jade plant care. Do comment below for any queries regarding plants, gardening or agriculture.