How to Care for Jade Plant?

Many plants are kept indoors as houseplants and are also used in the design of outdoor green spaces. Jade Plant is one of these plants. The jade plant is from South Africa and can have a high shelf life. In any climate you live in, with proper maintenance this plant will grow quickly. Continue reading this article in TooPlant in order to learn more about how to grow and care for Jade Plant.

Introduction of Jade Plant (Crassula ovata)

Before addressing how to care for jade plant, please allow us to give you a brief introduction about this houseplant.

This plant is known as a houseplant and you can put different types around the house. Some of the more popular types of jade plant are sunset (with yellow leaves whose tips are red) and also multicolored species (with purple and light green leaves), but there are a total of 1400 species of jade plant.

In Asia, jade plant is popular as a household gift and can increase family financial energy. The location and method of planting and propagating the jade plant is very important and will bring wealth if placed in front of the house, restaurant and office. Do not leave this plant in the bathroom or toilet, as these spaces are closed.

The jade plant sometimes grows into a small shrub 150 cm in size. The plant is easy to maintain and only needs watering when it dries. The plant should also be exposed to direct light and room temperature (65 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit (18 to 24 °C)) for at least four hours a day.

Types of Jade Plant (Crassula ovata)

If you want to have a collection of jade plants, you should know that there are more than 1400 species of this plant, so your search will not end. Each plant is different in size, color and thickness of the leaves.

How many varieties of jade plant are there?

Here are some of the most common types of jade:

Crassula Ovata ‘Tricolor’ (Variegated Jade Plant)

Tricolor jade grows in 60 to 120 cm and can be widely cultivated. Its three main colors are white, green and yellow. This plant produces pink flowers at certain times of the year.

Crassula ‘Blue Bird’

The blue bird jade has more rounded and fleshy leaves. Its leaves are light green and its edges are red, which is why it is different from other plants. This houseplant is also available in a form of wild plant.

Crassula Ovata ‘Hummel’s Sunset’

This beautiful and popular plant with green and yellow oval leaves with red edges is very spectacular. This species is more resistant than other species. It also does not grow much and is suitable for small places.

Crassula arborescens ssp. Undulatifolia (Ripple Leaf)

As the name implies, the leaves grow round and curled. These leaves are green and can grow up to 120 cm.

Crassula Ovata ‘Gollum’ (Gollum Jade)

The plant, also known as the Hobbit because of the similarity of its Latin name to Gollum, the character of The Lord of the Rings, has yellow and orange leaves. This species can be similar to the bonsai species.

Care for Jade Plant

In short, about the maintenance and care of the jade plant, we must say that this houseplant will grow well and have a long shelf life when maintaining properly.

In this part, we will focus on the most important aspects which you need to take into consideration while treating this houseplant in order to increase its health and resistance. The best methods of how to care for jade plants include as follows:

Jade Plant Light Requirements: What light is best for jade plants?

Light is among the first important issues to care for jade plant. It is one of the best plants for keeping in a part of the house with direct light. Because they need sunlight to stay healthy and prevent damage and growth. In general, jade plant should receive four hours of sunlight a day or be in a sunny spot all day, so make sure you sufficiently provide the rubber plant light requirements.

Above, we tried to discuss all the details related to the jade plant light requirements since it plays a significant role in order to care for jade plants.

Jade Plant Watering: How often should you water a jade plant?

In the rest, concerning the tips of caring for a jade plant, it is better to know that watering this plant in summer days is opposite to winter. In winter the plant needs watering only once every two to three weeks. Watering once a week is enough in summer. You should never water this plant too much, if you do, you should give it time to absorb excess water. It is best to check the soil to ensure the need for watering. When the soil is dry, water it.

In this way, to care for jade plant, watering is considered to be of great significance.

Jade Plant Soil: What is the best soil for a Crassula ovata (jade plant)?

Intending to care for jade plant, the other crucial matter is soil. Jade plant needs fertile, light, well-drained soil to grow. A combination of clay, sand, fertile loamy soil and leaf soil is suitable for planting this houseplant in pots. A mixture of cocopeat, perlite and sand can also be used to plant jade plant.

Although many of the characteristics of the jade plant are similar to those of cacti, the use of suitable cactus soil alone is not recommended for this plant, and it is best to use cactus soil with rich fertilizer and then use it.

Thus, it can be said that, soil is another basic and important issue so as to care for jade plant.

Jade Plant Temperature Tolerance

Now, we come to temperature which is assumed to be principal to care for jade plant in addition to light, watering and soil that are mentioned above.

Jade plants grow in temperatures such as 65 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit (18 to 24 °C) and prefer direct sunlight. Since this plant does not tolerate cold weather, it is not resistant to cold and freezing. When the temperature drops below 50 degrees Fahrenheit (10 °C), it is best to keep the plant in a warm place. You can also put it at a temperature above 75 degrees Fahrenheit (24 °C) for a short time.

Jade Plant Humidity: Does jade plant like humidity?

Moisture is another thing which we need to inevitably pay attention to when talking about how to care for jade plant.

The proper humidity in the house is about 40 to 50%. This amount of moisture is very suitable for maintaining Crassula ova. The jade plant is usually resistant to varying levels of humidity. But high humidity can be harmful to the plant. If your home environment is high in humidity, place your plant near heating or air conditioners whose surrounding environments are slightly drier. One of the important factors that affect the health of jade plant is the air circulation of the maintenance environment.

Therefore, please do not forget to take humidity into consideration in order to care for jade plant in the best way.

Jade Plant Fertilizer: What is the best fertilizer for a jade plant?

When you want to care for jade plant, one of the important questions that may come to your mind is “what is the best fertilizer?” In what follows, we will address how to fertilize this plant:

The jade plant will need fertilization during the growing seasons. You can feed it with cactus and succulent fertilizers every two months. Use half the recommended amount on the fertilizer package. Fertilizing should be done in spring or summer.

As a result, we could say that fertilizer is regarded as one of the fundamental issues when someone wants to care for jade plant.

Jade Plant Toxicity: Are jade plants poisonous to humans and pets?

In order to care for jade plant, toxicity is considered to be a major issue because it directly relates to your health especially children and pets.

Jade plant can beautify any home, but it is also toxic to children and pets. Touching or eating this plant can have pathogenic effects. Complications such as nausea, fatigue and itching and burning.

Jade Plant Repotting: How to repot Jade Plant?

Sometime after buying the jade plant, you will see the growth of this houseplant and the shrinkage of the pot. In this case, it is necessary to repot the plant, which is better to do this in spring and summer and hot seasons. In what follows, we will explain how to repot jade plant:

• Before repotting, make sure that the soil in the current pot is completely dry. This prevents soil from sticking to the sides of the pot and helps to separate the soil from the pot more easily.

• Take all the soil out of the pot altogether and shake the soil around the roots of the plant well. Do this carefully to avoid damaging them.

• Examine the roots carefully and cut off any roots that show signs of rot or disease.

• Make sure that the tools you cut with it are completely disinfected beforehand and always use fungicides during root canal treatment.

• Put the plant in a fresh pot and fill it with soil after spreading the roots a little.

• It is better that the soil you use for this work is of a type that absorbs water easily, for example, organic soils are a good option for this work.

• Do not water the new plant for a week and water it a little after a few days. This minimizes the risk of root rot.

• If the plant is dead, dry or its branches are wrinkled, you should prune the branch of the Crassula ova. The damaged part can be easily removed because the jade plants continue to grow more than ever when the head is cut off.

Jade Plant Pruning: How to prune jade plant?

Another thing to keep in mind when caring for a jade plant is pruning it. In general, the jade plant does not need special pruning, but to maintain the appearance of the plant and make it more beautiful, you can prune the damaged foliage, and by cutting a number of branches, you can make the foliage denser. Be careful not to prune more than 30% of its foliage, as excessive pruning can cause shock to the plant and destroy it. The best time to prune Crassula ovata is late winter to early spring.

Propagating Jade Plant: How to propagate jade plants?

When you want to care for jade plant, another important question that may come to your mind is “how to propagate it.”

To propagate this houseplant, you can use two methods: 1- Propagating by cuttings, 2- Propagating by leaves.

Jade Plant Propagating by cuttings

• Cut 5 to 10 cm long cuttings from the mother plant. Then separate the lower leaves to the part where they are in the soil.
• You can do this all year round. Try to choose a soil with high drainage for the plant.
• To give the plant better roots, you can soak it in the rooting hormone.
• Note that not much watering is required at this time and it may cause the cuttings to rot. It is enough if you just keep the soil moist.
• Keep cuttings in soft light away from direct sunlight.
• It takes about 20 to 30 days for the plant to take root.

Jade Plant Propagating by leaves

• Separate the healthy leaves and plant them in the rooting hormone. Be sure to plant the leaves in moist soil.
• Plant the separated part of the leaves in small pots that contain a mixture of leaf soil, perlite and sand.
• Observe the light and watering conditions of jade plant to see the plant take root after 30 days.

Pruning: In spring, if the stems are overgrown, you can prune them and use the pruned stems for propagation.

Jade Plant Propagation In Water: How do you root a jade plant from a cutting?

-Leaf cuttings or stem cuttings can also be rooted in water and then planted in soil.

-This reduces the risk of cuttings to zero and prevents rot caused by fungal agents in the soil to the cuttings.

-The point to keep in mind is to separate the lower leaves of the cutting in the water as much as possible. In fact, only the stem should be in the water.

-Use clean and purified water for it and clean it whenever the water becomes cloudy and dirty.

Common Pests and Diseases

The most common pest for jade plants is mealybug, which is placed between the stems and leaves of the plant. This pest feeds on plant sap and leaves sticky secretions.

To solve the problem of mealybug contamination and care for the plant, clean the plant frequently with alcohol to get rid of these insects. In severe cases, you must destroy the plant.

Caring for Jade Plant: Common Problems With Jade Plant

After a description of taking care of a jade plant, we will explain the problems and their solutions:

 Why Are Jade Plant Leaves Turning Yellow?

As “leaves turning yellow” is one of the common problems that you may face when you want to care for jade plant, we will try to describe the reasons and the ways to solve it in details.

Overwatering is the most important reason for the yellowing of the jade plant. This causes the roots of the plant to rot and as a result the plant is unable to absorb enough water from the soil. Other reasons such as dehydration, improper fertilization, pests, diseases, poor lighting and temperature stress may also cause the Crassula ovata leaves to turn yellow. Of course, you should note that the leaves of the jade plant, like any other living thing, have a limited life and after a while they turn yellow and drop, which is not a special problem. Also, some species of jade plant have yellow leaves naturally and their natural color is yellow.

Why are Crassula ovata leaves turning brown?

This is due to a well-known disease called root rot. This disease occurs due to the presence of fungi in the soil. Fungi that grow in the soil due to overwatering, poor soil drainage, and poor water drainage. Under these conditions, the plant can no longer absorb nutrients from the soil and the plant’s life is endangered, and of course the plant stems turn brown and soft.

Since “leaves turning brown” is another common problem that you may face when you want to care for jade plant, we tried to describe the reasons and the ways to solve it in details.

Why are jade plant leaves turning red?

“Leaves turning red” is another common problem that you may face when you want to care for jade plant, therefore, we will try to describe the reasons and the ways to solve it in details.

The main reason for the redness of the jade plant leaves is receiving too much light. In general, the jade plant needs a sunny environment and almost a lot of light. However, if it receives too much light and stays in the strong and direct sun for a long time, it will suffer from sunburn like humans, which shows itself by the red color of the leaves.

Why are jade plant leaves dropping?

One of the problems that people face is the dropping of jade plant leaves. We must say that “leaves dropping” has different causes and one of them is that the soil of this plant is too wet or dry. In this case, the roots of the plant are damaged and can no longer provide the necessary energy for the leaves, as a result of which the plant leaves drop. Instead of watering the plant too much in the cold months, spray it. In summer, after watering the plant, place it in a place where excess water is drained and the roots of the plant do not rot. Also, sometimes some pests may attack the plant and weaken it by drinking the sap of the plant. Low light and under watering can also weaken the plant and reduce the plant’s ability to maintain its leaves.

Why are jade plant leaves shrinking?

Jade Plant does not grow and its leaves shrink, usually due to lack of light. Especially in the growing season, the plant needs enough light and if the light is low, its leaves will be smaller than normal.

Why is my jade plant wrinkled?

Because jade plants store water in their leaves, wrinkled leaves are a good sign that your plant is not getting enough water. These symptoms may be accompanied by general drooping or “wilting” of the plant, but this problem should be resolved immediately after watering.

What does root rot look like on jade plant?

Overwatering may cause the roots of your Crassula ovata to rot. Remaining moisture in the plant soil and unsuitable soil causes fungal disease and eventually root rot.

How do you fix root rot in a Jade Plant?

To prevent this problem, you should avoid overwatering of jade plant and ensure proper drainage of the potting soil.

Why is my jade plant so thin?

When the jade plant does not receive enough light, it begins to scatter and its branches and leaves become thin. This is a defensive reaction and is done for two reasons. The first is that the plant can manage the little energy it receives, and the second is that low light causes the knot between the leaves to be stretched too much to push the plant higher and towards the light, as a result of which the plant becomes thin and bare.

How do I make my jade plant thicker?

To make the jade plant thicker, a proper pruning method must be done for it. Prune the jade plant from the top of the brown knots on the stem. Cut the stem of the plant from this part with a pair of clean scissors or a knife. After a while, two new branches will grow from this part. Therefore, choose a branch that is close to the middle of the plant so that by pruning it and growing new branches, the plant will be thicker and denser.

Infographic Of How To Care For Jade Plant

In this article, we tried to explain to you in an infographic the essential tips in the care of jade plant, so that you can briefly and usefully learn the methods of caring for this plant.

In The End

In this article, we tried to provide you with the necessary information about the methods of caring for a Jade Plant.

However, if you have any questions regarding this indoor plant or you need to get advice from our houseplant experts, please share your questions with us through the comments section below.