Jade Plant Care | Soil, Water, Light, Repot, Prun, Propagate

Jade plant or Crassula Plants is an easy-to-maintain indoor succulent. Unlike other succulents, this plant develops like a tree, and it has many branches. As a result, care of jade plants is easy and requires minimum effort.

Due to that physical appearance, many people do not believe it is succulent. There are different types of jade plant varieties.

This plant is also called a money plant, a money tree. As per the Chinees, Feng Shui people believe that it brings luck, wealth, and fortune to your house.

Jade plant native to South African semi-desert environments; therefore, it requires very little moisture to survive. This plant is popular in the bonsai community because Jade plant care is minimum and easier to train than any other plant.

Indoor Jade plant care is more sensitive than growing outdoor. In an indoor place, there is high moisture and less bright light. Crassula requires bright light and less water to thrive.

How to Care Jade plants Indoor and Outdoor.

Jade plant care is minimal. However, you have to use the right potting mix, proper water schedule, correct pot, and bright light.

Without concern, that essential requirement, your money plant can die. No matter if it’s placed in indoor or outdoor areas, it needs these basic requirements to thrive.

Potting mix.

Potting soil is one of the critical factors in jade plant care. Crassula Plants like to grow in a well-drained soil mix. Therefore you can use ready-made succulents potting mix.

However, I do not recommend using an all-purpose potting mix that contains a higher percentage of moisture repels materials, like peat moss.

The best soil for jade plants is rocky, sandy well-aerated soils with low fertility. The ideal jade plant soil is 60% of inorganic matter and 40% of organic matter.

Indoor Jade Plants Soil recipe. 

You can make your own DIY jade plant soil recipe using the following recipe. This potting mix enhances drainage and fertility, and soil aeration.

• 60% of Organic succulent potting mix.
• 30% of Perlite, pumice.
• 10% of Gritty mix, Coarse sand, Granite sand.

Outdoor Money plants soil recipe.

When using ready-made succulent or cactus potting mix, you can use the following crassula soil recipe to enhance its drainage. The following recipe ensures good drainage and limits regular watering.

• 70% of succulent or cactus potting soil.
• 30% of perlite or pumice.

Watering.

Since this is a succulent family, it needs very little water to thrive. Between the two watering cycles, potting mix completely dry. Overwatering can lead to jade plant leaves turning black and falling off. It can end up dying the plant.

Before water, check the surface and subsoil moisture level. For this, you can use either the dry stick or moisture meter to check the potted plant soil moisture level. You can read more about how to check the potting mix moisture post for more detail.

The soak and dry method is the best watering system for succulents. It will moisten the entire potting mix. However, in the winter season, I do not use the soak and dry method. Instead of that, you can use the tablespoon succulents watering method. Using a tablespoon, direct water to the soil.

Once you water, check the source tray and remove any excess water init. For indoor jade plants require very little water than outdoor plants.

Light requirement.

Well, established Jade plant needs direct sunlight to thrive. Around 3 to 4 hours of direct sun is enough for mature plants. When the plant is getting mature, it needs more direct sunlight to develop flowers and thrive. However, exposing direct sun for a long time can cause sunburn.

Younger plants should not expose to direct light longer time; they should provide partial light all the time. When young plants are exposed to the direct sun, it can cause leaf sunburn.

While growing money plants indoors, the ideal locations are windowsill or close to a bright light source. Alternately you can use artificial grow lights to provide bright light. Caring for indoor succulents is more sensitive than outdoor plants.

Fertilizer.

I do not recommend regular fertilizing. When the jade plant active growing season, you can use dilute balanced fertilizer like 10:10:10 ratio. You can also use slow-releasing granular in early spring or early summer.

Do not use higher nitrogen concentrated fertilizer regularly. Overfertilization can damage the root system and kill the plant.

Temperature.

The ideal growing temperature for a jade plant is 65°F to 86°F (18°C to 30°C.). Unfortunately, the Jade plant is not a hardy succulent. Since it is not a clod hardy, this plant cannot survive below 50°F (10°C).

Therefore, you should provide good shelter and a warmer ambient temperature during the winter season. Crassula plant does not prefer sudden temperature fluctuation before winter arrives; it is advisable to move the plant to a warmer place like indoor.

Pots.

There are several things that you should consider when choosing a perfect pot for a jade plant. The plant cannot survive on wet feet. Hence it is crucial to select a well-drainage succulent container. Like other succulents, the Crassula plants prefer to root-bound.

Jade plants have a shallow root system; therefore, it does not require larger pots. However, when using larger pots, it can cause potting mix waterlogging. While the pot is larger than the plant, it needs more water to moisten the potting mixture. This high moisture causes jade plant roots rot.

Do not select wider or deeper pots. For smaller jade plants, choose a pot that is 1 or 2 inches larger than the plant. You cannot use such a measurement for well-established plants; since the plant gets older, it develops more branches.

For well-developed money plants, you can use the root system as a measurement. Older plants, choose a container that is 3 or 4 inches larger (width and height) than the root system.

Propagate Jade plant

Jade plants can propagate leaf cuttings, stem cuttings. It is easier and faster. Summer or late spring is the best time to propagate jade plants. These periods have warmer, bright light and a good ventilation environment that can help them propagate.

Usually, jade plant cuttings start forming roots around 2 or 3 weeks after it planted on soil. However, this time change according to the environmental conditions.

For this, you have to use a sterile knife or gardening scissors. In addition, you can use a rooting hormone to speed up the rooting process.

Stem cuttings: For the Jade plant propagation method, we need an older plant. Select a well-developed thick branch and sharp cut it 2 or 3 inches away from the stem. It is best if the cut-out section is about 3 or 4 inches long.

Remove the leaves about 2 inches above the cut. Then apply rooting hormone and directly pot on a correct potting mix. Then give it some water and move the plant to a shade plant that does not expose extreme heat or direct sun and dry air.

Leaf propagation: Leaf propagation also easy. Select well-matured healthy leaves and then carefully remove the leaf from the tree using a sharp cut. Then let the removed leaves air dry for 2 or 4 days. In these times, do not expose the removed leaves to direct sun, extreme heat, or dry air. These things will shrivel leaves.

Once the leaves are air-dried, place them on a Jade potting mix. Water using a spray bottle. You have to follow this watering method until the leaves starting rooting. However, do not overwater. Always spray water if the soil dries up.

When the new plant starts growing around 1 or 2 inches in height, you can replant it separately with well-drained soil.

When to Prune a Jade Plant.

When the plant is getting older, it needs to trim down. The best time to prune the jade plant is spring or summer. These are the plant’s more active growth seasons. When pruning jade plants, this time helps the plant to recover faster. After the trim down the plant, you can use those stem cuttings for propagation. After jade plant prune, it is better to provide fertilizers to boost its growth.

Repotting.

Annual repotting not require for Jade plants. Every two or three years, it is necessary to repot the plant. This repotting will encourage plant growth and health. The best time to transplant the jade plant is early spring. Spring and summer is the plant active growth season. Before the plant starts its active growth season, you have to repot.

Gently remove the plant from the old pot and carefully remove old soil, dead roots as much as possible by using a brush or your hands. Do not use pressurized water. That will damage the root bowl. Then place the plant in an existing or new pot and backfill with potting soil.

Once you repot Jade plant, do not water for two or three days. When the plant is transplanting, it can damage the root system. Therefore we have to give few days to heal the damaged roots. After the 2nd or 3rd-day water well. You can read more about how to repot succulents and cactus guide for more details.