Question
I have had my jade plant, whose scientific name I do not know, for probably 10 years.  It's quite branchy and hasn't grown much in the past several years.  It's in an 8 inch pot in fairly sandy soil - actually, the majority of the soil was a bonsai-specific sandy mix.  I repotted it at the beginning of summer - I kept it in the same pot but replaced much of the soil because it was so old.  Now, probably 5 months after the repotting, it is literally falling apart.  Large pieces (branches) have fallen off the plant and probably only half of it remains.  It hasn't lost many leaves alone, the branches are just falling off at junctions.  It has been in the same east-facing window for 3+ years.  I have also noticed a white, fluffy mold-looking substance on the surface of the dirt intermittently for a couple of years but have never treated it.  (My small ficus that sits next to the jade in a self-watering, 4-inch pot has the same substance on the dirt surface, but it's growing like mad.)  Any ideas?

Answer
Hi Dawn,

This is a classic example of unnecessary repotting or soil replacement. But don't feel badly because you have lots of good company as this is the most common of all plantcare mistakes. Mature Jades will live for decades in the same pot and the same soil. They use nutrients in minute quantities so they only require occasional fertilizer to replace depleted nutrients.

Replacing soil is never a good idea because in the process of removing old soil, the tiny root-hairs that do most of the work and you don't even notice are damaged and removed. This is a major setback for most plants because they no longer have healthy functioning roots to absorb the water and nutrients in the new soil. That explains why your Jade is now falling apart.

I wish I had better news for you, but all you can do at this point is take as many healthy stem cuttings as possible and propagate new plants from the cuttings. Allow the cuttings to air dry overnight before inserting them in a small pot filled with half Cactus potting mix and half standard potting mix. Provide lots of warmth and sunlight and keep the potting mix barely damp.

The "white fluffy stuff" could be a number of different things. If you used unsterilized soil, it could be mold. It might also be perlite or styrofoam pellets that are mixed into the potting mix. Finally, it could be mineral salts accumulating on the surface if your tap water is hard and you bottom water.

When repotting, which you rarely need to do for most plants, always use a soilless, peat-based potting mix that consists of peat moss, perlite, sand and other inert materials that don't harbor pests or molds. I also recommend watering from the top at least periodically to flush excess mineral soil salts out through drainage holes. If your tap water is on the hard side, use filtered or distilled water instead.

So there are my ideas. I hope I haven't overwhelmed you with them!

I have written articles on repotting and Jade Plant care that I will email for free to you (or anyone else) who sends a request to me at [email protected].

Please let me know if any of this is unclear or if you have any additional questions.

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Regards,
Will Creed, Interior Landscaper
Horticultural Help, NYC

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