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Hi Diane,

Jade plants (Crassula argentea) do best in lots of bright light, including several hours of direct sun each day. Right in a south or west window is best. The edges of jade leaves develop a reddish color when given lots of direct sun. Jades will survive without direct sun, but they will grow more slowly, develop thinner stems and smaller leaves, and use less water.

Allow the soil of your jade to dry about halfway down in the pot before watering thoroughly. Some people wait for the leaves to shrivel just a bit before watering, just to be on the safe side.

Jades have small, fine root systems that do best when contained in small pots. Jades rarely need repotting during their long lives. Use a terra cotta pot to keep your jade from tipping over as it grows larger and becomes top heavy.

Jades respond very well to regular pruning. Cut stems back as much as you can stand; new growth will emerge just below the point of the pruning cut. Pruning will help keep your jade more compact.

Fertilize sparingly at half strength only during the warmer months. As growth slows during the shorter days of winter be sure to water less frequently. Mealybugs are the only pests that bother jades; watch for tiny bits of cotton-like mealybugs.

Jade dropping lots of leaves: Sometimes older jades that have not been pruned regularly reach a point where they cannot support new leaves without shedding old ones. So they shed lots of older leaves and then new growth emerges at the ends of the longer and barer stems. The way to counter this is to prune back your jade by as much as one-third every year or two.

If a jade has been improperly watered (usually too frequently) by a small amount, it will not affect the plant for a long time. But the roots gradually rot until they can no longer supply the plant with water. The plant responds by dropping leaves and developing soft, mushy stems.

If you have had your jade in minimal sun, then is much more prone to root rot because it uses so little water in low light. In addition, if you repotted into a larger pot, then that aggravated the problem by adding extra soil that retains water for an even longer period of time


Please let me know if any of this is unclear or if you have any additional questions. If you would like to e-mail me some photos, I may be able to provide some additional insights.

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Regards,
Will Creed, Interior Landscaper
Horticultural Help, NYC

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