How To Grow Jade Plant : Jade Plant Care
The process to grow jade plant is easy. Moreover, these plants are easy to care and maintain, and thus, it’s the number one choice of houseplants for various homeowners to grow.
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Also called the money plant, jade plant is a type of succulent. These plants do not require a lot of water and could live for so many years. In addition, they can be grown out of small clippings.
Here are the steps on how to grow jade plant, including tips on how to care and maintain the plant.
Also Read: 31 Awesome Gardening Hacks and Tips for your Garden
Choose a Cutting
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There are more than a thousand jade plant varieties. Crassula ovata is the most common of all and is considered the true jade. Choose dwarf jade if you want to grow mini jade plants.
As mentioned, you can grow jade plants out of cuttings. It can be obtained by cutting off a stem of a fully-grown plant. Choose that part of the plant that has healthy leaves and thick stem.
Use a sharp and clean knife in snipping off the stem. Make sure you leave some space in between the leaves and the bottom of the stem. That way, you will not have to take off any leaves when you begin to plant the cutting.
Allow the Cutting to Dry
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Leave the cutting to dry for a few days in order to keep the plant stay healthy while it’s rooting. Simply leave the cutting to dry in a dry area. The part of the plant where you cut the stem off must be scabbed over.
Remember that the bigger the cutting, the more time it will take to dry up. Furthermore, it will take more time to dry if you are doing it during the winter unlike when you do so in the summer.
Apply A Rooting Hormone
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Next, apply a rooting hormone to the stem or cutting. The rooting hormone is basically a mixture of different plant hormones that can help the cuttings to successfully grow. Purchase a commercial rooting product online or at your local nursery. Otherwise, prepare your own rooting hormone at home.
Follow the instructions provided if you are using the commercial variety of rooting hormone. Apply the product just before you start planting.
Fill the Container with the Right Soil
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Next, prepare the soil in the container where you will grow jade plant. Use the soil that’s specifically formulated for succulents for your jade plant to grow. Avoid using regular potting soil since the soil is a bit too heavy for the plant to root in. You can also choose to prepare your own jade plant soil. Simply mix together a combination of perlite, sand and compost. Remember that just like with other succulents, jade plants would prefer to grow on soil that drains easily.
Use a clay pot instead of a plastic container if you are concerned about the plant not being able to drain well enough. Choose the pot that has drainage holes at the bottom where water could escape. Always empty out any excess water from the saucer or tray underneath.
Also Read: How to Propagate Cacti and Succulent Plants
Plant the Cuttings
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Use your finger to create a tiny hole in the soil, just enough for the cutting to be able to fit in. Place the cutting within the hole, in such a way that the rooting hormone will be covered.
Pack enough soil loosely all over the cutting. Do not pack the jade plant soil too tightly as this will prevent it from draining properly. Just pack it tight enough in such a way that the stem will feel secure while in the pot.
Try rooting the cutting in water if planting it into the soil will not work for you. Place the cutting into a jar of water in such a way that the tip is just right above the water surface. Soon enough, the cutting will start to root and that’s when you can start planting it into the soil.
Place the Plant in a Sunny Area
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In order to successfully grow jade plant indoors, make sure you place the plant in a sunny area. Avoid placing it directly into sunlight since the leaves could burn. Observe the plant as it grows. Furthermore, resist the urge to water the plant while it’s in the process of rooting. Watering the plant will make the cutting to be highly susceptible to rotting. Consider moving the plant into a much bigger pot once it starts rooting.
Depending on the jade plant varieties that you choose to grow, it should take three to four weeks for you to notice growth on your newly planted cutting. Try to wait a bit longer if the cutting is not showing any growth after four weeks. Gently remove the cutting off the soil to check if the roots are growing. However, avoid doing this too often as this might just slow down the plant’s growth.
Caring for your Jade Plant
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Now that your jade plant has grown, it’s important that you also learn how to care and maintain the plant. This is to ensure that the plant will remain healthy and will last longer. So here are some of the most important jade plant care tips to keep in mind:
1. Leave the plants to dry before watering
Remember that jade plants are succulents, and thus, they do not need a lot of water to thrive. Touch the soil in the container and if you notice that it is moist, then you don’t need to water the plant. Otherwise, if you notice that the leaves are starting to wilt, then this means the plant needs more water.
2. Prune the plant to keep it healthy
When it comes to jade plant pruning, do not mess up with the stem too much. Otherwise, you will end up killing the plant. Moreover, if any of the leaves have fallen, remove them from the pot immediately.
3. Dust off the leaves
Aside from jade plant pruning, another thing that you can do to maintain the beauty of your plant is to wipe the leaves from time to time to remove dust. Succulents tend to accumulate dust on their leaves especially if you place them outdoors. Use a soft cloth in wiping the leaves.
4. Maintain the right temperature
Another jade plant care tip to keep in mind is to maintain the right temperature for your plant. Succulents are very hardy and are therefore easy to keep alive. However, exposing them under extreme heat could burn their leaves. Therefore, avoid placing your jade plant in south facing windows where they will be receiving direct sunlight for most of the day.
Also Read: 21 Natural Pesticides for Houseplants
5. Change the soil after every 2 – 4 years
Although you can leave your jade plant growing in the same pot for so many years, changing the soil will allow you to inspect the roots for any signs of rotting or damages. In addition, giving the plant some fresh dry soil can make it to flourish even more.
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Final Thoughts
As you see, jade plants are easy to grow. Thus, if you are thinking of a new houseplant to grow and you feel that you are not blessed with a green thumb, the best place to start is to grow jade plant.
