Jade plant care

35 Comments

1. Jane Rowe - June 3, 2011 at 7:08 am

   I have had a jade plant for about two months. I have watered it twice, the last time about three weeks ago. Today I picked it up and lots of leaves fell off. They were plump and healthy looking. It it is in a light room…not direct sunlight. Help!

   Hi Jane
   Your Jade plant needs more sun. It is shedding its leaves due to the lower light conditions.

   Reply
2. Ron - June 27, 2011 at 7:35 am

   Leaf drop
   I have a large Jade that is about three or four years old. It was fantastic until about three weeks ago when it started to shrivel its leaves and now has dropped all of them. Should I prune it back and change the soil or what. I really like this plant.
   Ron

   Hi Ron
   First we have to determine what is causing the leaf drop. Some leaf drop is natural. Excessive leaf drop can be an indicator that the roots are not working well. It can be caused by soil that is too wet (overwatering). If that is the case, you will have to repot it in well-draining potting soil like a cactus soil. When repotting, check the roots to see if they are decayed and look for a possible root mealy bug infestation. Also look for soft spots at the base of the stem, that can indcate a stem rot. Once repotted, water and then let the soil dry before watering again. Make sure you pour out any excess water that drains from the soil. You can trim the stems to reshape the plant by 1/3 but don’t get carried away.

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3. Nancy Hall - August 9, 2011 at 9:02 am

   After many years and great growth, My Jade plant is suddenly showing browning on it’s leaves. I doubt it is lack of water as it has rained some in the past week. I am keeping it on the patio now but put it in the garage in the winter.

   Does it need food?

   Hi Nancy
   Is the browining on the lower leaves, or starts at the margins of the leaf?

   Reply
4. Sarah Beth - August 16, 2011 at 6:51 am

   Root cuttings
   Hi – I live in Austin, TX and we just returned home after being away for 6 weeks to find our beautiful big jade just about entirely dead. The branches have laid down, the beautiful leaves are almost all gone, and there is only a little green left at the tips of the branches. Our house-sitter said it started dying 4 weeks ago, though confessed that she watered erratically. Our other plants look fine, so I doubt it was her watering that caused it. I wonder whether it isn’t likely that the extreme heat – it has been outside in the sun with 100+ temperatures the entire time – killed it. This was it’s first summer in this spot, as my mother-in-law brought it to us from her home in Colorado last fall. Also, can I do anything to take a part of it, even just a small cutting and try to re-grow it?
   Thank you,
   Sarah Beth

   HI Sarah
   Sorry to hear about your Jade plant. The drastic change in environment had something to do with the plants demise. The plant will shed its leaves in hot weather or if kept dry too long. It could have also been overwatered. If you have any good plant tips that have a few leaves on them, then you can root the cutting soil to make a new plant. see above article to rooting instructions.

   Reply
5. Karen - August 18, 2011 at 7:36 am

   Heat stress
   I don’t have a reply but I also am having leaf-drop problems with my 30+ year-old jade plant. The leaves are turning black on the edges and shriveling up. Many are falling off that look very healthy. I live in TX and have never had a problem with this plant. I water it about every 3-4 weeks. We are having extremely high temps and a severe drought now. HELP!!

   Hi Karen
   Most likely it is heat stress that is affecting your Jade plant. Hot temperatures can cause sunburned leaves that turn into brown patches on the leaf surface. Leaves can develop brown leaf margins which will turn black and crispy and will shrivel and dry up. The plant will also shed its leaves in extreme heat. These symptoms are also caused by underwatering or the roots being too dry too long. If the plant is in a container, move it to more shade until the heat weather subsides. If you have a sturdy main stem, you can trim some of the bare stems back to shape the plant. If the roots are healthy, you should see new growth in a few weeks.

   Reply
6. Dan - August 18, 2011 at 10:56 am

   Overwatering
   I have two beautiful jade plants which we keep on a partially shaded outside deck. we live in Austin, TX, and it’s been unusually hot here, over 100 degrees for many weeks. One Jade is getting yellow leaves, and the other is showing signs of stem rot. The branches are falling over, and the broken sections show rotted areas. They are in regular potting soil.

   I fear they may be getting too much water, in my attempt to protect them from the high heat with no rain. Other plants show wilting within a day or two if they don’t get replenished.Please help, what can I do to save my jade plants!
   Thanks in advance,
   Dan

   Hi Dan
   In extreme heat, there’s a fine line between keeping the plant cool and hydrated and overwatering. I’m afraid your Jade plant is getting too much attention. They prefer to be on the dry side. Too much water can cause stem/root rot. The plant is unable to take up water no matter how wet the soil is. The stems will be limp, wilted and leaves start to yellow. Let the soil dry out between watering. These are also symptoms of root mealybugs or weevil grubs but in your case it sounds like overwatering. Take the broken stems, recut up to healthy section, let it dry a few days and place in well drained cactus soil to re-root.

   Reply
7. Beatrice Muchman - August 20, 2011 at 2:27 pm

   Watering Jade plants
   I acquired a jade plant that was transplanted by the florist. It is situated in a sunny window (southern exposure) and I water it every couple of weeks. I have been watering the center of the plant and not sure if this is an issue since the outside leaves seem to be shriveling/wrinkled. The florist seemed to think so but doesn’t know much about jade plants. There is no drainage whole on the bottom of the pot which is aproximately 11″in diameter and 10″ in height . The plant fills the pot and is robust in size at this point it would be heavy & awkward to try and drill a whole in the bottom of the pot where is probably should have been drilled by the florist, in the first place.
   Thank you,
   Beatrice

   Hi Beatrice
   It’s difficult to judge the watering when there is no drainage. Here are some tips on watering: If the plant is limp, wilting and leaves are soft, shriveled and yellowing eventhough the soil is moist-then it is overwatered. If the lower leaves are brown, shriveled, soft or have shrunken patches on the leaves, then the plant is underwatered. Soft leaves on an underwatered plant will plump up with watering. Make sure the whole soil surface is watered so that all the roots get water. Be sure to water less in winter. Most Jade plant problems are caused by overwatering so its better to err on the dry side.

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8. Kari McDaniel - August 24, 2011 at 12:11 pm

   Insect problem
   I have a small jade plant that I started from a small piece that got knocked off of my neighbors house plant. It’s doing wonderful except there are these incredibly tiny bugs that come out of the bottom (from the soil) of the pot in the drainage water. There aren’t any on the plant itself though. The foliage is just fine, but I’m afraid these bugs are eating the roots and will eventually cause damage. Any ideas about what they are and how to get rid of them? By the way, there are several hundred of them, if not thousands, floating and actually swimming, in the catch basin for the drainage water.

   Hi Kari
   It sounds like a larval stage of an insect. Try a soil drench to see if that helps.
   Here’s a recipe for a soil drench.
   1 qt of warm water
   2 tBsp of insecticidal soap
   soak the the soil -not the foliage. Apply once a month until problem is elliminated.

   Another recipe is: mix is 1 qt of water to 1 tsp liquid houseshold bleach. If that doesn’t work then you may have to use something stronger like a houseplant systemic.

   Reply
9. carol - August 30, 2011 at 4:26 am

   I have a Jade plant which has just in the past week started having black spots and black edges on the leaves, what can I do?

   Hi Carol
   Is this plant indoors or outdoors? How often have you watered the plant? If you keep the soil wet, it may be a watering issue causing root rot.

   Reply
10. Lynn - September 4, 2011 at 9:01 am

    Shaping plant
    I have a jade that I started from a leaf. It is healthy, but just growing straight. How can I get it to branch out?

    Hi Lynn
    If you pinch the tip, the jade should send out lateral growth from the “rings” on the stem.

    Reply
11. Sonya Wedin - September 10, 2011 at 1:31 pm

    Jade leaf drop
    I have a large indoor jade plant, about 15 years old. Gets light but not in direct sun and temp in room never exceed 85 degrees F. It’s been in different locations (moving around over 15 years) and always healthy. In the past 2 weeks it is dropping leaves that look healthy (about 10 per day). I water it about every 2 weeks. Pot has good drainage. Reading your blog, that may be too much water but it’s been doing well on that watering schedule all these years. What could be causing leaf dropage now?

    Hi Sonya
    Most likely the Jade plant is being overwatered. If the leaves are dropping and the soil is moist, then there is a root rot problem. Eventhough the top inch of the soil may be dry, it may still be wet further down in the pot and not allowing the roots to dry out. Old soil can become compacted after all these years and will not drain as well. I suggest that you water less – perhaps once a month. Water even less often in winter. Jade plants do not need to be pampered.

    Reply
12. Vicki - September 15, 2011 at 7:47 pm

    Blooming Jade plant
    About 15 years ago I started a jade plant from one leaf. I still have the plant but it has never bloomed. I live in Maine, the plant is growing indoors, by a large window that gets eastern sun. I don’t tend to it much, water occasionally. Do you have any ideas as to why it doesn’t flower?

    Hi Vicki
    Treat it the same way you would a Christmas cactus. Jade plants will bloom, when given short days and dry, cool growing conditions. Stop watering after the first frost for several weeks and keep it in cool temperatures (55-59F). It will bloom in late winter with slightly fragrant clustered flowers.

    Reply
13. Ed - September 16, 2011 at 7:20 am

    Cold temperatures
    Hi
    I have several jade plants, some over 20 years old. I grow them outside in the summer and inside in the winter. It has become unseasonable cool, with highs in the 60s and lows in the 40s for the next few days. Should I bring the plants in now or wait until it is consistently these temperatures? (Normally I bring them in mid to late October.)
    Thanks!

    Hi Ed
    It’s a gamble. Unseasonable cool temperatures can shock the plant into dropping its leaves. Jade are a bit tougher and should survive the chill for a short period, one or two nights. Prolonged exposure can harm the plant.

    Reply
14. Kate - September 16, 2011 at 7:50 am

    Top-heavy jade plant
    How do i know when I need to re-pot my jade plant. My plant is growing tall and is top-heavy. The pot looks small to me — it was given to me about 3 years ago. If I repot, does the pot need to be wide to allow for root growth or deep — or both?

    Hi Kate
    Usually, Jade plants don’t need to be repotted very often. They don’t mind being pot bound. If your plant is top heavy, you can trim some of the stems to the first node to shape the plant. A good pruning is best done in early spring. A top-heavy plant can be a sign of a small root system due to frequent watering. I recommend you trim the plant and water less, making the roots work harder to get moisture. Put the pot in a larger heavier pot so it doesn’t fall over. If you need to repot-use a pot that is 1″ larger.

    Reply
15. Laura - October 3, 2011 at 6:03 pm

    Sticky leaves
    My Jade plant leans a little and I just found that everything that has been under the plant is VERY sticky. do they normally produce ‘sticky droppings’?

    Hi Laura
    Clear “sticky” droppings are a sign of insect infestation-either aphids, mealy bugs or scale.

    Reply
16. Charlotte - October 7, 2011 at 6:50 am

    wrinkly leaves on Jade plant
    Hello, I have a jade plant that is about 12 years old. Recently all the smooth plump leaves have become thinner and wrinkly unhappy looking. Basically the whole plant is that way. I have not watered it very often, perhaps every two weeks. I wonder if I need to repot it. It stands in indirect sun most of the day. The pot it is in is 13″ high and 10″ diameter , about one fourth the overall span and volume of the plant.
    Thank you for your insight

    Hi Charlotte
    Usually, if the wrinkly leaves become plump after watering, then they need more water. Try watering less often with more water so that all the roots get even moisture. On the other hand, the plant may be drying out too fast due to the size of the pot. From your description it sounds like the pot is much smaller (1/4 the size of the plant). You might think about repotting to a larger size container.
    If the plant is limp,leaves are soft, shriveled and yellowing eventhough the soil is moist-then it is overwatered and there is a root problem.

    Reply
17. Erik - October 25, 2011 at 8:21 pm

    Top-heavy plant
    I have a beautiful jade plant that is growing huge on top but the base is still quite small. Is there a way to prune it so that the base grows bigger to support the top?

    Hi Erik
    see the comment: http://hortchat.com/info/jade-plant-care/comment-page-1#comment-107230

    Reply
18. Melissa - February 4, 2012 at 12:20 pm

    Oedema/Edema of Jade plant
    I have a five year old indoor jade plant that fluctuates between healthy and sick. I live in Florida and it seems decline in health during the winter months. It finally seems be on the path of recovery and great health, then the same thing happens around each January. Leaves rather quickly develop black bumpy spots on the underside, they start turning from deep green to pale green, get limp and shriveled, then fall off. The first time it happens twenty leaves will drop over night, then more over succesive days. This always begins with the lowest leaves on the branch. It is not scale or rot, the plant is in the original pot. In the past I have had problems with spider mites and some other type of knat in the soil and I have successfully treated those with a soapy water spray. I brought the plant indoors several years ago to limit expose to insects, which seemed to help. Could it be that it is not getting enough sun in the winter months, and that I have overwatered? I read that overwatering can cause “Oedema”, black bumps on the leaves. Any ideas? Thank you.

    Hi Melissa
    I’m suspecting that it is Oedema.The depression on the underside of the leaves will eventually turn into a brown corky growth is a symptom of edema . This environmental condition happens when the plant is overwatered. The water moves rapidly up to the leaves but the plant can’t transpire it fast enough causing the cells to burst. The broken cells heal over and develop corky brown spots. Winter growth is at a minimal with lower light condition. If you are watering as usual then it may be getting too much water. It is best to water less in winter. Your Jade plant will not suffer, if you skip watering for a month.

    Reply
19. Allison - February 21, 2012 at 1:51 pm

    Wrinkled leaves
    I recently bought a Jade plant online (it actually may be a Portulacaria/Dwarf Jade). I didn’t water it since I got it (which was about 5 or so days) but I suddenly noticed a few wrinkled leaves. I read somewhere that this is a sign to water, so I did. The leaves were almost completely back to normal until yesterday when I noticed even more leaves were wrinkled. The soil is still moist, so it can’t be dry. Are there root problems such as mealy bugs? I would really like instructions on how to fix this! Thanks so very much!
    P.S. The plant is still in the pot it was shipped in. It is wired to this pot, and it is the right size pot. It has drainage holes, but the plant is wired to the pot through these holes, but there is still room for drainage)

    Hi Allison
    The question is how much water did you give the plant. If you gave it a light watering of a cup or two, then it may be that all the roots were not watered causing more wrinkled leaves. In that case, give the plant a good watering (soak the soil and let it drain out ) and then wait for a few weeks before you water again. If the leaves are yellowing then there is another issue such as rot or insects.

    Reply
20. susan Di Benedetto - March 31, 2012 at 11:00 am

    hello, i have a large jade plant that last year looked amazing, we brought it into a heated well lit sunroom, in oct, but now It has dropped most of its leaves, and these long leggy stems are growing with tiny leaves, it looks so sparse, I do not water it often It gets good light and warmth, so what could be happening to it ?
    thank you.

    Hi Susan
    Leaf drop can be caused by several problems. It sounds like a watering issue that is affecting the roots. Did the leaves turn yellow or were they wrinkled? Was the plant exposed to cold temperatures. Is this an old plant?

    Reply
    1. susan Di Benedetto - April 7, 2012 at 6:57 am

       hello, yes to most of the above, it is an old plant, It did get cold some nights, in the sun room and the leaves turned yellow, do you think it will ever pick up again ?

       Reply
21. Crystal - April 8, 2012 at 4:24 pm

    I recently repotted my jade to a larger pot. It was in the pot that I bought it with for almost 4 years. The stalks grew tall and the leaves thick. Now that it is in a larger pot, the top leaves have been growing more flat and broad. Is this due to over watering?

    Reply
22. Mozette - April 20, 2012 at 9:53 pm

    I’ve had a Large Leaf Jade which was given to me as a housewarming gift 10 years ago. Over that time, I have had neighbours try to kill it and break off large portions of it (they were being bitchy and childish) and so I pulled up my front garden and planted out my back yard with all my succullent plants – including my Jade.
    With the assistance of Bunnings (a huge gardening and DIY mega-store here in Australia), my Large Leaf Jade had flourished beautifully. I have repotted it twice and it’s grown to three times its original size… and I’m very happy with it.

    However, I have noticed in the last two years it hasn’t flowered. It doesn’t get any pests on it, nothing is wrong with the leaves, no stickiness… it just doesn’t flower anymore. I have back-filled with a bag of potting mix (as that’s what I normally used for it and the bottom of the massive pot it filled with large uncut pieces of granite so it drains well)and I’m wondering if I’ve done the right thing? I water this plant only once a month with the same can I’ve used over the last 10 years; otherwise, it only gets water when it rains. Have I done the right thing to bring it back into bloom? Or is there something else I could be doing to assist it?

    Reply
23. Sara - January 6, 2013 at 2:17 pm

    Gollum Jade plant
    We just got an amazing gollum jade plant. It’s probably 4 1/2 feet tall and I’m worried about how much sun it should get. We have it inside where it gets partial shade/indirect sun. Is that going to be enough? Does anyone know the symptoms of not enough sun just sono can keep an eye on it? Any insight is appreciated. Thank you!!

    Hi Sara
    Crassula cv. ‘Gollum’ requires the same care as a regular jade plant. It’s important to water sparingly in the winter months and if possible put it outside during the summer. They can adapt to lower light conditions but the plant will stay green (not develop the bright red leaf margins) and may get spindly.

    Reply
24. Vala - May 27, 2013 at 12:59 pm

    I have had a jade plant for many years now. Last year I have moved from up north to northern Florida. I keep my plant in a bright room, but not in a direct sun. Jade leaves now have some white spotting which looks like white mold. Gradually leaves develop brown-black spots. There are too many leaves that look like that now. They look like they have some sort of disease. I have recently changed the pot and soil. Please help. Thank you so much.

    Hi Vala
    Can you send me a picture of the “white mold” and spotted leaves? send to Kris@hortchat.com What kind of soil did you use-does it dry out or stay wet?

    Reply
25. Jessica - July 24, 2013 at 6:52 am

    I have had a very healthy jade plant for probably 3 years now, it doesn’t seem to get much taller, maybe it needs to be in a bigger pot? I have always just left it in a room with indirect sunlight. I have seen many jade plants outside in full sun so the other day I decided to put mine out thinking maybe it would help it grow. I should have done my research. Now my plant seems to be sunburnt as I am now reading this can happen. I have noticed a lot of the leaves are dropping. Is there anyway this plant will recover? Will the redness go away and the plant become healthy again?

    Hi Jessica
    Your Jade plant was in low light environment and by moving it outdoors without acclimating it to the sun, it burned. The damage will not go away but the plant will recover. Give it time to toughened up. Move it to the shadier spot and make sure it gets enough water (but don’t overwater). They need more in hot weather.
    When you move any houseplant outdoors, it is important to slowly acclimate it to brighter light conditions. Expose it to a few hours each day and then slowly increase the time. Jade plants can tolerate full sun, once they are acclimated to the sun.

    Reply
26. Jackie Brookner - August 7, 2013 at 8:28 am

    I have many jades (the kind with trumpet shaped leaves). The tips of some of the leaves on one of my older ones are turning gray and shriveling, and those leaves are turning yellow. Any idea what this might be? I’m wondering if I should change the soil or what?
    Thank you.

    Hi Jackie
    Have you given the plants some fertilizer. Lower leaf yellowing usually indicates a lack of nitrogen or that the leaves are old and the plant is getting rid of them.

    Reply
27. Lindsay - June 8, 2014 at 2:48 am

    I acquired a plant resently after my grandmother passed. I’m not sure if it’s a Jade or not but so far this is the closest I’ve found.. The leaves are only on the tips of each stem, that kind of remind me of a cactus cuz the leaves a pointed.. Its not healthy each steam are grey & look like ropes some with holes. I did trim the parts I knew were dead… Please help…

    Can you send us a picture. It may be some type of succulent or cactus.

    Reply
28. Diane - August 23, 2014 at 6:34 pm

    I have a jade that is three years old. she has a sister plant that is doing fine. I also have several large jades. I started these two and now one is having problems. her limbs have gone limp and are laying on her sides. She is sprouting smaller plant from bottom of stems. I have not watered for 10days. What should I do?

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29. Shonda - September 17, 2014 at 6:04 pm

    I have had my Jade for over a year now. It is sooooo beautiful. It grows wonderfully out on my covered Veranda with lots of sunlight. I live in California and we are in the middle of a heat wave. I came home one day and the sun was obviously a little harsher than normal. My jade is still green but my beautiful branches have wilted to one side. I immediately brought it inside in the hopes that it would perk back up into the beautiful shape it was before but unfortunately it hasn’t. Is there anything I can do to “reshape” it without drastically pruning it? My heart is broken! Thanks for any advice you can offer!

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30. ashley - May 22, 2015 at 4:46 am

    I have a very healthy Jade, 4 strong steams. Over night they were all laying to one side!!!??? Why?? What can I do???

    Could this have been caused by something or animal sitting on your jade plant? Are the stems broken?

    Reply
31. Nicole - July 11, 2015 at 12:13 pm

    The edges of my indoor jade are getting pitted black spots. Only the edges. The leaves will slightly yellow and fall off within a couple weeks. It is affecting old growth more, but some new growth as well. I water it about once every two weeks. Any ideas? Thank you.

    Reply
32. Amber - October 28, 2015 at 6:24 pm

    I have a jade that was doing outside but it started to get cold and frosted one night and my jade looks so sad. It’s drooping all the way down the pot and the leaves are squishy. No leaves have fallen off but I was thinking I should trim it back but done know where to cut for fear of hurting it more. It’s been over a week since it’s had water, probably closer to 2 weeks but hasn’t started looking any better. What should I do?

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33. Cara - November 17, 2015 at 4:01 pm

    Hi There.
    I have a jade plant that I inherited from a friend it origially came from a cutting of a very large 20+ year old jade. The poor thing has not been doing well as of late it seems to be growing with a lean to one side. I have been rotating it in the window and i placed a stake for support and it is helping.
    My bigger problem is with this larger older one as well as one i have from cuttings.
    They both live in my office at work. The leaves are wrinkled and shriveled looking. The base of the larger plant is not soft. I have watered them very little. When i research what to do it says water them however the soil still has some moisture in it from watering yesterday. Help! what do i do!

    Hi Cara
    It may be how you water that’s the problem. It sounds like the plant is shriveling from under watering. If you pour a cup of water on the surface, you water the top layer and the rest may flow out of the bottom of the pot too quickly to give the rest of the roots any moisture. To check, knock the plant out of the pot and see how much of the soil is actually wet. Better to give the plant a good watering once, than to water a little more often.

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34. Stanlee Smith - November 17, 2017 at 9:35 am

    I had a jade plant out and temps froze a bit. Noticed top leaves wilting.Brought inside and all the leaves started dying. Can I prune of the dead ones, trim up roots etc. Don’t think it was overwatered but could have. Thanks……Stanlee

    Reply