How To Take Care Of Jade Plant: Jade Plant Growing Tips

Oct 03, 2024Neha Agarwal

The Jade plant’s great beauty, symbolism, and ease of maintenance make it one of the most popular houseplants in the world. In its native environment, jade plants can grow up to 5 feet tall and have a long lifespan even indoors if given the right jade plant care. Those who possess the jade plant experience friendship and prosperity. According to Feng Shui, a jade plant is a lucky charm that emits "CHI," or good luck, which is healthy and advantageous. If you are confused about where to keep jade plant in home, we are at your rescue. Let us learn more about how to care for a jade plant and bring it home soon.

Understanding the Jade Plant: Origins and Characteristics

Originating in the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal and provinces of South Africa and Mozambique, the jade plant has been grown as a houseplant for more than a century in Europe and America.

The jade plant has thick branches and is an evergreen variety that thrives throughout the year. Along the branches, it bears large, smooth, glossy leaves that develop in opposite pairs. Though some may seem more yellowish green, the leaves are a deep jade green.

When exposed to excessive amounts of sunshine, the edges of some types' leaves may turn crimson. In terms of color and texture, new stem development is identical to the leaves; as it ages, it turns stiff and brown.

Jade Light Requirements: The Key to Healthy Growth

The amount of sunlight that jade plants receive is crucial for jade plant care. For them to develop in their full glory, they require full sun, or else they become stunted and lanky.

When finding answers for how to take care of jade plant, you need to know how long you should expose it under the sun. It requires at least four hours of direct sunlight. Large, mature jade plants may withstand more direct sunshine, but young plants should be maintained in indirect, bright light.

Watering the Jade Plant: Striking the Right Balance

Let us discover how to water jade plant and how often to water jade plant.

Watering is one of the most crucial elements that affects how well your jade plant does.

Don't keep the soil sloppy wet, but make sure the plants are appropriately irrigated and never allowed to dry out.
Between watering cycles, the potting mix should be allowed to dry.
Too much watering can lead to root rot in your jade plant.
The most common cause of leaf stains or leaf loss on your jade plant is insufficient watering.
When jade plants actively grow in the spring and summer, they need more water.
Before watering it again, wait until the soil has dried up and water it thoroughly until water emerges from the drainage holes. This means that, depending on how rapidly the soil dries out, irrigate twice a week or twice a month.

Best Soil for Jade Plants: Importance of Good Drainage

Ever wondered how to plant a jade plant? Use loose, able-to-drain potting mix for potting your jade plants. Additionally, make sure there is a sufficient amount of biological material in the gardening mix. The best option for a prepared soil mix for your jade plant is a blend designed specifically for succulents.

To avoid too much moisture building up and encouraging the growth of fungi, the soil should ideally be neutral, not overly acidic and should drain efficiently. If you decide to use a general houseplant potting mixture, add wood shavings and perlite to aid with permeability and provide the right pH.

Additionally, as clay or pottery pots absorb water through their walls, they are preferable for better drainage. For more surface area at the top, use a pot that is likewise wide.

Temperature and Humidity: What’s Ideal for Jade Plants?

Temperature and humidity are the two crucial factors to be noted when exploring how to maintain jade plant. Jade plants prefer temperatures between 60°F and 77°F. This low-maintenance plant can tolerate little changes, but cold drafts are strictly prohibited. The ideal humidity range for jade plants is between 30 and 50 per cent. For a brief time, they can withstand slightly higher doses.

The jade plant requires very little water and falls dormant in the fall and winter, stopping growth for a few months. Water it sparingly, letting the soil dry out in between applications. Large, established jade plants require even less watering.

When watering, avoid soaking the foliage because the plant prefers dry, damp conditions. A lot of moisture present may lead to rotting.

Also, Explore - 10 Low-Maintenance Outdoor Plants for Busy Gardeners

Fertilizing Jade Plants: Nutrient Needs and Frequency

Use a fertilizer that dissolves in water to feed a jade plant approximately every 3 to 4 months a year, or a little more frequently during the busy growing season. Feed the fertilizer solution along with regular watering.

Apply a diluted solution of either a cactus and succulent fertilizer or a regular liquid houseplant fertilizer.

Repotting Jade Plants: How and When to Repot

Growing jade plant requires repotting every three to four years. Repotting is necessary if your plant gets root-bound. Repotting is best done in the spring when the plant's main development period begins.

Choose a new pot that is slightly bigger in diameter than the previous one to accomplish this. You must choose a sturdy pot because the plant has heavy crowns and roots that are small. Because they are heavier and less likely to topple over than plastic planters, clay pots are perfect. Additionally, make sure the container has a tray and a drainage hole.

Pruning and Shaping Jade Plants

Thankfully, jade plants can withstand trimming and consistently grow back after it. As a result, pruning is also possible throughout the year. Since the money plant hasn't yet resprouted, the spring is a particularly opportune time to prune. Pruning after blooming is a viable choice. This guarantees that no flowerheads will be inadvertently severed.

Common Problems with Jade Plants and How to Solve Them

Green, glossy, and plump leaves are indicative of good health. The plant is under moisture stress if the edges start to seem withered or wrinkled.

Underwatering is usually the primary cause of this issue. When the soil is very dry, the leaves have less water stored, which causes the skin to wrinkle inwardly from the edges. Overwatering is most likely the reason for the wrinkles yellowing around the margins.

How to Propagate Jade Plants: Step-by-Step Guide

Stem propagation produces a larger plant in less time. Make sure the stem you choose to propagate has some leaves at the top and two to three nodes without leaves at the bottom. Make sure to leave some leaves at the top of the cut stem, but you might have to take out some of the lower leaves to accomplish this.

Final Thoughts on Jade Plant Care

Jade plant maintenance is an easy baby to grow. But it requires some sunlight so, it will be a practical idea to keep it near a window opening in your house. Also, it prefers damp conditions. Therefore, you need to maintain the moisture in these plants to make sure they do not rot. You need to fertilize the plant only one time in a year and repot every 2 to 3 years.

Faqs on How to Take Care of Jade Plant

Where To Place Jade Plant In Home?

Where to place jade plant in home is a common question. You can place the plant by the door of a house, business, or dining establishment. The eastward placement of a house promotes family harmony and well-being. Locations in the South East offer luck and fortune. In Western locales, jade plants are associated with children's luck and inventiveness.