Article 12: GROWING JADE PLANTS - The Natural Gardener

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Article 12

GROWING JADE PLANTS

Potting
Potting up a Jade Plant isn't any different from potting up any other plant - although I have found that it becomes obvious that the plant needs a larger pot when growth seems to stop or slow right down. However, ensure that the pot chosen has adequate drainage holes or the plant may become waterlogged and rot. With an appropriately sized pot, experience has shown that the soil is the more important factor.

When potting-on a Jade Plant, carefully remove some of the spent soil around its roots while being careful not to damage them. Place an inch or two of new compost in the bottom of the pot and site the root ball on top of it - try and get the plant at the same soil level as in its previous pot. Centre the plant in the pot and then start filling in round the edges with the new compost - firm the compost down without packing it down hard. Don't fill the pot the brim, but rather leave half an inch for watering.

With a newly rooted cutting fill a pot - start with about a four inch diameter pot - full of compost. Firm the compost down and make a hole in the centre to take the new plant. The hole must not be so deep that the first set of leaves are below soil level. Space the roots out in the hole and gently fill in with more compost.

Once the plant has been potted-up give it a good watering and allow the excess water to drain away so that the plant doesn't remain waterlogged.

Soil Composition
The type of soil (or compost) that Jades are grown in has been raised a few times. In my experience I have found that using a loam based compost, rather than peat based, to be better. The loam based compost is grittier and drains more freely which Jades prefer. If the soil becomes too waterlogged then Jades have a tendancy to rot - fatally. An additional benefit of a gritty compost is that it deters soil living pests - they prefer the softer peat based compost.

The compost I use is made to the John Innes No2 formula, and is readily available from garden centres and DIY stores here in the UK. If JI No2 is not available where you are, then I suggest mixing your own compost adding some fine grit or sand.

Once the plant has been in the pot for a few months I then start to use a liquid houseplant fertiliser. As this is only when I remember, it tends not to be every at every watering!

Watering
Jade Plants do not need lots of water - overwatering can kill them (I know!). Never leave a Jade Plant sitting in a saucer of water, any water that has drained through or has not been soaked up within a couple of hours should be thrown away. At JadeSys the plants are thoroughly watered and then allowed to dry out before watering again. How long between waterings will depend on a lot of things, including temperature, humidity, size of plant and size of pot. Clay pots dry out quicker than plastic pots as water can evaporate through the side of the pot. As a rough guide I tend to wait until the leaves on the plant just start to turn soft and stop looking swollen.

Light
Ambient light is important for the Jades - and they prefer more rather than less!! Too little light and they will produce weak straggly growth. Placing the Jade Plant on a brightly lit window-sill is definitely a good idea. My Jade Plant that flowered, had been on a south-east facing window sill for a long hot summer.

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