The Jade Plant is a succulent; it has thick waxy leaves and stems that store water for drier periods. It is a house plant that is popular worldwide not just because it’s easy to grow, but because it looks beautiful and in time and good care, it would take the appearance of a small tree. The Jade plant originally comes from South Africa, and in its natural surroundings, it can grow to the height of 3m or even more. However, as a pot plant, it rarely exceeds a height of 3 feet. In cooler temperatures in late winter, early spring can sometimes trigger your Jade plant to bloom, creating star-shaped pink or white flowers in clusters at the tips of the shoots. When your Jade plant gets plenty of sunshine, it may develop red edges.
Soil
I mixed up my soil for my Jade plants; it is the same one I use for my cacti which is:
Two parts multipurpose compost.
One part sand.
One part perlite.
Conditions
Getting your Jade in the correct position will lead to a happy and undemanding life. Jade plants, like their sun they grow best in an east or south-facing window; if they don’t get enough light, the stems become thin and elongated.
Temperature
Jade plants are ok with average room temperature, but they do not like it if temperatures drop below 5C (40F)
Feeding.
Give your Jade liquid food every month during your summer months.
Plant Doctor tips
Wrinkly shrivelled leaves mean you may be underwatering your Jade. I suggest taking it out of the pot, soaking it in water overnight, and then re-potting in the morning.
Mealybugs
Jades are prone to mealybugs. The first sign you have mealybugs are white cotton wool-like clumps around the stems and leaves of new growth. I treat mealybugs by diluting surgical spirit and using a cotton bud to dab the affected areas. After an hour or two, I always shower my plants as I worry the Surgical Spirit might damage the plant.
Leaves suddenly dropping:
Overwatering, allow the compost to dry out between watering thoroughly.
Coldwater (they prefer room temp water)
Underwatering, but this only occurs within the summer months.
Brown dry spots on the leaves can be caused by under watering; please remember those succulents need generous watering amounts during summer months.
Propagation.
Jade Plant leaves can be propagated by being placed on the soil around the Jade itself. Over time the leaf will produce roots and a tiny stemmed jade plant. Over an even more extended period, the leaf will break off and will leave you with a small jade plant ready to be Re-potted in its very own pot.
A more satisfactory way to Propagate a Jade plant is through a stem cutting which should be taken in spring. When cutting, always cut about 3 to 4 inches below your lowest leaf, so you have plenty of room to plant your stem cutting. Let it dry out once you have your stem cutting for about a week, sometimes longer, depending on how big your cutting is. Once your stem cutting has wholly dried, put it in succulent potting mix and water sparingly.