Keep your jade plant in bright light for at least six hours per day, according to Almanac. While mature plants can handle direct sunlight, younger plants require a bright space that's free of direct rays. Without proper sunlight, your jade plant will stop growing, or it'll grow tall and leggy.
A jade plant can be sunburned from too intense light. Signs can include, brown, scorched-looking spots, leaves wrinkling, or discoloring. Sunburn is not lethal but can be unsightly. Sunburned leaves are not salvageable, but don't harm the plant.
Jade plants need between four to six hours of direct morning sun or indirect, bright light daily. This reflects the hot, dry conditions of their native habitat. To get the best possible light exposure, place your jade plant on an east or south-facing window ledge or shelf.
To find the best spot to place a jade plant in your home, look for a south-facing window. A west-facing window should also provide enough light.2 A jade plant makes an attractive addition to a kitchen or as living decor in an office. Avoid rooms with limited windows and light exposure, like the bathroom.
What are the disadvantages of Jade plants. The only disadvantage of the Jade plant is that the leaves of the plant can tend to hold onto excessive water. Due to this, they become soft and mushy and fall off the plant.
Jade Plants have a small, shallow root systems. They prefer a smaller pot and could easily be overwatered in a large pot with a lot of soil mass.
What temperature is too hot for Jade plants? Most houseplant owners will find it pretty challenging to find a temperature too high for a jade plant. These succulents are used to coping with temperatures as high as 104ºF (40ºC) in their native climate. Anything above that will be a challenge for them.
How to Water Jade Plants. Jade plants are succulents (they hold water in their leaves), so they don't do well when sitting in constantly moist soil, so let the top 1 to 2 inches of soil dry out between waterings. Indoors, this will probably mean watering once every 2 to 3 weeks—but be sure to check regularly!
Overwatering Symptoms
Here are the main signs of an overwatered jade plant to watch out for: Leaves turning yellow. Stems are droopy. Seemingly healthy leaves start dropping off.
Nutrient Needs Not Being Met Correctly Causing Yellow Leaves
Jade plants need nutrients to stay healthy and green. If they're not getting the right amount of nutrients, the leaves will start to turn yellow. It can also be a sign of being over fertilized.
Most Common Cause for a Jade Going Red
Lighting is the most common reason. Jade plants in a sunny, west or southern window, may experience too much light. This is especially true in spring and summer when the plant may be responding to too much sunlight. Move it back away from the window a bit and it will recover.
Traditionally, jade plants grow well as indoor plants in bright but indirect light or outdoors in full or partial sun, but they cannot survive freezing temperatures. If you live in cooler zones, you can still grow these succulents outside, but they must be brought indoors before any chance of frost creeps in.
I have a terrace garden in my home with lots of plants in hanging baskets which saves a lot of space. If you live in an apartment with balcony, this approach for planting jades will suit you best. Jade plant in hanging baskets looks magnificent and requires almost no pruning or special care.
Jade Plants can tolerate growing in heavy shade but usually become weak and leggy. For best growth and colour, make sure they get a least a couple of hours of direct sun. Crassulas are generally fairly pest free, however Jade Plants may attract scale and mealybug, especially over summer.
Place your cutting in a sunny spot and change the water every few days until new roots begin to form. It may take a month or two, but after the roots emerge, you can transplant the cutting to soil. How long do jade plants live? Jade plants have amazing longevity and can live for 50 to 100 years when cared for properly.
Jade Plant Basics: Light and Watering
Water needs: Not as drought-tolerant as other succulent species, Jade likes moist soil—not wet, because you don't want root rot—during the growing season (spring and summer), drier soil during the dormant season (fall and winter).
It is caused by a fungus that lives in the soil, especially soils that are wet. The fungi attack the roots of plants and cause them to decay. This endangers the well being of the plant above because the roots are no longer able to provide moisture and nutrients.
You can water it whenever the soil is totally dry. Check this with your fingers before you water. Also, never spray water on the leaves of jade, only water the soil. The leaves might fall off if you water them.
Given these considerations, the best home for a jade plant either a ceramic pot or sturdy plastic pot with great drainage, keeping the soil and roots from becoming too soggy.
The Best Fertilizer for Jade Plants
The best NPK ratio for a jade plant fertilizer is a 10-20-10 mix. The higher phosphorus content helps the jade plant create a strong root system. This is perfect for getting as many nutrients as possible out of poorer soils.
Jade plants are perennial and can last for years. It is advisable to repot the young jade plants every 2 to 3 years to facilitate faster growth. As for adult jade plants, you should consider repotting them every 5 to 6 years.