It's best to water a jade plant from the top. Watering from the bottom is a dangerous habit to get into. When the water soaks up from the bottom, it's much harder to tell how wet the soil is.
Here's the catch, jade plants do not like to be overwatered. Besides, overwatering can lead to a high chance of rotting at the base. Jade plants can thrive even without much water. On the other hand, an underwatered jade plant may cause some jade plants to drop leaves or get leaf spots.
Instead of fully watering your jade plant during colder weather, mist your plant with a spray bottle. During the summertime when fully watering the plant, make sure the jade is placed in a drainage pot, so that excess water can escape and the roots do not drown.
Let the soil dry out between waterings. Shriveled or wrinkled leaves are signs of a thirsty plant in need of more frequent or deeper waterings. Waterlogged and squishy leaves indicates that the plant is getting too much water. Leaf drop is a symptom of watering issues, too.
A healthy jade has erect stems and firm foliage that points outward, upward, or slightly downward. But when a plant is under stress, the young, soft stems may droop, and the foliage may hang limply, like fallen dominoes.
Light. Give jade plant at least 4 to 6 hours of bright, indirect sunlight for the greenest, healthiest leaves. Growing in part sun will result in narrow leaves that take on a grayish cast and can result in leggy plants. Feel free to take your jade plant outside during the summer.
Changes to the leaves are the first sign of an overwatered jade plant. Leaves can turn yellow and droop, and may eventually brown and drop off. Other signs include the leaves and stem becoming squishy and soft. The whole plant may also appear droopy.
To encourage health, harmony and thriving business, place the Jade plant in the east direction. And if you wish to promote creativity and children's luck, it is recommended to set it in the west direction. Keeping it either in the southeast corner of the room or your desk is highly favourable and auspicious.
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. As your Jade gets larger and heavier, it will need a “weighty” pot as a base.
It is a drought-tolerant plant that does not require frequent watering and can go without water for days or weeks. Considering their native habitats and growth, they don't need to be watered very often.
Jade plants can drop leaves if they are getting watered too often. Be sure to only water the soil when it is 100% dry. Water slowly and deeply till water starts trickling out of the drainage hole, then remove any excess water captured in the saucer.
The top-heaviness will occur over time as the plant ages but we don't want to rush the process, and we want to encourage as much even growth as possible. Knowing this, make sure to keep your plant in plenty of bright light and rotate it every couple of weeks to produce the best outcome for you to enjoy.
Even though they grow slowly—roughly two inches a year—jade plants can reach up to six feet in height and three feet in width. Native to South Africa and Mozambique, jade plants are easy to grow indoors and can live for 100 years when cared for consistently.
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 plant care indoors
Pick a good, sunny place to keep your jade plant, like a south-facing window. They need at least four hours of bright sunlight. They also prefer dry, arid environments, so avoid keeping it in the bathroom or kitchen where humidity is higher.
The Jade plant is an extremely popular housewarming gift in Asia as it brings positive financial energy into the home. This plant thrives and brings good energy when located at the front of a house but avoid placing in the bathroom as this is too closed off for it to survive.
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!
Repotting a Jade Plant
It's time to transplant when the roots begin to encircle the rootball or new growth is stunted. Your jade plant appears to be thriving, but it looks as if it has settled in the container. This is not a problem. Some gardeners prefer to adjust this by adding soil to the bottom of the pot.
Snip away dead and rotten roots. Re-pot it in a fresh and dry potting mix and not water the plant for some days. This will give enough time for the roots to dry and recover. Keep the plant in bright indirect light and slowly acclimate it to direct sunlight.
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.
Jade plants need lots of light to grow, but too much direct sunlight can damage their leaves. The best way to provide your jade plant with the light it needs is to place it near a window that receives indirect sunlight.
In this case, use a high-nitrogen, soluble plant food, such as a 10-20-10 formula. Jade plants do well when fertilized with plant foods formulated for African violets. Organic fertilizers, such as fish emulsion, also provide the proper nitrogen for jades to thrive.
Pruning a jade that already has a few branches will encourage more growth and help to balance the symmetry of the plant. Simply snip off or pinch off the newly sprouted leaves on the end of each branch.