Jade Plants are very common in homes due to the fact they are super easy to care for. They are a native of South Africa. The leaves on these plants kind of look leathery with a glossy look to them. The leaves are thick and have a woody stem to them.
- Jade
The best temperatures for these plants are just normal indoor temps but they do not like high humidity. They like the temps at night time to be around 50 to 55 degrees and during the days 75 to 80 degrees. They can survive in temps as low as 40 but it is not a very good idea to let them get that cool.
Jade Plant Pests
Jade Plants seem to attract mealy bugs and mites, so if you are growing these plants indoors just keep an eye out for these pests.
If your Jade Plant starts to get these pests on them the best way to get rid of them is to spray the leaves and stems down with a soapy dish water at least twice a day until you no longer see these pests on your beautiful Jade plant.
Jade Plants and Lighting
The lighting that is needed for them is medium to bright light. Placing them in front of a window that gets about 4 hours of direct or filtered sun light. But keep in mind that if it is placed in direct strong sun light the edges of the leaves will turn reddish leaving a red border around the leaves. In less direct sun the leaves will be a dark green and will look more healthy. So place them about 3 or 4 inches away from a window because the glass reacts as a magnifier, making the sun rays hotter on the plant. The redness is a sign of the plant getting scorched.
Jade Plant Water Requirements
The Jade Plants are part of the Crassula family meaning that they are a succulent. Succulent plants do not need that much water because they store it with in their leaves.
When watering these plants let the soil in the pot dry out but do not let it get too dry. If it starts to get dusty then this means it is too dry. Also another tell-tale sign that your plant is not getting enough water is that its plump leaves will start to wither and wrinkle up somewhat.
During the winter months there is not as much of a need to water them for they start to go dormant somewhat. Less watering during this time will prevent root rot as well as leaves falling off.
Jade Plant Soil Requirements
- Jade
The soil needs to be the type that drains fast. The perfect recipe for these plants is one third coarse sand, one third peat moss and then a third perlite mixed well. This will help the soil from losing all of its moisture and will keep the soil compact to keep the roots in place. The perfect pH for soil is around 6.3. This is what the Jade Plants thrives in the best.
Fertilizing Jade Plants
Fertilizer with the ratio of 10-20-10 or 5-10-5 is the best for the Jade plants. When fertilizing your Jade use only the liquid fertilizer and mix it a lot weaker than what it says to. They only need to be fertilized every two to three months during the spring and summer months. Do not fertilize them from the months of November all the way through March for this is when they are dormant.
Although it is not required unless they get too big for the pot they have been placed in but if you want to re-pot your Jade plant it is best to do this during the spring months when they have new growth on them.
Making New Jade Plants
Taking the leaves that are still green and laying them on the soil making sure that the bottom end of the leaf is touching the soil just leave them lay there. Within 30 to 60 days that leaf will start to take root and produce you a brand new Jade plant.
You can prune your Jade plant when ever you feel the need to and pick off the dead or dying leaves on it. If you have stems that is growing out of control feel free to cut them back to the main stem and if you so desire you can use the leaves of the stems to propagate new plants. This plant can get quite large but there are also dwarf Jade plants that do not get very big, but the same care is required for them.
You can also take the cuttings that you get from pruning your Jade plants and place them in water leaving them alone until they start to grow roots then you can pot them.
As long as these plants get the water they desire and the sun light they desire they will grow great for you and you never really have to do any thing with them just making sure they have what they need to survive.
Written by Tasha Slone, Copyright 2011 HousePlantsForYou.com