'Jade' Problems?

Well Folks, it is that time of year. I keep mine outside and dry. After the first soaking rain and the weather becomes cold, I will bring them in if I think the temp. will drop below 30 degrees. I watch weather reports.

I have not watered my plants all summer, all are in flower. In the Spring I will fertilize and deeply water as soon as I see new growth and do this on a schedule every week on Sat. I will also take them out of the pots, remove 1/3 of the roots and repot in fresh soil, but I will not move the pot size up. I also prune them about the end of Sept. the new growth will produce the flowers.

What do you do with yours growing inside in the Eastern States, Canada, Europe? What about the heating, electric or gas? Crassula ovata like cold nights during the winter when it goes dormant. What are your problems?

Well I guess Jade plant is too easy to grow, no problems.
Norma

Hi Crasulady2, I live in 5Z Indiana. I have had 2 for a year. It has not grown but, has not died. It sits in a south window, little water. So, I guess not to bad for a newby. DebK

Mine, are inside already! they love it in the garden room..at night it is cooler then the daytime and seem to prosper quite well! I have epis in bloom now too! R.Rose

I have some jades in the g-house. Several I've been training into a topiary style...very nice looking, perhaps I could send you a pic crasulady, or post in photo forum.
I seldom have any problems w/them, except that I often have too many! These are the typical jade plants you see in stores...don't know the proper name for them. Does anyone have a good "jade page" which could show me the different varieties?
Oh, I just gotta tell ya this! Becuz I often am trimming the jades I tend to just stick the pieces in the nearest pot to root. I stuck some in the soil at the base of my potted figs. They multiplied so well that when I set the figbush out in the orchard I just left the jade with it. It grew well and looked super nice all summer. My idea was to pull them up when it got cold but decided I already have so many in the g-house to just wish them good luck. Of course at this point the jade is brown and dead (lows of 20's here at times). Yesterday I was out cleaning up getting ready to much the fruit trees and lo and behold, under the dead jades and leaves was LIVING jade, and looking well. Perhaps the mulch will protect it all winter...we'll see!

Good for all of you, I was sure glad to hear from you. I have questions like the the branches are drooping. There is white spots on the leaves, it's growing to fast, it's growing too slow. It doesn't flower, when will it flower?
Sap is oozing out. Keep them as dry as possible now, when it starts to warm up water and fertilize on a regular schedule, then stop watering Oct 1 They like the cool air, they like being crowded, they like poor soil.

Crassula ovata, will come with any one of these following names, these are varieties, or selections that have been
introduced for the trade. 'Crosby's Red' small rounded leaves with red edges. 'Calif. Jade' lager leaves about the size of a teaspoon, with a pointed apex (tip) 'Ruby' which will actually turn ruby wine color, pink flowers. 'Hummels Sunset' will turn several colors of green, pink, orange, yellow and red' it will like some light shade, strong sun can burn the leaves. The big leaf forms, were formly called
C. obliqua, The small leaf form C. agentea. There is a variety called 'Puff' the flowers are like a puff round shape, clustered' All will have star shaped flowers. 'Peek'
actually has a peek of white down the middle of the leaf.
'Silver Bark' guess what? It has silver bark, like advertized. Variegated obliqua, C. ovata. Green and white with pointed leaves, 'Rainbow' green and gold leaves that will turn bright red with neglect and strong sun. 'Pink Beauty' the flowers are a good shade of light pink and flower after christmas and stays in flower for several months. Several of the above mentioned have faint pink flowers.

Now if they drop their leaves this is normal, you drop hair, they drop leaves. Too much water will cause leaves to drop. If leaves are starting to wrinkle, be sure to water thorughly, let them dry out between waterings. Now I've covered most of the problems, I gave you descriptions,
remember they are all Crassula Ovata.
Any questions be sure to ask and don't be afraid, I don't care if you ask the same question 7 times. In Spring I do repot and cut back the roots about one third, all the way around, this is when I can check for diseases. These plants are almost disease free, no bugs, no nothing. Norma

Ahah!! You forgot one symptom! (Crasulady??? Hmmm, I thought that was short for "Crazy Lady"! Sorry, NOW I understand!)
Altho I'm not too freaked out about it, one of my biggest jades has yellow leaves here and there. Yes, just here and there, not necessarily new leaves or old leaves, or all in one place. Just a leaf here and there. It may just be a normal happening. But am still wondering about it. Any ideas?

as you know i live in the UK and so keep my jades inside all year round. they seem to like it ok, but i have never had them flower. i havn't had many problems apart from one getting kinda top heavy and falling over. seems ok now. i have dark green jades and more recently have acquired some different types (tri-colour and one unknown which is light green with red tinged edges on the leaves). they seem to thrive on neglect in my house, but gladly send me babies if a leaf falls into the soil and roots.

so how do i get them to flower Norma? will they flower here in the UK or am i wasting my time and should be just happy with an outstanding foliage plant..?

lil

Deb, you're doing great. What size pot is this plant growing in. Small pots will retard growth. If it not dead, looks good, seems happy, I wouldn't change success. The rest of the group should listen on how you grow yours, I don't grow mine indoors. They are all in flower all over the neighborhood. I'm willing to send pieces out that actually have the flowers. Norma

They will flower in the UK. Malcolm Holloway gets his to flower all the time. It's outside. I really think the main key is to not water them starting June l Trim them, slowly leaf tips, by leaf tip, then leave them alone after Oct l to grow back the tips that will have the flowers on.

HorseShoe, You also seem to be doing great. Don't give up on the base of your old Crassula There are a few more names that I left out. Crassula ovata (agentea)(Jade) 'Hobbit' 'Gollum' 'Coral' 'Skinny Fingers'
1. 'Hobbit' has reversed leaf edges, trimmed in red.
2. 'Gollum' has sucker like toes of frogs on the tips on the leaves, they should be red in grown correctly
3. 'Skinny Fingers' same as the above, but thinner leaves
4. 'Coral' same as the above, but larger and shorter leaves larger sucker toes. May also be called 'Trumpet Jade' but that is really stretching it a bit. Norma

Found another C. ovata 'Waves' in bud, the leaves are very wavy, I must put this one in the shade during summer. Oct 1 I brought it out in the sun. Sure enough it has set buds for the first time, they are pink. I noticed some yellow leaves and the base of each leaf rosette. This is normal, they will drop these leaves when they are good and ready, these leaf nodes will be the start of the rings around the trunk that are so attractive. Norma

Crasulady, I just looked at my jades. They look like they have a leaf coming out the top and also I have a new baby leave on one of the jades. My first baby. Sooo happy. I have 2 small ones in a 6/7 inch pot and have a bunch of leaves laying around waiting on roots and some leaves have roots waiting on them to grow. Debk

Debbie, it is exciting getting a new plant to grow. It will take off in the Spring. My 'Ruby' hasn't any buds on it yet. I think the problem is that the container is just too large and it isn't root bound. I just wanted it to grow fast so I can give one to everyone.
There is also a whole collection of "Crosby's Jades" note the double " means a fake name nom nudum, not good. These "Crosby" plants all look the same to me, 'Crosby's Compacta' 'Crosby's Red' 'Crosby's Pink' 'Crosby's Sunset'
I think some grower like Altman's forgot what it was called so stuck on a name that sounded right. Most of these came from Rogers Weld who purchased the Crosby's collection.
Dena Altman purchased the plants from him, and named them whatever, this is crickett, due to the fact that the name was never published at the time.

I found 22 'Jade' names in the catalogues dating way back.
About 8 are syn. with C. ovata, others just varieties and then cultivated for the trade. It still doesn't mean it's a new species. My old variegated C.ovata (obliquea) has rings around the trunk that has raised moss like felt, that is much like the new bumps that young Dear get while growing their new racks. Really cooool looking. I really think the more I look the more I notice. I still also that they need to go through a cold spell before the flower. Today I noticed that some of mine have tiny minute white dots, well this nothing more than pores, (not latin)to let out excess water. Crassula species are famous for this feature, it's very scientific (CAM) now a botantist will need to explain this. Norma

Lilith, and all, if your 'Jades' get top heavy lop them off. Make it round, or shape it like an Oak tree. It just may flower. Do this no later than Oct.l I've seen them in bonsai containers, very shallow ones. We should have a contest on just how interesting they can get. I'll give a prize of a 'Jade' of your choice. Send pictures in, this just might be fun. Pictures may be sent to my address. email me if you want to do this. Norma

Crasulady2, not quite sure what you mean by trimming the "leaf tip by leaf tip", as you mentioned in above post. Does this mean you trim the actual leaves? Or the stems (branches) that support the leaves? If you trim the leaves, are you cutting back one-half of each leaf? two-thirds?
I've noticed my flowers come from what looks like the branches, or perhaps they are coming from VERY young potential leaf growth, except instead of making leaves those areas make flowers. I'm ready and willing to start trimming!! Just let me know, k?
Thanks a bunch!

HorseShoe, good catch, I didn't explain that very clearly did I? What I mean in the tip of the branches that the leaves are attached. (the head)(cluster of leaves at the tip of the branch) Don't do them all at one time. When I say cut off the head, or cut the tips, this is a term we use at the nursery. Sorry about that. I'm certainly glad you asked, I wonder how many more readers I left scratching their heads. I grow plants, don't write, cook, or spell well at all. Thanks, Norma

Wheww!! Glad to hear that! Thanks! (I've got lots of jade in the g-house.) Okay, I'm ready now!! By the way, does your nursery have a web page? Would love to visit!

I don't have a nursery, this is just a hobby, I do volunteer at the Huntington Gardens, for the past 9 years, you have a learning advantage there, if your head isn't in the sand. We have a volunteer crew of 4 that come in on different days, we all just can't wait to get there. No web site, don't know how to do it. I have a digital camera, scanner that can send slides but haven't figured out how to use the stuff yet. Some of my pictures have been used by a different forum, and are actually on a CD. This was fun.

I am serious about the contest of 'Jade' pictures. Either in Dish Gardens, bonsai, just potted up. Just send me the pictures. Norma

I would love to have any of you for a visit. Just write or call first. Patrick was here, I hope he enjoyed the visit.
No more than 4 days only please.
Chuck my husband was a good sport and drove us down to Vista, to see Steve Hammer, we didn't have time to go to the large whole sell nursery's. I do need some time to call and make an appointments before we go. This is a must before going to any nursery. Many of the best nurseries are just back yard growers. This is where you get the good stuff, and not the commercial stuff that is not grown well or different. Now don't all come at once. I am sincere about the offer. Norma

If it's not freezing put the 'Jades' outside. They love the air and the cold nights. Keep them dry except for the rain. All of mine are coming into flower or are just finishing. Don't get them confused with the 'Silver Dollar' it is a different species. Keep them underpotted but with fresh soil in the spring, you may also want to cut back the roots in the spring about 1/3 and around the sides also an inch.
Must run, the stove is telling me the chicken is done. Yum.
Norma

Crassula arborescens has large blue leaves that are thick, it also has red edges. They will look as if they have a white powder on them, (bloom) Don't wipe this off, or mark the plant with your fingers, this protect the leaves. In the sun you will see red spots that look like pores, which they are.
All Crassula have these, either white or red, so not to worry. Some Sedum will also have them on the first two leaves they get after hatching from the seed. This is called a cotledon (spelling?)sometimes on the underside. Most books will have a glossery of terms in the back. Their pages are worn thin.

It is too early yet to take cuttings of this plant. I will wait until about June to do so. It will start from leaves, make sure you take them off next to the stem, and lay face down on top of the soil, of straight up, with the pot for support. Because this is a chunky plant it is much slower in growing, so I don't take thick stem cuttings.

I was thinking of using my "Jade" as a host to other plants in the Crassulaceae family, and graft onto the root stock/stems Cotyledon, Kalanchoe, Sedum, Adromischus, Aeoniium, just to see which ones take. I have never done this before, but wouldn't it be interesting in a dish garden? Norma