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millysmoneyplant

Very special Jade Plant in need of help please

millysmoneyplant
9 years ago

Hi!
I've joined up today to get some specific advice for my Nan's Jade Plant that I have just inherited as she passed away some weeks ago. I don't know how old it is exactly but at least 5 years old, likely way more. Needless to say I'm really determined and hopefull of saving this plant, I know she loved it and I want to enjoy it for a long time too.

She always had it on an East facing window sill in her kitchen, however she has not been living there for the past year or so and I'm not sure how often my Dad was watering it when he popped in to check on the house. All the windows in my flat are west facing (Essex, England, UK).

The branches were really dusty (my Nan would never have tolerated that!) so I've gently wiped them with a damp tea towel. (This turned the tea towel slightly red and the branches have a lovely red tinge to them, as do the outside edges and some undersides of the leaves).

My Dad said the leaves started to drop off (he then moved it away from the window). They look quite pale and yellow to me so I believe it may have been over watered?

The top of the soil looks white and crumbly. I'm thinking from reading other posts I will need to re-pot it in different soil? I'm a novice when it comes to such things so need all the instruction I can get!

I'm not entirely sure about the condition of the roots either and this worries me. They look quite brown. Please don't tell me it's doomed?!

There are several main stems in the one pot and new babies too; the larger fat main stem in the middle, 8 fairly established stems around it and about 3 baby leaves that have rooted. There's also one old dead 'stump'. If I re-pot do I need to split them up?

This plant comes with a lot of sentiment and happy memories of sitting by it in her kitchen as we chatted, it always did really well. Hopefully I can continue its legacy and see it thrive!

I see there are some very knowledgeable people on here who know about Jades and I'd be so grateful for your opinion from all your experiences.

Fingers crossed...
(I've only worked out how to upload one picture at the moment but I'll try to add more of the roots)
Thanks.

Comments (30)

  • millysmoneyplant
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Photo from above

  • millysmoneyplant
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Soil top

  • millysmoneyplant
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Roots from one side

  • millysmoneyplant
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Roots other side

  • ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
    9 years ago

    i only have a moment right now ...

    using the latin name .... research propagation ... to you can make a couple more... even babes.. will be nans plant ...

    also use the houseplant forum ... never know where you will find your muse ...

    after you get some babes thriving... think about repotting... and cutting it back... and making more plants ...

    i always like to have fallback replacements... when dealing with a legacy plant ... and with jade.. its pretty easy ...

    never forget... err towards dry ... i got mine bone dry .. in very coarse media.. and only water it.. very little once a week.. and 95% of what in.. drools out the bottom ...

    more later.. if the gurus of smart... dont chime in.. before i get back ...

    also put 'garden web jade plant' ... in google ... you will find hundreds of useful posts ...

    ken

  • dbarron
    9 years ago

    I have an opinion on watering...the very little is certainly safe, but I prefer to water thoroughly (drench...even slightly soak), then allow the plant to dry completely before watering.

    This allows soils to leach any salt/fertilizer buildup which watering only very little would cause to accumulate in the soil (both from fertilizer and hard water).

    The key to success with this method is to use very well draining media (lots of non-water retentive materials)...you probably would need to mix your own. There's a lot of information on the houseplant forum for that.

  • nomen_nudum
    9 years ago

    The universal scientific genus for it is Crassula. As you separate while repotting use some care as you may already have more than one

    You'll find loads of info on either
    IE..this C&S or house plants forum and even more from other areas of the Internet

  • greenman28 NorCal 7b/8a
    9 years ago

    Great plant you have there.
    It is indeed a Jade plant, and it looks to be the compact, or small-leaf, form, which could be 'Crosby's Compact.' The reddish trunk is a very pleasing quality.

    When re-potting next Summer, I'd recommend a pot just a little bit larger (wider than deeper would be best). Use a porous, fast-draining mix that will allow you to water thoroughly. This will reduce chance of root-rot and allow the plant to thrive.

    With light, regular water, and regular fertilizer, the plant will explode with growth this coming season.

    Josh

  • rina_Ontario,Canada 5a
    9 years ago

    Good advice from dbarron and Josh (greenman28 - he grows beautiful jades. You could search this forum by typing greenman28 jades in upper right -search box- & you'll get lots of threads with photos & care - re-potting - watering - propagating tips).

    Nice plant, give it as much light as possible & water well after soil is quite dry. Use wooden skewer, stick deep into soil (at least half way). If moist/soil particles sticking to it, wait little longer to water. Re-pot after you read (& see photos of) about better soil mix - well draining.
    Rina

  • zzackey
    9 years ago

    The white stuff on the top of the soil is salt buildup from the water. You can gently remove the top soil when you repot it and replace it to be at the original soil level. The yellow leaves indicate a need for fertilizer, in my opinion. The roots look fine. I would use some liquid Miracle Gro fertilizer for a quick boost.

  • Crenda 10A SW FL
    9 years ago

    As Rina said - good advice above. I'd like to add just one thing.

    When you repot, remove ALL of the old soil from the roots. A chop stick helps break up the old soil, but you may need to soak it to get it all off. Trust me, this works better in the long run and you will have no problems from the old soil.

    OK - I'll add 2 things. Don't use the MG fertilizer, or other fertilizer, full strength. Dilute to about 1/4 what you would normally use for other plants.

    Your Nan left you a very nice plant. I wish you luck with it. I am sure it will thrive if you take the above advice. And feel free to come back with any questions you may have about repotting when you are ready to do so!

  • millysmoneyplant
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Ah Thank you everyone I'm so glad to hear good feedback on it, I do really love the plant and that's not what I expected. I was worried that the roots weren't in a very good way, no one seems particularly concerned though so I feel I can relax a little bit. :)

    It's getting dark here at about 4.15pm now so I'm not sure it's getting huge amounts of light. Once it got dark today I moved it to the kitchen under some halogen lights mounted under the overhead units, thinking that might help it out a bit??

    Josh thanks a lot for the cultivar information, very interesting to know. I was very pleased when I wiped away the dust and revealed its redness, I think it contrasts nicely with the leaves, very colourful like my Nan. :) I'm taking from what you say that I shouldn't worry about re-potting untill spring? Should I be fertilising before then? Also I'm not really sure how much water I should be giving it at a time. It is quite dry at the moment as has been noted. Would you expect the new growth in the summer to be more leaves/nodes all the way along the existing branches (they're all at the end at the moment), or new branches completely? Sorry, so many questions!!

    I've had a quick look at ready buy soils and been reading up on Al's gritty mix and 5-1-1 a bit on here. As I live in a fairly small flat (apartment) with no garden and this Jade is my only houseplant at the moment, I don't want or need huge amounts of soil materials! I'll have to see if my parents have anything suitable they can bring at some point.

    A couple of leaf clusters got knocked off in its move on the way here, I've saved them so will see if I can get some babies on the go as Ken has suggested. (will need some soil soon for that I guess).

    Thanks again to everyone who has commented, I've re-read all the posts a couple of times to absorb all the information. I'm glad her plant is in favour with you all and glad to have your experienced opinions. I'm an inexperienced owner with no lasting legacies of my own but I do love plants! I'll definitely be in touch for re-potting info! :) Cheers and Happy New 2015.

  • kaktuskris
    9 years ago

    These do love as much light as possible...If you have a south facing window, that would be ideal. Although knowing England as I do, don't know how much difference it would make, with your general dearth of sunshine.

    Christopher

  • rina_Ontario,Canada 5a
    9 years ago

    Just one remark - any extra light helps. Just double check the halogen lights - they could be too hot & scorch/burn the leaves (if you hold your palm under it & feel burn, it will burn your plant) - ask me how I know... If that's the case, just don't put plant too close to halogen light source.

    You could also fix supplemental lighting where you keep the plant. It could be fluorescent fixture, or overhead/hanging fixture, or tall floor lamp or even table lamp. You would need strong light, daylight bulb at least 100W would work. CFL light bulbs rated 100W use only 23W, and daylight bulb is preferable.
    All depends where exactly is the plant located (you probably wouldn't want a fluorescent light fixture in your living room).

    It would be better to wait with repotting, especially that roots look pretty good.You could just scrape off that white crusty soil from the surface. You may even replace it with some decorative stones - just an idea. Would be better than adding store bought soil. (You could, possibly, try to flush it. I would use distilled water to do that. Pour distilled water over generously, than make sure that all comes out of draining holes. Let the container sit on angle to get as much water out. Set it on few layers of newspaper, it will pull lots of water out like a wick.)
    You could buy just small bags of ingredients to mix what you need. Should you decide to divide or grow new plants from leaves or cuttings, you will use all of it.
    I would water it thoroughly, and then let it 'dry' out - use wooden skewer to test soil about halfway or little more deep; if still wet, wait few more days.
    You have been reading about gritty mix, so probably found this info already.
    You could fertilize even now, but use diluted amount (about 1/4 of recommended amount of fert) every time you water, to begin with - increasing in the summer.

    Pieces that got knocked off will most likely grow. You could leave them outside of mix for few days (even weeks-they will 'drink' from reserves in stems & leaves). Then place them into gritty mix and they will grow. Water only when needed.
    As Josh already said: With light, regular water, and regular fertilizer, the plant will explode with growth this coming season.

    Rina

  • millysmoneyplant
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Thanks for all the advice Rina, very good to know.

    In the evenings I move it away from the window as she gets hidden behind blinds anyway and onto the table which has a light above it so that works well. The plant does sit in another decorative pot (I just took it out so people could see the pot size clearly) so it looks a bit more presentable normally.

    Still researching soils as Turface is extremely ellusive over here. Looking into various bonsai soil mixes at the moment...

    Cheers
    Pam

  • ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
    9 years ago

    I've had a quick look at ready buy soils and been reading up on Al's gritty mix and 5-1-1 a bit on here. As I live in a fairly small flat (apartment) with no garden and this Jade is my only houseplant at the moment, I don't want or need huge amounts of soil materials!

    ==>>> good!! .. you are teaching yourself ...

    here in the states... they sell bags of cactus media ...

    and since you only need a little for now.. that is the way to go ... the pros here can speak to that ...

    to teach you a bit further ... media ... is a water management system ... its all about drainage ... one of the sages above.. said he waters until it runs out the bottom ... and then not again .. until its bone dry ...

    and that is the point of cactus media ... you will think.. my God.. it all ran out the bottom ... and that is what it is supposed to do ...

    but to be very clear... you wet the mix first .. then plant in it ... then water the plant in... to settle the media ... and then not water again until it dries... you can often tell.. by the weight of the pot ....

    some of these medias.. will not retain enough moisture... bone dry out of the bag.. to offset the stresses of repotting ...

    and do make a few extras ... its very easy .... and it insures.. that if you screw up the big one... you will still have nans plant ...

    finally.. to keep it all straight in your head... think of SOIL.. as mother earth ... and MEDIA.. as what goes in a pot .... and dont get confused by POTTING SOIL .... its a non sequitur ... see link ... its a commonly used term ... potting soil ... that simply confuses the newb ...

    personally ... finally again .. its winter.. i wouldnt worry all that much about light levels ... its near a window.. good enough ... if your budget or space doesnt allow for a light setup .. etc ... but if you want to take it to the next level... that is certainly the way to go ....

    ken

    Here is a link that might be useful: link

  • greenman28 NorCal 7b/8a
    9 years ago

    Most *cacti* mixes are little more than peat moss with a hint of perlite or pumice thrown in. Definitely not appropriate for most succulents.

    Josh

  • millysmoneyplant
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Ok, yep will stay away from peat. Not my other half though - he's a Pete! :)

    I'd be very interested to know if you have an opinion on either of these soils sold by Bonsai companies?

    'Akadama Bonsai Soil - hard, clay based volcanic soil which contains humus and other organic matter.'

    is often mixed with ...

    'Kyodama Bonsai Soil'
    website description:
    "This UK produced bonsai soil is similar to pumice yet resembles the style of Akadama. It is a very hard soil
    with great moisture retention and holds its drainage properties better than a lot of other bonsai soils.
    This product can be used as is or mixed with Akadama to keep the soil open and aerated
    Can be used for trees that require free draining soils such as Pines.
    We blend Kyodama soil with Akadama on most of our bonsai trees with excellent results"

  • millysmoneyplant
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    just read Kyodama is ceramic based

  • greenman28 NorCal 7b/8a
    9 years ago

    Yes, akadama for bonsai would be a very useful ingredient or could be used by itself if screened.

    Josh

  • millysmoneyplant
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Thanks, good to know. :)

  • Pat z6 MI
    9 years ago

    MillysMoneyPlant, don't forget to keep us posted on your efforts with this plant in the months ahead. I am so happy you are sharing this with us and am very keen to follow your progress with that very special Jade.

    Pat

    millysmoneyplant thanked Pat z6 MI
  • tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
    9 years ago

    Milly - you might look for a product called 'Seramis'. I know several growers in Europe who use it. It's a calcined clay, like Turface.

    Al

    millysmoneyplant thanked tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
  • greenclaws UK, Zone 8a
    9 years ago

    Hello Pam and welcome to the forum!
    Your plant does indeed look like a Crassua (Jade) Crosby's Compact variety. I'm sure with all the info above you will see a great improvement in it this year :)
    I grow several varieties of Jade including this one and they do quite well. As already pointed out, some of the products our US friends favour are not available here, or go by different names. Seramis can be found at Hydroponic stores (no idea where in Essex you are or if you have one of these stores near you, I've never seen one!) So, for my version of the famous gritty mix here in the UK I use equal parts of small grade horticultural grit (B&Q/Charlie's/The Range/garden centre), perlite (Wilko/B&Q/even aquarium gravel would work), bark chips(pet shop/Pets at Home/The Range as sold for reptiles etc.) and regular cactus mix(B&Q/Wyevale garden centre and the like) that I've already added some grit to as it can be too 'peaty' (apologies to your other half!). Try to get the particle sizes roughly the same with screening through a garden sieve or similar. The screenings I use for rooting smaller portions/cuttings, and the larger for re-potting my bigger pants.
    Hope this may help you in your shopping spree!
    Where are you in Essex?

    Gill UK.

    millysmoneyplant thanked greenclaws UK, Zone 8a
  • millysmoneyplant
    Original Author
    7 years ago

    Hello @greenclaws! Sorry this is a year late! I seemed to have missed this post.

    I'm in chelmsford. The plant is still doing well, I've been watering and fertilising here and there (not very frequently) but never got round to repotting so it's back on my agenda now. Is this a good time to repot?

    Thanks for the UK tips. Do you not use Seramis then?. I've been trying to get to grips with the gritty mix as I've spent several hours looking but only come up with posts where people already know what it is. As far as I can tell the gritty mix is 1:1:1 of screened bark: screened 'turface': crushed grit and then a small addition of some gypsum. So I'm not sure I understand your mix completely. I'm just wondering why you add in the cactus soil, that seems to be another ingredient?

    Thanks, and sorry for the delay!


  • thechinski
    7 years ago

    Hey milly,

    Im in the uk and I use gritty mix, and I use reptibark from Amazon, turface I get from tesco cat litter, and perlite from anywhere, although I tend to leave out the bark these days because the only good stuff I can find I have to get from Amazon as reptibark and is too big so I literally spend hours in front of the tv with pliers breaking up the chunks! The things we do for plants... Perlite/turface alone does a great job ime, and I actually find it easier to water because bark sometimes "floats" to the top when watering. The cat litter is a tad on the small side, but as long as you screen the small bits it works great. Perlite is easy, normally very suitable sized particles, just screen out small bits, but make sure it doesn't come with any 'additives' like ferts. I would love to use a nice grit, cause perlite looks a bit garish, and always floats to the top because it's so light, also doesn't weight down plants all that great, but I can't for the life of my find a good source of grit which looks good and isn't expensive aquarium grit D:

    I'm sure @greenclaws will reply soon, but I'm guessing she adds abit of soil to increase water retention a bit? Gritty mix is fantastic, but is very gritty. For my drier succulents it's literally perfect, and it works great for other plants too, even my mango tree seedling! But you have to be reeeeeeaaallly vigilant with it, because sometimes it dries real quick and plants like jades can shrivel a bit and not achieve maximum growth potential. A bit of soil, while compromising gritty mix's aeration, can make the mix a lot more usable. I have jades in pure gritty, soil/perlite, and pure soil, and I do find my soil jades do better because I can't quite keep up with them. But only marginally. I dunno, that's my understanding anyway :P

    You also need to fert regularly with gritty mix. hope this helps a bit!

    Aaron

  • millysmoneyplant
    Original Author
    7 years ago

    Thanks for that explanation Aaron that's really helpful, it all makes a bit more sense to me now. Would this time of year be a good time to re-pot do you think?

  • millysmoneyplant
    Original Author
    7 years ago

    Wow Thanks Al, good to know. I like the idea of working in sync and even better that it gives me time to get the mix together. Pruning - that's something else I've yet to get my head around! :) Wd I prune before I re-pott it, or at same time?

    Pam

    (Milly was my nan, whose plant it was)

  • tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
    7 years ago

    Within reason, it's a good idea to prune after you do the repotting. The theory is, the more leaves you allow to remain on the tree (via not pruning) the more photosynthate (food) the plant can produce and dedicate to growing new roots. The fly in the ointment is, there has to be enough roots to move water to the canopy or the entire plant can collapse. Even if the entire plant doesn't collapse after a hard root-pruning of a plant with a heavy canopy, entire/important branches can (die back and) be shed. So, reason must prevail - the well-beaten path isn't always the right road. IOW - in some cases, and especially at repot time, balancing the volume of roots to shoots is the judicious course.

    FWIW - your plant will be very easy to repot when the time comes. If it were mine, I'd get rid of all the junk stems/branches growing very low on the trunk and at or below the soil line, then shorten it considerably to establish a sound framework.


    Al