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biinaboo

Cutting questions on Jade

Kristiina DiOrio
9 years ago

I have several jades that I'm trying to rescue. This one is next on the chopping block. I am fairly new to this so I wanted to ask a little advice on where to chop. This picture shows 2 options. I'm leaning towards the right only because I feel like it leans too much and I want to straighten it a bit. Black lines are where I plan to cut. Good...bad...am I clueless?

Thanks! Kristiina

Comments (15)

  • greenman28 NorCal 7b/8a
    9 years ago

    Yes, I would certainly straighten the tree when re-potting. It doesn't need to be completely vertical, of course - a little off-vertical is fine because the plant will grow into position with good sunlight over the Summer. Also, take advantage of that cool curvature in the trunk - that will be a real asset one day.

    I think your pruning lines are good. I would wait to prune until the Summer, though. The plant is suffering from lack of light and it won't recover as quickly if you chop it now. Also, the re-growth/backbudding won't be as uniform.

    Josh

  • greenclaws UK, Zone 8a
    9 years ago

    OK, before you go in for the chop the first question is...are there holes in the pot?
    Second question....what is it planted in? It needs a fast draining gritty mix, do a search on here for 'gritty mix', loads of info as it looks like its in peat or similar? Hard to tell so I may be wrong.
    It is very etiolated, and the branches are thin, a sign of lack of light, it needs much more.
    As long as there are nodes, marks where old leaves have fell off, it will sprout, they are quite forgiving in that respect, so go as tight as you dare, it will respond even better for a hard prune.
    If it's in the wrong soil you can straighten up even more when you re-pot.

    Gill UK.

  • zzackey
    9 years ago

    I'd go with the second photo if I was cutting it and root the cuttings.

  • Kristiina DiOrio
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    It's definitely in the wrong soil. That's going to change when I straighten it. I'm hoping to encourage branching and wouldn't mind doing a mock bonsai. So, I'm thinking harder prune rather than conservative.

    I'm also kind of impatient and have the itch to do the trimming now. Anything detrimental about doing it now? Also, I thought I had read once that tropical zones (like my 10) can handle winter pruning or even respond well to it.

  • kaktuskris
    9 years ago

    I agree, the plant has suffered from lack of light. And I would go with your second pruning option, if it were mine.

    These like as much light as possible, as well as a fast draining potting medium, though I will not go so far as to say they 'need' a gritty mix. Some of mine are in a gritty mix, some not, and all seem to do quite well.

    Christopher

  • zzackey
    9 years ago

    I'd cut it now if I lived in your zone. And then fertilize it.

  • Crenda 10A SW FL
    9 years ago

    Not sure where in Florida you are, biinaboo. I am in SW FL, Cape Coral and my question is likely the same you would have.

    If we wait until summer to prune, will the rainy season (up to 7 inches of rain a day possible but most likely 1/2 an inch a day) and the high heat (easily the 90s and high 90s very possible) make this a time that is disadvantageous for growth after pruning?

    I'm thinking about plants grown outside. Our summers are quite humid and hot. So my thought is that pruning now, or soon, is better because of the full winter sun and lack of extreme heat and rain.

    I hope I have explained my concerns well. Thoughts?

  • Kristiina DiOrio
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Crenda, exactly. I'm in Naples. Currently far east, inland, almost Immokalee. They are in a sunroom and neglected. Next month, coastal, mile from the beach near pine ridge with huge deck for Jade space (and too many other tropicals to name).

    I thought our ample winter light meant that winter pruning didn't necessarily mean leggy new growth. With still plenty of Summer left for serious growth potential.

    Another question on fertilizing. I'm completely organic. Even with house plants. I've had good results using whey from my homemade yogurt (diluted well). Had anyone else experimented with this kind of stuff?

  • greenman28 NorCal 7b/8a
    9 years ago

    If it's going to be getting more light than it has been, you could do your pruning now. The risk, of course, is that the Jade may shed more nodes/internodes than you want, and you may not have as many new branchlets.

    Josh

  • Kristiina DiOrio
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Ok. I think I'm going to risk it. Mainly because they desperately need new medium and it seems like the prune would be necessary when that happens. I'll post a picture.

    As for mix, I was thinking: coco fiber husk, perlite, sand, charcoal, pine bark nuggets and a touch of rotted manure. Right direction?

  • greenman28 NorCal 7b/8a
    9 years ago

    Nope, not in a humid environment.
    Perlite, charcoal, and fine-screened pine bark, that's the way I'd go, personally, with those ingredients.

    Josh

  • Kristiina DiOrio
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    So I'm skipping the coco fiber and going to keep it course. I just made a sifter with ü inch hardware cloth. Think that's a good size for this mix? I also picked up lava rock. And I'm going to mulch with pea gravel. Should there be any dirt like soil in the mix?

  • rina_Ontario,Canada 5a
    9 years ago

    And no to manure if in pot. If you keep it inside (before going out on the deck), it will also attract fungus gnats - too much organic matter.

    If it is really 'weak', you may try to do repotting first and then cutting/chopping little later, after it recovers a bit. Do not fertilize immediately.
    Jades are pretty sturdy plants thou, so it may be OK.
    Here is a major chopping done in cold Canada, later than it should have been. I think it will be much slower growth, and it is not being fertilized now since it is only getting artificial light & it is in relatively cold temps. But you can see new sprouts already.
    Rina

  • Crenda 10A SW FL
    9 years ago

    I've gone from C&S soil to 50/50 soil and perlite and on to grittier and grittier mixes. As greenman said, it is just too humid and wet for the heavier soils down here.

    I now use repti-bark, turface (or Napa oil dry), granite chicken grit and/or perlite. Maybe you'll have an easier time finding Gran-i-grit in Immokalee. I finally found it at a Farm Store - in Ohio! LOL

    My plants have done much better and roots are much healthier in the gritty mix. I add no soil.

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

    Learning to work with the plant's natural rhythms puts you in sync with the plant and makes its life easier. Some tips - for summer growers, winter is not a good time to repot or do any significant pruning, especially if the plant exhibits poor vitality.

    One of the best things you can do for the plant is get it into a soil that allows you to water to beyond saturation (so you're flushing accumulations of dissolved solids from the soil regularly) w/o having to worry that a prolonged period of soggy soil is going to impair root function or damage root health. Make root health a priority, because w/o it a healthy plant isn't possible.

    Coco fiber has some inherent issues that should be addressed if you make it a significant part of your soils. You really don't need it, or peat, to make a good soil for succulents.

    Note that your plant is growing in sort of the shape of a cross. When it's appropriate to prune, one of the secondary branches (one of the branches growing closest to horizontal) should really be eliminated if you don't intend to cut the plant back at a later date proximal to that trifurcation (where the stem and two branches all meet. It will look much better as it develops if you eliminate all instances of trifurcation so those crosses are Ys (bifurcations). You can do that regularly when branches are just forming so it has an insignificant impact on vitality.

    If you like the organic approach - no problem, but a soluble synthetic that has ALL the essential nutrients in a favorable ratio makes maintaining almost total control over what your plants get and when they get it a snap. Forget I mentioned it if you're set on the organic approach.

    Your plant doesn't like the stress of being allowed to dry to the point that leaves lose turgidity or wrinkle. It also doesn't like wet feet. If your soil retains a lot of water and you're worried it will remain wet too long, it's better too dry than too wet, but that's where an appropriate soil comes in. A soil that allows you to water w/o worrying about the 'staying too wet part' also allows you to water before the plant has been forced to endure a period of drought stress. It also allows you to retain much better control over nutritional supplementation, no matter whether you choose organic or synthetic. If fungus gnats have troubled you in the past, it's also much less likely that would be a problem with a synthetic fertilizer and a soil that allows proper watering.

    Al