I wish I had a jade that big. I'm sure you're going to get plenty of great suggestions. If it were mine, I think I would cut it back hard. Leave maybe 3 main branches. That would give you many large cuttings that you could turn into more plants.

As far as timing goes, I've never paid much attention to when I cut back and repot my jades, and I've never had any problems. That being said, I'm sure there are recommended times of year to do these things that others will share.

Nice plant!

Dan

Dan's advice to prune it back hard is a good idea.

But before that, can you set your photobucket account to allow the pics to open in a new window?
I'd like to view larger pics to evaluate the branch structure.

The very best time to do extensive root-work would be later this Spring/Summer,
once the plant has regained some of the energy lost during the cold, low-sun Winter.
Also, the foliage that regrows during the Summer will be more compact and sturdy
than the thinner growth that occurs during Winter pruning.

But, really, Jades are very tough and tolerant.

Josh

Thank you Dan & Josh.
Josh, I am not sure how to reset photobucket, I thought that clicking on the posted pics you can access the album. Pls. let me know.

So I guess best time to prune would be just like any other plants as per advice from Al - around June? I can wait...

Rina

Here is link to album:

http://s1168.photobucket.com/albums/r488/Rina_TO/jade/

Rina

I would prune it back hard. I prune my jades back hard each spring.

Josh, all I do is click on the thumbnail and the photo enlarges in Photobucket. So I don't think Rina needs to do anything. I don't know why that doesn't work for you.

Penny

When I click on the thumbnail and the new window opens, I get a photobucket message saying
"The action that you were trying to perform has failed." When I experienced this last, it
required a setting to be changed. But no matter, I have the album address now.

Josh

Hi Rina,
You mentioned that trunk is 8.5". What is the pot size? It doesn't look so thick in a picture.
Thanks
Inna

Inna, that measurement is the circumference.

Josh

Josh, i understand but i have a jade stump which is 4" diameter and it looks huge compare to Rina's. So it must be optical illusion.
Inna

Inna,

pot is too large, 18"

Rina

I agree with Josh. You'll get fastest recovery and most vigorous back-budding if you wait until after Father's Day to cut back hard. In spring, plants are usually weakened from the long winter, making recovery slower, and because they lack stored energy, back-budding not as profuse.

Most people think that spring is best for repotting, root pruning, and cutting back hard, but summer makes the most sense from a physiological perspective.

Al

Al

Thank you. So I'll wait (as per your advice for my 2 Benjamina trees) until June. Jade will go outside when warm enough. I am sure it will put lots of new growth on, it is doing that now under not the greatest light conditions.

Rina

Best luck!

Al

Inna--circumference is pi times the diameter. So the circumference of your 4 in diam jade is 12 and a half inches. So yours is bigger. The diameter of her jade's trunk is 8 divided by pi, or 2 and a half inches. Seem more like it?

I cut my jades back before I put them outside for the summer. Then their growth is more compact.

Actually, if 'compact' is your goal, you'll get more compact growth if you cut your plants back at or near the summer solstice/Father's Day. Your jade will concentrate more on branch/stem elongation during periods of increasing day length. During periods of decreasing day length, a greater portion of energy reserves goes into storing energy in cambial tissues. Branch elongation and internode length decreases considerably, so the plant grows fuller and more compact. Cutting back in the spring ensures long, then tightening internodes. If you cut back in the spring, you're cutting back to last years long internodes - not the best way to keep a plant compact because you're continually cutting back the most desirable parts of the plant.

Al

Al;
that's what i am hoping for, 'compact'. Thank you for explanation. Will I repot/cut back-prune & root prune at the same time? (It should be repotted-last time it was only potted-up approx. 3yrs ago & also I want to use gritty mix at that time; also I would prefer a smaller pot if that's what is better).
Thnx.

Rina

I wouldn't cut back and repot at the same time. I usually stagger the work by 2-3 weeks, starting with the repot and moving to the pruning later. The reason for that is, the added (current) photosynthate the foliage will produce after the repot will help to more quickly get roots reestablished and back online. Then, cutting back isn't the ordeal (for the plant) it would have been if you'd left the plant with a diminished root system AND a diminished photosynthesizing volume.

For most plants we commonly grow as houseplants, concentrating any serious work in that 'summer solstice' time frame helps both physiologically AND esthetically. Temperate plants that have a true dormancy, and other woody plants that tolerate some frost, usually get repotted in spring, but most succulents and houseplants are best repotted while growing robustly and when full of energy ...... or at least as full of energy they can be, given the conditions they're growing under.

It's all about working with the plants energy ebb and flow, instead of against it, and it all makes perfect sense if you think about it a bit - most folks just need someone to point it out and explain it for it to 'click'.

When you're working with plants, lost potential is gone forever, there is no reclaiming it or catching up to be done. So if you work on getting good at preserving potential and eliminating limiting factors, you'll always be pleased with your plants. It's really not such a tall order - most times it's our choices that bring us trouble. Learn the right choices and you have it.

Al

Al
Thank you again for the advice.
I appreciate that you always take time to give reasons 'why'.

Rina