I got this plant a few days ago, and have been trimming it up to my liking over the past couple of days. I have it outside, and we recieved a large amount of rain 2 nights ago and last night, and with how horrible the soil looked in the pot it was in I thought I better transplant it a little earlier than anticipated because I didn't want to risk root rot.

I put together Al's gritty mix and put this Jade into a 14" terra cotta pot. I think it looks wonderful and I am very excited for it to enjoy its new home :). It was pretty hard to clean up the roots as the dirt was caked on very well, but I think I did a great job at removing as much of the dirt as I could with picking around and using the hose.

I plan on doing pruning once new growth starts taking off again and I see that it has taken to the new mix. I figured I'd leave on what is there to help with the transplanting process. Let me know what you all think.

Here is a before and after picture to get the idea of what I did with this wonderful plant. I have a lot of cuttings if anyone is interested I'd just request that you pay for shipping and I can send you as many cuttings as you want. Some are pretty large.

Enjoy :)

Before

After

T

Al

I see what Al is saying (I did that with Jades and my Desert Rose)..."pugged" it or really (whacked)it. It is a very scary thing to do, cutting off that much. I was afraid I might have killed it it,lol...but it looked great once it leafed out and filled in. I don't blame you for not wanting to take too much off all at once.

Best of luck!

Josh

Brad

No need to wait, the choppers among us need immediate satisfaction, too.

Since the plant is going into semi-dormancy (with the higher ambient temperatures it won't be doing much growing), and, as Brad says, it's well nigh indestructible and not a shock hazard....

Taken 10-16-08

Almost 3 months later...1-3-09

that is nice jade; do you have more recent photo of it?
Rina

Here's one taken a couple of months ago...

Good going, Nance - as always. ;-)

YPA

looks great, healthy & nice color - gives me courage to chop mine considerably...

Rina

Good luck with whatever you decide to do Americangolden...looking forward to more pictures.

No time like the present right :-)?? I have begun pugging the plant, but ran into a roadblock. There is 2 big twisty branches that come off of one side. I'm not sure if I should cut it at the base trunk or just cut a portion off? Also if you see anywhere else that I should trim bet let me know.

Here is some pictures at different angles, maybe I can get some helping comments. Thanks everyone!

If it were mine, I would now remove any material that extends beyond the edge of the pot,
perhaps leaving an inch or two of overhang to preserve some of those great thick branches.
I like to "chase" the branches and foliage inward so that the canopy is balanced over the central
trunk. I do this for aesthetics, for winter management, and for plant stability.

It's completely your choice, of course.

Josh

Can you add a photo looking straight down on the plant?

Al

The plant looks really good now. Give it a year or so, and it will look great!

Rob

Just as an FYI, I'm going to use this thread as a primer for my new really, really sort-of-jejune show ' Large Canadian Jade Whack and Report'. While the one I got yesterday isn't as large as this one

it weighed about 26 kilos, including the craptastic soil it's in (but minus almost all of the leaves and floppy limbs).

Nancy

It's been a few weeks so I just wanted to post an update. The plant was looking pretty horrible to say the least, but earlier this week we got some much needed rain, and with the wonderful warm weather we have been having I have noticed the few leaves on the plant that I left on have plumped up and also lots of new growth!

The pictures aren't the greatest off of my phone, but hopefully you can see what I am talking about. I'll post an update again when I see some better growth that is picture worthy :).

You're Jade will recover nicely I'm sure.

Josh

Just posting an update again how the plant is coming along. It seems to be putting out a lot of new growth which i'm thankful for. I don't think I am going to do any pruning on this plant until next spring/summer as to let it fill out a bit.

Here's a quick picture from my phone this morning.

Josh

Does anyone have experience with having a Jade that large that bloomed before a whack and how it responds after. I am asking because the woman that sold this plant to me told me that it bloomed for her and it still had the dead flowers on it when I picked it up.

I am curious if it will still bloom after being whacked or if the plant needs time to recover enough energy to do so again? Thanks for anyone who can answer this.

I received some cuttings from a mature plant and my cuttings have bloomed for
the past two years I've had them. I know that the trimmed parent plant bloomed, too.

Josh

I took pictures at a few different angles this time to get a better view.

~Erin~

~Erin~

People cut their Jade's down for appearance, and for the main reason of helping the plant to be able to support the weight of the plant as it grows. When you chop the Jade down you promote new growth, and reduce the stress on the plant of all the heavy weight from the leaves. This plant is full of water so when they get big they can get heavy. If the trunk of the plant is unable to support the canopy and branches it could topple over or branches might break off.

I'm sure others can give a better explanation, but I think this will give you the information you are looking for. If you type in Jade Whack or terms along that in the search bar on this forum you will find lots of information to read about on this procedure.

Whacking Jades is done to manage the weight/growth of the plant and for aesthetics.
Many of us, myself included, are fascinated by the thick trunk and the interesting bark
as the plants age, so we like to lift the skirt, as it were, to show off the legs.

Pruning also allows us to select "pads" of foliage to grow in bonsai fashion, and helps
to maintain the look of compact foliage (as opposed to etoliated, gangly, or dangling
branches).

For a long time, there was talk that pruning Jades might also encourage thickening of the trunk.
Well, the jury's still out on that one, so I've dropped it from my rationale....but it was once a
thought that occurred to many of us.

Josh

Whacking Jades is done to manage the weight/growth of the plant and for aesthetics.
Many of us, myself included, are fascinated by the thick trunk and the interesting bark
as the plants age, so we like to lift the skirt, as it were, to show off the legs.

Pruning also allows us to select "pads" of foliage to grow in bonsai fashion, and helps
to maintain the look of compact foliage (as opposed to etoliated, gangly, or dangling
branches).

For a long time, there was talk that pruning Jades might also encourage thickening of the trunk.
Well, the jury's still out on that one, so I've dropped it from my rationale....but it was once a
thought that occurred to many of us.

Josh

im curious about pruning, particularly near the top, could/should you continually prune/reduce the new growth too? or just let it grow out altogether, as it WAS hit pretty hard from its original shape, ..not sure i'd have had the....'marbles',? lol

my problem when visualizing for 'style' (particularly on a specimen that size) is: i always tend to look at the plant with what would result in the 'best cutting material' in mind, almost as much as simply regarding the pruning of the parent.
w/that in mind i can (also) easily think in terms of that concept in stages, ie: 'next year these areas will make great cuttings'.

btw AG, have you identified your munching-marauder?
and,, where in the world did you find all the pots for the cuttings??
keep up the great work! :)
ss

It seems to make sense to me that if you restrict upward growth and focus it elsewhere, you'll see increased growth there (ie: the trunk). I'm still learning though, so there is plenty of room for error.

As for deciding where to cut...I have yet to learn how to envision what I want, so I just cut what looks "bad" and hope it turns out nice. Definitely not recommended, I'm sure!

Jeni

lenle,
Sometimes the best way is to make some cuts, and step back before you do more. I've been learning myself, and see where I could have made better cuts, but as it has been stated before. Jade plants are very forgiving, and as long as you give them the care they need you will be able to get the results you want in time.

Jeni

I think you may have hit the nail on the head because there are so many squirrels where I live. I wish that I could do something to keep them away from my Jade plants besides making the cage around them, but until we sell this house and move somewhere else it's what I have to do :-). Atleast now I know what is eating my poor plants. Thank you for the info.

My old Crassula isn't quite as neat as that. But I love it when they get all woody. They look like wise old plants with much life experience!

Here's mine.

Yours is very nice, aswell, shadeslinger. Sorry I cannot offer advice! I am sure someone will.

Top section for a start twist and remove some of the most inward foliage on each branch and before you know it you'll see what you want.

I'd be happy to share cuttings once the weather warms up :). Send me an email because I have lots of plants that will be ready this spring.

Weather is warming up and I am working on whacking this Jade down a bit before it goes outdoors for the summer.

Here is what I chopped off last night. Also, the last picture is where I am contemplating chopping off. Yes or no?? Or any suggestions of branches to chop. Thanks GW :)

Before

After

Potential cuts

Located in Toronto, Canada btw

Josh

Sorry for the late response, but if you are still curious on what to do with your plant I can give you some suggestions.

If you want to keep the plant in the pot it is in I would suggest cutting off any branches that are hanging downward.

If you plan on repotting your plant, you could remove everything and see what you have. Any branches that can be repotted facing up would work, or you can make cuts on longer limbs that would be able to be repotted upright.

The main things you want to go for are eliminating any downward facing branches and try to get the plant into better sunlight. A Jade that is in a good amount of light will grow upright towards the sun and the leaves will also be more compact. The large green leaves that you have on your plant are growing that size to help gather sunlight.

Good luck!

Josh

I just went outside and snapped a picture of the new colorful growth :-).

Josh