Photo 2

Photo 3

I would also recommend you to read about gritty soil, yours has too much peat which promotes rot. I also think you don't need such a huge pot( does it have a drainage hole?). I understand that you picked that pot to balance the plant. But after pruning you don't need such a huge pot. Generally jades have very shallow root system, so big pot+peat leads to rot. Unglazed clay pots are better choice to dry up quickly. It is better to choose pot according to root mass.

Inna

Thank you!

The 'Josh Explains 'This is how I do it'link is super helpful. Just what I needed : photos. Do you recommend that I trim to such an extreme? Its end of June. I live in northern BC - so summer is short and not super warm - but long days.

I got the big pot b/c my local plant-store-guy told me to. The original pot was 7" wide x 7" tall. The root ball filled he entire pot. The new pot is 12" wide x 11" tall. What size do you recommend?

I understand now - without the right soil I am asking for trouble (I bought premade cactus soil). Of the ingredients I see people using on this forum: Turface, Pumice, Pine Bark, Perlite ...Perlite is the only thing I've seen in local stores. Does anyone have a source for ordering in these soil ingredients?

Someone north of me? Congrats! I'm in Kamloops - where are you?

Crassula ovata (jade plant) does most of its growing in spring and fall. Contrary to what many folks think, summer isn't its favourite season, as it doesn't like hot weather to grow it, but will obviously tolerate it quite well.

The Turface website does cover both Canada and the US using the store locator, but if the choices are few, sieve your premade stuff to get the timber out of it, cut the remaining soil by 50% with perlite, add top dressing (optional, but it stabilizes your mix from moving around on top when being watered).

I'd give it no more than 2" ball of growing room around the pot, but you can use a bigger pot, you just have to be more judicious in your watering and when it's done.

Did you wash off old soil completely ? That is the first thing to do. Let it dry,remove all brown,rotten hollow roots w/sterile knife and sprinkle cinnamon . Let it dry,it won't harm to be unpotted. I order turface on eBay, reptibark in petco. You did not mention where you live, maybe someone will help you to locate the ingredients.

Inna

My apologies, I haven't notice that you live in canada. Jeff gives you a great advice

Inna,

If they're hollow/rotten, no such measures are needed. It's only when they're living and need to be cut or are damaged (and not removed prior to planting) that the fungicidal treatment you recommend is needed.

Jeff,

You are absolutely right, I still do it just in case;)

I live in Smithers, BC. Thanks for all the input. I'm new at this but LOVE my jade.

So here's what I gather:
1. I should have washed off the old soil before transplanting and let the roots dry with cinnimon? Is this true even though there is no rot that I know of?
2. I need to get a smaller pot. Maybe 9"-10" wide?
3. I need to fix my soil. Thanks Ines for the ebay tip! Do I mix 1 part turface, pine bark, lave rock and perlite?
4. Once I have my new pot and soil in place - I should go ahead and trim even though it is summer?

MM

A last question...shipping is expensive to Canada on Ebay.Can I trim it now but repot/change the soil at the end of July without harming the plant? Or should I wait to trim until soil is in place? I am traveling to the States in July and can bring it back with me.

Sure, cut it up like a dance floor and don't water it much. It will be OK, but expect it to prosper in the fall when the soil is more to its liking.

OK - I ll post photos after the cutting is done. I need a day to get my wits about me and my courage up.

I understand what to do, but I can't quite do the cuts on my big jade. So I am starting with a practice Jade that is also top heavy.

Here it is before the cuts.

After cuts. Need to cut more? Need to cut closer to the main stem?

A close up of one of my cuts...

If it were mine, would cut a LOT more off, closer to the main stem, certainly. I would trim about another 50% off the top, at least.

Christopher

OK. Thanks. I will cut more. Do i cut it right to the main stem or leave one node out?

An aside question: what do the nodes growing closer or further apart indicate?

MM

i always cut just above the node that i want to be the end of that branch. the little extra will dry up and fall off.

the distance between the nodes is and indication of the light level. close nodes is an indications of sufficient light. more than say a half inch between nodes means your plant needs more light. some of us can not provide enough natural light all year long, so we prune yearly or so.

hope that makes sense
Doug

Thank you Doug. That does make sense to me.

Jeff,
that was awful nice of you to link that ol' Jade trimmin' Thread :-)
Here's an update on that small-leaf Jade....and yes, I wish I had pruned harder!

....and here are the cuttings that I rooted after pruning the plant.
These Jades are grown hard - lots of sun, not much water, and very little fertilizer.

Josh,

It wasn't just nice, it was essential, my good man. You are rapidly becoming the educative recipient of all my jade questions, Teach, and I doff my toque (oops, it's summer, that's straw hat) to you.