Oh, Mike, that is very impressive!
It looks to be a good year for blooming Jades. You deserve those blooms after all your work.
And that second Jade is massive, too. Well grown, sir.

Josh

WOW!!!!
Mamma looks Awesome! So excited for you and your blooms! Josh said it well! you deserve it after all your hard work! :-) So too much light was keeping it from blooming. Interesting!

I've read not to grow lettuce near street lights because it will continue to grow at night and not get it's rest to grow proper. Sounds like Jades are the same way.

I remember when you were sending out her cuttings, I had just joined garden web. :-) She helped start our friendship actually. ;-)
Tell her good job for me and she's beautiful!

Trunk on the other is neat! I love the color and papery look!

JoJo

This is interesting, and leads me to believe I may not get flowers on mine, although I'm sure it's too small this year anyway. Your plants are pretty!

Mike, your Jades are amazing. Love the variegation and blooms..Beautiful!

So, you're saying short days forced your Jade to bloom? Toni

He put her in a more natural setting so she gets some rest and has the energy to bloom. makes good sense.

JoJo

Hey Jojo, Purple, Josh and Toni! Thank you so much.

You know, many here keep talking about a plant in it's natural environment doing well. So i figured that if I put a little thought and work into it, I would provide what is as close as I could to it's natural ability to flower.

I do know in nature, like in Calif. for those whom have no problem with theirs, they have no light other than sunlight and at this time of the year, even there the days get shorter prompting buds. Sort of the treatment my CC like too.

I still have no idea whether if temps come into play, but I can say it's near a big window that probably cools that immediate area although the temps at work are kept at a constant 70 degrees.

Jojo...You are so right about even street lights. I could never get my CC or TC to bloom even if kept in my north facing windows which face my driveway lights.

I am very excited about this plant! I have no idea where the babies of this mother plant is or even how they look, but hopefully a few here can give me an update as promised back when and even get some flowers like I did.

I am curious about the bark color on everyone's too? I am wondering if the bark on all their plants is turning to a nice bright color?

I have a cutting for you and I think I will start one for Purple and any other kind person that I might of missed. Please remind me:-)

Thanks again my friends!

Mike

Those are beautiful! Any tips you want to share about getting them to grow? I just purchased my first Jades about a month ago. They are doing good, but I want them to eventually look similar to yours!

As usual, good job, my friend!!! My cutting you gave me last January gave me some trouble at first, the bottom section got soft and fell off, I had to reroot, but finally took, and this is how it looks now...

Christopher

I lost my cutting. :-(

LOOKS GREAT Christopher!

Allan, Mike will be more than happy to share tips when he gets back by this thread. :-)
He's also a good person to get some pointers on for a mix for them. ;-) You asked in your other thread. ;-) Many of us use a gritty mix.

JoJo

Hi Jojo..Long time no see..Hope everything is okay...

Toni

Yipeeeeeee another zone 5 jade success.Very Very Nice bud display Mike.

Be a bit careful,mind full if you choose to use cold to warming temps to push or delay a Jades flowering.

Mike,
Congrats on the blooms! I'm still working on getting mine to bloom. I'm even putting them outside in this cooler weather during the day. Someday I hope to get blooms.
Your other plant is looking good too. A pot with more room might encourage a little more growth.

Rob

Allan, thank you! The key to good healthy jades is to plant them in a gritty mix.

My jades love to be watered and fed all year long. Some go outside in full sun, while others are kept inside all year.
Some go under lights too to keep them in rapid growth all winter. I never let them dry to the point of wilt.

Chris! Wow. What a great job! It looks fantastic and I love the looks of it. Thanks. You never know what surprise in color lurks every time a new leaf appears.

Oh Jojo. no worries, there is plenty more where it came from. I ma starting one for you as we speak. We'll get you back on track:-0)

Thanks Wes...Yipeeee is right!

Rob, hello:-)
The ZZ is doing real good. It's greening up very nicely now. Very shiney!
I'm afraid to pot that in a bigger pot. I don't think I will be able to ever put it anywhere except at work:(
I'd love to donate it to someone that could just plop it right into their yard. It will never see the insides of my home. It's already too darn big.

Mike

Mike, it took time...it looked like this not long after you gave it to me...quite a difference!

Christopher

Hey, everyone! Nice to see you here.

The first Jade to ever bloom for me was, infact, a cutting from Mike's beautiful motherplant.
I was doubly excited, since it was a cutting from a friend from a unique variegated Jade.....
and it was my first bloom, the Holy Grail of Jade-growers in colder climates.
Here it was, back in January of 2010:

{{!gwi}}

Goodness guys!

First off Chris, the before and after pictures are so drastic. Amazing work. You know, I thought I was going to have to start you another. I can't believe how well you did.
Chris, if you get yours to flower, then my treat next time we hit D.D's..lol

Josh! I feel honored man. I am so happy it did that for you. You know, I hope you get the ones I send you soon to do the same. Imagine, something like a Red Horn tree or some other sort of rare jade blooming? I wonder if Ben has ever got any of his to bloom?
If you do get any of the ones I send you to bloom first a first time, I will send you a gift card to your favorite restaurant pal.

Mike

Hey, Mike! Just getting them to bloom would be reward enough, hahaha.
Thanks for all you do and for sharing the wealth of this Jade with so many of us.
'Tis the Season to Give Thanks!

Josh

Mike,
Good to hear the ZZ is doing well. I knew it was in good hands. I'd love to see a pic if you get a moment. Did yours lose any leaves? Both of mine have had leaves die off, but many have said it's normal.
I have the same problem with lack of room and too many plants.

Rob

Oh Mike!
Lots of worries! LOL! I have so been dreading having to tell you i had lost that cutting! Feels good to let it out! LOL!!! Phew!
Thanks for starting a new one! ;-)

JoJo

Hello!

I thought I'd share some pics of the buds getting ready to open on a few of my Jades.
It's been a remarkable year for blooms. I didn't do anything differently, and so I have
no tips to share I'm afraid. I suppose it was just the perfect combination of weather,
water, and light occasional fertilization.

This first Jade is a cutting I received from John in Oregon a couple years back.
It has bloomed every year for me. Mike now has two pieces of this Jade, and I hope it will begin
to bloom for him next year. I re-potted this Jade when I separated pieces for Mike.
Lookin' good in its new digs! I think Jeffrey would approve of this shorty ;-D

{{gwi:703840}}


{{gwi:703843}}


Next up is a 'Crosby's Compact' from Mike. A few of the branch-tips are showing buds.
I sure wasn't expecting this, but the plant is certainly large enough to be considered "mature."
I'm really glad I didn't prune harder! See second image for a fuller shot of the whole plant.

{{gwi:703846}}


{{gwi:703850}}


And last but not least, this is the mutation known as Crassula ovata 'Denethor,' found by
Glen (gmaculata), and sent to me by Mike. It is notable for its ridged, variable leaves,
as well as its predisposition to bloom early...as can be seen! I'm very excited by the hints
of red that I see on the buds!!!

{{gwi:703853}}



Josh

Nice work, Josh!

Christopher

Thank you, Sir!
I have to give these plants all the credit....! ;-)
If only there were a magic tonic!

Josh

Thank you everyone for sharing pictures. They all look great! I hope to check back in soon and see pictures of blooms :-).

Hey Rob! Thank you. I find that plant takes up no room at all and enjoy's the unlit places in my greenhouse:-)

Jojo..Oh, how I love to share with you. Now, you just have to promise me you will stick around and let NOTHING get between you and your wonderful plants before I send a package:-)?

Josh...MY GOODNESS!

I knew it! I should of left a few more of mine in my plant room which gets no light after sundown! I just know that if I left them in conditions to set bud like my CC and other jades, they would of flowered. Maybe I can even get my variegated 'gollum' or 'Hobbit', and other tough to aquire plant to flower"? Or maybe you can? Hum
You know I have two more 'Gargoyle' that I am actully going to take out from the lights and force bloom.

What a great job! You have the magic touch man and I love the way they look. Nice work as Chris said:-)

Josh, yes the two pieces I have have already rooted! Lots of watering a very porous mix, and lots of light has done the trick. I even love the color of them. Almost an orange color. I will post soon:-0)

Josh, i have a surprise for all! For teh very first time after 20 or more years, my HUGE jade is starting to bud out with my treament! I am taken back or even shocked. Never in my life did I ever think this one would flower. I will start a new thread on that one since I think this plant deserves his own space:-)

Great job again! Thank you for sharing these lovely pics. Yes, once they open, I would love to see them.

Mike

Josh! How cool! Blooms for you too! I LOVE IT! Can't wait to see you and Mikes blooms open!!
The Crassula ovata 'Denethor,' is interesting! Very different.

Mike.. I promise. :-) not to let things get between my plants or friends. JoJo

Wow, I didn't even know they flowered. I have had my Jade since 1986 in a spongeware bowl with handle. Got it as a housewarming gift from an Aunt. All I know about them is that I was told they like small containers. It is only about 6-8" all around. I have never repotted, as I also heard they don't like that. I keep in a north-western window sill and it never gets direct sun. I never knew they could flourish like the ones I've seen pictured.

Please give me some basic cares instructions so I can start improving this little guy. He is a uniform green, no variegations at all. I also have one of his 'babies" currently rooting in water.

I am in zone 6, southwestern Ohio.

Not an expert, but I think you can encourage flowering by giving your jade a low nitrogen and high phosphorous and potassium fertilizer. Nitrogen is for building branches and roots, the other nutrients are for flowering and fruits.

...Or you can use a high Nitrogen fertilizer such as Foliage Pro 9-3-6 such as I do ;-)

Love2save, you'll want to put your Jade into direct light. During the Summer, put it outdoors
by gradually introducing it to stronger sunlight over the course of several weeks. But just so you know,
getting Jades to bloom is quite difficult without a greenhouse or a climate conducive to outdoor
growing, such as southern California. Exposing the plant to naturally lengthening dark periods can't hurt.

JoJo, I'll be updating with pics for sure! ;-)

Mike, I'm glad the pieces have rooted so fast. I knew the little guy had roots starting, but I didn't
know if the longer cutting would root...I bet it was pretty dehydrated from so much time in the box!
Post pics when you can! Also excited to see your big Jade in bloom.

Josh