How do you encourage a jade plant to grow branches?

sunnydog1994

9 years ago

How do you encourage a jade plant to grow branches? I have read about pinching. Do you pinch the new growth or can you pinch the leafs? Thanks.

Featured Answer

tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)

9 years ago

Now is the time to turn your plant into one with a single trunk, if that's what you want. As it is now, it bifurcates (branches into a 'Y') too low to either be called a single trunk or for the branch on the right (in the picture) to look good as a branch as the plant matures.

The word 'pinching' can be misleading. It can mean literally pinching out all or some of the plant's apices (growing branch tips), or lopping off large segments of branches in order to change the shape of the plant and its growth habit from long and lank to short and shrubby.

How significant the response you get to pinching depends on the plant, when you pinch (where the plant is in its growth cycle - time of year), how healthy the plant is (how much reserve energy the plant has), and what the rate of current photosynthate (food) production is.

If you're looking to the future and want to maximize ramification (branch and leaf density), note the picture:
{{gwi:2127396}}

Pinch the left branch above the first pair of leaves. Two new buds will be activated in the axils (crotches) of the 2 leaves you left. In the circle, make sure there are only 2 branches forming a 'Y' inside the circle. It looks like there are at least 3, maybe more, emerging from close to the same point. This will create an ugly swelling and reverse taper in the trunk that will immediately catch the eye because it looks out of place; so, 2 branches at that point and prune those 2 branches back to 1 pair of leaves on each branch.

If you are more interested in building a specimen with an interesting trunk line, you probably need to do away with the entire right half of the 'Y' formed by the first 2 branches.

If you have interest in chasing this a little further, or have questions about how the plant is programmed to respond and how to control the response .......

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Comments (11)

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
9 years ago
show us a pic of yours.. ... and we can opine ..

maturity is key in this case...

ken
sunnydog1994
Original Author
9 years ago
Here's some pictures.

http://s1256.photobucket.com/user/sunnydog11/media/Mobile%20Uploads/20141203_233559.jpg.html
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sunnydog1994
Original Author
9 years ago
[URL=http://s1256.photobucket.com/user/sunnydog11/media/Mobile%20Uploads/20141203_233525.jpg.html][IMG]http://i1256.photobucket.com/albums/ii491/sunnydog11/Mobile%20Uploads/20141203_233525.jpg[/IMG][/URL]
sunnydog1994
Original Author
9 years ago
I got it this time. {{gwi:2127395}}
SpencerDT
9 years ago
If you find a sunnier window you will get more compact growth and smaller leaves. If you pinch a leaf off you should get a branch going where the leaf was. If you cut a branch you will normally get a set of branches going at the last node in opposite directions. Cutting will also encourage more branches further down the plant at other existing nodes that don't currently have branching.
sunnydog1994
Original Author
9 years ago
Thanks for the help.
deva33 Z8 Atlanta
9 years ago
Al,

I have 4-5 jades in one pot that I planned on seperating in the spring and getting into gritty mix. I would like to prune at least one of them to grow with a single trunk like you describe. So you agree with waiting until spring or should I do it now? I can post pictures if you'd like.

Thanks,
Deva
tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
9 years ago
If your plant is healthy and you're in the beginning stages of developing its framework, you can prune it back now if you like. The advantage of waiting is, your tree's main trunk will continue to develop thickness over the winter, so your tree will taper more and look older when you cut it back. Age or the illusion of age is almost always a + insofar as eye appeal is concerned. Also, it you wait until summer, everything happens faster.

Sometimes, there are things you can do to better prepare the plant for operations you plan on undertaking later. I know that's vague, but the variety of options available to the grower is pretty extensive and varies by plant and what you envision working toward insofar as the appearance of the composition. A picture would be helpful, but I don't know if it's appropriate to piggyback on SD's thread.

I'll let you decide that part, or maybe SD will give you the thumbs-up sign to post your pic, since it's pretty on topic.

Al
ginacongdon
7 years ago
My jade was Hugh! I cut branches off. Some are rotting. What should i do?
ewwmayo
7 years ago
Gina - I think you should start a new thread with your own photos and questions. =)