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The Jade Plant originated in South Africa, and has been grown as a house plant in Europe and America for a hundred years.
How to Grow and Care for Your Jade Plant
Crassula argentea
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Generally, Jade plants are very easy and productive plants to grow, provided that their needs are understood and met.
Jades and all other members of the Crassula family are succulent plants, in that they have the ability to store water in their leaves, stems and roots.
Growing Requirements for Jade Tree Plants
Jade plants should be grown in very bright sunlight with low humidity.
Jades will sunburn if they are suddenly moved from subdued lighting to full sun, so if your plant is accustomed to dimmer light, be sure to move it into the sun in gradual stages.
Jade plants prefer a moderate environment with temperatures between 55°F at night and 75°-80°F during the day.
Jade Trees will, however, tolerate temperatures down to 40°F.
They should be repotted every two to three years, using a quality commercial potting soil mixed 50/50 with coarse builders sand, with a scoop of bone meal added.
The optimum soil Ph for growing Jade Plants is 6.5
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Jade Trees have an active and a dormant growing cycle.
Watering and feeding should be determined by this growing cycle.
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During the spring and summer months keep the soil slightly moist.
Water liberally (a good soaking) once a week, then allow the potting mix to dry out completely before watering again.
Immediately remove any excess water from pot saucer.
Feed your Jade with a 10-20-10 or 5-10-5 ratio soluble plant fertilizer every two weeks.
(African Violet fertilizer works very well for most succulents.)
Keep your Jade Plant dry during the winter months while it is in dormancy.
Do not fertilize from November through the end of March!
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Blooming Jade Plants
Typically, all healthy, mature Jades will bloom (usually around Christmas in the northern hemisphere).
Their blooming is triggered by the natural shortening of the daylight hours.
If your Jade Tree is in a room that usually has lights turned on at night, it will
more than likely fail to bloom for you.
Find a suitable area that seldom has the lights on at night but receives good, natural light during the day.
Sometime in September or early October, move your Jade plants, your Christmas Cactus and last years Poinsettia into
their 'natural light' environment. |
Check on them now and then to be sure they
aren't stressed from lack of, or from excess water.
Your plants will know what to do from that point on....
Jade Plant
Crassula argentea
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