How to Help a Jade Plant That Froze

Jade plants are succulents and require little water.

Jade plants (Crassula argentea) are succulents that grow outdoors or indoors when provided appropriate light and care. A jade plant exposed to freezing temperatures for a short time may be salvageable, but jade plants sustaining several hours' exposure to freezing temperatures may not survive. Move your frozen jade plant indoors if possible. Trim away leaves and branches damaged by cold exposure. Observe the plant for a few days to determine its fate.

Things You'll Need

• Plant clippers or scissors
• Paper towels
• Potting soil suitable for succulents
• Pot with drainage hole at the bottom

Instructions

1. Move jade plants indoors. Protect jade plants too large to move by covering them with large plastic bags overnight when freezing temperatures are expected. Inspect the jade plants exposed to freezing weather for damage. Remove any black discoloration or mushy soft spots on the leaves of your jade plant. Cut off severely damaged leaves. Wipe away accumulated moisture from the leaves and branches. Observe your jade plant for a few days for signs of recovery.

2. Re-pot your jade plant if it is waterlogged or its soil is soaked. Fill a new pot approximately one-third full with fresh potting soil for succulents and cacti. Remove the jade tree from its original pot. Absorb as much moisture from the root ball as possible with paper towels and shake loose sodden soil around the roots. Fill in the pot with more soil until the soil surface reaches about one inch below the pot rim. Avoid packing the soil down to allow air circulation. Place the jade tree in an indoor location providing bright but indirect sunlight and consistent temperature between 65 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit.

3. Observe your jade plant for emerging signs of frost damage. Remove damaged areas of the plant as they appear. Care for your jade plant as normal, but be careful to avoid overwatering, which can cause root rot and damage similar to the freeze damage. Monitor the plant for signs of new growth. Replace your plant if the entire above-ground plant is damaged or drops all of its leaves.

Tips & Warnings

• Jade plants can survive in near-drought conditions. It's better to underwater than to overwater jade plants.

• Ensure that pots for jade plants have drainage holes.

• Don't allow water to accumulate in pot saucers.

• Remove damaged branches and leaves from large frost-damaged jade plants that cannot be moved inside.

• Jade plants cannot tolerate freezing temperatures for more than an hour or so. Your plant may not be revived if it freezes overnight.

References

• North Dakota State University Extension Service: Questions on Jade Plants

Resources

• Redwood Barn Nursery: Frost Protection in the Garden