How to Care for a Jade Plant

Jade plants (also known as Jade trees) are great house plants but they can be difficult to manage. Follow these tips and tricks and your plant will thrive.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Plant Pot
• Potting soil
• Small bowl

1. Like all house plants, jade plants need light but not too much light. You can place your plant by a south window but make sure it doesn't get too much direct sunlight. I find that putting the plant near an east window works best.

2. Giving your jade the right amount of water is crucial to it's growth. Jades are succulent which means they retain the water you give them so you don't have to water them everyday. Their growing season starts in the spring and goes through the summer and this is when you want to water them the most. I tend to wait for the top layer of soil to dry up somewhat then water. In the winter months I usually only water once a week or less.

3. Jades are pretty particular when it comes to the soil they live in. You don't want it to be very acidic at all. Generally any potting soil you get from a store will do fine. I find that my jades like a little more clay added to the mix. Don't forget to re-pot your jades every few months. Even if you don't actually change the pot the new nutrient rich unpacked soil will do amazing things.

Tips & Warnings

• Use clay pots rather than plastic ones. Clay pots allow for air to move about the soil better.
• If the leaves get soft and squishy feeling stop watering from above and put the pot in a small bowl of water for about a week or until the leaves regain their stiffness.
• Talk to your plant. This might sound loony toons but it works. They like the attention and it gives you "someone" to talk to. Try this will all your plants.
• Try to keep water droplets off the leaves. They can concentrate sunlight and sunburn your plant.

[lizzystardust]

on 9/21/2009 I just wanted to know some additional tips. I have a jade that is a heritage plant from my Gram and my Mom kind of neglected it. It's down to 2 leaves when I got it, it had three. Any more advice on how to save it would be great. Thanks so much.

[Susang6]

on 5/3/2009 Useful tips for caring for a beautiful jade plant. These plants look great when used as an accessory to Asian decor.

[evgnspaces]

on 5/2/2009 Jade plants are a very nice plant friend.

[Gardengates]

on 4/15/2009 Good tips on the jade plant. This is a succulent (Crassula ovata) that can store water in its leaves and take drought, but don't forget to water it! All living things need water. It blooms with big pink-white popcorn blooms if you are lucky enough to be able to grow it outdoors in a frost free climate.

[NuttyMomma]

on 4/9/2009 thanks for the tips. i love jade plants.