When you want to make jade plants grow fast, it all comes down to providing ideal growing conditions and avoiding things that stunt their growth. In Southern California, jade plants (Crassula ovata, formerly Crassula argentea, USDA hardiness zones 10-11) grow so widely and well that they're often used as hedge shrubs. They thrive there because the climate is warm, temperate and sunny, much like the plant's native Australia.
Elsewhere, jade plants are more likely to be indoor plants. No matter where you live, get your jade to grow quickly by understanding its growing cycle and plant requirements. Over time, indoor and outdoor jade plants can grow up to 5 feet tall.
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Things You'll Need
Water soluble 10-20-10 fertilizer
How to Make Jade Plants Grow Fast
Step 1: Keep the Temperature Ideal
Keep jade plants in a temperate environment that most closely resembles their natural habitat. Jade plants do best with daytime temperatures of 65 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit and nighttime temperatures 10 degrees cooler. If you live in a place with winter frosts, you should move your jade plant indoors for the winter when temperatures fall to 40 and move it back outside when temperatures warm in the spring. You can also grow it indoors all the time.
Step 2: Find a Sunny Spot
Choose a sunny spot for your jade plant. Outdoor jade plants thrive in full sun to partial shade. Place indoor jade plants in a draft-free room since cold can slow their growth. Put the plant in an area where it receives bright, filtered sunlight, preferably from a south-facing window, for at least four hours a day (more is better). If you can't provide this much light, get a grow light and turn the light on your jade plant.
Step 3: Apply Fertilizer Regularly
Fertilize your jade during the growing season so that it gets ideal nutrition. Use a diluted water-soluble houseplant fertilizer every two months from April to October.
Step 4: Water When Needed
Water jade plants deeply and wait to water them again until the soil almost dries completely during the growing season. That could be once per week or less often depending on how quickly the soil dries. Water your plant until the soil is drenched and water flows through drainage holes in the bottom of your pot. In the dormant season, you won't need to water as often. Filtered or distilled water is ideal since jade plants are sensitive to salt that can be in tap water.
Step 5: Plan for Winter Dormancy
Understand that jades go through a winter resting phase during which your plant will not grow from November to March and this is normal. Expect jade to begin growing again in spring.
Step 6: Choose a New Pot
Repot container jade every two to three years. Choose a container that is one size larger than the one currently holding your plant. Since jade plants tend to be top heavy, a wide, heavy pot is ideal to give the plant stability.
Step 7: Repot Your Jade Plant
Fill the pot halfway with a potting mix formulated for cactus and succulent plants. Then remove your jade from its container by grasping the trunk and pulling up. Inspect the roots of your jade and trim any damaged ones with pruning shears. Place the jade in the new container. Fill in the top of the container with more potting mix. Water the plant to settle the soil once you've repotted.