I recently rooted some jade cuttings, too.
After I cut them, I let the cut ends callous over - I actually just set the cuttings on top of some sand on a cool windowsill. After about a month, I saw two or three little white roots emerging from the cutting.

Once I saw those roots, I potted the cuttings in a gritty, fast-draining medium. Then, I added some course sand to the top of the pots to help support the cuttings at the base. After potting, I lightly misted the sand to help the cuttings and the soil-mix settle. One week later, I gave the plants a light watering.

Basically, you should only water if the cutting has roots, otherwise it can't use the water. This is why I waited to see roots before potting. During potting, I was very gentle so that those roots wouldn't be harmed and subject to rot when watered later.

How long ago did you put the leaves in the pot?

Your cuttings are in the right place (SE window), but I would hold off on water (if they've only recently been potted).

Josh

I need to clarify, they have shoots, but since I didn't expect anything they were just laid on top of the dirt. They seem to have a good hold in the dirt now and I just don't want to do anything to soon and damage the tinder young roots. They are close together, it's been at least a 5 week process and I can wait. I just want to be right.

These aren't fragile plants, one needn't be super cautious. When I root these, I just place them on top of mix & leave them for quite some time. They'll either grow roots, or sometimes new leaves instead.

There's no great hurry to pot them up or right them right side up. They'll do whatever they need include set down the roots if left alone.

I've even just left leaves out on a warm windowsill, no pot, no mix, no nothing & they've started that way too!

To the OP who said they potted 6 leaves in a 5" pot. That's way too big, I'd pot them down smaller into clay pot (& personally I never use sand so I woudn't have done that; I think sand is asking for trouble). Just C&S mix & maybe 40% pumice or perlite.

Some make this too difficult than it should be. Rarely do you need to even pay attention to them. I like to take tip cuttings about 2 inches long and let set for a week or so. Then plant in my mix. About a week later I'll lightly mist the soil. I'll do it again in another week. Usually have roots by this time during the growing season. This time of year in a cool greenhouse it takes much longer.

Have a flat of Hummel's that have yet to push roots since they were taken in late November. They do look close to taking now though. Should have moved them to the house when I started them.

I prefer taking tip cuttings over leaf starts. Doesn't take as long to get a decent shaped plant.

Hey rjj1, What is the difference in tip cuttings, and leaf starts?

Thanks, Nana

"To the OP who said they potted 6 leaves in a 5" pot. That's way too big, I'd pot them down smaller into clay pot (& personally I never use sand so I woudn't have done that; I think sand is asking for trouble). Just C&S mix & maybe 40% pumice or perlite."

Pirate Girl, perhaps you didn't read what I wrote, or perhaps you misunderstood (which may be my fault):

Just to be clear.
I didn't use sand for the mix. I sprinkled sand on top of the soil medium to help hold the cuttings in place. A tablespoon of coarse sand. That's it. That's all. Hardly asking for trouble, in my opinion. In fact, there's probably significantly more sand in the jade's natural environment then there is in my tiny pots.

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Nana, I could see at least two reasons to use tip-cuttings:
1) Randy mentions you get a decent-shaped plant sooner, one with a bit of trunk (and some initial idea of how the thing might grow in the future).
2) The tip-cutting is vigorous, supple, maybe actively growing, whereas the leaf has to go through the process of making little jade-lets after it establishes roots.

Josh

Another thing about leaf starts. I've had variegated and Hummel's revert back to a regular green leaf ovata. I can't explain why a leaf would do that, but it has happened. That doesn't happen with a tip cutting.

randy

Well Josh, I apologize, I misunderstood, read too fast I guess. On re-reading, you DID say just sprinkled sand on the top. Still, I think it a bad idea (IMO), nor do I water in. One can settle the mix just by wacking the newly planted pot against the potting table once or twice.

But to each his own, & if it works for you ...

But to newbies, it can end up seeming (unnecessarily) too complicated.

Rjj,

I'm w/ you on this, the less fussy the better!

Alright, fair enough, I won't use any sand when I re-pot these little guys. And you're right, hope I didn't make it seem too complicated.

Josh

I thought a leaf start would give me a "clone" of the parent plant. I read this in an answer about the age of a plant. If the Jade is 12 years old how is the plant started from it's leaf cutting. Ideas on both people.

I don't understand what you're asking Jardenia, could you pls. rephrase the question(s)?

I was responding to rjj1 about the difference in his plant when it was started from a leaf. He said he didn't get the variagated and Hummel but a green leaf oveta. I thought a leaf start would produce a plant just like the one it came from. Variagated would still look the same, right?

Jardenia,

Thx for the clarification. Unfortunately, I don't know the answer to this Q.

Will hope that Norma sees this as she is particularly knowledgeable abt these plants (in prior times she has gone by the tag 'Crasulady'). If anyone can answer this, I'm guessing it'd be her!

I'm not sure what you want me to say that I haven't already said. One year I decided to start a bunch of plants from single leaves instead of tip cuttings. A small percentage of the plants that came from those leaf starts did not come true from their parent. They were a plain green leaf ovata instead of variegated or hummels. The variegated retained the shape they normally have, but not the color.

I didn't like the quality of the plants I got from leaf starts and they took too long to become anything of size.

It took me a few tries to get this pic in.

Here is a link that might be useful: