I think the wood-looking stalks come with age...how old/how big is your plant? Do you have any pics you could share?

I'm not sure how old my Jade is, maybe you can tell by looking at it. I received it from my mother-in-law a couple of weeks ago. It's about 6" tall. It's still a baby I think. Well compared to many of the other ones I've seen here. I have it outside in my screened-in back porch facing south and it gets lots of light all day. I have only watered once since I got it and have read that I should continue to water infrequently and continue to let it get as much light as possible. Also, the temps get around 40 at night so I've been leaving it out. I'm guessing it's too young for flowers though. Thanks for any help you can give.

{{gwi:485205}}

{{gwi:485207}}

Those look like cuttings off of an adult tree. They're very young, so it will take a while to get them to be "tree-like" (not sure how long, but definitely yearS). If you're eager to have those woody branches, they do sell them in nurseries at different ages. I recently saw one that is pretty large and beautiful with thick woody branches (and many of them) for about $30. That's quite pricey but if you lack patience like I do, I think it's a good deal for such a large specimen. But it's also fun to grow one from a baby :-)
Good luck with it,
Gabi

Thanks Gabi,
I am actually thinking a great deal of buying an older one, and continue to grow my baby. I've taken 2 leaf cuttings to make more babies but would definitely love an older one. Do you know if they sell them at Home Depot or Lowes? Thanks again,
Tricia

Wait, my jade has many little stalks coming out of the pot - is that many plants or just one plant? If so, I ever have to separate them?

A woman at work has one that's just one stalk. It's pretty woody and its leaves feel thicker and sturdier than mine (mine are kind of tender). Is that b/c hers is older or b/c mine is overwatered (it came that way, I'm not overwatering it now!)?

Tricia,
I think you can try HD or Lowe's, although I haven't seen any there lately. But different stores have different plants. I would try those stores, and if you have no luck there, try a local garden center. Otherwise, wait until Spring, when they start selling a lot more plants. But you should have NO trouble finding an adult one.

Ophelia,
I'm not sure how to answer your question. Does your plant look like Tricia's? If they are separate stalks then yes, they are separate "plants" in a way. They are most likely not attached. But if it's one pot, it's one plant :)
You don't have to separate them. I have a tree-like plant, it's pretty huge (about 2 and 1/2 feet tall from the soil line to the top of the plant, in an 18" diameter pot), and I have a bunch of different "stalks" in the pot. It depends on your taste. Some people like just one thick tree-like stalk. I like a full pot. You don't ever NEED to separate them, but you'll need to repot into bigger pots as they grow. As to why your plant is not thick-leaved and sturdy, I have no clue. You'd have to post a pic and/or give a full description of what it looks like, how often you're watering, what kind of soil it's in (hopefully fast-draining), how much light it's getting, does the pot have a drainage hole (hopefully it does!), etc. If it came overwatered, let it dry out and don't water until it's COMPLETELY dry, and even then don't water! Depending on where you live, you should probably be watering it at most once a month. Keep it coldish and in bright sun. If it really appears weak and overwatered, I wouldn't water it until Spring. Also, if it's young, then it obviously won't be as woody as an older one. But if you can, post a pic...that would be very helpful.

Gabi

"As to why your plant is not thick-leaved and sturdy, I have no clue"

Sun is the key. I don't think you will get the sturdy bark like trunk unless you give your plant full sun all year. Being in zone 9, shouldn't be a problem. Just keep it DRY in the winter. Plus it will bloom for you if you keep it outside.