Rooting Jades

18 years ago

Ok. I waited over a month for my jade cuttings to produce even 1 root. I was told on here,from what I read to leave them in an empty clay pot and they would develope 'air roots',then I was to pot them up. Well nothing has sprouted out,and the tips on the 'Red Lips' variety has dropped most of its growth tips, the newest tiny leaves. The 'Morgans Beauty' is just starting to shrivel. So i have potted them up into 1 pot all together in my very good cactus soil that is 90% pumice and 10% peat. So it drains super fast. I even dipped them into rooting hormone powder.

Why didnt they send out these 'air roots' that I was waiting for?. It was well over a month since they were cut from the main plants...since I got them. So now they are potted up. I even watered them. They are big thick stems, and I even had to take cuttings off them to make them stand up. And put them all in the same pot together. So it is 2 big cuttings and 3 smaller ones in a 6in pot. I have put them outside in the shade,under a small table so they wont get wet from a passing shower. This is the only water they are going to get till i see growth or roots out the bottom.

I know I have to watch for rot. But they were not putting out any of these roots I was told to look for,and they were starting to shrivel up. And I paid way to much for them, to let them die. So...any hints now that they are potted in this soil all together? Other than not to water them again. I know SOME will say I shouldnt have watered them when I potted them up.

But I remembered that I rooted 2 very nice,and big now, Jade 'Gollums',I think thats how you spell it. And I took those cuttings off a plant and just stuck them into poor soil and they rooted in weeks. I repotted them into the good cactus soil now,and they are taking off,and are nice big specimens.

So..have I committed the ultimate sin in rooting Jades? Or did I wait long enough and since I didn't get any roots on them, and it was time for soil?

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Comments (7)

birdsnblooms
18 years ago
Hi Floridabear..You did the right thing..I've rooted many Jades over the years via leaves and stems..Some people say to let callous before potting, but I've never once rooted Crussula's this way..
I rooted Crussulas by sticking a leaf/stem in soil, and then, WATERED. Kept in medium light...so far never lost a cutting..
Hopefully, your Jade will root and grow into a beautiful succulent..Toni
jabowman78
18 years ago
That's how I do it, also. I have found it's best to just let them dry and pot them up and trust nature to take it's course. Remember the plant *wants* to live. =]
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greenman28 NorCal 7b/8a
18 years ago
Yeah, larger cuttings sometimes take longer to root.

Post pictures if they survive!

Good luck!

Josh
floridabear
Original Author
18 years ago
Well they are definately calloused over. But when no roots showed up on the stems,that were suppose to appear,I decided they needed to go into soil. I did put them all in one pot. If they root and thrive. I will have a lot of 2 totally different jades in 1 pot,unless I unpot them and put them in seperate pots?? Is that to much for new rooted cuttings to take?
dragonfly2008
18 years ago
Sounds to me like you are on the right track.
Also, regarding the two types in one pot, they should be ok. My experience is that jades are pretty tough.
As for watering them, I think you did the right thing - especially since they are outside - even if they are in the shade, they can dry out from the wind, etc. My very large, very old, jade plant loves being outside in the summer (I live in the frigid north) and when outside, it dries out pretty quickly even though it is mostly in the shade. My potting mix is nothing fancy - just a little spagnum peat moss, a little coarse vermiculite and LOTS of perlite. I don't necessarily recommend this potting mix, it is just what my plant has gotten used to over the years.
floridabear
Original Author
18 years ago
I mentioned the watering because some people here told me to not to pot them up at all..then they said if I do pot them up, dont water them at all...then if I water them to only add a tiny bit to barely get the soil damp. I had to soak them to get water to the bottom of the cuttings. But now that they are potted and watered,I wont water again until I see roots or new growth. Of course it has been raining like crazy since the day I potted them up. But I have them under a little table to protect them from all the rain. Or they would be soaked and floating way by now!
Between the high humidity and the first watering, they will either root or rot. Since my experience has been they will root...I will wait a few weeks and then look for roots.
Like I said, my 'Gollums' rooted fast and now that I have this great cactus soil, those are growing big and fast. They were struggling before. But now they are taking off. And I am told they are so hard to grow. Mine are doing great.
puglvr1
18 years ago
Hi floridabear,

Just wondering if you have any updates on how your Jades are doing? I hope they have rooted for you...