I doubt it, but I live in SoCal where they grow like weeds outdoors. I've never known one to be much distressed by pruning or repotting. On the other hand, when I was in Texas, where winters were too cold to keep them outside all year, I considered jade a finicky exotic.

It should be fine. Just don't water until you see signs of new growth. Too much water is a Jades worst enemy.

Hi Christy,

I repotted and trimmed mine at the same time. But keep in mind I live in Florida. I "whacked"(removed all the leaves) the end of Oct of last year. Four or five weeks later there was a lot of new growths. My jades doesn't grow in the summer for me. I assume because it is way too hot and humid. I have noticed that my jades have a much better growth during fall and winter. Our spring here is very short, our spring weather feels more like summer for us.

Good luck with your jade!

Thanks! I have another question then. If you wack them back in the fall, it won't bloom will it? And puglvr1, I've lived in Florida my whole life. I was very suprised to find that it is HOTTER up here in the summer than Florida ever was!! I've lived in Tallahassee, Orlando and Miami :) I would never have guessed, either!! Thanks for the advice, we're quickly approaching warmer weather, so I'll go ahead an 'wack' away! Christy

Christy,

Who knew there was somewhere hotter than Miami in the summer. Wow!!

Mine's never bloomed for me. I have had it only a little over a year. Perhaps it wasn't cold enough here consistently. We had a very mild winter here, with the occasional cold nights. It just wasn't cold all the time. I heard it needs several weeks of cold (not freezing) weather for it to bloom. Just didn't happen this year. I would be very surprised if I will every see blooms here.

There are people that posted that they trim it around 1st of September and it blooms for them by January or so. Just don't prune it too late like I did (Oct.30).Your weather gets cold enough you will probably see blooms in the winter.

Here's the link where I posted before and after pics of my "Whacked" Jade tree. Just in case you haven't seen it. Good luck and post some pics when you're done.

Here is a link that might be useful: Another Whacked Jade (pics)

Keep it in the pot for a long time, squeese it's toes, fertilize, prune by Oct 1. Mine has been in the same pot for years, I do fertilize with Bayer's Bloom product, they set flowers on new growth in the winter, I water it very little in the summer and let it go dormant. They like cool weather at night, love the fog, (do not like high humidity),so really don't need extra water, must be kept dry. If you live in a cold zone then keep it dry in the winter, it WILL NOT like wet toes and cold at the same time. Many come back after freezing even, as reported from my friend in So. Enland. Give a lot of full sun GRADUALLY. Pruning thickens the trunk, and the roots grow stronger, which will benefit the top. The cold at night a dry will color up the new leaves. As you learn, you will be telling us all the new tricks I hope. Norma

My father in law has had a large one for years in Orlando. That sucker blooms every winter!! My husband plucks a flower every time he sees it to spite me :) So puglvr, I think yours could flower. I don't know if it is cold that triggers the flowering as much as the change in light. But what do I know, mine has never flowered!!! Thanks for the advice Norma, I didn't intend to repot mine this year, but had too. I used fine sand when I potted to begin with, and realized later that I needed coarse sand. So the soil was like cement. I waited until now to change it out. Hopefully it will become potbound through the summer and possibly flower!! If not, it is in a better position for next year :) Thanks again!!! Christy

Hi all, I live in minnesota and I have a jade that looks just like the one in puglvr1 pic,if I pruned it, and thanks for the pic now I know just how to prune it. I was going to prune mine when I could take it out side, late may or early june, frost free and also was going to put it in a smaller pot, I read they like to be pot bound..all of you talk about pruning in the fall can I prune now in the spring to start shaping it, with no harm to it and then again in the fall to get it to flower?? thank you all for any help...

Hi Christy,

Thanks for letting me know about your Father's Jade blooming in Orlando, I only live an hour and a half south of him. That gives me some hope that I will see blooms someday. :o)

Hi Emerald,

The only reason I pruned mine in the fall is because of my weather. Tht is the time of the year that mine grows, when it is a little cooler. It is way too hot here in the spring and summer and does not grow much if any. We are already in the mid 80's this week and its only March. Since you live in a colder climate I would think it should be okay to prune it now. Have you noticed what time of the year you see growth from your Jade? Some people see it during spring and summer.

Maybe someone with more expertise will give you more advise. Good luck!!

I am different than many of you here. I hope it's not because I am not covered:-) A joke is a joke but my jades are grown different than anyones else's here. I do not add any sand, any gravel, I just mix whatever I have in bags. Could be cow manure, could be sheep manure, could be peat moss, and/or all mixed, etc. I just never paid attention to it. I do water my jades, I don't let them be too thirsty. I prune them whenever I see something that I don't like, which means I prune them throughout the year. During winter they do get light through the sliding door. During summer I keep them outside until October when cooler temps are settling in, then I move them in again and they start flowering which lasts for about 2 months, white flowers. During summer I do rotate container on a weekly basis which can be done even daily. I don't know why would you punish them during summer months and not to water them regularly if water is not sitting in the container constantly. When someones jades rot I am curious why, what did you do to them. My jades are growing in any type of containers; tera, plastic, glass (yes I drilled glass jars). My experience is; if jades get plenty of light and water they will grow no matter what soil they are in, that's my witnessing.

I like my jades to be like a tree (umbrella); a big trunk and 5 thick branches at the top. Oh, yes I do pinch the tips of branches if I want them to grow more branches , but I do it in the spring and/or winter time. Not late summer because if I pinch them in late summer then there will not be any flowers, that's my experience.

*****please , don't do what I am doing, everybody have their own way, maybe my plants like to see me around just with a fig leaf:-) (I like to joke).

Best wishes,