When the heat hits its peak, my plants slow to a crawl...

Of course, we're a month past that point now, and growth has resumed with gusto! ;)

One of my friends has several C. o. cuttings from me - and he's growing them higher
in the foothills (2300 ft.) where the day-time temps aren't as hot. I noticed that
his plants have grown more evenly throughout the summer, with only a minor slowing
toward the end of June.

Your plants look great!

Josh

Josh,

Thanks - I think the elevation is closer to 2000' ASL than 1,000', and it's definitely cooler than Kamloops proper (it's in the Thompson River valley and we're on a hill).

Now that I've photodocumented it I think I need to hone the knife for the chopping of the main plant.

I believe it could be a conbination of things, not too much water in summer, crowded growing conditions, and potting up with frest soil, timming roots, and pinch back tips, shade from sun in hot western exposure, the correct amount fog, plenty of air circulatin, and more air circulation. Play soft mucic and tell it often that you love it. It likes a 30F difference between night and day time temps. as your are the care giver of this plant you must study it and read what it is telling you it needs. We have discussed they hundreds of times each month for the past 8 months, every year, you must go back and read what it said, if you don't believe in the warnings hints, writeers then don't read, there are other plants that must be discussed that are far more difficult to grow as this is a beginner plant, I get scolded if I discuss a plant that the rest of you don't know. What about haworthis, gasteria, sansevieria, aloe, cotyledon, tylecoden, echevieria, sedum, pelarginium, there is enough information for any one here is capable of writing, and describing to write a book, find spot in an area drop some rocks into the soil and plant, let the rain take care of it. It does not like to be fussed over. I'm a mother also, I know what this plant needs I studied it for the past 30 years, this is a very common plant and 10cents a dozen. Jeff you know far too much regarding this species, and you are fooling me. Humble Pie bah. I don't believe you. Norma

Well, you're certainly entitled to your opinion, Norma - I know that that's one of our rights. However, you'd be entirely wrong in thinking as you have. Still, that's all right - life's too short to get upset over a silly misunderstanding, eh?

If you've studied it for thirty years, well, I've got a few years yet to catch up with you - hence my question, because I'm still learning.

I don't care if you believe what I've asked or don't believe it, Norma.

And thank you for the reminders of where to look - if you read my questions again, you'll see that they're premised with the fact that what's happening on my plants is in direct contradistinction to what some REAL Jade experts have said - I mean you, too, because you have said (paraphrasing)"these are winter growers".

Well, I'm showing you that they're also summer growers, too, at least by the calendar if not by the ambient temperatures, and, IME and IMO, opportunistic growers both North and South of The Border. All of the rest of the Crassulaceae that I have are growing, too.

However, I don't have any Tylecodon or Cotyledon (ANAGRAM!!!!) in my current collection so I can only respond to questions about them - perhaps you have one I can try to answer? Look in coming days for more posts featuring the genera which you've requested we discuss.

You're either reading not enough or too much into what I've posted, but once again, so what?

One of the things that I'm now thinking, thanks to Norma's suggestion about reflecting on past posts, is that the Crassulaic Acid Metabolism (CAM) conditions are operating at their most efficient when it's neither too hot or too cold, but this is just a WAG on my part, as my understanding of CAM is at best imperfect.

Late day party crasshers...!
Comin' at you live from the 39th parallel! ;)

Jeffrey,
I, too, have been nursing a stump...this was the Big Jade Cutting (from Josiah) that froze in December.
Pray pardon the beastly callus; but, you see, I was so frustrated upon discovery of the rotting trunk,
that I snapped it to the soil-line by hand. Had there been a knife nearby, I might have turned it upon
myself to save honor. It'll be interesting to watch the scar evolve :-)

Norma must be jazzing you, Jeff. Telling you to read the Forum for information on Jades would be like
telling you to click on the thumbnails below to see a larger image... ;)

The Big Stump - bark, perlite, pumice in a .71 gallon pot:

{{gwi:588184}}

And a pic with a partial hand, for scale:

{{gwi:588185}}

The Jade Forest in afternoon mosaic shade...

{{gwi:588186}}

Some are showing purple on the underside of their leaves!
This is another joy of growing Jades from leaves....
you never know what you'll get.

{{gwi:588187}}

Last, but certainly not least, a pair of potted cuttings from John:

{{gwi:587170}}


Josh

Very nice Jades Cactusman and Josh!!

Mine are pretty much dormant starting when my temps are consistently above 80°-85° which for me pretty much starts in May through the end of October. From June thru Oct, we average upper 80's to upper 90's...hence little to no growths for these months. Mine is basically the way Josh describes it "crawling" or even less than that. The nights are pretty warm too...upper 70's to low 80's for our low temps.

Cactusmharris, my Jades love it when we have low to mid 70's during the day and cooler than 50's at night. That is when I get my best growths and my best color. I won't be seeing that for almost four more months...bummer! We have a very long summer.

Thanks for the great pictures guys!

It's been unusually hot in the Toronto area this summer and it's having significant effect on growth for my Jades. None of them have grown even an inch since mid-June when the daytime temperatures began peaking at 30-35C (85-95F). I bring my plants indoors around September-October and place them under fluorescent lights where they put on heavy and compact growth.
So as pug says, it seems my jades also love it when the daytime temperature is around room temperature (70F, 21C).

The hours of light they get. THEY ARE WINTER GROWERS. Soon as it cools down they grow, they flower around Christmas on new growth so prune the end of Sept. they will start to grow after the flowers dry up, then you take the cuttings. Let the cutting dry naturally, no root hormones needed, put in small po up leaves up and set in winter light, if yu lay them down the tips will grow upwards toward the sun. watch for roots them plant, gradually repot into larger and larger pots, trim often while growing if you want a full growth on top, and heavy trunk, trim off side shoots for a single trunk plant, but then you have a chance of it being top heavy and it will fall, or break. If you want good color grow very dry, lush put in low light. Change out soil every year and there will be no need to fertilize also this plant loves to be crowded in a pot or between rock cracks and on a hill like in Africa. If growing this plant with a lot of humidity, cut way back on water or the leaves will crack or ooze, the ooze will turn brown or black on the leaves due to sun, they can also burn from heat or cold. Do not water when cold weather comes. I hope this input gave more clues in glowing this plant, please look at the pictures of the leaves and you will notice will black or red dots around the edge, those are the pores (hydathodes) which take in moisture at night, turns the nitrogen and process it for food then in the day time releases oxygen for us and causes CAM Crassuls Acid Metabolism first discovered in the Species Crassulaceae. They grow in the Winter here because we are the exact opposite of Africa, and Australia, and all countries below the equator. I can go further into this but I rather not.
I abbreviated much of this so to keep it short. Please look this up in Google to get a complete explanation. They use nitrgen to make their own food, lets out excess during the day to make oxygen for us. Did not bother to proof. Much more but to tired to type more. Norma

Pug that is when mine grow as well, they start when it cools off and continues until about June 20 . This year they are mixed up we still are getting winter fog, and I wear a sweater until noon, Jeff you had me fooled, I really thought you were more savvy, I must have been expecting too much from you. I said that I would respond to all Jade questions I will keep that promise. Does the FAQ address these questions, you always recommend that people look there? Don't get mad at me I was sincere, I am still surprised that you didn't know. So I teased you I'm sorry, really I am. Norma

Norma, you stated "they grow in the winter here because we are the exact opposite"...what does that mean, and what does that have to do with anything?

The concept of "winter growers" has come up numerous times before, and will continue to be a topic of discussion.

The term "winter grower" is not accurate at all. A better description would be "hot season dormant". As long as it is not too hot, which varies by species, and there is enough light and water, many of these plants will grow all year long. They are opportunistic. In habitat, in SW Africa where summers are hot and dry, they have evolved to become dormant during this time. But if the summer is not hot, and it is not too hot at night, and water is available, they will grow no matter what the calendar says.

Some species are not opportunistic and will go dormant no matter what. Conophytum for example. These can be considered "winter growers", although they are really more active during the spring and fall, not when it is too cold.

x

Norma,

No, not angry, I just wonder why you provide all that cultural information when none was asked for - my question was 'why', basically, not 'how'.

While I'm certain someone will find your advice helpful, I didn't ask how to grow them, I asked why they grow when they do, particularly since you keep saying that they're winter-growers. Well, they're not, at least in my experience, and X's post confirms my observations. As you say, listen to your plants - they'll tell you when they want to grow and when they don't.

Xerophyte's post corroborate my observations also. In my area they generally grow year round with the exception of the hottest weeks of the year in mid-August. This year was an exception due to the unusual heat.