Yes, you can cut it down. You could also just plant the stem to the level of the air root. Or you could wait for roots to appear all along the stem. Cuttings will root faster when cut within the green part of the stem, usually no more than a couple of inches below the lowest leaf. Any longer just slows down the process. This is true for many succulent plants like Echeveria, Graptopetalum, Pachyveria, Aeonium, etc.

I usually plant Crassula ovata cuttings right away. What that really means is that I throw them into my Jade cuttings garden, a 5 sq. foot former flower planter. Then I ignore them, letting them root themselves any old way they can. It's quite a lush, three-foot tall forest now after 6 years of trimming and shaping other Jades in the ground, and Jades in pots.

There was once a time when I cared about each and every cutting, and tried to pot them all up, but I was soon overwhelmed. Crassula ovata and Crassula tetragona are like weeds in my garden. I even threw a bunch of cuttings into the compost pile a few months ago (My Oh My!).

What I'm trying to say is, it won't matter how you do it. They are hard to kill.

(they do heat up a compost pile quite nicely, however) :)

Compost!!!! for shame...LOL

Ya I have been trying to keep every cutting also but i found out very fast with these large cutting I just got that i can not keep all the small stuff i just trimmed off them plus the small cutting that came in the box with them.

The planter sounds like a great Idea and I have one I can use like that..I may just try that:)

This particular little cutting though is of hummels sunset Jade and I am not willing to compost it..it must be carfully cared for:) I have a rooted cutting that is about 8 inches or so that this little cutting came off of and I about cried when I cut it off but it needed to be done:)

I would have been a big ball baby today whacking my big jade cutting had I not had the awesome company and guidance of Josh along the way.

So, ok I will wait for this little cutting to develop more air roots along the stem then plant it:)

Thank you Paracelsus and blessings.

Mary(RR)..i forget were I am and what nick i use...lol