The repetetive questions are not annoying, how else does one learn?
Although not a jade expert by any means, I do have a couple of these in the ground. I am wondering if yours are large enough to flower. I am of the impression flowers form on the ends of new growth.
I believe you are doing many of the right things to encourage flowering. Repotting, good soil, proper drainage, increased light, etc...
At this point, I will step aside and allow more qualified jade people touch on the finer points of your jade care and flowering situation.

I think you are doing well, never be afraid to ask questions, and am one who doesn't care how many you ask.
I would cut off a lot of the top right now. By Christmas you should have flowers. Only water is once when you repot and do not water again until after it flowers. Cut off the dead flowers, and start to fertilice and water again April 1 or when Spring comes where you live. Depending on the species the flower could last several months. They will flower while in the pot. Do not let it get top heavy, cut off all branches that are bending down.
Cut out any branches that cross over others. I don't want you to completely butcher it, but don't be afraid to cut it back several inches, but always leave some green on the plant. You are right the flowers flower on the end of new growth, for flowering I use a 5-12-4 (example only) you don't want to use a high nitrogen fertilizer to get flowres. The first number must be low. Keep very dry until it flowers and when it is cold, so it won't rot. Norma

Hiya Norma,

I think the poster is in Maryland (see the initials MD) & will probably need to bring the Jades in soon. If that's the case, (1) would you still advise the same course of treatment & (2) would you still think flowering is likely? I ask that 'cause the only folks I know of in the Northeast who can bloom their Jades are folks who can summer them outside, and then have greenhouses to winter them in (like Pennsylvania Pete, for example).

Hugs to ya from NYC, where the air's just starting to feel crisp & breezy like Fall.

I'm no expert either but here are my OPINIONS. I figure your chances for bloom are slim to none this year no matter what you do! But by all means cut that jade back, you won't be sorry! I'm not sure that even a full sun window will give your jade all the light it needs to bloom. I think it will have to bask outside all summer in order to do that so maybe next year. Hope I'm wrong. If not remember there's always next year. Now that you're a committed jade owner your jade is going to be beautiful!

Christy,

Pirate Girl is right - unless you live where they can stay out year round, or have a GH with unobstructed sun, it's not really likely you'll get flowers. I've been growing Jades for 30 years and have NEVER gotten one to bloom. I belong to a C&S club and I've never talked to anyone who's gotten one to bloom. I'm sure there are some, though, as we do have one who owns a commercial GH and I have to assume as a professional grower, he probably has gotten them to bloom... I have a GH but it sits on the east side of my house and even sitting in the south window it doesn't bloom...

This year, I've decided to leave all of my Jades and cultivars/sports thereof outside until the first freeze warning. We've been down to 38 once so far and I resisted the urge to bring them in. It's my understanding that very cool weather, full sun and less water are triggers. All my Jades have gotten beautiful red undertones, so they are definitely enjoying the cool weather. (Sidenote: today it's supposed to be 93!!! What's up with THAT??) I've got mine right out on the south side of my house in full all-day sun.

I would go ahead and radically prune my Jade back to get a more compact appearance for next year. Set the cuttings aside for a week or so before you plant them so the cut end can scar over - they'll likely rot if you put them right in soil. I'll put a link to a good thread about pruning your Jade.

Denise in Omaha

Here is a link that might be useful: Pruning your Jade

Christy, I've gotten a Jade tree to bloom here in PA without a greenhouse, but not easily or consistantly. I suspect your plant will not bloom this year for you, so if you need to prune to keep it from falling over, then do so. Next spring, move your Jade out after the last frost, gradually increasing light levels. Leave it outside until before a frost hits in the fall. My Jade bloomed when it was about 3' tall, and about ten years old, but didn't do so every year. It's best to enjoy many succulents for their foliage and form, rather than their flowers. I've had more luck with flowers from some small Aloes, and some of the smaller globular cactus, such as Gymnocalcyium, Rebutia, Thelocactus, and Chamaecereus.

Thanks so much for your suggestions! I guess flowering is out of the question for the year! These are my two smaller Jades, I have a bigger one upstairs, that I will try to flower this year. So, I pruned these to encourage a stronger base. Should I prune further, or is this a good start? Thanks for looking, and the baby girl I threw in turns 1 year old on Sunday!

The newly pruned pictures are 44 and 45

PS - Does anyone need some Jade clippings? :)

Here is a link that might be useful: Jade Pictures - Yahoo Photos

Hi Denise,
I have a feeling your luck may change this year. That is basically what I do--I put my jade out in March and leave it until November. The beginning and end of this time period it sits on the porch where it can enjoy the light and fresh air but it is protected from rain and the occasional frost. I only bring it in if it is supposed to actually freeze. As soon as the weather cooperates it comes off the porch and into the blazing sun. I often set it out even on mild winter days. It has bloomed but not every year. BTW as you may recall, I savagely hacked my poor jade back to a stump on Labor Day...It is now covered with new growth. The tiny new growth is a marvelous shrimp pink that turns green with red edges as it ages.

"It's my understanding that very cool weather, full sun and less water are triggers"....from Denises post.

"That is basically what I do--I put my jade out in March and leave it until November. The beginning and end of this time period it sits on the porch where it can enjoy the light and fresh air but it is protected from rain and the occasional frost. I only bring it in if it is supposed to actually freeze. As soon as the weather cooperates it comes off the porch and into the blazing sun. I often set it out even on mild winter days" from fred grows post.

Ditto Fred and Denise! I used to keep my Jades in a sunny southern bay window.....never flowered. First year that I used the above method, they flowered. And have every year. One night it got down to 29. Weather man was wrong! They suffered no ill-effects. Being dry was the key I think.

Hi John,
Do you prune your jade? I was a little reluctant to do so in September but it is really flushing nicely and I'm glad I did. It seemed to enjoy the cool weather we had last week but now it is back in the 90s! I hope to see some good growth before time to move it in.

Christy,

I'd be MORE radical, but a lot of people find that really really hard to do. Any pruning will encourage new growth, but what I find is a little pruning just forces new growth from the tips. When I prune, I whack them back leaving only a few inches of each branch, which usually means no leaves left. What then happens is new leaves pop out all over the bare branches (which is what Fred is describing...) The plant is by no means pretty to an outsider for about a year, but that new growth and the thickening trunk will get you really excited with anticipation of what it WILL look like. Since you have lots of cuttings, I'd start a few and keep them to experiment with in the future. That's how I got brave - I had several Jades and decided to experiment. If I lost one or hated the end result, I figured I'd just toss it.

Thanks John & Fred - I'm feeling a little more confident that I may actually be successful this year!

Denise in Omaha

Okay Denise, I hacked it all off! I feel like the boy in 'The Giving Tree.' I have taken all that my Jade has to give, and all that is left is the stump! I have another one that is bigger that I bought in the store, so if I don't like the end result, I have another one! I also got 2 small pots to plant a few of the MANY remaining pieces! Thanks, and good luck with getting your Jade to flower. I still have a secret hope of mine flowering upstairs :) Christy

Fred.....I have never pruned them. My 'Ovata' is looking a bit leggy so this year I think I'll give it a whack job. I had a beautiful 'Gollum' with a trunk as thick as my wrist stolen from my front yard this summer. It had never been pruned either. Luckily I have a nice cutting I had taken from it. Speaking of blooms, just checked my 'Ovata'. Just starting to develop some buds!

I got about 4 varigated Jade plants at my 99 Cent store this week, in case your interested... on 99 cents a piece.
Good luck

I saw the picture of the Jade plant... i really like it... i think i have that type of cacti (btw i am a totally new to gardening).

I noticed that it is in a ceramic pot with pebbles on it. May i ask if it has peat? Sorry for asking a silly question but in Malta we plant in peat / soil and do not have ceramic pots... and never dreamt of having pebbles in the pot... I must say it really looks pretty.

I am posting the link to my website where i have around 5 unknown identity of plants and also a jade plant... should you like to take a look ... :) thanks

Here is a link that might be useful: jade plant / unknown

The original pictures are gone, but here is a pic of them in October 2006.
{{gwi:672462}}

And this is now!!!!

{{gwi:672463}}

They both have blooms on them, but the other only has a few :) Thanks for all of your help!!! Christy

Wow, Yippee for you, congratulations how VERY exciting. Pls. post more pix when the blooms are more open.

Christy, that is so awesome!! Good for you!!

I am still waiting for my jade to flower one day. I just
" Really Whacked" it a month ago, I mean I took every leaf and cut all the branches off. It is just today getting a couple of leaves. I was afraid I killed.

Wish me luck that maybe in February my jade will look like a jade again...Yours give me hope.

Congrats again!! You did such a super job. Thanks for the update...

Thanks!! I really "whacked" that same one back right after the first shot was taken. All that was left was the triple trunk you can see in both pictures. It's nice to see how much it thickened up, based on my memory it is the same :) Christy

Fantastic!
Thank you so much for the follow-up!
I love a happy ending.

Josh