Help! Save my Jade (Please)

13 years ago

Please help! We are going crazy with this plant. Bought it a few months ago at a Home depot. about 2 months in we repotted using cactus soil, a slightly larger pot (but not much) and I DID NOT break apart the root ball. Was scared to do this. Anyway, we do not over water.
What has been happening since we bought the plant is that it is constantly dropping leaves. But the funny thing is it is still producing new leaves. both out of an existing cluster and out of a stem/branch.
The plant is in a business where we face south, and it has indirect light from store front windows.
Any help Would be appreciated. We do not want to lose this plant!

I posted the above in another forum. Advice was that it is root bound and I need to (re)repot after soaking and breaking up root ball. I am sure it needs to be trimmed too.
Any other suggestions for help?
Any tips as what to cut off etc?

Thanks
Jim

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Comments (7)

greenman28 NorCal 7b/8a
13 years ago
First of all, it has great "bones" - trunks :-)
But it needs more light, and better (faster draining) soil, I'll wager. The plant will shed any foliage that it cannot support with the light it is currently receiving. And if the roots are compromised, it will also shed foliage to match.

Josh
JimNAZ
Original Author
13 years ago
Thanks Josh! The more I think about it the more I am not sure it can get good light inside our business. Would a grow light work? If so, any specific one/type/etc?

Thanks
Jim
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js_plants
13 years ago
I bought a smaller one and it's doing the same thing. I would like for my stems to stay bare but the top fill in.
JimNAZ
Original Author
13 years ago
OK - here it is repotted and trimmed. I watered it the day before. (I believe it has enough water because when I cut some branches they were very moist at the cut.) I broke apart the root ball. Some of the branches came apart at the roots so when I repotted I just combined the pieces.
How does it look? Do I need to cut more? I am using string to keep them bunched close together because of the shallow roots. Will this be ok or should I get that plant tape?
Finally, if you have a suggestion for a light bulb/system please let me know.

Thanks
Jim
JimNAZ
Original Author
13 years ago
Here are the cuttings. What is the best way to get these growing? I read some say to put in sand, others say leave out to air dry ends.
????

Thanks
Jim
Denise
13 years ago
Jim,

Jades really, REALLY need DIRECT sun to be happy. That means outside in the summer. And in winter, in south window. SUN, SUN, SUN. Water when it's dry. Fertilize minimally when it's growing. And whacking back keeps them compact. If you search "Jades" here, you'll get so much great info, it'll make your head spin!

Denise in Omaha
User
13 years ago
Sand is perhaps the WORST thing you can use for these.

Pls. read up on mixes for Jades (lots of info. if you search here), but you'll need to correct your soil mix (from something that's too water retentive as yours looks to be from here).

All the trouble you're taking to prune & make cuttings is great, but correcting the soil is even more important. I'd guess is part of why those roots are so small.