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nicoleteste7

Jade plant falling over in pot

nicoleteste7
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago

I am new to the Crassula Ovata plant. I recently pot up my new plant in a 3.5 in small clay pot and it fell over once, I tried watering it in. It fell over again. I determined the pot wasn't big enough so I went ahead and put it in a bigger pot that I had on hand that was plastic. It fell over again! I know this is a top heavy plant and plastic is definitely not my first choice but unfortunately it's all I have on hand big enough until payday and I hate to keep repotting. The soil mix is 50/50 cactus soil mix/perlite which is making the soil very light and airy as well. I'm wondering if I should try I different pot or possibly putting some top dressing stones on top to keep it in place? I love the look of stones on top as a dressing but I've read mixed reviews about it. Thanks in advance!

1st pot

2nd pot (current)

Comments (8)

  • bunkfree_4a_canada
    7 years ago

    I'd go back to the smaller pot and prop with rocks until it's standing on its own. I found that the 50/50 mix just isn't dense enough to support the bigger plants until their root systems take over enough to stabilize them. Since getting into cacti and succulents, I've had to let go of my long-ingrained habit of watering-in and packing the soil down when repotting.

    kd

  • rina_Ontario,Canada 5a
    7 years ago

    What exactly do you mean by 'it fell over'? Did it toppled over with the pot? Was it uprooted? If the roots are not established yet in the potting media, they are not anchoring the plant. Roots could have been damaged and root ball very small. What were the roots like?

    It may be bit top heavy, but it really doesn't look like that in the photo (could be the photo). How long after repotting did it fall over?

    You may have watered too quickly between watering. Was the potting mix almost dry?

    nicoleteste7 thanked rina_Ontario,Canada 5a
  • nicoleteste7
    Original Author
    7 years ago

    It was a very decent size when I got it and when I first planted it in the small pot I thought it maybe too small and I also read that they grow really fast. I only watered in when the plant needed water but your right-have to stray away from that! You think that the small pot looks as if it can make that a home for some time? I know I can always size up in the future but I know too big is also not good either! Decisions decisions!

  • nicoleteste7
    Original Author
    7 years ago
    last modified: 7 years ago

    Rina it just fell over, as if some one just layed it on its side or "uprooted" it. It was just laying sideways in the pot. The roots are definitely not established yet. I just got this plant a week ago. It was store bought, in a six pack with no pot just the soil ball in a tray. The plant it self looked healthy. The roots have not yet been established. They are very thin, not a lot of root in general as most plants that came in that pack. It fell over I'm wanting to say the next morning and I bought it the evening before. I did not water it the first night I brought it home-or in my own mixture it was potted in until I discovered it had fell over so then I watered it lightly to keep it in place. And that did not work. It has not been watered since. The pack of plants I bought were all completely dry when I bought them/repotted them.

  • rina_Ontario,Canada 5a
    7 years ago
    last modified: 7 years ago

    Still do not know about the roots?...

    Repotting is recommended for newly acquired plants mostly because the soil they come in is peat (or mostly peat) - pot is often big enough. I have 16", up to 20" jades growing in 5.5" plastic pots. They have good root system. When freshly repotted, I do what kd said" using larger rocks, plants are supported until anchored by established roots.

    ETA: as Crenda said, and great photos from her :)

    And, I pot them in a mix of grit, perlite and some turface - definitely looser than C&S soil+perlite IMO.

    nicoleteste7 thanked rina_Ontario,Canada 5a
  • nicoleteste7
    Original Author
    7 years ago

    I got it situated back in the small clay pot with some rocks. It did have longer roots than I remembered but not wide spread or established at all. Thanks for all the advice and wonderful pictures! I can't wait to watch it grow :) :)

  • Crenda 10A SW FL
    7 years ago

    Looks good!

    nicoleteste7 thanked Crenda 10A SW FL
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