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Jade tree molding, please help!

I have a jade tree that is about 2 feet tall. Recently it has been wilting and losing branches. I cut one of the branches and noticed some stem rot. I proceeded to take cuts off of the trunk (disinfecting sheers after every cut) until I no longer saw any visible signs of rot. I then re-potted the jade tree, removing excess soil off of plant from previous pot. It sat for a few days (did not water) and I am now seeing blue/greenish mold growing on the trunks where the cuts were made. They are also shriveling inwards instead of callusing. What is wrong, and what can I do? Thank you in advance for your help!

Comments (21)

  • 5 years ago



  • 5 years ago



  • 5 years ago


    This one seems fine though.

  • 5 years ago


    What about the dark edges on the outer stem? Is that rot?

  • 5 years ago
    last modified: 5 years ago

    Dark edges should not be rot as long as it is darker shade of overall color. Rot is blackish, but could be dark or lighter.

    Lots of shrivelling is just lots of flesh drying. I never had any mold, but would suspect that stem was waterlogged, and perhaps it is quite warm where it is.

    I can't tell much from 2nd photo. I would like to see same part of plant from few different angles, so I could make some suggestions.

    3rd photo is showing good cut. It will scab over, and eventually (could take few months) even scab could fall off. Normal for jades.

    Few smaller jades visible in your 1st photo are really etiolated, that means plant is not getting enough light. Regardless the size, stems should be sturdy and self-supporting. They will not get 'fixed', and stay week. So if my plant, I would just get rid of them. Even the side shoots growing from the trunk. You do as you please, but this is what I would do. The cut on thicker stem looks like it has some mold in centre. I would recut, dust lightly with ground cinnamon (or you can buy fungicide - flowers of sulfur). Cinnamon is natural fungicide and many have it already in the kitchen.

    I would hold off on watering for a while, at least until all cuts has callused.

    When pruning, don't leave so much flesh to callus. Cut few mm above the node/leaf scar/ring on the trunk. Similar to cut in 3rd photo. That way, there is less flesh to callus. It should callus quite fast that way. Here is a photo of quite thick trunk/branch that was cut off that way and let to callus. I did use light dusting of cinnamon on it so it dried darker, but it was free of any rot. (I do not use any fungicide anymore because I learned proper way to prune, but it will help drying, is a fungicide, and will give you bit of assurance. And it smells good :).

    I would like to see photo of whole plant if possible pls.

  • 5 years ago

    Thank you for the info so far. I am away from the plant for the next few days, but I will post more pictures as soon as I’m back. Thank you again!

  • 5 years ago



  • 5 years ago


    This is how the new cuts are looking now.

  • 5 years ago

    It looks as mold is disappearing? - is it?

    As I mentioned, you left too much fresh flesh to callus. It should, but it takes much longer. I do not know what you used to cut it, but you get cleaner cut (especially if trunk is thicker) if you use a sharp blade. Scissors or clippers sometimes "mush-up" the thick stem. I would recut if that was my plant. - see my previous comments. I also mentioned that I would get rid of those skinny shoots. You could leave them, but they will stay long and skinny, and - JMO! - I wouldn't want too many stems growing from the base anyways. Eventually, you'll see new growth from the main trunk, and that is much better. Above all, do not overwater. Winter is basically dormant period, plants do not grow that much and should be kept drier.

  • 5 years ago

    I cut this one closer to the scar ring. I think ta doing alright? I Usually use a blade to make the cuts.

  • 5 years ago

    I cut this one again as well, it had been molding again. I dusted it with cinnamon also.

  • 5 years ago

    You think I should take off all off the little shoots? Or did I take off enough of them ?

  • 5 years ago
    last modified: 5 years ago

    I am surprised to see molding, really not sure why. Maybe stem was holding too much water? - but that is just a guess. Or there could have been some rot left in the stem? Watch those stems, since if rot, it could spread out. I have never seen it happen, so no personal experience.

    You could leave those remaining shoots, it is really a personal decision. I prefer a cleaner, not crowded look, but others like it very full. At least they are not as weak as those others were. They could be pruned off sometimes in the future if desired, in the meantime they could help in 'feeding' the plant if growing from the stem or the same root system. If they are separate plants on own roots, they will not help that way and, IMO, they will just crowd the pot.

    2 cuts on taller trunk (yellow circles) are shrivelling a lot too.


    I do not know why unless you cut just below the 'ring' - node.

  • 5 years ago

    The cut on the tallest part of the trunk is right above the scar ring. There is a picture of the top of the cut in the first photo I posted today. They are shriveling like last time, but I see no visible mold since doing the cinnamon. I’m hoping that it was just molding because I wasn’t cutting above the scar ring.

    I have a moisture meter, do you know what moisture level they should be at? And should I refrain from watering all winter even if the soil is very dry?

  • 5 years ago

    No, I don't know and don't use moisture meters. Bought one 12-15 yrs ago but was unreliable. I let all succulents to dry up completely before watering. They could go without water for more than 3mo but should be kept in lower temps. Inside the house it is usually warmer so I water about 1x/mo - 6 weeks or so. You have to adjust for your growing conditions - temps and potting mix.

  • 5 years ago

    they are still starved for light.. etoliated.. leaning toward what little available light there is ...


    unless you move it for pix.. it appears to be to far from the curtained windows ... is there no option to move it closer???


    to be honest.. i did not read all the great info above.. i dont know if this was previously addressed ...


    ken

  • 5 years ago

    What about this one? Is it etiolated as well?

  • 5 years ago
    last modified: 5 years ago

    Yes, it is quite a bit. See all those skinny shoots with leaves spaced far apart? They should be much compact. It is very nice, fat-trunked plant and could - and should - be improved. Consider getting some lights because window exposure isn't enough. Lights should be directly above the plant. Light reaching plant from any direction is obviously not enough.

    Pruning is best done in period of active growth. You could have plant doing whatever it wants during this winter, because all that growth needs to be pruned off. In spring, I would prune all of them to about 2-3 sets of leaves. And prune off/shorten considerably branches that are too long, many with just a few leaves at the end now. And make sure plant is getting much more light, otherwise it will grow just skinny, sparsely-leaved branches again.

    Here is an example of reasonably compact growth: distance between sets of leaves is very short. Leaves are also larger, thicker, do not droop but point upwards, and have some reddish on the margins = because pant is getting sunlight.


  • 5 years ago
    last modified: 5 years ago

    I marked an example of pruning. Pls. remember that I am looking only at the 2-dimensional photos, and can see only so much of whole plant. So this is just an example, to give you an idea, and you should do it all over the plant in spring.

    Could you measure circumference of the trunk as close to the soil level as possible pls?

  • 5 years ago

    Wow! That sure is a lot of pruning! I will most definitely take your advice, as I have had no luck as of late on saving these precious jade trees!

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