I am not sure what is going on. Branches are dying, maybe from being too close to the heat ..."it’s above the heating"...as you said. I don't know wat kind of heat: are there radiators or forced air heating? But soil looks very wet, and that usually means rot. Many succulents are dormant during the winter, and could be kept in cooler temps - under 10 C (50 f) works. But they should be watered very seldom if cooler. I wish you took photo of the roots. Those skinny, dry branches should be cut off, they are too dry. You may be able to save some pieces, but only if they are healthy enough.

Jade that is about 4yrs old, even much younger jades should be much bigger and stems should be stronger, trunk thicker. I have a feeling you have been overwatering most of the time.

I would take plant out of the pot; get rid of all old soil from the roots. Check the roots, cut off any broken, dead or rotting. Repot into better mix that drains well. Water very seldom, and hope that you get some new growth.

In the photos, branches and the trunk do not look good. But photos are sometimes misleading, unless really clear and sharp. So I am ONLY GUESSING, but using photo provided, I would probably prune where marked:

It may be better if you provide clear photo, so condition of the stem is easier to see.

Here is a photo of a jade that was pruned extensively. You can see that all stems are sturdy:

5 weeks after pruning, there is new growth already:

Can you provide similarly clear photos pls?

Thank you so much!

Regarding the heating - it’s above a radiator but not directly, the radiator is closed off with a wooden mask, plants are on top of the mask. I hate putting them there, but I don’t really have a better spot in the house, BUT my husband told me that he has closed off that radiator and it hasn’t been heating at all!

It must be overwatering becouse I asked the lady that helps in the house and she said she’s been putting watter in it 😢😢😢

Soil looks wet as I put a little water with fertiliser when I repot... I really didn’t know if I should have, but I was hoping the fertilizer will help it...

It was fairly small when I got it, and it really doesn’t look like this normally, believe me it was doing great, it had new leaves and branches and branches growing all the time. It was a lot thicker looked really nice. I’m always ashamed I didn’t water regularly, and overwatering only happened once or twice in exactly the same way, when out housekeeper kept watering it as it seemed dry to her (different lady so it happened AGAIN) 😢

Thank you so much for the directions. I’m really not experienced and I appreciate it very much. I will prune as you have directed me (maybe a little more as branches are really dying off so fast, they’re already much worse by the time I’m writing this...) and repot again. I hope I’ll get some growth. Should I put something on the spots where it’s been cut?

And could I try to put the cut branches in some soil, or not really...? To be honest they already look bad by now, but still, hope is the last to die 😩

I can get better photos in the morning, right now it’s night and I have really bad light. Trunk is actually pretty sturdy, so were the branches, but have now started to get soft and withered...

Here are some more photos but I doubt they’re any better.

Thanks again so much! I hope I manage to save it...

If I didn't know anything and only looked at the plant, I would say immediately: overwatered, water-logged. And it must have happened quite a few times, because damage like that builds up over the time. May be a good idea to post a sign DO NOT WATER, so if there is anyone else around, they do not touch the plants (succulents).

There is no point to water overwatered plant, and adding fertilizer doesn't help at all. It could make things worse. Most succulents last without any water for a long time, that is how they live in their habitat. So anytime you have doubts about watering - DON'T. Plant will recover much easier from being thirty than from too much water. Also remember: NO ROOTS - NO WATER. Pls. don't take this as lecturing, just statement of facts.

When you prune, anything soft should go. Start at certain spot, and keep slicing off thinner slices if tissue has any dark spots, or is too soft = most likely waterlogged or rotting. You may end up with a short trunk or branches, but as long as they are healthy, they will grow new roots. I would take plant out of that wet soil asap, and also get off all the soil from the roots. Use a skewer or chopstick to help. Then put the plant on paper towel or a rag and let air dry. You can leave it like that for few days, it will not die from that. Get a bag of perlite and mix generously with new soil. You can lightly dust the cuts with a fungicide, like flowers of sulfur. Or, ground cinnamon works too, it is a natural fungicide and you may have it at home. Pruned plant (or pieces) need to callus = heal over, before planted. So just leave them unpotted until cuts dry up. Pot up the plant - whatever is left healthy - only into new, dry mix. Once in the pot, keep in warm but not hot spot (usually, room temps are just fine), but not in strong sunlight. I would not water plant with roots for few days. And if you end up with pieces without any roots, at least a week - 10 days, or even longer. There should be some new growth showing in few weeks, and hopefully roots are starting to grow if there were none. Even when watering, make sure it is not too often. Potting mix should dry up between watering. After about couple of weeks or so, start moving plant into better light, every few days. And forget about the fertilizer. Succulents should not get any during winter anyways.

Thanks so much again! I really appreciate your advice and taking the time to reply.

I don’t see it as lecturing at all, and even if I did - I absolutely need it as I had no idea what to do 😅

It’s definitely overwatering, I just wasn’t sure it is as I’ve never seen anything like it, it’s like it affected the branches in random places and they didn’t really feel soft or mushy. Plus I had no idea anyone else was watering. It doesn’t help my MIL lives right next door and comes in when we’re not at home to check everything’s ok in the house. I think she might have been watering too.

Anyway, I did everything as you told me. I pruned as you said, ans put cinnamon at the cuts (it’s what I had in hand). I took it out of the soil, ans tried to remove any old soil from the root. I was doing my best to be very careful but I think I might have damaged some roots along the way 😭 But I tried my best. I left it to air dry (on the pink towel you can see in the photos, I thought I had taken a photo of it but I guess I didn’t). I had no idea I could do this - I always thought that roots shouldn’t be exposed to air too much and I’ve always repoted all my plants taking care I don’t go too slow.

I’ll buy new mixture today, and repot as tomorrow or the day after. I put cinnamon on the cuts, it’s What I had in hand.

I’m only not sure if I should prune more where I’ve marked? I feel the two little ends comingnout of there are a little softer than the rest, but I can’t realy say soft or mushy. Just a little softer than the rest, so I’m not sure if it’s normal or maybe rotting.

What’s left of it is actually quite hard and sturdy. I hope it’s healthy.

Thanks again so much!

Sorry, I clicked submit but didn’t attach all photos. More photos to follow

Btw, the plant is a wedding present and I really love it. I hope I save it! Thanks!

MIL comes in and waters.....I had to chuckle. When I was going to house sit for my mom and dad while they were on a trip, mom showed me everything to water. One was a plastic plant! LOLOLOL!

Haha a plastic plant! :) Well tbh they’re very forgiving 😂

Ok update, I think it’s gonna die anyway 😭😭😭

I left it to air dry overnight, but this morning it looked very dry, branches shriveled and it seemed dried out and a bit soft right above the root.

It broke in my hand as I put it in the ground... And it looked like this. I guess it was rotten anyway? 😢

Still, I cut off some more from the stem, and put it in the ground anyways. Last hopes it will grow new roots. However, it looked quite dark and I’m not sure if it’s rotten too, as it’s dark but it’s not soft to the touch.

How does it look to you?

I put it in the soil like this. But I think I need to prepare myself it will most likely die in a couple of days?

Thanks for all the help anyways... Thiss will be a lesson for me to pay more attention... 😢

I am sorry to say that it doesn't look good. The cut plant in the photos is rotten. Cuts can't have any dark spots left, or it will continue rotting. It needs to be of uniform, light greenish or creamy color. I posted a photo of jade that was just prune. See the healthy stems. If I saw those photos before, I would have suggested to toss it. The piece you put in the soil will not make it - if it will, it will be a miracle. Sorry to be so bland. It seems to me you just used same soil, without adding anything to make it better draining (like perlite I recommended). Soil that retains water is not suitable for any succulents (and probably for many other, non-succulent plants).

Thank you for the help anyway.

Btw it’s brand new soil, I actually went and bought new soil even though I had more at home, becouse I wanted it to be as fress as possible. I mixed it with sand and very small pebbles in the bottom of the pot, as my flowerist suggested, as I live in North Macedonia and I couldn’t find perlite here in stores. Only one person suggested it might be sold in a farmers market which is an hour and a half away and a pretty big chance that they don’t sell it either.

Thank you anyway. I guess I’ll get a new plant.

I didn't know where you live...perlite may not be easy to find everywhere. I do not quite agree with what the florist said: sand should be used only if it is coarse. Fine sand doesn't help, it could interfere with drainage. Pebbles in the bottom of the pot do not help much either. How small are they? What you can do is mix some grit with the soil. For example what is given to the chickens = chicken grit...in size 3-5mm; no crushed shells added. It is possible that you can't find that either. Another good amendment is pumice (I can't get that easy, or for quite high $, so I don't use it )

This is what I got.

The sand is not that fine, it’s 1.5 mm, and it’s mixed with the soil, so it doesn’t seem like it can clog up if that’s what you’re thinking of. Do you think it’s ok?

The other bag is the pebbles, the bag says 2mm but they are much bigger, I’d definitely say 3mm and more.

I tried googling for images of coarse sand and grit just so I can get a better idea as in our language it’s all just sand and pebbles 😆

And I had to buy these at a different store, flower shops are not allowed to sell them, so I know she wasn’t advising just to sell something, it was genuine advice. She didn’t specify what kind of sand or pebbles though, so these I picked out myself, just what seemed ok to me.

I doubt I could find pumice though. I mean tou probably could if you’re an enthousiast, but I’m just an amateur.

I am only looking at the photos of them in plastic bags, so not 100% sure; maybe those may work. Photo in a dish or try would be better.

If you use them to make a potting mix, mix well. Do not make layers. And if you can't get pumice, don't worry. Many of us can't...Here is a photo of a mixture of grit and perlite I use - color doesn't mater, I just had some black grit too. White is perlite and the granite grit:

You don't have to use exactly the same, but this gives you a good idea.

I'm wondering if she could crush some pieces of a terra cotta pot and add to the mix? I mean everyone has a broken pot sitting around.

Her baby Jades have matured, turn the picture 180 to the left. Hope you like my lovebirds!