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lmecheverri

jade plant branches shrinking

Pros-
I posted a while ago a jade plant I got… https://www.houzz.com/discussions/6305772/jade-plant-going-into-a-pot
Well it was planted and several weeks have gone by… growth is evident. I have put very little water. Had not water it throughly yet. Just little and also have used to spray it with water on top few times. However I am noticing that although the main trunk seems super well, few side branches are showing that shrinking like look like if it was drying from the inside out. I cut one of these branches. You can clearly see what is happening but it looks green and fresh not noticeable rot. Should i cut all the branches that show this condition? Or what else can I do?

Comments (5)

  • L Evve (Miami)
    Original Author
    last year

    More pics… the main truck and the new growth

  • rina_Ontario,Canada 5a
    last year
    last modified: last year

    I know that some advice spraying, but I don't...never I sprayed a succulent...What you cut looks ok, but I don't think shrinking branches are ok...

  • L Evve (Miami)
    Original Author
    last year

    FYI… I removed the plant and there is root growth… roots are growing from the bottom and from the part of the actual trunk that is underground. It has like 3 separate areas w with roots

  • L Evve (Miami)
    Original Author
    last year

    The last plant in which I noticed something similar after months didn’t have one root… https://www.houzz.com/discussions/6312189/jade-plant-trunk

  • tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
    last year

    If roots are growing, adopt a "wait and see" approach but avoid over-watering. Water when the grow medium is almost completely dry Some will suggest you water when the plant actually IS completely dry, only because the plant will tolerate that type of stress; but that causes unnecessary drought stress and should be avoided. You can tell when the medium is completely dry by using a tell. More below re that.

    Misting the plant is virtually of no value, as the effects of that practice last no more than about 10 minutes, leaving the plant 1,390 minutes of each day at ambient R/H levels. Your plant is well protected by special substances in its skin (cuticular wax) that limit water loss through the periderm (outer skin).

    I would caution you about lifting the plant to examine roots or even tugging on it to check for resistance that indicates it has produced roots. The habit is very counterproductive because it breaks roots (some of them almost microscopic) and robs the plant of the food/ energy it takes to regenerate the roots killed.

    Using a 'tell'

    Over-watering saps vitality and is one of the most common plant assassins, so learning to avoid it is worth the small effort. Plants make and store their own energy source – photosynthate - (sugar/glucose). Functioning roots need energy to drive their metabolic processes, and in order to get it, they use oxygen to burn (oxidize) their food. From this, we can see that terrestrial plants need plenty of air (oxygen) in the soil to drive root function. Many off-the-shelf soils hold too much water and not enough air to support the kind of root health most growers would like to see; and, a healthy root system is a prerequisite to a healthy plant.

    Watering in small sips leads to avoid over-watering leads to a residual build-up of dissolved solids (salts) in the soil from tapwater and fertilizer solutions, which limits a plant's ability to absorb water – so watering in sips simply moves us to the other horn of a dilemma. It creates another problem that requires resolution. Better, would be to simply adopt a soil that drains well enough to allow watering to beyond the saturation point, so we're flushing the soil of accumulating dissolved solids whenever we water; this, w/o the plant being forced to pay a tax in the form of reduced vitality, due to prolong periods of soil saturation. Sometimes, though, that's not a course we can immediately steer, which makes controlling how often we water a very important factor.

    In many cases, we can judge whether or not a planting needs watering by hefting the pot. This is especially true if the pot is made from light material, like plastic, but doesn't work (as) well when the pot is made from heavier material, like clay, or when the size/weight of the pot precludes grabbing it with one hand to judge its weight and gauge the need for water.

    Fingers stuck an inch or two into the soil work ok for shallow pots, but not for deep pots. Deep pots might have 3 or more inches of soil that feels totally dry, while the lower several inches of the soil is 100% saturated. Obviously, the lack of oxygen in the root zone situation can wreak havoc with root health and cause the loss of a very notable measure of your plant's potential. Inexpensive watering meters don't even measure moisture levels, they measure electrical conductivity. Clean the tip and insert it into a cup of distilled water and witness the fact it reads 'DRY'.

    One of the most reliable methods of checking a planting's need for water is using a 'tell'. You can use a bamboo skewer in a pinch, but a wooden dowel rod of about 5/16” (75-85mm) would work better. They usually come 48” (120cm) long and can usually be cut in half and serve as a pair. Sharpen all 4 ends in a pencil sharpener and slightly blunt the tip so it's about the diameter of the head on a straight pin. Push the wooden tell deep into the soil. Don't worry, it won't harm the root system. If the plant is quite root-bound, you might need to try several places until you find one where you can push it all the way to the pot's bottom. Leave it a few seconds, then withdraw it and inspect the tip for moisture. For most plantings, withhold water until the tell comes out dry or nearly so. If you see signs of wilting, adjust the interval between waterings so drought stress isn't a recurring issue.

    Al