Jade Plant Care

The jade, which is native to South Africa, is a succulent plant and produces white or pink flowers. It is a commonly grown houseplant, known by different names such as money plant, lucky plant and friendship tree. It is easy to take care of jade plants and thus, it is preferred by many, for growing at home. The jade can reach up to 4 feet in height and grows width wise too.

Care of Jade Plant
The important activities involved in the care of jade plant are pruning, watering it properly and providing the plant with optimum light. Let us understand the various aspects of jade plant care in detail.

Watering: The money plant should be watered every 10-20 days during summer and the gap of a month or more should be maintained in winters. It is necessary that the soil remains dry between two waterings. The jades should not be over watered since it results into the crinkling of leaves and rotting of the stem.

Light Requirements: It is advisable to provide the jade plant with 4-5 hours of sunlight everyday. Overexposure to heat or sunlight should however be avoided. It is an important thing to remember in jade plant care.

Pruning: Spring is the best season for pruning the jade plant. The pruning process continues for a few weeks and it requires the stems to be cut back to lateral branches. There are two main reasons behind carrying out the pruning of jades: the first one is to encourage growth of the trunk while the second is to promote new growth. Leaves of the money plant are succulent and if not pruned timely, the trunk cannot support their weight.

Pest Control: The common pests of this plant are the mites and mealy bugs. The mealy bugs deform the new growth of the plant. The red spider mites and aphids damage the flower stalks. Spraying the plant with a soapy mixture of water is an easy way to control the pests. Another method of eliminating the mealy bugs is to kill them with cotton swabs dipped in alcohol. The jade plant being sensitive to pesticides, one should use them carefully.

Flowering: To allow or encourage blooming, watering should be withheld in winter when the days become shorter. The first frost is approximately the time during which watering should be stopped. The dry phase if allowed to continue for several weeks and when followed by watering, it helps the plant to produce blooms. If the nights are warm and the plant is watered regularly, it won't be able to produce flowers, however, the overall health of the plant would be in a good condition.

Soil Requirements: The soil to be used should be well drained and the pH needs to be around 6.1-6.5. A coarse and sandy soil is required for the jade plant to grow properly. One could also make a mixture of clay, silt, sand and crushed bricks in order to prepare soil that is suitable to grow money plants.

Repotting: The pot which is used for transplanting the jade, should be larger than the original one. Even the soil to be used should be new. The plant should be watered and placed in a corner where it receives enough sunlight.

Fertilizer Requirements: The fertilizers should be applied every 2-3 months during the spring and summer. The liquid form of fertilizer which is weaker than the recommended dose should be applied. It is advisable not to fertilize the plant during the dormant phase in winter.

Baby Jade Plant Care
Nowadays, growing bonsai plants of baby jades at home is becoming popular. This tropical plant from Africa is preferred by gardeners due to its stunning looks. The baby jade is perfectly suited for the indoor environment however, it requires sufficient light for a healthy growth. Although the plant doesn't grow well with over watering, the dry phases shouldn't be too long. The soil should remain dry during the intervals between watering. Read more on bonsai tree care instructions.

The above article tries to answer the questions such as how do you care for a jade plant, which precautions to take in order to protect it from over watering, why should the plant be pruned, etc. The jade plant care is relatively easier than other flowering and non-flowering houseplants. Thus, one should have this beautiful houseplant at home.