Find complete details on how to care for Jade plant at home indoors, outside and in winter, summer and during rain; and where to place jade plant in home according to Feng Shui. Jade plants (Crassula Ovata), native to South Africa and Mozambique is known as money plant or good luck and prosperity plant. Jade plants are perfect as gifts plants because they are quite easy to grow indoors and outdoors in pots and in ground.
The jade plants can live up to 100 years outdoors and for many decades indoors with little care, all they need is a well-lit position and a mild, dry climate. They can be grown indoors in pots and outdoors in ground or tubs.
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| Jade Plant Growing in a Container |
The jade plant cleans the air, so it is a very good indoor house plant. It absorbs toxic gases released from paints, carpets, walls, furniture, adhesives, etc., thereby improving the air quality. I am growing jade plants at my home indoors and outside in Australia and taking care of them easily.Following are the basic instructions on how to care for jade plant indoors, outside and in winter. how to grow a jade plant from a cutting | Jade plant leaf problems
Where To Place Jade Plant: Sunlight Requirements
Following is a guideline for placing your jade plant indoors and outside.
- Jade plant thrives in full sun to bright indirect light outside. The plant needs at least 4 hours of bright light each day.
- Young jade plant should kept in bright shade, away from direct sunlight.
- You can put the mature jade plant in direct sunlight outside in the summer, but avoid hot afternoon sun.
Where to Place Jade Plant Indoors
To care your jade plant indoors, it is important to place it at correct location.
- The best place to put a jade plant indoors is a bright location like south facing window or western-facing window so the plant gets enough bright light for at least 4 hours daily.
- Do not keep your jade plant in in low light for long, otherwise the plant may become leggy and the leaves become of dull colour.
- Do not place a jade plant in high humidity places like bathroom or kitchen because the plant prefers a dry environment.
- The indoor jade plant should be moved outdoors in sun during summer.
- During the winter months, Move the plant away from cold windows in winter. Exposure to cold temps may drop plants leaves.
- If growing in sunlight, the stems will grow thicker and the tips of the leaves of your jade plant will turn into beautiful red colour.
The Best Place to Keep Jade Plant For Good Luck in Home and Office
The jade plant is known as money plant and is considered a symbol of good luck, wealth and prosperity, so this plant is a great gifts plant. The jade plant is also known as lucky plant, dollar plant, friendship tree and pink joy.
- There is a belief that the Jade plant brings wealth, prosperity and good luck if placed in home, so this plant is considered to be a good housewarming gift. The jade plant is also known as lucky plant, dollar plant, friendship tree and pink joy.
- But where to place the jade plant in home and office.
- In China, green jade is considered good to attract both wealth and harmony.
- According to Feng Shui, place the Jade plant indoors in the south east direction of your living room or drawing room for wealth luck.
- At home, place the Jade plant in the east direction for good health and harmony. Place it in west direction to promote creativity and children's luck.
- In office, place the Jade plant in the east direction for thriving business.
- Keeping it either in the southeast corner of the room or your desk is highly favorable and auspicious.
Temperature Requirement
- The jade plant grows best between 18 to 24°C (65 - 75°F). The plant will not tolerate winter temperatures below 10°C (50°F).
- The plant can tolerate in temperatures above 24°C (75ºF), but not for longer periods of time.
- The jade plant is not frost tolerant, so move the pot under cover once temperatures begin to fall to around 10°C (50°F).
- Jade plants kept as houseplants should be moved outdoors in sun during summer.
- In the fall and winter, the jade plant goes dormant and its growth slows down.
Soil For Jade Plant
- Whether you are growing your jade plant indoors or outdoor, in pot or ground, the soil needs special consideration.
- A free draining nutrition rich soil is needed for growing a jade plant. If the soil is water retaining, then the roots can rot and plant can be killed. To make the soil free-draining, mix coarse river sand in the garden soil. Mix lots of compost or cow manure to make the soil nutrient rich. You can also add a general purpose fertilizer. You can buy cacti and succulents soil from the garden shop.
Watering Jade Plant
How much water a jade plant requires?
The jade plant stores water in its leaves because it is a succulent plant. So the plant does not need much water, excessive water will cause the root rot and death of the plant.
- Regular deep watering in needed during hot and dry weather, however, before watering, ensure that the soil is dry to touch.
- The plant needs less watering during winter when the plant is dormant.
- Always empty the saucer underneath the pot, otherwise the plant will always be standing in water, causing root rot.
- Too wet or too dry soil will cause leaves to drop prematurely.
- Excessive moisture in the soil can rot roots. Allow the soil to dry out between watering.
- Indoor jade plant may suffer due to air-conditioning, water misting may be useful.
How to know if Jade plant needs water?
- Just press a jade leaf between your finger and thumb, if it feels firm, you do not need to water it. The firm leaves indicate that the plant has enough water.
- If the leaf feels flexible, then it is time to water, you need to water the plant. Soft leaves indicate that the plant has used up much of its stored water.
Mulch
Put a thick layer of mulch around the base like bark sugarcane mulch, chips or pea straw to prevent weeds and maintain humidity in soil. Keep the mulch away from the trunk.
Fertilizer For Jade Plant
Jade plant does not need much fertilizer. You may feed a liquid houseplant fertilizer or a cacti and succulents fertilizer. Overfertilization causes yellow and brown edges on the foliage. Cow manure or compost is a good fertilizer for jade plant.
Pruning Jade Plant
Pruning a jade plant will help the plant to get a bushy tree-like shape. This is how you can grow a jade plant into a tree.
Spring to summer is the best time to prune jade plant as at this time the plant is actively growing, which will help it to heal better.
Do not prune more than 25% of the branches in one go.
Pruning will encourage the jade to grow like a tree-like shape.
Pruning ensures airflow in the plant, which is good for pests and diseases prevention.
Insects and Diseases
- Aphids, mealybugs, scales and powdery mildew may be attack the jade plant. Honeydew-like sticky substance on the leaves and stems and white patches of cotton-like substance on the stem joints and leaves are due to aphids and mealybugs.
- Most of the insects can be treated with a spray of diluted neem oil solution.
- Remove the mealybugs or scale by a strong jet of water or wiping with rubbing alcohol on a cotton swab. Strong insecticidal soap may damage the plant.
How To Get Flowers on Jade Plant
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| Flowers on Jade Plant |
- The matured jade plants produce white or pink flowers under right conditions in winter. Often the jade plant fails to flower.
- Keep your jade plant in a small pot, making the plant root-bound to encourage blooms on the plant.
- A few hours of sun during the day and complete darkness during the night from the end of summer may produce flowers. A regular liquid fertilizer in summer may help.
- Holding back water also forces the plant to bloom.
Growing Jade Plant in Pot
The Pot Size
- The jade plant does not need big size pot.
- When you brought the jade plant from the nursery you need to transplant it in a new pot. Choose a pot slightly bigger than the size (width and depth) of the root-ball.
- While repotting, if it is in a 4 inch pot, then transfer it in a 5 inch, which will be be suitable for about two years.
- The jade plant grows best when roots of the plant gets crowded, so repotting in a larger pot is not needed quite often.
- While selecting the pot for your jade plant, do not choose a tall pot with a narrow base, otherwise it will become unstable due to light base and heavy top and fall down as the plant matures. Therefore, a heavy pot with wide base is ideal.
Jade Plant Care in Winter
Jade plant is very susceptible to cold damages, it will not tolerate winter temperatures below 10°C (50°F). The plant is not frost tolerant, so move the pot under cover or indoors once temperatures begin to fall to around 10°C (50°F). Keep it away from cold or hot drafts.
Lighting Requirement in Winter
- The duration of sunlight and its intensity go down significantly during winter which can lead to various problems in the plant.
- You may see you jade showing leaves curled, brown or white spots on leaves, discoloration of leaves, curling of leaves or dropping of leaves. So you have to take proper care of the plant in winter.
- Shift the jade plant to a location where it can get bright light. you can place it near a window in direct morning sun. Or you can use artificial lights or grow lights for plants.
Watering Jade Plant in Winter
The question is how much and how often to water jade plant in winter. Jade plant does not need much water during the winter, you may need to water the plant once every two to three weeks. Although it is important to keep the soil moist even during winter, but avoid overwatering. Water only if the the top 2 inch of soil dries out.
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