My Jade Plant (Crassula ovata)

[Shade]

This is my 6 1/2 year old jade. I got it when it was on inch tall from my moms jade. I put it outdoors every summer and bring it in when the low temperatures are consistently in the lower 30's. It has bloomed for me every year for the last 3 or 4 years. It is 3 feet tall and 44 inches wide at it's widest point. I have made the mistake of transplanting it too often and in too big of a pot. It weighs 90 pounds! Does anyone know if you are able to downsize it? Maybe next spring I may try to cut the root system back and plant it in a smaller pot. Has anyone ever done this?

[majcka]

Woooow! I had some of those, but non as big as this one is.

Actually the big one I have didn't apriciated much the spot it vas all summer. Neht year I have to provide a better one.

[tudedude]

I like jades, you should trim it bonsai style. It will get rid of a lot of weight and reveal their hidden form. In my opinion, jades aren't apreciated enough for their caudex and are left to grow like bushes, which is a shame.

[promethean_spark]

They can take a pretty brutal trimming. Also bright light and heat makes them grow a little sparser, more erect, and more of a bronze color.

[Saxicola]

Cutting the roots back and putting it in a smaller pot is fine, but I'd recommend pruning back the top at the same time. It can be hard on the plant to reduce the roots but leave the top half unchanged. If the plant regrows its top back to this level afterwards that's fine as it means it is capable of handling a big top again.

[Shade]

Thanks saxicola. I never considered cutting back the top. I do know that Promethean's response to not be true. My jade plant is outside all summer on the south side of my house in near full sun. This year it as over 100 degrees for several days. It always shows and explosion of growth every summer, making it much bushier and greener (just the experience I have observed with my jade over the last several years).
Personally I don't like the bonsai style. I like letting a jade grow naturally as a dense thick bush as it would in its natural habitat. Just mho.

[sundanz]

you can always plant the bush outside if your climate doesn't get too cold!

[cactuslee]

i once had a jade that was about 30 years old. i trimmed it back one summer which i had done every other summer and the darn thing died. guess i cut it back too far. the trunk of it was almost 4 inces in diameter. it only bloomed once but i think that was because i kept repotting it and they like to be root bound to bloom.

[promethean_spark]

Thanks saxicola. I never considered cutting back the top. I do know that Promethean's response to not be true. My jade plant is outside all summer on the south side of my house in near full sun. This year it as over 100 degrees for several days. It always shows and explosion of growth every summer, making it much bushier and greener (just the experience I have observed with my jade over the last several years).
Personally I don't like the bonsai style. I like letting a jade grow naturally as a dense thick bush as it would in its natural habitat. Just mho.

FWIW, this is what my semi-hard grown plant looks like:

My version of full sun is pretty hot though, can see how it made the Fero on the right blush. The fero was in full sun all summer and just came in, the jade lives in that spot year-round.

[Saxicola]

P-S,

Do you get hard frosts in Sunol? I think people grow it as a landscape plant in San Jose (and I know they do in central and southern CA). There may be no need to cover it in the winter.

[promethean_spark]

We get fairly hard frosts most years - ~25'F. We're at the bottom of a narrow valley with 200' walls, which causes cold air to pool. The jade plant nearly died being out on the porch with only overhead protection. Aeoniums also get burned back unless they're in a protected corner. The GH is unheated, but runs several degrees warmer than outside air at night, and about 20' warmer during the day.

[Shade]

Hey Promethean. You have a great collection of cactus. I really like the one in the lower right corner of your picture. The one with the white ridges. What kind of cactus is that?

[promethean_spark]

Stenocereus marginatus. They are very easy from seed and grow pretty fast, not particularly cold/wet hardy though or they'd be outside with the trichocereus/echinopsis. I think there are 4 of them in that picture along with a couple cereus hildemanius and a lophocereus schotti.