Jade in Need of Help
gbond1967
24 days ago
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Comments (8)
socks
20 days agolast modified: 20 days agoRelated Discussions
Massive jade (c. ovata), need help!
Comments (32)I am getting more and more skeptical about the grafts. I read an online page about the hole grafting technique, but I am starting to see the flaws already. The holes have dried up and gotten larger. The little cuttings fit snugly in the holes two days ago, but now they are lose. So without good contact with the cambium I doubt they will fuse. If a couple fuse I would be happy at this point. But hopefully the trunk will sprout new shoots on its own, so the grafting doesn't really matter. Originally the trunk was so darn big and heavy. I don't think I could manage a bonsai that big especially if the primary branches would add another foot or two to the height. Perhaps a few inches taller would have been ideal. I can always unearth some trunk and roots below the surface. There is no risk of too much heat here right now. We're expecting 36F over night. I am considering bringing plants indoors ... *sigh* :) The days are not especially comfortable either. (I know you're thinking about the future months, just expressing my displeasure about cold weather, hehe)....See MoreJade needs MUCHO help!
Comments (4)Howdy, neighbor, I'm over on the other side of the Sierra Nevadas in Nevada County... When you say "baby jade," I wonder if it's actually Crassula ovata or perhaps something else, like the Portulacaria afra ("Elephant's Food Bush"). However, I'll assume it's the regular Jade species. My advice, get it out of that soil *pronto*! Wash the old soil off the roots, and look closely for any rotten roots. If you find any, cut them off. Dust any cuts you make with cinnamon (kitchen kind), then let the roots dry out for a day or so. After that, I'd re-pot in a new container with a fast-draining mix. By fast-draining mix, I mean something gritty without any peat-moss. I like 2 parts grit: 1 part organic (small pine/fir bark). My gritty ingredients are perlite, pumice, and small quartz gravel; and my organic ingredient is pine/fir bark 1/8 to 3/8 inch in diameter. After re-potting, I would set the Jade somewhere to recuperate for about one week - somewhere protected from direct sun, with good air circulation. Do not water - repeat, do not water - until any injured roots have had a few days to form calluses. Since you're in Reno, Nevada, your Jade will dry quickly...because of this factor, I'd only wait 3 - 5 days before lightly watering the container. Good luck! Act soon! ;) If you have any other questions, here's the place to ask! And please post an update. Josh...See MoreMy Jades need URGENT help!
Comments (5)I have to respectfully disagree. If they were in a standard peat based mix, then yes they may be overpotted. But if the mix is as porous as it appears, then larger pots are a good idea. With a sufficiently porous mix, you could grow cuttings in 5 gallon buckets if you wanted. I use a very porous mix and large pots for all my plants and the root growth is excellent. One problem I have found though, is that they dry out very quickly in hot, sunny weather. And this is where I'm guessing your problem occurred. Even though succulents are quite tolerant of arid conditions, young plants lack the extensive root system and water reserve of mature plants. They can definitely wilt if the soil completely dries out, and this is much easier to do in a gritty soil. I would keep them out of direct sun until they firm up again, and then be careful to keep them well watered when hot and sunny. If the soil mix contains many fines that are not visible from above, then I retract my diagnosis and defer to paracelsus. I'm guessing though, that the lava rock, perlite, and bark you're using is very porous....See MoreSOS my Jade plant NEEDS help
Comments (6)You can get your plant through the winter in the soil it's in by getting your watering under control. Use a wooden dowel rod sharpened in a pencil sharpener pushed deep into the soil (all the way to the bottom is best) as a 'tell'. Don't water until it comes out dry. Your planting won't actually BE dry at that point because there will still be some available water, but the planting will need watering at that point. When you water, water thoroughly, until the soil is fully saturated and at least 20% of the total volume of water applied exits the pot. After the pot has stopped draining (and don't let it drain into the cache pot) hold the pot in one hand and move it downward, then sharply upward. You'll see the excess water the soil holds exiting the drain hole at this point. Continue the up/down motion until no more water exits the drain. You will have removed all the excess water that causes to problem. Then, allow the pot to dry down to the point you can repeat the watering cycle. You can fertilize each time you water, or every other time with low doses. Josh knows a lot about jades, so he can cover that with you, or I can if Josh is busy elsewhere. The water that drains out of the drain hole should never have a pathway back into the soil in the pot. That would, to a large degree, make moot the practice of flushing salts from the soil. Al...See Moregbond1967
19 days agogbond1967
13 days ago41 North (Zone 7a/b, NE, coastal)
13 days agolast modified: 13 days agogbond1967
3 hours ago
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