I did my yearly chop on my jade during spring, and after a summer of growing it has produced many new growth points but I feel like it may be too many. I’m guessing there are between 60-70 difrent shoots at this point. I’m really happy that it’s so full, but I fear that the overall growth of the plant is slowing down because of how many difrent places it is growing.
My gut is telling me that if I clean it up and remove maybe half of the new growth that the plant will be happier. It lives in “ideal” conditions with regular waterings and a full sun/ plant light so I think it should handle it just fine but would like to hear what people have to say. I’ve attached pictures.
by buppybaby
3 Comments
I would thin it out. Jades don’t like their leaves touching and will try to grow away from each other. Once the branches start growing in odd directions it can be tricky to coax them back
You can remove some of the thinner twigs and some leaves so that the other branches have some space to grow
I think you’re just suffering from JPF, jade pruning fear.
-I consider Jade to be one of the very BEST plants to learn pruning technique. It is somewhat slow, yes but every cut generally teaches pruning technique.
-To me, it looks like you have done a pretty good job. Do not stress about the potential of too many off shoots because you have the power and you can just cut those off too if you would like.
I have a jade as young as 1 year and a jade as old as 15 years and treatment is pretty much: learn to prune as I grow and the plant grows. Jade is VERY forgiving and if anything ever goes horribly wrong, it is so easily propagated from cutting. Some plants reject when you go from water cutting to soil but jade is a lil more forgiving.
-I over-pruned my ancient jade and now I wish I had directed my focus to making it look like a lil full tree. Whatever, it’s jade. I’ll let it grow and then re-examine it and re-cut the joints better this time. Jade is SO forgiving. You’re okay.
-Tell your gut to chill a bit.
I had a relative in a frost free area who planted a Crassula ovata outside along the drive. It was never pruned at all & grew by itself into the most gorgeous, full, knee high clump I’ve ever seen. Being in mostly sun, the leaf edges were a beautiful burgundy & the trunk was the size of my arm. It would completely cover itself every summer in flowers so thick you could barely see leaves underneath. I was sad when they sold the house & had I lived closer, I probably would have dug it & brought it home.