4” Jade

Quick Facts about Jade

• Botanical name: Crassula ovata
• Height: 5 feet or more (1.5 m)
• Spread: 2-3 feet (61-91 cm)
• Sun exposure: indirect sun outside to full sun indoors
• Soil requirements: well-draining, acidic succulent soil
• Hardiness zones: USDA 10-12
• When to plant: Spring

Indoor Jade Plant Care

Learning about the care and maintenance of jade plants (Crassula ovata) is easy. The most important factors to consider when growing jade houseplants is water, light, temperature, and fertilizer. So let's get started.

Best Soil for a Jade Plant

Jade plants, like other succulents, require soil that is very well draining. This specimen also tends to become top heavy, so a soil with some heft to it is also imperative. Choose a soil made for succulents or mix your own with a source of organic matter like peat moss, coir, or composted bark, plus heavier materials such as sand, grit, or rock. Bark chips or perlite can be added to improve drainage.

Jade plants like an acidic soil with a pH of around 6.5. If the pH needs to be adjusted, mix in 2 tablespoons of limestone for every gallon of growing medium.

Watering a Jade Plant

Be careful when watering. Succulents are easily overwatered, and it can be the death of them. Because succulents store water in their fleshy leaves and stems, they do not require as much irrigation as other houseplants. Keeping the soil too wet can lead to root rot.

That said, too little water can result in dwarfed plants, leaf spotting and drop, and even death of the entire plant. If your jade plant is losing leaves or has leaf spots, this is most commonly caused by too little water.

During their growing period from early spring to late autumn, water jades so the soil is moderately moist but not soaking wet. When the plant is out of the growing phase, reduce the amount and frequency of water given.

Fertilizing Your Jade Plant

For proper jade plant care, fertilize every other month to every two months with a flowering houseplant fertilizer during their growing phase from early spring to late autumn.

Use a balanced water soluble fertilizer. Never fertilize your jade plant when the soil is dry, as this will damage the roots. Instead, water normally, then immediately water again with fertilizer.

Wait four months before feeding plants that have been recently repotted.

Sunlight Requirements of a Jade Plant

In their native region, jade plants thrive in dry, sunny areas. They need full sun in order to grow properly. If they do not have full sun, they may become stunted and leggy.

Inside, jade will enjoy a full sun site in a south-facing window, but not at first. Gradually move your jade from indirect sunlight to direct sunlight to prevent scorching.

Proper Temperature for Jade Plants

Jade plant care instructions say that jade plants do best in daytime temperatures of 65 to 75 degrees F (18-24 C), and 50 to 55 degrees F (10-13 C) at night. That being said, as long as they get enough light they will do fine in temperatures that are higher than this.

Bud formation is encouraged with cooler nights and dark conditions after sunset.

Repotting

Because this succulent can become so top heavy, it is best to use sturdy clay or ceramic pots. Jade plants can be grown for many years when root-bound. However, it is best to repot them every