Houseplant Spotlight On: Jade

  ​The jade (Crassula ovata) plant is an extremely popular and undemanding houseplant. They need an even hand with water and plenty of light to develop their full potential.

  Also called the money plant or dollar plant, jade is thought to bring good luck and so is often given as a housewarming gift. 

Here are our tips to keep your jade plant in it's best health:

Light
Jade plants prefer full sun and like six or more hours of bright sunlight each day. They grow best placed in south-facing windows.

Water
During the spring and summer months, jade plants should be watered regularly so the soil is kept slightly moist but not wet. If you use a tray to catch water drainage, empty the tray ten minutes after watering to ensure roots do not sit in water.
Reduce watering in the fall to once or twice monthly in the winter.

Temperature
Jade plants prefer daytime temperatures of 65F to 70F. Nighttime temps down to 50F.
If placing a jade plant on a windowsill make sure the temperature does not drop below 50F during the winter months.

Soil
A free draining cactus and succulent potting mix with added pea gravel is best, with an ideal pH around 6.0 (slightly acidic).
We like a mix of 1 part pea gravel to 2 parts Miracle Grow Cactus, Palm, & Citrus Potting Mix. Mulch with a layer of gravel.

Fertilizer
Many people underfeed their succulents and cactus during the growing season.
Feed jade with a controlled-release pellet fertilizer in the middle of April to beginning of May.
Pull back the gravel mulch and scratch the pellets into the soil. Recover with mulch.
Or beginning in mid-April feed weekly with a weak liquid solution.
We prefer Espoma Organic Cactus and Succulent Fertilizer. Simply shake the bottle, turn over the bottle with cap closed to fill the measurer, open and pour into your watering can. 

Repotting
Repot as needed, preferably during the summer months.
To repot a succulent, make sure the soil is dry before repotting, then carefully remove the pot. Gently knock away the old soil from the roots, making sure to remove any rotted or dead roots in the process.
Place the jade plant in its new pot and backfill with a mix of two parts potting soil and one part gravel, carefully spreading the roots out as you repot. Mulch with a shallow layer of gravel.
Leave the plant dry for a week or so, then begin to water lightly to reduce the risk of root rot.

More Tips for Success
Jade plants are easy to grow, but they are susceptible to mealy bugs and fungal diseases.
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As with all succulents, overwatering is sure to be fatal, so err on the side of too dry rather than too wet. NEVER let your jade plant sit in water. If you water from beneath by letting the plant sit in a saucer of water, make sure to pour off any excess water after no more than ten minutes.

Given proper conditions and enough light, the jade plant will flower with white flowers in the late winter. It's a beautiful and mildly scented display.