You can propagate jade plants in both water and soil. If you're using a stem cutting you can use both methods with ease. If you're using a leaf, it's best to stick with soil.
To propagate Crassula ovata from leaves, twist a leaf from the mother plant. Be sure that none of the leaf remains on the stem, or you will have a smaller chance of success. Allow the leaf to dry out for several days so that the end callouses over, and then place on well-draining soil.
If there's not much humidity in the air, lightly mist the cuttings with water daily. New growth on each cutting is a good sign that roots are forming. Most cuttings take about 3 weeks to show signs of rooting, followed by established root formation in 4-6 weeks.
Jade plants lose some lower leaves naturally as part of the aging process. Those do not grow back. Some leaves lost for other reasons will grow back, slowly, if you correct the conditions that caused them to drop off.
The lack of a good root structure indicates to me that your Jade Plant (Crassula argentea), was probably being over watered in its previous pot. Succulents generally will send their roots out only far enough to find a sufficient source of water.
Most popular succulents propagate well from individual leaves or stem pieces. Leaf propagation works best for succulents with fleshy leaves, such as jade plants or echeveria and sempervivum rosettes. To root successfully, the leaf must stay whole.
The best way to root succulent cuttings or leaves is by planting them in soil. You could certainly try rooting the stems in water instead. However, this can be risky, because they can quickly rot in water. Using a soil medium will give you the best success, and produce stronger, healthier roots.
Coffee, cool and black with no sugar or milk, is also great for many plants, especially acid-loving houseplants such as African violets (Saintpaulia spp), Cyclamen (Cyclamen persicum), impatiens, Norfolk Island pines, Christmas cactus (Schlumbergera bridgesii), jade plant (Crassula ovata), spider plants, Phalaenopsis ...
Shorten Leggy Stems
If an entire plant is leggy, you can cut up to one-third of each stem just above a node to encourage bushier growth. Avoid overfertilizing and provide bright indirect sunlight. You may also have a healthy stem that is much longer than the others and skews the general symmetry.
Place your cutting in a sunny spot and change the water every few days until new roots begin to form. It may take a month or two, but after the roots emerge, you can transplant the cutting to soil. How long do jade plants live? Jade plants have amazing longevity and can live for 50 to 100 years when cared for properly.
☀️ Sunlight
Keep your jade plant in bright light for at least six hours per day, according to Almanac. While mature plants can handle direct sunlight, younger plants require a bright space that's free of direct rays. Without proper sunlight, your jade plant will stop growing, or it'll grow tall and leggy.
Simply snip off or pinch off the newly sprouted leaves on the end of each branch. I know this seems counterintuitive, but cutting off the newly grown leaves will in fact encourage more branching, making for a fuller jade plant!
What are the disadvantages of Jade plants. The only disadvantage of the Jade plant is that the leaves of the plant can tend to hold onto excessive water. Due to this, they become soft and mushy and fall off the plant.
Offer your succulent leaf cuttings water and light for successful propagation. Water succulent leaf cuttings about 2-4 times per week, depending on temperature and humidity in your home. Don't overwater though. Soil should be moist and prevented from drying out, but not so moist that there is any standing water.
Usually, it can take from 2-6 weeks for roots to sprout, depending on your climate and environment. To prevent delays, it is recommended that you check the jar from time to time to make sure that the water does not dry up.
To propagate your succulent leaves directly in or on soil, again start by letting the leaves callous over. Fill a shallow tray with succulent soil (I like to mix in some perlite or pumice for aeration) and place the callused leaves on top. You can also plant them in the soil with the calloused end buried in the dirt.
Leaves propagation is not for every succulent: Aeonium and Sempervivum do not do well with leaf propagation.
Succulent leaves will not root if: Leaves are not viable to begin with. Either the leaves are damaged, too small or for whatever reason, it just wasn't cut-out to survive on its own and propagate into a new plant. You used the wrong type of soil or the growing medium has poor drainage.
Lastly, cutting off part of a succulent plant can lead to new growth in the future. Once you cut off the top of the plant, allow it to dry out for about a day. Then, it can be replanted into a potting mix made specifically for succulents or cacti, rather than a regular potting soil.
A healthy jade has erect stems and firm foliage that points outward, upward, or slightly downward. But when a plant is under stress, the young, soft stems may droop, and the foliage may hang limply, like fallen dominoes.
If your Jade Plant doesn't receive enough water, it will start to drop off leaves rapidly. If you notice the lower leaves on your Jade Plant are shriveling up and then falling off, your plant needs more water. You should water your Jade Plant whenever the top inch (2.5 cm) of its soil is dried out.