Choosing the main stem as the main trunk and then getting rid of the side stems. In the beginning, snip off all the stems that would hamper the growth of the main stem/trunk. Also, prune the lower half of the plant including all the leaves and stem to give it a top-heavy, tree-like look.
Compared to many other plants, the jade plant is quite a slow grower and it might take you some years to get it to the point where it resembles a small tree. As mentioned, the jade plant typically grows at a rate of about 5-20 cm per year.
You'll need to cut your plant down like a tree, just above a leaf line. Yours may have one or multiple stems. Use the appropriate cutting tool to cut them all to a height of about two inches. You want to avoid going too short, because you may damage the crown, where the stems and roots meet.
The best time of the year to prune jade plants is spring through early summer. If you do it in the fall or winter on one kept indoors, the new growth can quickly become leggy and weak. Otherwise if you live in a warm climate where they're outside year-round, then you can trim them at any time.
If provide the jade plant with the right growing condition, it will start to take the shape of a tree in 3-4 years but will take its own sweet time to reach a height of 3-5 feet, which can be anywhere between 6-12 years.
For upward growth, trim all side shoots by no more than half. For outward growth, shorten the trunk by one-third. You should prune new branches only at the tips of the shoots. Relief pruning is also necessary when the branches of older trees begin to droop.
Even though they grow slowly—roughly two inches a year—jade plants can reach up to six feet in height and three feet in width. Native to South Africa and Mozambique, jade plants are easy to grow indoors and can live for 100 years when cared for consistently.
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.
Is it better to propagate a jade plant in water or soil? 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.
Dwarf jade plants are popular houseplants due to their small size. You can train this dwarf jade into a small bonsai tree through pruning, which is easy to do because of the plant's slow growth rate. You can also grow dwarf jade plants in hanging baskets and let them trail down the edges of the planter.
Use sharp shears or bonsai pruning shears to make your cuts.
Or if you are mainly looking to shape your jade plant, prune individual leaves or partial sections of branches. Cut just above the leaf node (where the leaf grows out of the branch). Avoid cutting the main branch (or trunk) of the plant.
What does a Leggy Jade plant look like? A healthy Jade plant is known to look compact, as they have a slow growth rate and sufficient light levels could leave them looking bushy, so if you notice that your Crassula Jade plant has a stretched-out look, then it is leggy.
Jade plants can be propagated from stem or leaf cuttings. Keep in mind that it takes it takes a while to get a nice sized jade plant from leaf cuttings. What is this? So, if you want to get a head start, and don't want to wait so long, then I recommend propagating jade plant stem cuttings instead of the leaves.
1. Select a container that has at least 1 drainage hole and is no more than 2 inches wider than the root ball of your jade plant. (Jade plants actually don't mind being a little crowded.)
This just means that the plant has stretched out because of insufficient light. Jade plants like several hours of direct sunshine and should be placed right in front of a window for best results. If you have a nice southern exposure window, this will be ideal for your jade plant.
Jade Plants have a small, shallow root systems. They prefer a smaller pot and could easily be overwatered in a large pot with a lot of soil mass. As your Jade gets larger and heavier, it will need a “weighty” pot as a base.
For a jade plant to flower, it needs to be at least 3-4 years old, so if your plant is still pretty tiny, you'll want to wait a few years before expecting to see tiny flowers.
Repot young jade plants once every 2 to 3 years to encourage growth. With older jade, repot once every 4 to 5 years or as necessary. Transplant in the early spring, just before the growing season begins. After repotting, don't water the plant for a week or so.
It's time to transplant when the roots begin to encircle the rootball or new growth is stunted. Your jade plant appears to be thriving, but it looks as if it has settled in the container. This is not a problem. Some gardeners prefer to adjust this by adding soil to the bottom of the pot.