Place your plant so it receives some direct sunlight during the day, but be careful not to burn with too much direct sunlight. Fertilize your jade plant once or twice a month during the spring and summer months.
Traditionally, jade plants grow well as indoor plants in bright but indirect light or outdoors in full or partial sun, but they cannot survive freezing temperatures.
Jade plant care outside
However, if you live in a warm, dry area (USDA zones 10+), jade plants will grow perfectly fine. Jade plants have an optimal growing temperature between 65-70° Fahrenheit, so if temperatures drop below 50° Fahrenheit, bring the plant indoors.
Jade plants also grow well outside, as long as you take them inside during cold fall and winter months. With proper care, this resilient houseplant can live for more than 50 years.
Want to enjoy your jade plant outdoors during the summer? Once nighttime temperatures are at least 65 degrees F, move the container outside to a protected spot.
Place jade plants in indirect sunlight.
Too much direct sunlight can scorch the leaves of young jade plants or cause the leaves of mature plants to develop red tips. Not enough sunlight can stunt their growth or cause them to look leggy and stretched out.
Jade plants should receive at least 6 hours of bright light each day. Young plants should be kept in bright, indirect sunlight; large, well-established jade plants can handle more direct sunlight.
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.
If your jade plant does not get enough light, the woody stems will be much thinner and break off easily. Water your jade every 10 -14 days if it is growing outdoors in direct sun. Jade growing indoors in a window with bright light may do well on a 10-14 day watering schedule.
Jade Plants can tolerate growing in heavy shade but usually become weak and leggy. For best growth and colour, make sure they get a least a couple of hours of direct sun. Crassulas are generally fairly pest free, however Jade Plants may attract scale and mealybug, especially over summer.
I have a terrace garden in my home with lots of plants in hanging baskets which saves a lot of space. If you live in an apartment with balcony, this approach for planting jades will suit you best. Jade plant in hanging baskets looks magnificent and requires almost no pruning or special care.
While jade plants are popular houseplants, you can also grow these plants outdoors. The care requirements are very similar to those for indoor jade plants. Many individuals choose to move their potted jade plants outdoors when the temperatures warm up in the spring or summer.
Placing a jade plant in the southeast (wealth and prosperity) sector of your home is very considered very lucky. A jade plant in a home office can improve business luck when placed in the southeast corner of the office, or southeast corner of your desk.
According to Vastu, the jade plant, also known as the wealth plant or money plant, will bring wealth and good luck if placed in the south-east corner of the house. Jade plant direction as per Vastu is the east direction or east corner. Keeping a Jade plant at the entrance of the office or house brings good luck.
Jade plants are not able to tolerate the cold since they are not frost-tolerant. Once temperatures drop below 50ºF, we recommend finding a warmer place for your plant. They will do just fine in temperatures above 75ºF for shorter periods of time.
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. Learn more about cultivating jade as a houseplant in our guide.
Give jade plant at least 4 to 6 hours of bright, indirect sunlight for the greenest, healthiest leaves. Growing in part sun will result in narrow leaves that take on a grayish cast and can result in leggy plants. Feel free to take your jade plant outside during the summer.
With proper care, jade plants can live between 50 and 70 years—sometimes even longer.
Jade Plant Basics: Light and Watering
Water needs: Not as drought-tolerant as other succulent species, Jade likes moist soil—not wet, because you don't want root rot—during the growing season (spring and summer), drier soil during the dormant season (fall and winter).
The Best Fertilizer for Jade Plants
The best NPK ratio for a jade plant fertilizer is a 10-20-10 mix. The higher phosphorus content helps the jade plant create a strong root system. This is perfect for getting as many nutrients as possible out of poorer soils.