Bonsai Supplies

The jade plant is easy to care for, and makes a delightful addition to any room. With its plump, shiny dark-green leaves, twisting branches and sturdy trunk, the jade plant resembles an Asian bonsai, and will live for many years under the right conditions. In maturity, the jade plant produces delightful white flowers that have a sweet fragrance and are edible. I’ve seen jade plants over twenty-five years old that have attained the height and appearance of small trees. Placed in a glazed Chinese pot, jade plants of this stature lend an air of dignity and prosperity to your home.

POTTING: Place your jade plant in a well-drained pot with a circumference that is twice as large as the crown (top) of the plant. Fill with a cactus potting blend enriched with a couple scoops of regular houseplant soil. Tamp the soil down firmly around the root ball, and cover the stem about one inch above the roots. Water thoroughly. Allow the jade plant to become root-bound as it matures, and re-pot it when the crown becomes twice as large as the circumference of the pot.

WATERING: The jade plant is a succulent, and needs water in order to thrive. When the soil is completely dry, water until liquid seeps out of the drainage holes in the pot. Use tap water that has been allowed to sit for twenty-four hours. If you are able to collect rain water, this is best for the jade plant. Avoid splashing water on the leaves, as this may leave unattractive brown spots. Check water frequently if the jade plant sits near a source of air or heat.

LIGHT: A south-facing window is the best place for a jade plant, although it will do well as long as it receives several hours of bright sunlight each day. Allow the plant to get close to the window without touching the surface of the glass, because extreme heat or cold may cause damage to the leaves. Rotate the jade plant frequently to stimulate even growth of all the branches and leaves. If you are able to take the jade plant outside in warm weather, it will thrive on fresh air and sunshine. Just make sure not to let it scorch in direct sunlight, as this will cause shriveling and dropping of the leaves.

TEMPERATURE: The jade plant can tolerate temperatures that range from very cool to very warm. In cool weather, the jade may be left outdoors until the temperature dips below 50 degrees Fahrenheit. In warm weather, the jade will thrive outdoors as long as it is not exposed to scorching sunlight, or allowed to dry out too much. Kept indoors,

Not everyone is born with a green thumb. If you want to nurture yours, a good house plant to start with is the hearty Jade. These south African succulents love living indoors and can take some abuse. It’s also an attractive plant that comes in varieties with different colored flowers.

Jade plants are succulents, which means they have thick fleshy leaves and trunk-like stems. They resemble little trees and many people are attracted their bonsai-like shape. A mature, healthy Jade will flower in the winter.

So what does a Jade plant like and what will keep it healthy? A green-thumb will think first about sunlight. Jade plants love the sun. Put your Jade somewhere that gets plenty of light: four hours or more of direct sunshine. If you don’t have a spot with that much sun, don’t worry. These hearty plants can also grow where there’s lots of indirect light.

Next let’s think about watering. You might look at your succulent Jade and wonder if it needs much water. After all, cacti are also succulents. Well the Jade is not a cactus; it appreciates water. It’s important that your plant’s pot can drain properly so water doesn’t pool and rot your roots. A good tip for watering plants is to feel the soil. Dry soil means the roots are thirsty. Damp soil is good, and of course sopping wet soil is going to drown your plant! Pour enough water until it starts to drain out of the bottom of the pot. Water at the base of your Jade, not on the leaves. Try watering once a week and test the soil to see how quickly your Jade dries out. If you forget to water your Jade for a week, don’t fret. It’s a tough plant and will take a little abuse. Just don’t let that become habit! In the winter you can let your Jade dry out between waterings; this will encourage it to flower.

You might fertilize your Jade once or twice a year with liquid fertilizer. Be sure to read the instructions carefully. If you can manage those tips, your Jade will love you and flourish. Mastering those basics – light, water and fertilizer – are the secrets of a green thumb. Practice on your Jade plant and your reward will be a healthy, beautiful plant that brightens your home and refreshes your air. A green thumb is easy with the patient and hearty Jade.

Spoon Jade succulent plants are great choices for dry gardens. These plants are easy to grow in hot dry areas and also make great houseplants. Their care is similar to cactus (without the thorns). One of my favorite succulents is named Crassula portulacea, commonly called Horseshoe or Spoon Jade. Recently they’ve been called Gollum Fingers, Hobbit Plant or ET Fingers because their dark green leaves look like fingers with reddish tips. These plants can take full sun to light shade. They are happy indoors or outdoors, in the ground or in containers.
Water-wise crassula portulacea like heat and sun whether you grow them indoors or in the yard. They are just as easy to care for as their cousin, crassula ovata. Both succulent plants can take up to 6 hours of sun a day. If they develop yellow or brown spots on the leaves, it is either stress or sunburn. If they are in a pot, try moving it to an area with less sun. If they’re outdoors, try giving them a nice soak and they should perk up.

Grown in pots Spoon Jade will remain small and are often used for bonsai. They will grow slowly and can be trimmed into the shape of trees. In the ground they will eventually reach a height of 4 to 5 feet tall. Older plants take on an otherworldly, gnarled look.
I love succulents because they are easy to grow and care- free. They are great if you don’t have time to fuss over a plant. Crassula happily oblige and even produce blooms in later winter. This increases their value as a landscape plant in my book as winter blooming plants are uncommon. They produce flower clusters that look like tiny bouquets of daisies. Bloom color can range from light to dark pink, some have a salmon/orange tint. The plant I started as a small cutting two years ago is blooming for the first time this year. Established plants should bloom reliably each year.
They are called succulent plants because they store their water in their trunks and leaves. This allows them to get by with little water. All that stored water can make them susceptible to rot if they sit in a pool of wet dirt. Let the soil dry out between watering to keep them happy. Crassula are best grown in USDA Zones 9b 11.
Normally, the plants in my succulent garden are able to take a light frost for a few hours. This year we had freezing nights for a few days in a row and the top 1/3 of my plants became frozen and brown. The stalks that survived are now sprouting new leafs. They need overhead protection in winter if you are in a cold area. They also have a better chance of surviving frost if the plants have been kept on the dry side.
Xeriscaping with drought tolerant cactus and succulents has become popular out here in the southwest where we sometimes have water rationing and shortages. These succulent plants add a dramatic touch and look like some sort of sea plant or coral to me. Visit http://www.theGardenPages.com to see photos and read more. Crassula are and easy and reliable addition to any water-wise garden.