Crassula ovata

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The Jade Plant

Jade Plant is the most interesting plant that keeps me engaged. I love jade than any other house plant, as it grows very well in Chennai and it can be well grown in pot itself for many years. It gives a pretty bonsai look and is very easy to care. When you are busy, it understands and, withstands low or nil watering. It never blooms, but internet claims that it blooms.

Jade Plant - Crassula ovata

The members of the family Crassulaeceae are similarly large shrubs which are succulents. These are widely grown as common house plants. The other different names by which it is called are Chinese Jade, Jade Tree, Old Money Plant, Dollar Plant, Dollar Tree, etc,. All are the different varieties of Crassula ovata. Jade plants are popular because they are incredibly easy to grow. With proper care and time they make a fine specimen of bonsai trees also. In Chennai only one variety grows well. The other ones with large leaves and tube like leaves go off easily and are hardly seen.

The Jade plant is ideally suited for Bonsai, as it is compact and requires very little maintenance. With the tips to Bonsai a Jade Plant, you can make Jade Bomsai.

A Jade plant needs direct sunlight to grow well and a sunny position if placed on a window sill. At the same time, good air circulation and regular watering will help to avoid sun scorch on hot summer days. Watering is not required on excessive cold weather. A Jade plant should never be moved suddenly from a shady position to full sun. It needs to be slowly acclimatized as damage to the leaves is likely. If there is no enough sun then it will not be fleshy as it is a succulent. The leaves will drop and get replaced in due course so that the damage is never permanent.
Jade plants grow well outside in direct sunlight as patio plants or in open terrace and their leaves will color up nicely in the sun. Jade plants will survive hot or cold conditions and needs watering only if the soil is dry. Google says cold night temperatures promotes flowering but it never blooms in Chennai. It is always ideal to water thoroughly only when the plant dries out.
Sometimes a few leaves drop off, especially when the weather is too hot or cold or there is no water or more water. The common problem is overwatering and the next one is the mealy bug. If you find mealy bug just remove the affected leaves and it will become alright soon. Misting or spraying water over the leaves is not necessary as it may rot the leaves and the leaves may drop. It loves to be always dry as excessive humidity may lead to mildew or other fungal problems. However, occasionally putting water over the plant helps to wash off dust collected on the leaves and freshen the foliage. In direct sunlight the leaves reduce in size too and gives a wonderful look. This character helps the bonsai trainers.

A Jade plant requires rich nutrition and a quick drying soil. River sand with compost will help grow well. It will produce nicely colored wonderful leaves if the soil is changed once in 6 months or so.

To maintain a plant at the same size, treat it in a similar way to a bonsai tree specimen. Prune the roots while re-potting into the same pot and prune the stem shoots to maintain a pleasing shape and size. This helps to develop a thick trunk. New leaves will grow from the pruned branches and branch out.

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Propagation

There are no seeds for this plant as it never flowers in India. So it has to be grown only from cuttings. Though Google claims that a single leaf will root, it is not so.

If you get a cutting of 2 – 3 inches, you can remove the lower two or three sets of leaves and put in a quick draining soil in direct sun and water sparingly it will root very well and turn out to be a new plant. It will grow well for nearly 80 - 100 years.