Skip to content
Grow In Backyard
Container Gardening

How to Grow a Jade Plant: Underwater It and Give It Sun

Jade plants live for decades on neglect. Soak then dry completely, full sun for solid growth, and repot rarely — overwatering is the only real killer.

By Salma 2 min read Save to Pinterest — opens Pinterest in a new tab
Jade plant crassula
Photo: sandid, Pixabay Content License, via Pixabay
On this page

Jade plants fail from water, not neglect. Soak, dry out completely, repeat — and give it the sunniest window you own.

Light and shape

A jade in a dim corner produces long weak stems with widely spaced leaves that eventually flop and snap. In strong light it grows compact and stocky, often with a red edge to the leaves — which is a sign of good light rather than of stress.

  • Brightest window available, four hours of direct sun or more
  • Turn the pot every week or two so it grows evenly
  • Outdoors in summer builds the sturdiest growth, with gradual acclimatisation
  • Bring it in well before frost

Watering, the thing that kills them

Reading the leaves
LeavesMeaning
Soft, yellow, translucent, droppingOverwatered. Stop, let it dry fully
Wrinkled, shrivelled, thinUnderwatered — soak it
Firm, plump, red edgesCorrect
Soft brown mushy base of stemRot. Take cuttings from above it now
Pale and widely spacedNot enough light

Finger test, not surface

The top of the compost dries long before the middle does. Push a finger in as deep as you can, or lift the pot — a dry pot is noticeably light.

In winter, a month between waterings is normal and six weeks is not unusual.

Pruning for a tree

The thick-trunked jade in people’s windows is the result of pruning early, not of age alone.

  1. Cut just above a leaf scar or a pair of leaves
  2. The stem branches there, producing two
  3. Remove the lowest branches on a plant you want to grow as a tree
  4. Do it in spring, as growth resumes
  5. Keep the cuttings — all of them root

Propagating

Both stem cuttings and individual leaves work:

  • Twist a leaf off cleanly at the stem, or take a stem cutting a few inches long
  • Callus it for three to seven days somewhere dry and airy
  • Set it on or just into dry gritty compost
  • No water for one to two weeks
  • Then water sparingly and let it dry fully between

Leaves take much longer to make anything of size, but both work. This is why jade plants get passed down between households — a single plant supplies cuttings indefinitely.

Step by step

Time
P365D
Cost
12
You need
A jade plant or a leaf or stem cutting, Cactus compost with added perlite or grit
Tools
A heavy pot with drainage holes, Clean secateurs

  1. Give it the brightest spot you have

    Four or more hours of direct sun. A jade in low light grows pale, soft and stretched, with large widely spaced leaves on weak stems. Strong light gives compact growth and often a red edge to the leaves, which is a sign of health rather than stress.

  2. Use gritty compost and a heavy pot

    Cactus compost with extra perlite, pumice or grit. Terracotta is ideal because it dries out, and a mature jade becomes top-heavy, so weight in the base is worth having.

  3. Water by soaking, then let it dry out completely

    Water thoroughly until it runs from the drainage holes, then do not water again until the compost is dry all the way through. In practice that is every two to three weeks in summer and as little as once a month or less in winter.

  4. Never leave it in a saucer of water

    Standing water is the fastest route to root rot. Empty the saucer after watering, every time.

  5. Feed lightly, if at all

    A dilute cactus feed once or twice during spring and summer is ample. Nothing in autumn and winter, when the plant is barely growing.

  6. Prune to shape in spring

    Cut just above a leaf scar or a pair of leaves and the stem branches there. Pruning a young plant early is how you get the thick trunk and tree shape rather than a sprawl.

  7. Propagate from what you cut

    Let a cutting or a detached leaf callus for a few days, then set it on or just into dry gritty compost. Do not water for a week or two. Jade roots very easily, which is why these plants get passed between households for generations.

  8. Repot rarely

    Every three to four years at most, one pot size up. Jade is happy pot-bound, and an oversized pot full of damp compost is the usual cause of rot in an otherwise healthy plant.

Common questions

How often should you water a jade plant?

Soak it thoroughly, then leave it until the compost is completely dry — in practice every two to three weeks in summer and once a month or less in winter. Jade stores water in its leaves and is far better adapted to drought than to wet, so the common failure is kindness. The test is to push a finger deep into the compost rather than judging the surface, and if in doubt, wait another week.

Why is my jade plant dropping leaves?

Overwatering is the most common cause, especially when the dropped leaves are soft, yellow or translucent and the compost is damp. The opposite extreme also causes it — a severely dried-out plant sheds leaves to conserve water, but those come off shrivelled rather than soft. Sudden cold, a draught, or an abrupt move from a dim corner to full sun will all also trigger a round of leaf drop, usually temporary.

Why is my jade plant leggy and floppy?

Not enough light. In dim conditions the plant stretches toward the window, producing long weak stems with widely spaced leaves that cannot support their own weight. Moving it to the brightest spot available stops it worsening but will not straighten what has already grown, so prune the stretched growth back to a leaf scar and let it rebranch in better light. Turning the pot every week or two keeps growth even.

Can a jade plant live outside?

In summer, yes, in most climates — a spell outdoors in good light produces much sturdier growth than a windowsill. It is not frost hardy and must come in before temperatures approach freezing, and should be acclimatised gradually in spring over a week or two, since a plant moved straight from indoors to full outdoor sun will scorch. In frost-free regions it grows outdoors permanently and can reach shrub size.

How do you propagate a jade plant?

From a stem cutting or even a single leaf. Take a cutting a few inches long, or twist off a healthy leaf at the stem, then leave it somewhere dry and airy for a few days until the cut has calloused. Set the cutting into dry gritty compost, or lay a leaf on the surface, and give no water for a week or two. Both root readily, though leaves take considerably longer to make a plant of any size.

Backyard Weekly

Know what to plant, week by week

Join the weekly email for seasonal jobs, fixes for what is going wrong, and gear worth buying.

Not ready to subscribe? The planting calendar is free and needs no email.

By subscribing you agree to our privacy policy. Grow In Backyard will never sell your address.

Keep reading