How To Prune A Jade Plant So It Grows Big And Bushy! -

Want to know How To Prune A Jade Plant? Here is a quick and easy guide to help your precious Jade plant grow big and bushy!

Jade plants are pretty resilient plants, which means they’re pretty easy to grow and need very little care and maintenance. However, when a jade plant begins to grow bigger, it may need pruning, but it’s not always a necessary step.

If you want to prune your jade plant so that you can keep it an acceptable size, read the following tips to find out how to do it properly.

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Use quality pruners to ensure a quick clean cut without damaging your plants’ delicate root systems!

Tips For Trimming A Jade Plant

Before you decide to trim your jade plant, consider whether the plant actually needs to be pruned. In general, jade plants are only pruned when they are older or overgrown.

Pruning jade plants is not always a necessary step and is typically done for aesthetic reasons, rather than for the health of the plant.

It’s worth remembering that every time you prune a plant, you’re exposing it to potential bacterial infection – this could weaken or, in some cases, even kill the plant. When it comes to pruning a jade plant, the risk of bacterial damage is minimal, but it’s still worth considering before you decide to prune the plant.

If your jade plant does need to be trimmed, start by thinking about how many branches you want to remove. You should never remove more than 20-30% of the branches on a jade plant when pruning.

Before choosing which branches to remove, it’s worth noting that when you trim a jade plant branch, it will die back to the next node (where leaves grow out of the branch). When you prune a jade plant, typically two new branches will grow from where the node is.

Once you’ve decided which branches will be trimmed, take a clean, sharp pair of pruning shears to trim off the chosen branches. Trim each branch to the nearest node, to help with new growth. If you are planning on removing a branch completely, prune it so the cut is flush along the main branch.

Once neat and tidy, consider placing your pruned jade plants in hanging baskets for better interior decor!

When To Prune Jade Plants

The best time to prune a jade plant is during spring or summer, but they can be pruned all year round. It’s always best to prune a jade plant just once yearly, as too much pruning will leave the plant susceptible to infection.

Pruning in spring or summer will result in a faster recovery time as this is when the plants are in active growth.

It’s also worth noting that jade cuttings are really easy to re-pot! So, don’t let the leaves and branches go to waste as you can make new jades. Just remember that you shouldn’t try to re-pot diseased or damaged plants as they will need to be disposed of.

How To Prune Overgrown Jade Plants

If your jade plant has a lot of leaves and branches, they may be too heavy so it might be time to prune your plant for the sake of its health.

Firstly, start by cutting off any dried or diseased branches right at the trunk – but don’t actually cut into the trunk. Next, you’ll want to remove and dispose of any leaves that are spotty, yellowing, burnt or shrivelled.

Use a hydro thermometer to ensure your plants’ receive optimal growing conditions!

Finally, examine the plant to identify any branches that may be growing at odd angles. These may be blocking light from other branches, so you’ll want to carefully remove either part or all of those branches.

Remember it’s always better to cut too little than too much, as you can always cut more off later. Once you’ve finished pruning the plant, make sure you continue to water the plant and make sure it’s getting the light it needs.

Note– If you want to make your green fingers happier and your life easier, you can use this affordable 83 pieces ultimate gardening set to help you repot like a pro!

What To Do If Your Jade Plant Becomes Leggy

When a jade plant becomes leggy it means that it’s not compact, and the leaves and branches are stretched out. This is because the plant has become etiolated, which just means that the plant has stretched out due to insufficient light.

Jade plants like to get several hours of light per day, so it’s best to place them right in front of a window for the best results. For optimal conditions, it’s best if you have a south-facing window, but any window is better than none.

If that isn’t possible, you might want to consider placing indoor grow lights for your plants to receive longer light exposure!

How To Prune A Leggy Jade Plant

Pruning is really the only option that will fix a leggy jade plant. As mentioned earlier, it’s always better to prune a jade plant in either spring or summer as this is when the plant will have the quickest recovery time.

When pruning a leggy jade plant, try to remove a quarter to a third of the plant. Also, use a sharp, clean pair of pruning shears – it’s important that they’re clean so that you don’t spread infection.

Next, use your pruning shears to make cuts above the leaf nodes (where the leaf meets the stem) where you want the plant to branch off. As noted earlier, where you cut the node, at least two branches will regrow which help create a fuller-looking plant.

How To Care For Leggy Jade Plants

Once you’ve pruned the plant, you’ll need to correct the conditions which caused the plant to grow leggy in the first place. So, try and place the newly pruned plant in front of the sunniest window in your home. This will encourage a sturdier and compact growth.

Just remember that jade plants are slow growers, so it’ll take some time before you see the benefits of the pruning. However, if you care for your jade plant well enough, it’ll begin to look bushy and healthy.

How To Prune A Jade Plant With Fewer Branches

If your jade plant has very sparse branches, pruning it will encourage more growth and will also help to balance out the symmetry of the plant.

You’ll want to simply snip or pinch off some of the newly sprouted leaves at the end of each branch. This may sound like it’s defeating the purpose, but removing newly grown leaves will actually encourage more branching which will make for a fuller-looking jade plant.