Friday, February 27, 2009

How To Properly Grow Your Own Jade Plant

By Thomas Fryd

Jade plants provide a wonderful option for indoor home gardening. Since they are hearty and easily grown in an open container, they grow ideally in a warm, dry environment. Jade plants are succulents and they can tolerate lower watering conditions very well and they do not require much fertilizer either.

These plants can live for a very long time and can reach up to five feet in height, even while growing indoors. They have dark green leave and some have a reddish trim, they make a perfect choice for a shrub or tree for a large, empty container. Jade plants produce beautiful clusters of star shaped white or pink colored flowers that will add a splash of color to any room.

Just like with any other plant, jade plants do require some basic care in order to maintain a bug free and healthy plant.

Leaf drop can occur if the soil becomes overly dry for a long period of time, but they are prone to root rot if they are over watered. Soil that is maintained moist is OK, when weather is warmer, like during the spring and summer. Allowing the soil to dry out a bit between watering in the winter is recommended.

Making sure the plants have optimal soil drainage and moderate, regular watering will help get the correct balance for your plant. This can be achieved by using a cactus soil mixed organic matter, such as peat moss or coarse sand.

Make sure these plants have a lot of bright sunlight with a window facing south for exposure. The plant will soak it up and be appreciative for four hours and sometimes more. Jade plants thrive best when temps are between 65-75 F, but have no trouble with night temps around 50 F. You will need to watch the leaves for browning around the edges, however. Move the plant to a less direct sunlight position if you notice this happening.

Feeding your jade plant is quite easy. Simply add some liquid fertilizer every three or four months is sufficient. A typical 10/10/10 NPK mix with some micronutrients, such as magnesium, will work very well. You do not need to worry about overgrowth with these plants since they are extremely tolerant of having root bound conditions. Holding off on feeding baby jade plants during the winter dormant season is recommended.

If you notice any pests such as mealy bugs or spiders mites you need to wipe the leaves with a soft cloth or a cotton swab soaked in alcohol. Spider mites are a bit harder to deal with, however they can be physically brushed or sprayed off if necessary.

Make sure to keep the leaves dust free by using an occasional wipe with a wet soft cloth, do this even if you do not see any bugs. This will help the pores of the plant to do their job and transpire any bad gases they absorb, and allow for even exchange of carbon dioxide and oxygen. Keeping the dead leaves trimmed off is also needed. - 16035

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