jade plants (Crassula oval) are often grown as houseplants, not only because they are easy to grow, but also because they are considered a symbol of good luck or prosperity. One of the challenges is to prevent them from spreading between the leaves. This article will show you how to fix a leggy jade plant and keep it from stretching in the first place.
How to fix a leggy jade plant? Elevate your leggy jade plant by selectively pruning the stretched stems to encourage new growth, or pinch off the growing tips of the stems. Prevent leg growth by providing more sunlight or supplementing growth with a grow light. Be sure to meet your plant’s general care needs to promote strong, compact growth.
To fix or prevent a leggy jade plant, it’s important to understand why your plant is stretching.
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Why does a jade plant grow long?
Jade plants usually grow tall from a lack of sunlight, which triggers the plant’s natural defenses to “reach” for the sun. Insufficient light causes the nodes between the leaves to stretch or elongate more than normal. Instead of a full, compact plant, your plant will look lanky and unhealthy. It may be accompanied by a thinning of the stem and a general lightening of the green color of the plant.
This is mainly due to a phenomenon known as etiolation, due to lack of sunlight.
Etiolation is a process that comes from plants growing in partial or complete absence of light. Growing tips are strongly attracted to light and as a defense mechanism for survival (after all, light is needed for photosynthesis), phytohormones will elongate plant stems in an attempt to reach the light source.
In cases where plants are growing under leaf litter or in the shade of other plants, this rapid and long growth can be the difference between surviving or perishing.
With houseplants, the situation is usually not as dire, but the resulting aesthetic of a leggy jade plant is not as desirable as a compact, bushy plant, so it is important to prevent and/or remedy long legs.
How to treat a leggy jade plant?
Once your jade starts to get long, it is possible to treat it, creating a fuller, bushier plant. However, it is not a quick process due to the slow growing nature of succulents.
give it more sun
It seems like a simple fix and it’s the first thing you should try.
Check your window during the day to determine how much light your plant receives and if the window will be shaded for part of the day.
Many people overestimate the amount of sunlight received by a particular location. Once you have a good idea of which window gets the most light, move your jade plant there.
Bring it closer to the glass without touching the glass. The distance from the window greatly affects the amount of light that reaches your jade plant. Even moving a plant 2-3 feet away from a window cuts light intensity in half compared to a windowsill.
I have written another article on indoor light intensity and its impact on indoor plant care.
Make sure your windows are clean so that as much light as possible enters through the window.
Provide Supplemental Light with a Grow Light
If you live in a house or apartment that doesn’t get enough light, or in the winter months, you may need to supplement your plants with a grow light. Grow lights come in a variety of sizes and prices to fit your space and budget.
Fluorescent or LED grow lights are ideal for providing supplemental lighting for your more demanding indoor plants.
A great LED grow light for indoor plants.Lower the temperature around the plant.
When grown outdoors, a drop in temperature corresponds to a shortening of day length, i.e. a decrease in the amount of light the plant receives. As a natural prevention against etiolation, plants go dormant during the cooler months when there is less sun exposure.
Lowering the temperature or moving the jade plant to a room with cooler temperatures, but maintaining high light conditions, will slow growth and create shorter nodes between the leaves.
Pinch off the growing point of the stems. When the meristem, a group of cells responsible for growth, is plucked from above, it activates hormones that initiate lateral growth points on the stem.
Instead of continuing to grow upward and desperate for light, the clumps of cells in the stems begin to grow outward, creating more side branches, resulting in a bushier plant.
Prune the top of long stems and remove the stem just above what is called a leaf scar. This is an area of brown rings around the stem. It will also encourage fuller, bushier growth by initiating the hormones that cause lateral branching. You can then also take the removed top and propagate it to create a new plant.
How to keep your jade plant from stretching
Taking good care of your jade plant in general is the best thing you can do to avoid long legs. When the basic needs are met, the plant will grow strong and healthy, naturally preventing long legs. Here are some tips to ensure your jade plant grows strong.
Sunlight
Jade plants need plenty of sunlight to grow well without losing their legs. They prefer a minimum of 4-6 hours of sunlight per day; indirect but bright light is best, as too much direct light can cause leaves to burn.
If possible, place your jade plant in a south-facing window and your plant will grow full and bushy. If you don’t have a south-facing window, a west-facing window is the best solution.
Temperature
Jade plants thrive in normal indoor conditions with temperatures ranging from 65 to 75 during the day and 50 to 55 at night. Jade plants stop growing when temperatures exceed 90°F and can survive near freezing when the soil is dry.
Cooler temperatures will generally encourage slower, more compact growth, and when combined with high light levels will produce a very compact, bushy plant.
Water
Jade plants prefer dry soil, and one of the most common problems encountered by homeowners is rotting at the base of the stems due to overwatering.
A chronically overwatered jade plant will grow weakly, with thin, lanky stems and yellowing foliage. Over time, overwatering will cause your jade plant to look tall due to poor health.
Only water jade plants when the growing medium is completely dry, especially in fall and winter when plants are dormant; then water thoroughly until the water can flow freely from the holes in the bottom of the container.
To prevent the roots of your jade plants from getting too wet, choose a growing medium designed for succulents and grow them in clay containers. Potting soils for succulents generally contain a higher amount of sand so that the water drains more quickly. Clay pots are more porous than plastic pots and allow better air circulation through the root zone.
Learn more about mastering the art of watering houseplants in this article.
fertilizer
Jade plants will benefit from an occasional dose of fertilizer if they are actively growing. They need little fertilizer, but prolonged deficiency will lead to weak growth and your jade plant will take on a leggy appearance.
During their active growing season, follow label directions for a specific fertilizer for succulents. Fertilize during fall and winter.
cut
Use clean, sharp scissors or bonsai pruners to regularly remove new growth. Removing the ends of the stems encourages the plant to grow thicker and bushier rather than taller.
The great thing about jade plants is that even if you don’t have the perfect light conditions, you can compensate for that with regular pruning. Your jade plant will maintain bushy growth, never getting long.
insect control
Jade plants generally have few pest problems unless they are in a humid environment or the soil is too moist. A pest-infested jade plant will not have the strength to produce sturdy growth and will look lanky over time.
When grown indoors and overwatered, jade plants can see infestations of mealybugs, whiteflies, and scale insects. Regularly check your plants for insects.
If you find pests, remove them immediately by hand to prevent further damage or treat the plant. Neem oil, a biological pesticide, is effective in treating soft insects. Learn more about how to get rid of houseplant pests naturally in this article.
replant
Every few years, it’s a good idea to transplant your jade plant into a slightly larger container and refresh the potting mix. This prevents the roots from becoming too narrow or sticking to the roots in a small space. Each time you move the plant, carefully remove as much of the growing medium from the root system as possible. Move the jade plant to a container about 2 inches in diameter larger than the previous one.
Preventing your jade plant from getting long isn’t that difficult, and it’s much easier than having to fix a jade plant that has grown very long over time. Remember to provide plenty of light, prune regularly and water well.