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Having healthy and thriving plants is every gardener’s dream. But sometimes it can be difficult to know and follow all the rules, and knowing about jade plant watering is no exception here.
Therefore, we’ve been talking more about how to water jade plants today and you will learn more about:
- when to water a jade plant
- how and how much to water jade plants
- what to do if you overwater or underwater your jade plant
Hopefully, our simple tips and trick will help you take wonderful care of your Jade plant.
Jade Plant Watering Guide
Jade plants, or Crassula Ovata, are succulent plants and they hold water in their oval-shaped leaves. This means that too much moisture or excess water can hurt jade plants as they already store plenty in their bodies.
Therefore, if you want to grow jade plants to be big and healthy, you shouldn’t be watered too often. Once every 10 to 15 days would be enough in most cases, especially if grown indoors.
Still, this doesn’t mean that you should set your alarm to remind you to water your jade plant every 2 weeks. Instead, proper jade plant care would also mean “listening” to your plant and its needs, and that includes:
- light conditions of your home
- temperature conditions of your home
- the soil it is planted in and letting it drain
- the type of the pot
How and How Much to Water a Jade Plant
Watering jade plants from the bottom and with filtered or distilled water (always better than regular tap water full of chemicals that might hurt your plant) is my favorite way to do it.
This method would include placing the pot with your jade plant in another container filled with water and letting it absorb all the water it needs through the drainage holes.
When your plant stops absorbing water, remove it from the container with water and give it some time to drain. Then you can put it back to its place until the next watering.
Another way to water it is probably a more common way – from the top. Just pour water in the potting mix, and if you’re using a well-draining potting mix, it should do all the rest.
A thing to note is that you should try to keep your jade plant dry, as in – do not get water on the woody stems or those tubular leaves.
This may cause problems, especially in heat or direct sunlight.
Remember, slightly moist soil is okay, but don’t let it get soggy.
Having your jade plant sit in water will cause root rot and that is No.1 death for all indoor plants. A humid environment is not the way to go if you want to keep your money plant happy.
What to Do if You Overwater or Underwater Your Jade Plant
Jade plants are, in general, very sturdy plants, and overwatering or underwatering them once or twice won’t kill them.
Still, this doesn’t mean that you should make a habit of improper care or neglect your lucky jade plant!
Underwatering
Underwatering is a less severe problem than overwatering.
However, it doesn’t mean that it is to be taken lightly as underwatering may cause the root to start drying out, the leaves to start developing brown spots and eventually, leaf drop and drying out of the whole plant will occur.
If you notice that this is the case with your jade plant, it is not time to panic yet. You can save it, but it will take some time for the plant to recover.
Just water your plant nicely and thoroughly paying attention that you don’t leave it sitting in water and they make a habit of checking the soil every 2-3 days.
The simplest way to do so is stick your finger in the soil. If the top 1-2 inches of the soil are dry, you can water your plant again.
Overwatering
Overwatering is a much bigger problem and one of the main causes of death in all indoor plants.
If you notice that, once nice and sturdy leaves are becoming to get all soft and ill-looking, it might be a sign that the plant is getting too much water and that the roots are starting to rot.
In this case, you should consider repotting your jade plant and using a nice and well-draining, fresh potting mixture.
This will give you a chance to take a good look at the roots and remove all the parts that are not healthy anymore and are affected by the rot.
Everything that looks mushy or gray, cut it!
If you fear that this will kill your jade plant, it won’t, just be careful not to hurt the healthy parts of the roots.
If you want a precautionary measure, take a few healthy leaves or stems to propagate the plant.
Once you repot your money tree, pay attention to watering in the future and try to empty all excess water as soon as you notice it gathering in the tray.
Final Word
Hopefully, this short guide of ours has helped you understand your plant better, taught you how to grow jade plant, and take proper care of it.
