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#122591 Sep 2nd, 2007 at 09:44 AM
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Hello, everybody!
My plants need HELP!!!!!

I went away for three weeks and gave most of my plants to a neighbor with very detailed care instructions. Among the plants were a very precious to me jade tree and a mature kalanchoe plant and two young ones, all in good condition. I put the plants on her balcony, which is in exactly the same location as mine (where they spent most of the summer), only one level lower. When I came back (three days ago), and got my plants back, I was shocked: my jade tree and the kalanchoes were almost entirely bald! The jade tree now has only a few leaves at end of each branch; the kalanchoes have almost no leaves left at all, the few that are still there are whithered and brown. I asked the neighbor how she treated the plants, she said she followed my instructions. I doubt she's telling the truth though, because something had gone very wrong while I was away. So I have no idea what exactly happened, but the plants look horrible, on the verge of death. I am especially worried about the jade tree. It's a daughter of the 40-year old jade tree that we have back at home in Russia, and it has a great sentimental value for me. It's been with me for almost ten years, and survived years of bad care on my part becuase I did not know how to treat it properly. But it perservered. Then I found this forum, learned all I could about jade trees, got a book on gardening, and finally my tree got the care it deserved. In the last two years it finally began growing very strong and beautiful.
And now, after three weeks of my abscence, the tree that has managed to survive for ten years and was so greateful once it started receiving good care, looks dreadful, pitiful. I don't think the neighbor overwatered it, it doesn't feel mushy. MAybe she did not water it at all? but the soil was wet when she gave it to me, although it's possible that she watered it when she saw I was back, to make it look like she'd been taking care of it al along. In any case, even she didn't water it for three weeks, wouldn't a jade tree survive dryness?

Is there anything I can do? I know it's hard to give advice when the problem is not clear, but you've helped me so much in the past!

thank you all,
t.

Last edited by treelove; Sep 2nd, 2007 at 09:59 AM. Reason: misspellings

I am so happy I found this forum!
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I wish I could help you, but my jade plant is dropping leaves too. It is losing them from the center and moving outward. They turn yellow and then can be picked off with barely a light twist or else they fall on their own. There aren't any signs of mush anywhere. Perhaps the leaf drop pattern could be a sign of what our plants might have in common.

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Wow, what a special jade you have! Any jade should prefer and survive with little trouble 3 weeks of no water and suffer from 3 weeks of too much water. They resent change, so moving even just downstairs you could expect a few leaves to drop, but not at all like you explained. If you think there's a chance that she actually overwatered it, unpot it and check for root rot. If so, trim back to healthy roots, repot it in dry soil, and wait to water. Otherwise, I would put it back where you had it and treat it exactly as you did before leaving. Watch for stem rot and prune if needed. It should recover. Slowly. As you have found out, jades are tough plants. I don't know much about kalanchoes, but in general, I'd do the same for it as for the jade; trim dead parts, repeat its conditions from before you left, and hope for the best.
What a horrible situation to come home to. Keep us posted.


May God bless the WHOLE world!
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Thank you, Margaret!
I don't think there's any rot (knock on wood!). Right now I put it back in the apartment where it stands during colder weather. Hopefully, it'll live!

happy gardening,
t.


I am so happy I found this forum!

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