I have a severely lopsided Jade plant that I need some advice on. The plant is doing really nicely and has many branches etc but it is sort of top heavy on one side and isn't strong enough to support that side. It had been doing ok, mostly standing up by leaning on a large pot that I put it inside of but then I tried to turn it to face the sun slightly differently and it "fell over" and is no longer support itself even when leaning against the pot. I put it back to its usual sun position so maybe it will right itself again...
I'm wondering if I should just cut the top heavy part off and create a new plant. I'm a litle hessitant about that since other than the fact that its topheavy and not supporting the weight it's doing fine.
yes, you can. if you choose to do so, cut it, then leave it laying out of the soil for a few days so that the cut forms a callous. then, the way i handle cuttings, i put it in the same pot as the original so it can be watered on the same schedule. that keeps me from overwatering it?
Thanks for the response. I guess my question is more along the lines of should I cut it rather than can I... (I've done Jade clippings before though none of this size. This plant actually started out as just a small branch that I clipped off another plant.)
If this were your plant would you cut it? I'm feeling a little conflicted about it.
I put it back in it's normal sun position for the past few days but it hasn't recovered.
i would cut it - it's only going to continue getting droopier and will eventually split.
i'd cut right above the spot where the two leaves (that are still bright light green) are growing straight up. that would be a good spot and that pair of leaves will continue to grow and you'll end up with the base plant being well balanced (both visually as well as weight-wise).
the 'new plant' that results from the cut is so nicely balanced already that you won't need to trim back anything from it!
I cut the plant. It wasn't getting better and was just twisting itself up even more. Other than wait a few days before planting is there anything else I need to do either for the clipping or the open spot on the original plant? I'm planning to plant the clipping up to where it splits which is about 1.5 inches of stalk. Will that be ok? Will the whole thing grow roots?
Also, is there anyway to prevent plants from becoming lopsided in the future? (more sun rotation?) Any suggestions are welcome.
the open spot left where you did the cut will heal over on its own. nothing to do really except keep water from splashing on it when you are watering the plant. it may even throw up a leaf or two - could happen right away (within a couple weeks) or may not happen for months. may not happen at all either.
where did you make the cut? right above the set of new leaves?
if you did, and you want to plant most of the stalk, definitely remove the leaves that are there. let it dry for at least a week - then plant and let it sit in the dry soil for another week and then water. it may put out some roots from the spots where the leaves were - not quite sure as i've never had a cutting of that size to work with.
to keep them growing nicely, rotating them is important...i rotate mine once a month about a quarter turn.
to keep them growing in a balanced manner, you can also prune them - either just pinching off leaves or taking tips of branches off. they will respond to pruning just as any other plant will...so, you CAN direct the growth pattern (people sometimes think you can't do that with jades).
that's why i suggested cutting right above that pair of new leaves...without that extra bit of plant there, that pair will REALLY start to grow and the result will be a more balanced plant.
jades can also be bonsai'd - i've seen some really lovely specimens. you can also use the bonsai wire technique on full size plants to train the branches into a more pleasing look (as well as for balancing out the weight). the jade i bought before the stray kitten showed up had been done like that...it was absolutely beautiful...then rusty unpotted it and peed on it...
Gardening in March
Gardening in April
Gardening in May
Shop at Amazon and Support AGF
Are you shopping online? Click this link first and A Gardeners Forum will receive a commission for your
referral at Amazon.com (shopping through this link to Amazon will not have any impact on your prices at Amazon).
![[Linked Image]](https://farm3.static.flickr.com/2353/2499344717_355df609d4_d.jpg)
![[Linked Image]](https://farm3.static.flickr.com/2284/2500171214_47872e6916_d.jpg)
![[Linked Image]](https://farm4.static.flickr.com/3004/2499344649_17686ffd90_d.jpg)
![[Linked Image]](http://www.agardenersforum.com/images/graphics/buttons/catstars.gif)
![[Linked Image]](http://www.agardenersforum.com/images/graphics/buttons/gardenhelper.jpg)
