A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2006 Ode to an overwatered jade

Finished!! Final count:

77 containers
4 small bags Vermiculite+a little from a 5th

211 grandaughters in all. Now for names... just kidding! (or am I...)

Tomacco

Jade Plant

Tomacco, Thank you for the info you posted. The plant I bought is very little. I can't wait to watch it grow! How quickly do you find they grow? Plus did you give your jade plants anything extra to help them grow?
Thanks

Gail, that's a fine looking healthy jade! I see two double tops that 'may' need thinning out (one from each) in a month or so. It looks like it's three plants in this pot. Follow your instincts as to shape. If you turn it halfway, the right-hand stem at the base in the picture may turn out for you.

Great!

Tomacco

I noticed some new growth on it today! I'm sure I'll have questions for you as my jade gets bigger.
How are your babies doing?

Hooray! I'm sure there are many here who can answer any questions you may have, and I'll surely try, as well.

Grandaughters are doing well, thanks I try not to dote but it's hard!

Tomacco

What will you do with all those babies? Are you planning on keeping them? I'm trying to figure out a good place to put mine for the Winter

Gail, for the moment I am simply going to get them through their first month. As for your jade for Winter, just be sure it's in a good place for light. You may have to provide some extra humidity (but not extra waterings)

Tomacco

We are lucky that our fish tanks give us a lot of humidity in the Winter. The Winters can be so harsh here. I have a good spot in my Kitchen for my jade plant that will give it lots of sunny light, but it won't be near a draft. My plants have done really well this Summer- probably due to all the rain we had and I've had to split some of them into seperate containers. Now with the cooler nights, I'm just wondering were to put everyone!!!

That's great I do think the rain helped a lot, and everything looked great for a few days until the rain hit us again... and again. Some seasons are like that. You're wondering where to put everyone? LOL!

Here's an update on the granddaughters. So far, only three multi-stem cuttings have lost a stem or part of a stem. I won't be trying to save them. They atrophied for whatever reason

They all have names (I wasn't kidding!) so over the winter when they're settled into their winter spots, I'll tag them.

Photos are uploaded here: http://snipurl.com/vqnf

Well they all look strong and healthy. Can't believe that you ended up with some many babies!
My little jade has some new growth- yay!

Granddaughters' Update

With Fall fast approaching, a few days were spent last week moving everyone from the greenhouse to various places in the house. I set up a table for inspections, tugging for root strength, and repotting, if nec. Whenever a cutting failed since D-day, I'd cut her back and replant. And wait

Most that were trussed up with rubber bands are standing on their own. Same with popsicle stix. 90% are independent!!

I was lucky to acquire some yo-yos (made in Italy). They are used on orchid farms to keep orchid stems growing straight. US orchid growers had no idea what these were. It helped to have a Dutch connection!

Imagine a wire above the orchids to which the yo-yo attaches. A tensioned, retractable pull-out string, at the bottom, is then hooked to a sturdy part of the stem to hold it up. They keep long jade stems from growing downward. Miracle things, these yo-yos...

Things I've learned:

1. Vermiculite comes in (at least) 2 grades: Fine and chunky. Fine works better. Chunky dries out faster and the cuttings start to lean.

2. Rooting compound made no difference.

3. Vermiculite or straight potting soil made no difference, except that with the fine vermic, repotting was easier. Those initially put in potting soil rooted faster and required no repotting.

Latest head count: I started with 211 cuttings; I still have 211 cuttings. We'll see how many do or don't appreciate the environment change and lesser amounts of light.

So far, so good!

Tomacco - I sooooo appreciate your sharing this experience with us here. Your pictures are fantastic, and I cannot believe that you have 211 cuttings!

As you know, I'm going through a similar thing, after having either drowned or sprayed to death, my large jade. I don't have nearly as many cuttings, but I do have some just the same. I just don't have room to put them in as many pots as you have, so mine will be grouped together in large pots.

I am using the rooting hormone powder, and find that they are doing well, so I will continue using it. I'm also using the potting soil that I use for all my plants - it's mostly peat, and has done well for all sorts of plants so far.

Keep up the great work, and please keep posting pictures of their progress!

Thanks for the encouragement, plants 'n pots!! I'm glad the rooting hormone works for you. I have never used it except for this gaggle of granddaughters

It's wonderful that your jade is doing much better despite its own traumatic event but you and I know jades are like the energiser bunny and oh so forgiving, hehehe! How many babies do you have now?

Let's see...

I threw a bunch of them out, because they were too long and spindly with just a leaf or two on the tips, after the multitude of leaves fell off the mamma plant.

I planted 5 stems in the base of a large diffenbachia plant, to help fill the empty looking bottom. I have 3 pieces in a pot in here on top of the small tv on the desk. There isn't a whole lot of light there, so I'm experimenting - I'd like to put more there, but don't want them to die there either.

I'm going to plant 3 into another pot this afternoon, and then I have about 5 more to find room for. I decided that I'm going to severely cut the mamma plant, in hopes that it gets MUCH fuller ones the babies pop out of the stems. Then I'll need to find room for those cuttings too.

So you see... I don't have nearly as many as you do - can't imagine having to find room for so many!

I wish my friends locally were more interested in houseplants - then I'd feel better about whacking up the mamma.