A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2003 Jade droop

I have a jade plant that I have had for about 1.5 years, but I would estimate that it is close to 10 years old. When I recieved the plant the roots had filled the entire pot. Before I repoted the plant entire branches started to droop, the leaves stayed healthy as the branch bent further and further down. When I cut the drooping branch new growth starts at the cut. I have since repotted into a suitable sized pot for the jade, but the problem continues. I water only when the soil has dried out and it is in a spot where it gets a lot of sun.
I am afraid that I will lose the entire plant one branch at a time. PLease Help!

Kevin,
The question I have about your Jade is this - Do the branches droop or do they merely begin to go down with the weight of the growth? The reason I ask is this - Jade plant branches will bend down with new growth. The way to tell the difference is is if the leaves are healthy. If this shape bothers you and you cut them off, plant them in the pot, and get more plants! Jades are among the easiest plants to propogate from cuttings. Happy gardening.

The leaves are still healthy most of the time, but when I cut the plant nearer to the leaves as opposed to the base of the branch the inside is a brown color, not the green color that lower cuts reveal. Also the drooping has occured during winter months as well, when hardly any growht is occuring. I have used the cuttings to make three more plants already, but I really want to save the bigger, older plant as well.

My mother in law is infamous for her jades. I learned a little trick from the sweetie.... Her jade is 45 years old and the poor branches were doing the same minus the brown centers.... she took a heavy guage wire and wrapped it with a velour or velvet type strip of cloth and made a support. ( We are talking about a jade that is appx. 5 foot tall and appx5 foot wide) the plant is wonderfully supported from the wt of the growth and tends to get more light in the necessary areas. All of the jade plants I have were started from this beauty and are doing well. If the leaves are not falling or shriveling and the the stems are firm I would say try a support system since my mum can grow anything from kids to awesome sized plants. Happy growing.