I have a jade that is about 2 years old. Its in a 12 inch pot and has been doing nicely, until recently. I know that the problem is lack of sunlight. The main branches are wilting; not all of them (yet) but about half of them. My question is this: should I prun them off, or prop them up? I am in a low light room and that cannot be helped. If I leave it under a desk lamp will that help at all? Does it require a special grow lamp? Please help!
Thank.

Hello fellow fruit! <img border="0" alt="[perplexed]" title="" src="graemlins/confused.gif" />
If your desk lamp is a floresent one you can probably find a proper growing light to fit in it. There is a topic down the page a bit that might help you find out if it's actually a problem. I'm no expert though. I just got my first jade plant last week and am still learning about it.
good luck

Hi Peaches from Here and There!!
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Hi Peaches....and welcome.

You can check out the information on the site about Jade Plants. You might find some helpful info there...

Jade Plants

Apples is right. You can change your desk lamp to a grow bulb and that sure would help. The most common problem with growing Jades is insufficient lighting.....then improper watering. You may be better off pruning off those branches. If they are still healthy you could try rooting them in their own pots....and if not...discard them.


Good luck!

Hi Peaches,

Prune, don't prop. Who wants to look at a plant on crutches?!

In low light, the stems are not thick enough and strong enough to support many leaves, so pruning is essential.

Be very careful not to overwater. In low light your jade will use very little water. Monthly watering may be sufficient.

As mentioned earlier, incandescent light will not help, but fluorescent light will help some.

Good luck!

Thank you for all your help. I have pruned back the wilting parts and will hopefully be able to use some of the still healthy parts for cuttings. I don't water the plant more than once a month during winter months. I currently have it under a small halogen desk lamp. Will that help at all? If not, I will try and find a small growing lamp. Again, thanks for all the advice!

peaches, halogen lamps get too hot to do any good. they just can't be left close enough. if you can, the best thing would be to pick up a $10.00 flourescent desk lamp. or, use one of those "under cabinet stick lamps" that are flourescent. they are reasonably priced at discount stores like wally world etc. they burn much cooler, use less energy, and will give your plant much more benefit.

What I use for my indoor plants is a regular incandescent desk lamp with a compact flourescent light (spiral, so it's about the same size as an incandescent bulb and thus fits into the desk lamp), relatively close to the plant. I put the lamp on a timer so that it gives the plants light from 12:30pm to 11:30pm -- the time when it is least disruptive to ME to have the light on. The plants don't mind working around my schedule, and this way they get the same amount of light every day, regardless of whether or not I forget about them.

Wait... you can use any floresent light? I always thought it was a certin type of gass in it that produced positive light for the plants but then again I haven't thought about growing plants for very long.

Any fluorescent light will provide light in the proper range for healthy plant growth. A combination of warm white and cool white fluorescents is ideal, but either one alone is nearly as good.

I have had it under a fluorecent light, and it keeps wilting, even the stuff that was healthy when I first posted. Could it possibly be a nutrient issue? I understood that Jades did not need fertilizing often, though I do feed it every few months. I just seems to be getting slowly more and more sick. I am affraid if I cut it back any more, there will be nothing left of it. Thank you to everyone for you help, from both myself and my Jade!

If you are fertilizing it every few months you are probably overdoing it. Once a year is plenty.

You say you have it under a flourescent light. How long is the light on each day? Jades do need a "rest" from the light, so they can "breathe" and photosynthesize.

Hi Peaches,
I'm wondering if you see any shriveling on the stems. If so, then the plant has been overwatered and you will probably lose your fight to keep it alive. To propagate a healthy stem cut it off, remove some of the lower leaves so that there is at least 1 1/2" of stem and leave in a shady spot for a couple of days so it forms a callous on the cut end. Then insert into damp soil. Water when the top inch of soil is dry. You can also do this same technique with some of the healthy leaves though it doesn't always work with them. If you do try the leaves, just insert them into the soil about 1/4" once they have calloused over.

Take a look here for some helpful info.

http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/interiorscape/crassulaarg.html

Scroll down here about halfway for info on wilt.

http://www.ourgardengang.com/houseplants.htm

Hope this helps,
Newt

Peaches,

Four days under a fluorescent light is not going to make up for many months (years?) in too little light. If the roots are still healthy, you are going to have to be very patient to nurse this plant back to health; not days or weeks, but months.

The stems are in fact the part that is wilting because the leaves on the end of the wilting stem seem green and healthy. I will wait it out the rest of the winter and see what happens; win or lose, I greatly appreciate all the advice, and I I am certainly armed with much more knowledge about the care of sick Jades.

Cheers to all,
Peaches

The stems may not be wilting, just straining under the weight of the leaves. I would prune them back even though that means losing some of the healthy new growth. If you don't prune, sooner or later that stems will break on their own.