| What is the best way to care for a Jade plant and how large can they get? |
| A Jade plant (Crassula argentea) will do well in the bright and sunniest window you have. It tolerates direct sun and will be stocky and strong where the light is bright enough. Bright sun may also cause the edges of the leaves to turn reddish. This is normal. It does well in average household temperatures and average household humidity. It is a succulent, so water it deeply and thoroughly then allow the soil to dry before watering it again. Test the soil with your fingers to see if you need to water. The plant should not be allowed to shrivel for lack of water, but it can actually survive a somewhat haphazard watering schedule. Feed during spring and summer with a water soluble fertilizer formulated for either foliage plants or, surprisingly, for tomato plants. Use half the dilution rate listed on the label. If grown well, it can reach four feet high and wide after a number of years and will look like a sculpture. If that is too large, it is also easy to start new plants from leaves that are accidently knocked off. Just set the leaf flat on the soil surface and it will form a new plant. Enjoy! |
