As you can see from the attached photos I have a fairly large jade. it sits in a pot that is 14x12. it was repotted approx. 2 years ago. it gets a good deal of light. it looks healthy but I am certain. where it sits is the only place that accommodate it's size. unfortunately this means one side is next to a window and the other is partially above a heat register [forced hot air/ac system. The jade has recently started dropping some leaves; some shriveled, some flat, and some healthy looking. I test for moisture with a wooden skewer. It goes dry within a week. I thoroughly water [waiting till I see a little coming out the bottom.
two questions: (1) am I improperly watering?, and (2) it is flowering [see photo]. some say this is a sign of stress for the plant. Is that correct?
thank you for responding because I have seen and heard conflicting advise on these questions but the advise on this site seems pretty grounded [sorry about the pun]

Hi & welcome! Your plant is really incredible! Yes, it's blooming, a sign that it is happy and healthy. I would encourage you to continue with your previous instincts and care for this plant, having guided it so far to this amazing state.

Your plant looks lovely

It is good it is by a bay window, since it loves as much light it can get. Flowering phase is normal at this time of the year, and does not mean it is stressed. It just means your growing area has ably met the conditions it needs and plant is mature enough to make blooms.

I cannot see clearly how many jade plants are in there. You may want to consider in mid Spring to repot them in separate containers, that way you will have a more defined tree that you can ably make quarter turns as needed to even out light distribution.

But it is your choice..I am not sure if you truly intended that manner of growth. Each grower has their own goals.

But just for example..I do grow jades, and thankfully our area is a mild winter area so it can grow outdoors year round, rain or shine. Typically I only have one or two trees in one container. But one is more than enough per container since it naturally would grow upright and branch out as it seeks as much light and heat it can take.
Crassula ovata


Crassula ovata 'Gollum'


So consider doing some pruning in mid Spring. I do not see a problem with your watering style. As long as there is no soggy part in its trunk or branches then all is good. And quite sure you already are aware the plant naturally sheds older leaves as season changes.

If you do repot later, as usual make sure to use gritty, well draining media, container with drain holes. Just callus the cuttings and then plant later.

Good luck and keep us posted how it goes.

nice looking jades. there are three main branches. when I brought it in for repotting two years ago, the gardening center that did the work were leery of separation [intertwining root base?]. Believe it or not they did prune. do not feel comfortable doing it myself. my issue though is that it is dropping some healthier looking leaves and that is why I was asking for advice

It depends..if it is older, lower, shrivelled leaves it may drop them, that is normal. As I have mentioned earlier too, the plant may also drop leaves depending on seasonal changes happening. Sometimes I notice it drop older, good leaves as it seeks to redirect its energies to pushing out new flowering buds or new leaves.

Btw, what light orientation is that bay window? Jades love stronger light so south, west, east orientation works much better for it.

Hmm intertwined trunk..well not bad in itself. You can still prune the branches down to a more manageable size. But it is up to you and your preference

We all have gardening styles..just suggesting that to help you manage its growth better and be able to even out light distribution.
Okay to leave it as is..just be ready as it will continue to seek more light and will appear somewhat gangly. Just frequently check the base of your plant. It must not have any soggy part, must remain firm to your touch.

Hello and Welcome!
Arnold, your plant is spectacular. (Yours too, Tarev.) 🙂
Are you able to close that heat register? If not, I suggest trying an "Air Vent Deflector" to divert the hot air away from the plant.
Blooming is a good thing, your plant seems mainly happy. Look it over carefully for mealy bugs, spider mites and scale. They can sneak up on you and cause leaf drop.
Don't be afraid to do some pruning. It can help shape the plant, and gives you cuttings that are easy to start, to keep or share.
Sounds to me like your watering is just fine. You might try a dilute feeding of a complete fertilizer, if you haven't already done that.

appreciate the suggestions. Seems a consensus on the pruning issue

What fantastic Jades!
I don't think that heat register is a problem.

Pruning is not going to make your plant change except to remove part of it, unless something else changes in conjunction with the pruning, like an increase in light. If you can't put your plant in the same conditions as Tarev's plant, it can't look like her plant. It's an educational and interesting comparison, but you can't provide conditions you don't have.

If you like it how it is, there is no potential harm to the plant in doing nothing more than what you have been doing. If you want to do other things with it, that's fine, but your plant is awesome just how it is.

I was kind of the same mind. When I inherited the jade 20-25 years ago [not sure how old it was at that time (15yrs?)] it had this same shape. I have been reluctant to mess with it. thanks for the comments