This is my little baby jade plant. It is very important to me so I really extremely hope for a rescue.

Just a few days ago I repotted it in a smaller pot with a drainage hole and fresh dirt (though we've had this bag of dirt for a while, so I'm not sure how potent the nutrients in it are). The day or two after that the plant kinda flopped over so I put that stake in to help it stay up.

The middle of the stem, which was above the dirt, was looking very unhappy so I took the whole thing out to check for root rot (of the lil tiny roots it has) and right above the roots it’s strong and I think healthy and the top could be happier but is fine I think but then at the middle it’s all shriveled like that. 
Why did that happen? Is it rot or just really thirsty or? Is there a way to fix it? What should I do? Should that middle part stay above the dirt or go under? Help is very appreciated.

Hello Janolowitz, if it were mine, I would cut off the long stem into two segments , maybe from two nodes from the roots. Set it aside, put some light cinnamon on the cut part and let dry. Discard the middle dried out part, and cut off the remaining upper part, again put cinnamon and set aside.

Use very well draining soil, like cactus mix with perlite or pumice and container that is shallow with drainage. Position in part sun/warm area and wait patiently for new growth. Sometimes new growth can be new leaves first or sometimes root formation. Don't water right away when you plant it. Be patient and do not expose to cold draft.

Best to remove the middle part if it is feeling soft and mushy, so as not to spread on the rest if the stem. Not sure why that happened on your plant, unless you were spritzing it with water.

Hopefully, we can help you to save your plant. It does look like the center of the stem is rotting. How tall is this plant? Where are the leaves?

On the root end of the bad spot, I would cut it just above the second node (the little lines on the stem). Hopefully, the stem will show green all the way to the middle. Replant that part at the depth it was planted before. Stake it up and firm it in. Water but go easy until you see some growth. It should grow leaves off the two nodes.

On the top half, cut out the bad part (hopefully finding green to the center again). That top part can be rooted. Depending upon how tall this piece is, you could grow more than one plant from it.

Hopefully others will know the best way to root the pieces. I would lay them down so the nodes are in contact with the soil and wait for little leaves.

Also if you still have at least one good leaf of that plant, you can also root the leaf. Here is mine before when I was rooting a leaf, or do several leaves spacing them very well.
I started this indoors in Jan 2013, just laying the leaf on top of the media:


As soon as weather improved in Spring around mid March 2013, I brought it out, with the cool sun, it grew new leaves:



Eventually that first old leaf will wither, and the new ones will grow on their own, forming a stem and more new leaves as it grows:

Hello, OP here. Thank you for all the responses! Cutting my plant up makes me nervous but I know that's probably the best thing to do, so I would appreciate very specific details so I don't mess up.

Unfortunately all I have is all-purpose soil, I don't live very close to any places that would have a nice variety and Walmart was no help. I also have all-purpose plant food that goes in water.

The jade has one leaf at the very top, slightly nibbled but otherwise ok (unfortunately a cat managed to get the other leaves - the cat is also fine). The whole plant is about 5 inches tall.

For the bottom it was recommended to cut it at the second node, but what about the top? Does the cut have to be at a node or can it be in the middle between nodes? I'll probably post pictures of the cuts to double check that I got all the bad part off. Also how much cinnamon should I use on the cuts?

Afterwards what do I do with them? Do I do the same thing with each end or are the conditions different? Do I keep them out of the pot until they heal or lay them right on top of the soil or in the soil (and how deep)? Should it be on/in moist soil or dry until it heals and then afterwards how much water should I use? Should I use regular water or water with the plant food in it? How about temperature and light?

I realize some of these have already been mentioned before but I just want to make sure I do this right because as I mentioned I'm very anxious and this plant is very important to me. I really appreciate all the feedback!

great pictorial of new plant, tarev,
a few comments:
Cut between the nodes, not at them.
do NOT use fertilizer now
the stem is very thin and strung out, for jade plant, as if the original plant was needing much better light. Eventually, thin stems like that cannot support their weight. I wonder if it bent and kinked just due to that, crushing the stem in the process. Long term your plant will not do any better unless you can improve the light.
The tiny amount of roots show something bad was going on in the soil, but you must have known that since you chose to repot smaller in fresh mix. (good observation) Like the soil was much too wet/dense before. Keep that experience in mind. This new thing barely will barely take any water from the mix for some time. The pot you showed last is big enough for all the cuttings you could make, together.
Treat this as an experiment to learn from-- or don't agonize and just find a new much healthier little Jade to enjoy, in a brighter spot. Tell yourself as I do, they were (probably, maybe) tissue cultured clones, so it's really the same plant'

I forgot to ask: are there any decent grow lights (preferably small, cheap, and from Amazon) that anyone would recommend for jades?

Also yes, there were watering problems before, I went to visit family out of state and my mom accidentally overwatered while I was gone and I haven't been able to bounce it back yet (there were two as of last week but unfortunately I couldn't save the other one)

How do these look? (Sorry for the blurry picture my phone just would not focus on them) They look ok to me but if they're not I'll just trim it back a bit more
The outer ring is slightly separated (not completely detached) from the inner ring on both cuttings, is that normal?

@Janalowitz. Keep in mind that those cut ends need to callus well before you introduce any moisture. Just let the two plants sit without soil for a week or two, keeping them warm and dry. Then you can safely plant them, with a little supporting stake (pencil, chop stick, etc) to keep them upright. Use well-draining potting soil. One of the cactus mixes is fine. You never want to grow succulents in water-retentive, soggy soil. Water lightly and keep the cuttings warm and in good light. There are inexpensive clip-on, LED grow lights available that are inexpensive. A simple shop-light, using 5000-6500K fluorescent tubes, will work too. No fertilization will be needed until you have good rooting and good top-growth, which probably won't be before spring.

If you lose these plants, contact me. I have jade growing like weeds (Aloe vera too), and will be glad to ship you a nice healthy plant.

Hello Janolowitz, so do your cut, above of the 2nd node. Just dab a little cinnamon on the cut end, enough to cover the expose fleshy part, cinnamon will be the fungicide on those cut ends. Have to let dry and callus. You can either lay them on the soil or stick in soil.

No fertilizers at this point. Actually I never give fertilizers to my jades. At this point what is critical is for your cuttings not to grow in a soggy media. You can use your regular soil, though you really have to make it well draining, ideally by adding more perlite or pumice. If you have no means to get those, just a very light dampening of the soil, but you have to discipline yourself not to water too much, especially if grown indoors, there is not much air movement and dry out time will take far longer. And those new cuttings have no roots yet forming, so nothing to drink those moisture up, except for the lowest part with roots already of course.

Jade plants grow very shallow root mass, so they do not need too deep containers, so shallow containers are best for now, so dry out time at root level does not take too long. They are cool season growers, but they do like lots of light.

There are ways to check if soil is still damp, putting a rock on top, and if you check below it seeing soil is damp, delay watering. Or stick a bamboo skewer or toothpick, if it comes out damp, delay watering. Or compare container weight when newly watered, container is heavier, goes lighter as soil dries out.

The plant etiolates or grows so elongated seeking light, so if you can position near a window but not too close since windows get too cold, that would work too.

Hi guys, it's been a few days. This is how they're doing. They were doing really well there for a while but now they look like this. I've been doing everything as suggested. At one point a cat had knocked over the pot (not a big drop or anything just tipped over on the table) and I had to repot them and I don't know if that is why they turned around or if they were gonna do that anyway. There's cinnamon on that one node on the cutting with the leaf because it had elongated and bent and someone irl told me I should cinnamon it.

Is there anything else I can or should do at this point?

Find a smaller container with drain holes, it is too big right now for the plant, and ideally make the media grittier if you can, by adding perlite or pumice, but I read earlier you are far from the stores.

@tarev if Janalowitz can't get to a store but has a cat then wouldn't kitty litter work (assuming the cat that knocked over the plant uses a litter box).

You must have odd kitty litter up there in Canada. Or maybe we have odd kitty litter. Some kitty litter is made of clay, some from old newspaper, some from pine. Probably not quite what we're looking for. Fine gravel will do - just something to let a little air into the mix.

I have not used kitty litter, but I have read of some using it if it is like clay material.

Kitty litter isn't baked hot enough to act like Turface or fired clay products. I'm told it will eventually turn to Jell-O once kept wet. Or at least get soft and clump together. Do test some in water before adding it to a potting mix.

("Most of the people espousing the attributes of kitty litter are from Europe, where their litter is different than ours here in the US." http://www.bonsainut.com/threa...
Also, most articles that I found suggesting kitty litter as a soil amendment add it to SANDY soil, not water-retaining potting mixes that need better aeration.)

If you can't get Perlite or coarse pumice to add to potting mix, consider crushed rock if you can screen that to remove dust, sand and gravel, but keep the grit. (Even "coarse" sand is too fine.)

If you know someone near a feed store or farm "co-op", "#2 chicken grit, crushed granite" is great for grit.

Or crush and screen some pine, fir or balsam bark, keeping the grit-size or BB-size shreds.

Maybe "aquarium gravel" would actually be fine enough to open up some potting mix?

The crushed granite chicken grit was what I was thinking about. Aquarium gravel would work too.

Yes, crushed granite is quite good, I often mix it in too or use that for my top dressing and my succulents thrive in it. Crushed lava rock would also work, smaller sizes.

So far, every time but one when I ordered the granite chicken grit at the cash register, the warehouse guys actually gave me seashell grit.

Now I know to check before I let them put it in my trunk!

Some crushed stone that I got from a "dirt yard" was the only thing in my garden that ever impressed a lady with a GREAT garden, a few doors down from me. She sure liked that grit!

Or, hey, IF you can find "Turface" anywhere, it's like artificial pumice in grit sizes. It provides aeration AND holds water. They sell it for spreading on tracks and sports fields, to improve traction and absorb standing water. But it is hard to find.
The Expanded Shale, Clay and Slate Institute (ESCSI)
http://www.escsi.org/Default.a...
http://www.escsi.org/ContentPa...

tarev said:I have not used kitty litter, but I have read of some using it if it is like clay material.

Yes, it does depend on the type. Fine Gardening mentioned the calcined clay kitty litter in this article so would seem to be available in the USA:

" Perlite, vermiculite, calcined clay (kitty litter), and sand are the mineral aggregates most commonly used in potting soils"

http://www.finegardening.com/s...

If the OP has problems getting alternatives locally it was just a thought....