Nmoasis:

Your "little train wreck" looks so cool. It looked like an octopus. So unique. It must have broken your heart when it toppled over. Those tentacles must have taken years to grow.

But, your new 2.0 version of the plant still looks healthy and vibrant. i must say the leaves are really big with barely any water. Those desert conditions really appeal to your jade.

I really like your photographic transition, as it tells the story of your jade really well. Great photojournalism!

My journey started 2 years ago, as my plant at the time was nothing more than a "stick farm" with a few leaves. So, I restarted and headed in a new direction. I chopped it up, and kept re-planting to the point I have 8-9 plants per each of my six pots. Proliferation works.

You are so right. These jade plants can get by with little maintenance. Pretty tough little buggers. You have to admire their resilience.

Best of luck in the new direction you are going. I look forward to seeing your progress.

MsDoe. Thank you! I appreciate your comments finally. I live up in Canada and we get dew every night so I can see that where you live makes a difference. Plants are just a hobby of mine so I don't spend a lotta time with them, they fill my window shelves and I love looking at them reaching out for sunshine! They love the way I treat them and will continue to treat them as I have said. Cheers! MP

A final comment. I went on this site after I tried spraying and because it was so good, I just asked this site if someone could do it and see if it is for them too, Instead, I got comments but nobody tried it, just that I was wrong. So I found the company that sold it and it said: Place croton in a sunny location such as an eastern, southern, or western window. ... Keep the soil evenly moist, but let it dry out between waterings. If humidity is low in your home, mist around the leaves with water once a week or keep a tray of wet gravel near the plant. So I won't bother this site but go to growers... And I will go to them for any other real info. I guess I was on this wrong site, but my other plants act like the croton! MP BYE!

@MichaelPellow

Maybe it will work for Crotons but this thread is about Jade plants. Misting a succulent is a good way to introduce a fungal infection into your collection. A tray of pebbles with water is a great way to raise humidity (it has to be wider than the circumference of the plant). But misting once a week will raise the humidity once a week during the few seconds of misting. Find a hygrometer and test for yourself.

As you live in Canada, I imagine the humidity in general is higher than at MsDoe's house or mine. When the wind blows in the desert, the humidity falls, sometimes to 0%. For us, that's great as most succulents don't like humid conditions. There are cactus hardy to cold Canada winters but how many of your neighbors are growing any in their gardens?

I'm sorry you feel less than welcome - when someone new joins the Forum, I read everything they have posted to get an idea of their gardening style and knowledge. What I learned about you was you are pushing the idea of misting plants. That's it. We don't know what kind of plants you grow or who your "expert" gardeners are but I am hard pressed to find anyone who recommends misting as the perfect way to raise humidity. And you don't name them. I always view un-cited resources with a degree of suspicion.

I'm sorry you are leaving. I think you could learn a lot of from this website, its got a a group of the most knowledgeable gardeners in the world. But you have to be willing to listen to people with a different experience and learn (or disagree) with them. But if you disagree, tell us why and show us your evidence.

Michael, agree that when something ain't broke, don't fix it. So definitely do what is working well for you.

I believe the feedback in regard to misting suggestion was from experience, so there was no reason for those people to try it again. But there's no better teacher than experience, so I wish you the best fun and results in gaining your own!

The rookie gardening lessons continue.

This is more of an observation abut those darn fungus gnats. I just received "mosquito bits" in the mail, and will be watering all six jade plants that includes a mix of BTI on Monday. Last Friday, I implemented the "sticky traps," which are nothing more than yellow two-sided tape. But, let me tell you they work well.

Sticky traps pose zero threat to your plants and are very effective at killing the adult fungus gnats. Originally, I thought I had four or five buggers flying around my plants. No big deal, but yes, a nuisance for an indoor plant. So, I insert one sticky trap for each of the six jade plants. In 1 hour, I caught 8 gnats. In 24 hours, I caught 20 gnats. In 48 hours, I killed 40 of these little flying bugs. Then, things settled down. Most of the problem was solved as I awaited the "mosquito bits/BTI formula," right? Wrong.

I re-potted all 6 plants to improve drainage a week ago. I thought that might help with the gnats, too. So, I pulled the sticky traps out for a couple of days, and didn't replace them immediately. Oops. Yesterday, I put the sticky traps back out. This morning, I have another 6 of those buggers trapped. Wow.....that was a learning experience.

So, as I've been told by many of you, getting rid of fungus gnats is a two-step process. The adult gnats can be managed with sticky traps. But, those little buggers lay 100-300 eggs in their 6 day lifespan. As a result, new gnats start re-appearing every single day. The larvae needs to be killed, too.

The lesson learned is you need to kill both the larvae and the adult gnats. Many of you already told me this, and I thank you for the sage advice. i just wanted to share my observations for any new gardners that might be experiencing the same thing.

"Mosquito bits" to be implemented on Monday. That larvae will be gone over the next few waterings.

Once again, great advice from all of you.

Final question: Do you ever get rid of fungus gnats completely?

Final Answer: No.
Well, maybe it is possible but they always come back for me. I try for a livable truce and have given up on total victory.

MsDoe:

Thank you for your clarity, and honest assessment. Total victory is likely not achievable.

I figured as much. When I first bought the bag of soil, it sat around for about 6 weeks before I re-potted. 3 weeks later, the gnats appeared. So, a 2+ month period in larvae form, and they still survived.

So, it looks like "Mosquito Bits" and Sticky Traps will be in service in perpetuity.

At least, this website has given me the tools to put up a good fight.

I've never had a huge problem, but they are present. So I'd say, their lingering presence is not always a "death sentence."

Thanks for the input sallyg!

These fungus adult gnats just keep popping up. I will be mixing the Mosquito Bits/BTL with water on Monday, and I am sure it will have a deadly impact on the larvae in the soil. I will continue with the Sticky Traps as per your reference to their constant presence.

Just as you, I don't have an infestation. But, they are indoor plants, and the last thing I want are gnats flying around my guests heads. LOL!

Do you use Mosquito Bits mixed in with your regular waterings? How do you handle your "pest management?"

I never took any other control methods, just best practices with pots, water, potting mix. Maybe I just never went that far down into infestation. I have jade, epipremnum, snake plants, orchids, other succulents, coffee, parlor palm, vegetable seedlings.. etc
All of my plants go outside for summer, except my dozen library plants that never go anywhere. Those dry out regularly, it has been hard to keep them well watered.

Sallyg: You have quite a diversity of plants. I just have 6 indoor jade plants.

My jades are more like your "library plants." The don't move from the windowsill. They also don't get enough sunlight, although I've taken steps to improve that. Now, my mini blinds are wide-open, rather than 3/4 closed, which helps considerably, and rotate my plants every few hours daily, in an attempt to catch more direct sunlight.

Unfortunately, I have hindered the growth of the plants. Compared to some of the other jade photos that have been shared with me, my 2 year old plants look like they are still in their infancy. It is what it is. They are very healthy, and happy plants.

Plus, The soil takes over a week to dry out, and that doesn't help with the gnats, either. So, it's a one-two punch of BTL for the larvae, and sticky traps for the adult fungus gnats.

Thanks Sallyg for the feedback.