Staying on topic - thanks to all that posted recommendations to Grace's original question. It prompted me to repot and stake some long-neglected jade plants.

For every plant species that some folks find easy or hard to kill, there are other folks who struggle with them constantly. The difference is that people take different sets of information (and misinformation) and skills with them in caring for plants.

I have seen Jades that have shriveled leaves that mimic Jades that are dehydrated. The problem is that these Jades have been overwatered for a long time, the roots have rotted and stopped functioning so the leaves and stems are no longer receiving water. In this case, water is not the answer. So shriveled leaves are not always an indication of under watering. Folks who like to nurture their plants often struggle with Jades because they over-pot and over water without realizing it.

Unfortunately, labeling a plant easy or tough to kill will cause people who struggle with those plants to conclude that they have black thumbs. Sadly, they may give up on plants altogether.

My "shriveled leaf" statement only pertained to the jade I grow.

Thanks for the clarification, Ken. Otherwise, some might assume it is a universal rule.

None of my "rules" would be universal, Will. When I post about my plants, my posts pertain only to what I see or the experiences I have had.

Given your credentials, Ken, I think most readers would assume that the replies you post here are generally true for their plants, as well, and not just applicable to your individual plants. I am sure that is many cases your advice is applicable and worthwhile. Folks love quick and easy answers to their plant problems. Unfortunately, most plant problems don't lend themselves to quick and easy. I receive many inquiries about plant problems that resulted from folks following online information, without regard to the source or circumstance.

I sure could not agree with you more. Everyone wants a quick and an easy solution to their plant-growing problems. You would be surprised at how many people I "council" who don't want to be bothered supplying enough light, enough warmth, and/or enough air-movement to grow plants successfully. And don't ask them to water or fertilize on a regular basis. With some folks, when they bitch about what I tell them is minimally necessary to grow certain plants, I literally tell them to purchase some nice silk flowers.

My only "credentials" are derived from growing and doing. If I truly were credentialed, I would/could charge for my advice.

DrDawg, the jade that weighed 30-40 lb and were 24"- how old were those plants?

I really don't know, @AlyssaBlue. I have grown jade for over four decades and always have them around. Unfortunately, because I grow so many other plants (tropicals), I no longer have space for them when they get large. I left out four pots of them this winter (lost them all) and they were all 16-20" tall and wide. I hate seeing these big plant perish but I simply don't value them enough to make room for them. Jade grows like weeds for me and I have a half dozen small ones growing right now. Same thing with aloe vera. I leave the large ones outside and usually end up losing them over the winter months.

to ATP, Alyssa.

Thank you! I love jade, and they have moved with us, but where we live now is simply too overcast through winter to get the red edges on the plants. I am hoping to keep two of the original jade alive, (mostly out of emotional attachment, lol), but the plants are obviously stressed because mealy bugs started to appear. I cleaned them off with q-tip dipped in hydrogen peroxide but I'm wondering if there is a systemic way to treat them?

I apologize, but I don't know the answer to using a systemic on jade. I have seen a few scale on mine over the decades, but a Q-tip with alcohol takes care of that. Be sure you have good air movement around your plants, Alyssa. That eliminates a lot of pest problems. Another thing you can use is the yellow, sticky cards. They are non-toxic (no chemicals whatsoever) and really do work well. I use them by the dozen in my two greenhouses and solarium.

By the way, can you leave your jade outside during the spring and summer months? All tropical plants really do much better when they have a "vacation" outside of the house.

Yes, I plan on moving it outdoors as soon as possible, which will be around mid May. I agree- it was much happier outside last year!!

You can use imidacloprid (various brand names including the Bayer product) as a systemic, but that's really overkill when the problem is mealies. What you want for the quick treatment and control is a squirt bottle loaded with dilute soap water. Blast them out of there with that and the plant will most likely stay clean. Whenever a plant is undergoing crisis (like the one in the picture) you can be pretty sure that a systemic will not be as effective or as fast, presumably because uptake and transport are not functioning normally.

My experience with jade plants (ubiquitous in the ground here and I have had a couple in pots for many years) is that they cannot get too much sun. Maybe in harsher climates they require some protection, but honestly these problems with plants getting top heavy are mostly due to insufficient light. If you can see green stem elongating at the tips, you're not giving as much light as the plant will tolerate and enjoy. If the plant is indoors, it should get some sun every day. Of course do what you wish with your own plants, this is just my advice based on turning the dial up to 11.

We have no heat or cold here so I can attribute the red edges of the leaves on the jade plants here to sun exposure. All but one of my jade plants have red edges all the time (exception below).

I have observed all sorts of effects on the plants I have here in various levels of exposure, including moving pots around from here to there on the patio. One of them is tucked into an "urban canyon" between two tall walls and it typically falls over and has to be cut back every winter when it doesn't get any sun. The difference is due to the light because I don't even water that plant (let alone feed it)... in other words, it's not getting spoiled, it's desperately reaching for more photons.

Yes, and in my case, light has definitely been the issue. Red edges = happy jade. I was so used to jade growing like crazy in AZ, that I just didn't think about it as I moved (I was focused on other things). Plus I had plant priorities and other plants made it to the brightest window first at my new place.

Now I see succulents coming into the big stores and now I think....WHY are these being shipped here? Because I don't think they'll never grow the same as the south or southwest, especially during winter. (I even laugh out loud when I see those little cactus with the colored ball glued on top. )

I guess I am not the only one that believes the red-edges form due to (bright) light exposure.

You definitely know what you're talking about! And jade are not the only succulents that do that- a lot of them will turn happy red when they get enough sun.

Not everyone thinks so, @AlyssaBlue.

I decided to go back and find a photo for the best illustration of why I think red=happy plant. This is a cactus I owned in my previous sun-filled life. Lol. It was completely green when I bought it, and developed the red tint in full sun. Then it flowered because it was so happy- yes that is a real flower. How I miss that cactus (I think this was called the Fairy Castle).....

Alyssa - What Baja has written is very true. I would only add that the key to any indoor pest control is thoroughness of coverage. If your treatment misses a few critters, then they will later reproduce, multiply and the problem will return. For that reason, I have never liked the Q-Tip treatment because you only treat what you see.

A thorough spraying that leaves all stem and leaf surfaces and nooks and crannies dripping wet is what is most effective. Soap and water works well, but the addition of some rubbing alcohol will help break through the fuzzy mealybug coating and the hard shell covering of scale.