Jade plant propagation can be accomplished by rooting jade plant cuttings in water, but it isn't necessary. In fact, I find jade tree propagation to be easier in soil. Jade plant cuttings in water develop what is referred to as “water roots” that can easily break off when you transfer the cutting into a pot with house plant or cactus and succulent potting mix.
Last year, I took a bunch of jade plant leaf cuttings (simply twisted the leaves off the stem) and rooted the leaves in soil as end of the school year gifts for my nephew’s classmates. If you have grown a jade tree you know how easily the leaves fall off, and rooting the leaves--instead of branches or stems--allows you to propagate many more little jade trees for your collection or to give as gifts.
Whether the jade plant leaf you are propagating fell off or you removed it from the plant: Let the cutting sit somewhere out of direct sunlight for 3-5 days before attempting to propagate it. This will allow the cut end of the leaf to dry and start to form a callus that will keep it from rotting.
Insert the pointy end of the leaf into your preferred potting mix for house plants or cacti and succulents. Keep the jade plant leaf out of direct sunlight while you are waiting for roots to grow. If your leaf cuttings are in direct sunlight they may dry out and shrivel before the roots have a chance to form. Bright and dappled shade is the best lighting for cuttings. Mist or gently water the leaf cutting(s) once after you inserted it into pot. After that water as needed when the soil looks really dry.
You will know for sure that your jade plant has started to root when you see new leaves (or a stem) start to grow from the tip of the leaf cutting.
I find the best time to propagate jade trees is in the spring and summer. If it is too cold when you are attempting to root cuttings they can sit in the cold, wet potting mix and rot.
Jade plants made excellent house plants because they are durable, can go long periods without being watered, and when they get ideal conditions also flower. Jades also make good candidates for indoor bonsai cultivation. There are several Jade plant varieties and cultivars that you can find at garden centers and nurseries, and they’re all as easy to propagate. Besides propagating jade plants through leaf cuttings, you can root jade plant stems and branches easily.
We received a set of jade plant cuttings from my husband's boss. They are doing well so far. Thanks for this post. After reading it, I needed to go back and correct some mistakes I made in my original propagation. Now to keep the youngest girl away from it. She likes to pull the plants out and blow on the roots.
ReplyDeleteMMG, Good luck with your jade plant cuttings. That's pretty funny about your daughter. If the plant root after she blows on them maybe you should let her do that with all the plants. :0)
DeleteGlad to see I'm not the only one to have had a few snags with the jade plant & young children combo, the leaves must just be too tempting not to touch, which I can certainly understand!
DeleteYou remind me that i ned tocall my cousin and ask her to send me leaves from "her" jade, which is descended from my grandmother's plant and must be at least 60 years old. Nothing beats a living legacy.
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year, MBT!
Webb,
DeleteThat's sooo true. Nothing like heirloom plants that have been passed down through the family. Hope your cousin parts with some jade tree leaves so you can propagate your grandmother's plant.
come from our Eastern Cape and Kwazulu-Natal. We have 3 in a row and our friend calls it our hedge fund.
ReplyDeleteA couple of years back I visited family in California and they had hedges make of jade plants. I was in awe. Back in Chicago jade trees of that size would go for hundreds of dollars. I mentioned them on Twitter at the time and someone said that jade trees were the shrubs of slumlords. I saw them and only saw money. :0)
DeleteI love jade plants. They are one of the few succulents that I grow. My friend has tons that she is generous enough to let me take very large cuttings of. They look so cool when their tips get red.
ReplyDeleteI need to visit my family in California more often. The last time I was there they let me take HUGE cuttings from the jade trees in their front yard. People who let you cut their plants like that are awesome!
DeleteSomehow I just can't grow jade plants, they just always die :( Perhaps one day I'll try again, I really do like them.
ReplyDeleteReally? They're one of the easier succulents to grow in my experience. Although, jade trees do require a lot of light and won't do much of anything unless they get pretty close to near full-light in my growing experience.
DeleteI always loved jade plant but always managed to eventually kill them. I might have to try again.
ReplyDeleteCarolyn,
DeleteHow do you kill your jade trees? I have found that the easiest way to kill them is to give jade plants too much water and attention.
It's been well over 30 years since I killed one or even owned one I think. I'm sure I over watered. I remember the leaves being very puckered looking. I thought they needed water. I'm not sure anymore. :)
Deletepoor little thing was not waving, I'm DROWNing!
DeleteI tried propagating jade recently, too. My cuttings rooted just fine, but my leaves rotted :(. All the other how-to's on jade propagation said to let cuttings/leaves callous over for 24 hours. Maybe the leaves needed longer, like you said?
ReplyDeleteI've gotta try this again. Thanks for the info. Btw, how long did it take for your leaves to start showing new growth?
When I learned to propagate succulents by leaf cuttings, I was taught to wait 2-3 days for the callous to start to form. So I have always stuck with that rule of thumb.
DeleteThanks for this! I just chopped back my jade plant because it was really top-heavy, and I saved a bunch of the leaves to try to root them. I saw something about just laying them down on the soil's surface, and they'd root, so I tried that. Unfortunately, the stupid cat dug them up, so I have to try again. I'll use your method this time, I think. :-)
ReplyDeletethey do, lay down and grow. It is an adaptation to being the favoured food of elephants. Instead of sulking because the branch got knocked off by the elephant, it just grows where it lands.
DeleteWhen we moved back home, I left our house plants with Daughter in Tallahassee. Several of them are succulents, and I think one of them is a jade plant. I've tried rooting leaves before but didn't realize that a callus was necessary. No wonder they didn't survive. I will try again thanks to your advice. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteMy first Jade was a bonsai. During its first winter in my house it started to look kind of sad and was dropping leaves, I thought it needed more light so I put it on the windowsill. Big mistake half of it just fell of the next day. I tried to root the piece to no avail, but the rest survived and I still have a little(r) jade bonsai.
ReplyDeleteFound this post via G+ and it has reassured me that I did buy the right soil (just based on gut instinct) - it meant I ignored the advice of the staff member on duty but ensuring my repotted money plant thrives is more important.
ReplyDeleteYou are right that they can survive a LONG time without water as my one was neglected for the whole of my PND which went on for over a year.
Anyway it is beautifully re-homed now. Here's my post
http://consciousmum.co.uk/consciously-clearing-clutter-and-money-plants/
which lead me to look for yours (or rather search money plants on G+).
Love your post, thanks
Liska
When we propagate the leaves does the soil have to be wet?
ReplyDeletethe ends keep rotting on me :(
I live in Bulgaria and a friend asked me to take some photos of a house he had for sale,so took him home,he said wait and next think he comes out with this 2ft money tree,I still have it here in our hallway.Tony
ReplyDeleteI gifted my boss a Jade plant two months ago. she placed it on her table inside her office. I noticed that two stems fall off, so instead of allowing them to dry out, I researched about jade propagation. that is why I stumbled to you blog, thanks for this very informative post. I will follow your instructions and tips.this is my first ever succulent propagation project. hope it would be successful.
ReplyDeleteWhenever I try to do this the leaves just shrivel up. Should I just mist them every few days?
ReplyDelete