Money Tree Plant Care

How To Grow Jade Plant

An easy indoor plant for sunny spots!

Money Tree Plant Care is easy with these gardening tips. This succulent is a great low-maintenance house plant for your sunny window sills or conservatories. Growing jade plants, also called money trees (Crassula ovata) is not difficult and is very successful even if you are a beginner. 

Do you have difficulties finding a house plant that is suitable for growing on a hot, sunny window- sill?

The money tree is a perfect plant for this situation! As a succulent it loves hot, dry and sunny positions and thrives where other plants would burn and wither. The jade green, oval leaves are capable of storing water and are therefore able to withstand drought for prolonged periods. In its natural habitat in South-Africa they grow in dry areas with little rainfall.

Jade plants are also great for beginners and a safe plant for cats and other pets. The only mistake you can make with money tree care is to over-water! They thrive best if they are ignored for most of the time.

Money Tree Plant Care

A nice specimen!

Photo: Albertas Agejevas

Where to grow Crassula ovata?

A money tree prefers a bright and sunny spot. Winter temperatures should not be below 50 degrees F/10 degrees C. You can grow your plant outside for the summer months if you like but it should be sheltered from too much rain.

Beautiful foliage of a jade plant

Photo: beautifulcataya

Watering A Jade Plant

Money trees hate to be over-watered. Signs of over-watering are leaf dropping, mouldy stems and drooping of the stems or brown leaves. This is the most important thing to remember with jade plant care.

Water only if the soil has dried out. Test the surface with your fingers. If it feels moist do not water! You might only need to water every 10-14 days.

Watering frequency will depend on the temperature, plant size, pot size and amount of sunshine the plant is exposed to. Add a general purpose plant food to the water once a month during the growing season. During the winter months, particularly if you are keeping the plant in a cool place there will be very little need for watering.

Jade Plant Propagation

More House Plant Tips

Most succulents like the money tree are very easy to propagate. Take a leaf or stem cutting and let it dry for a few days. Then insert the cuttings into a fee draining compost. A cactus mix will do a good job. Keep only slightly moist. The cuttings will root very quickly.

You might also find pieces of your plant that broke off and started to produce roots without being put into soil! You can carefully plant these as well.

Leaf cutting - Jade plant propagation

Photo: mfcorwin

Pruning Money Trees

If your plant gets too big or top-heavy you will have to consider pruning your plant. Cut back the branches evenly around the whole plant to reduce its size. If that is well done you won't even notice that the plant has been pruned. Always try to keep the natural shape of the tree in mind.

Pests And Diseases

Mealy Bugs and scale insects can become a problem. You can safely use insecticidal soap or other organic sprays to get rid of these pests. Treatment has to be repeated several times to catch all the bugs that might be still hatching from eggs.

Don't use chemical sprays that contain malathion on money tree plants. These can damage or kill them because all Crassulas are sensitive to this chemical.

Flowers appear only seldom on these succulents!

Photo: dougfelt

If you are interested in more detailed house plant care advice check out these books

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