The jade tree, also called money plant, is a low-maintenance succulent that symbolizes luck, wealth and prosperity. Native to South Africa, this succulent with fleshy, oval leaves is resistant. If you take good care of it, it can last for several years! To add a touch of greenery to your interior, you can successfully plant and care for Crassula ovata as follows, even if you don’t have a green thumb!
Do you like houseplants that are hardy and easy to grow? Jade tree might be a good choice for you! If you don’t know how to plant or care for this succulent, we will guide you step by step in this article.
To get new jade plants, simply plant cuttings. It only takes a few minutes.
Planting the Crassula ovata stem
If you know someone who has a large jade plant, you can ask them to cut a stem to use as a cutting. It is better to take a thick stem with healthy leaves. When cutting the stem, use clean scissors and make sure you leave a few centimeters between the leaves and the bottom of the stem. This way you won’t have to remove the leaves when you plant your cutting. Here are the steps to follow to plant the cutting and root it successfully.
- Let the cutting scar air dry in a dry place until a thin scab forms on the cut. This way you will get a healthy plant. Note that the larger the cutting, the longer it needs to dry;
- spray the stem with a rooting hormone. It is a mixture of plant hormones that promote the growth of cuttings;
- fill a pot with a special soil for succulents. If you want to use your own soil, no problem! Just add a handful of sand to aid drainage. Don’t use regular potting soil for your cutting, because it is too heavy for the cutting to take root. Make sure the pot contains a drainage hole so the water can drain;
- make a hole in the bottom with a pencil or your finger;
- Place the stem into the hole, making sure the rooting hormone is covered;
- Pat the soil around the stem;
- Place the pot in a sunny place, but not in direct sun. New shoots will appear after 4 weeks.
While rooting the cutting, avoid watering it. This could cause the stem to rot and kill the plant. If you want to transplant the Crassula into a larger pot, wait until it has developed roots.
Planting Crassula ovata leaf
Instead of the stem, you can also plant a Crassula leaf.
- Take a leaf with a fragment of stem from a healthy, mature Crassula. Without the stem, the cutting cannot form roots;
- let the cutting rest in a dry, warm place until it has dried and healed;
- Sprinkle a rooting hormone, also called rooting hormone, on the cutting. This way the cutting roots better