arrowhart117
Newly Registered
Posts: 1
Joined: Mon Jul 09, 2018 5:01 pm

Dwarf Jade Leaf Trouble - New Bonsai Owner

Hey there everyone, I am new to taking care of bonsai trees so I started with a Dwarf Jade as I was told by the seller that they are rather forgiving and good for first-timers. I am having some concerns with my plant after only a few weeks.

Here is the plant when I first received it:
Image

I have been following the requirements of the seller by watering when the soil becomes dry and taking care not to over water it. I have had it since 6/22/18 and only felt the need to water it 3 times, with the third time being yesterday 7/8/18. Unfortunately I feel I am getting mixed signals from this plant.

Here is the tree today:
Image

As you can see, there is plenty of growth, but the leaves do not look as plump or as green. It has also dropped quite a few leaves that were not at all shriveled and looked decently healthy. I used to keep it indoors but I moved it outdoors at the suggestion of the seller. I do not have a west or south facing area to put it, but it does get a decent amount of direct sunlight on my deck for several hours per day.

Any recommendations for improving my little friend's lifestyle would be much appreciated!

imafan26
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Posts: 13947
Joined: Tue Jan 01, 2013 8:32 am
Location: Hawaii, zone 12a 587 ft elev.

At this point it is quite pale. I actually do not like pots with attached saucers. The problem is if you don't tip out the excess water in the saucer after you water, it is the same as letting it live in a swamp. It is probably why you don't feel the need to water the plant more often. Plants in pots, especially bonsai need a little fertilizer. Use a 1/4 to 1/2 strength fertilizer. Jade does not need much once a month should do. If it improves after a couple of treatments, you can consider using a slow release fertilizer like osmocote or nutricote. You would only need a few pellet about 1/4 teaspoon for a plant that size. Type 180 is good for 6 months. The plant has been indoors for such a long time it will need to be gradually introduced to more light. An indoor light may be a solution. If you can still find flourescents that would be great, otherwise you would need to find LED grow lights, you cannot use regular LED lights, they are not full spectrum. There are youtube videos on how to make a light stand or the easiest is to attach a light to a shelf. Amazon has grow lights for single plants. LED lights don't give off much heat. Lights ideally should be about 4 inches above the top of the plant. You jade needs pinching to keep its shape.

I don't know where you live, but if your humidity is low and your saucer is not a swamp, a humidity tray will help, you just don't want the roots sitting in water constantly. Air circulation is also important for keeping plants healthy. It is actually harder to keep plants in an air conditioned room than it is to keep it in a room where you can open the windows and let light and air in.

Practically speaking, jade does tolerate partial shade, but what most people don't realize is that most plants would rather be outside as much as possible. Some trees like junipers don't do well indoors at all. When the weather is good, try to harden the tree so it can stay outside to recuperate for as long as possible.



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