I didn't know how enormous and beautiful a jade plant could be until I picked one up from someone to deliver to a friend. I don't know where my jade plant came from, but it was long ago - at the time I saw the big plant, mine consisted of two stringy stems (with leaves of course) and a little piece that broke off and took root. I realized I had mine in the wrong window, wrong pot, wrong soil. I fixed all those problems (put each stringy stem in an earthen pot with cactus soil, in a sunny window), but now I wonder: Can I get my jade plant to grow up thick and strong by training it the way they do with bonsai trees? That is, wrapping it with some kind of wire. I do not want to keep it small but I do want it to thrive. I have them trussed up to some skinny bamboo stakes right now.
I will post on bonsai too.
Cris
Technically, the answer is yes. Practically, the answer is no. Even a bonsai master, with decades of experience, stands a high risk of damaging the soft, fleshy stems of the jade plant.
What you CAN do though, and what I've always done, is insert some support poles in the pot, and using soft string/cord/twine/cloth-ties, tie the plants to the supports in multiple places. once you have it well secured (though not too tightly secured, as you can easily damage the plant, and in healthy times, the jade plant can grow VERY fast, outgrowing its binds/ties faster than you may realize) it is very simple to get it to grow upright, if you have a nice sunny position for it, preferably outside. the plant will grow so fast that, if you position the pot to where the stems are facing away from the sun, within a few days they will have grown towards the sun. keep turning the plant so that the growing tips are facing as far away from the direct sun as possible, and repositioning/loosening/retying the supports every so often, and within 1 strong summer growing season, if it remains healthy, you should have nice, strong, supported main stems.
one thing to keep in mind, though, is that, because of their strong summer growth, even after you establish a strong trunk base, it is likely that it will grow too top heavy, in following growing seasons.
I have had a jade plant standing upright, strong, and proud, with a very woody trunk base, one morning, and come back one night, and it had grown so much on the top that it fell over and had to go through some intense training to get it back upright.
but, in general, if you tie it up to a sturdy support and maintain those supports (I use bamboo, exclusively), rotate it in the sun so as to take advantage of its growth patterns, and prune it when it starts getting top heavy, you should be able to keep it under control.
What you CAN do though, and what I've always done, is insert some support poles in the pot, and using soft string/cord/twine/cloth-ties, tie the plants to the supports in multiple places. once you have it well secured (though not too tightly secured, as you can easily damage the plant, and in healthy times, the jade plant can grow VERY fast, outgrowing its binds/ties faster than you may realize) it is very simple to get it to grow upright, if you have a nice sunny position for it, preferably outside. the plant will grow so fast that, if you position the pot to where the stems are facing away from the sun, within a few days they will have grown towards the sun. keep turning the plant so that the growing tips are facing as far away from the direct sun as possible, and repositioning/loosening/retying the supports every so often, and within 1 strong summer growing season, if it remains healthy, you should have nice, strong, supported main stems.
one thing to keep in mind, though, is that, because of their strong summer growth, even after you establish a strong trunk base, it is likely that it will grow too top heavy, in following growing seasons.
I have had a jade plant standing upright, strong, and proud, with a very woody trunk base, one morning, and come back one night, and it had grown so much on the top that it fell over and had to go through some intense training to get it back upright.
but, in general, if you tie it up to a sturdy support and maintain those supports (I use bamboo, exclusively), rotate it in the sun so as to take advantage of its growth patterns, and prune it when it starts getting top heavy, you should be able to keep it under control.
Thanks!
I posted on Bonsai too and left a picture. I do have it tied to bamboo with soft cotton kitchen string. I was advised there also to put it outside. I hope it grows the way you say it will - that would be great! It is leggy so I think once it is healthy I will prune it some.
Cris (a.k.a. Pikachu1)
I posted on Bonsai too and left a picture. I do have it tied to bamboo with soft cotton kitchen string. I was advised there also to put it outside. I hope it grows the way you say it will - that would be great! It is leggy so I think once it is healthy I will prune it some.
Cris (a.k.a. Pikachu1)
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