cococryo
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Joined: Thu May 07, 2009 8:38 pm

Jade Bonsai

Hello, I have a Jade Bonsai that I have had for about four years. I think it needs some help. The stems are very long with only a few leaves on the end. When I first got this tree it was very plush and thick with leaves. It has gone bald and looks scraggly. My question is would it help to prune I back and reshape it. This means cutting of virtually all of it's leaves. Will it rebound and have the ability to grow back into the beauty it was when I first got it? :oops:

Any advise you have to offer would be appreciated as this plant has sentimental value to me.

Thanks

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bonsaiboy
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Joined: Fri Feb 09, 2007 8:54 pm
Location: Earth

If you prune it right it should branch out, and thus regain a near-original form. However, the main concern with this case is if it can survive defoilation. I think that it might, but it is a good idea to test it on a cutting, a useless plant, or on a useless branch first.

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Gnome
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Joined: Wed Jul 05, 2006 12:17 am
Location: Western PA USDA Zone 6A

Coco,

Welcome to the forum. I don't hesitate to prune a healthy Jade to within an inch if it's life. You can remove all the foliage and it will respond nicely.

Several years ago:
[url=https://img129.imageshack.us/my.php?image=95923277yu9.jpg][img]https://img129.imageshack.us/img129/704/95923277yu9.th.jpg[/img][/url]

[url=https://img129.imageshack.us/my.php?image=42273093fo4.jpg][img]https://img129.imageshack.us/img129/3193/42273093fo4.th.jpg[/img][/url]

More recently, in flower:
[url=https://img19.imageshack.us/my.php?image=mediumwd4.jpg][img]https://img19.imageshack.us/img19/6951/mediumwd4.th.jpg[/img][/url]


If it has not been doing well recently it may be a bit more problematic but I would lean toward taking the chance.

Norm
Last edited by Gnome on Thu May 07, 2009 9:19 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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IndorBonsai
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Joined: Sat May 02, 2009 5:15 pm
Location: Seattle area WA

Has your Jade been re-poted since you have owned it Coco?


P.S. welcome to the forum :)



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