Dwarf Jade Bonsai question about watering?

Sat Jun 06, 2009 3:04 am

I have owned my Dwarf Jade for several years now and have always let the soil go almost completely dry before watering, Until Recently !! .

My Dwarf Jade has recently decided it likes moist soil all the time. If I start letting the soil dry out, like I used to, it soaks up water from one or more of its leaves witch then dies and falls off.

It is also growing like crazy lately. Yesterday I chopped it back heavily, thinking I could let the soil dry out some before watering again( because it has alot fewer leafs and branches now) but nope last night it sucked another couple of larger leafs dry and they fell off today.

I watered today and gave it a 1/3 fertilizer dose, I cant let the soil dry out much at all right now or it sucks moisture from its leaves. I am wondering if this is normal ? It has never happened with this Bonsai before, but maybe someone else has had this happen?

When ever I try to let the soil dry out some before I water again. It sucks another leaf or two dry and they fall off.

It is in a high organic soil( witch I don't like) I thought it would hold to much moisture. But at the time it was all I had. It was re-potted this spring about a month ago, no root trimming was done.

Sat Jun 06, 2009 3:13 am

I have found if I postpone root pruning for a long time, it causes the soil to dry up faster. This may be the problem here.

Sat Jun 06, 2009 3:18 am

Thats what I was thinking, But I have been using the tooth pick in the soil trick for checking the soil moisture lower in the pot. Even when the soil is still moist the Jade wants more water.

It is just very thirsty lately, it has never happened before. But it has never grown like this in such a short period of time either.

Sat Jun 06, 2009 10:34 am

Have you examined the roots? Could it be that, actually, the roots are dying from excess moisture and THAT'S why the jade is losing leaves? If so, continuing to keep up the moisture level will only cause a downward spiral of leaf loss and eventual demise....

Sun Jun 07, 2009 7:56 pm

Very true. If the roots are no longer working it cant suck up water as efficently as it should, and it therefore needs more water to 'inflate' its leafs.

Sun Jun 07, 2009 8:10 pm

Well I just re-potted it about a month ago and the roots looked fine then, they dident even need a trim.

Anyways it is growing really fast, we had a week of 80- 90 degrees Fahrenheit just last week maybe that's why it decided to start growing so fast lately ? Lots of new growth popping out all over it.

My trees are just weird LOL , maybe its something in my water

Mon Jun 08, 2009 9:03 pm

A month is enough time for the entire roots to rot or become damaged, especially if you are using a new type of soil. Best be safe, and check the roots.