Prune a Jade plant: [Importance, Season, Tools, Considerations and Steps]

Knowing how to prune a jade plant should not be a problem for you because it is a simple activity.

However, like everything that involves gardening, it is necessary to have timely information to achieve favorable results.

The structural characteristics of this species do not require pruning as a fundamental part of its care, but it is worth applying it to always have it at 10.

If you are looking for the most specific data on this subject, in the next few lines you will have them.

Why prune the jade plant?

Jade is used inside homes for ornamental purposes and most of the time it takes up very little space. This reality motivates that pruning is not one of the activities of its care.

In fact, it is undemanding when it comes to care in general, which is why it represents an ideal alternative for beginners. The fact is that like everything in plant life, jade can also grow as it ages, becoming a bit messy.

If you want it to always be in optimal conditions, then pruning is the most appropriate alternative for this purpose. On the other hand, do not lose sight of the fact that at very specific and infrequent moments it is necessary to eliminate parts that are damaged.

When is it better to carry out pruning of jade?

Jade pruning can be done at any time of the year if it is indoors, which is most common. To be on the safe side, it is possible to wait until spring (or even summer) when the weather is more pleasant to promote recovery.

What tools should we use when pruning jades?

Jade pruning can be done with simple scissors, a cutter or a knife.Take into account that whatever tool you choose, it must be very well disinfected and sharp.

Blunt bladed tools are capable of having a very negative impact on plants because they do not deliver clean cuts and sometimes require a lot of force.

What considerations should we take into account when pruning jades?

The jade plant is delicate when it comes to pruning, so it is not advisable to apply cuts that exceed 30% of its structure.Based on this condition, an essential step that must be taken before promoting any cut is to define which parts must be removed and calculate.

After that, you have to take into account how the plant will look at the end of the pruning, because the desire is for it to look beautiful and not unbalanced.

How to prune a jade without damaging the plant?

You will execute the pruning of the jade in a few steps but always remembering the importance of these being given according to prior planning:

1. Cut those branches that look very weak. One of the main characteristics that jade has is oriented to the storage of water that it carries out in its leaves. This causes them to acquire a certain level of weight and, therefore, they need to have sufficient support so that they do not fall. In this case, the cuts have to be made right at the point where the secondary branch joins the main one.
2. Trim leaves individually if your goal is to improve their appearance. This action will prevent you from deleting more parts than you should and you will be able to act much more safely.
3. Check the arrangement of the remaining branches to ensure that there is a good flow of light and ventilation inside the jade. If not, proceed to prune a branch that is very close to another and is causing problems.
4. Discard all those parts that are noted to be in poor health. Sometimes this condition is caused by the fact that the branches are too long and the distribution of nutrients is poor. Therefore, the leaves are colored yellow and make the jade plant look less vigorous.

It is important to know that jade plants that are less than a year old do not yet have a solid structure, so they should not be pruned. On the other hand, the trunk or main branch is the source of communication between the roots and the rest of the structure, so it should not be pruned unless it is for health reasons.

When it comes to pruning jade, there are certain considerations to take into account that may not be necessary in other species. But that does not detract from the chances that you will do very well, even if it is your first time. This species recovers very quickly so do not be afraid to clean it when you consider it appropriate.

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