Jade Tree Diary
Transformation of a Jade Tree
9-15-2020
Received a huge jade tree today! I had a jade tree before, somehow, it got smaller each year, and earlier this spring, it officially disappeared. Sounds hard to believe, right? I am excited about this new addition, yet very worried about my own ability. The jade tree was top heavy, and grew very lopsided. I repotted into a huge pot, supported the heavier side with a Y shaped branch, nonetheless, it had a hard time standing straight.
I started watching YouTube videos about jade tree. Apparently it’s a very popular tree to have and many people offered advices and tutorials. I decided that I would like to have a TREE in a couple years rather than a bush, so cutting seems inevitable. In order to get some reassurance and confirmation of what I intended to do, I wrote to a YouTuber whose videos seem very helpful for me to understand the process. Honestly, I didn’t expect any response.
9/16/2020
The YouTuber Scott Winnard actually wrote back! He confirmed what I had planned. I cleaned a pair of scissors with rubbing alcohol, got couple pots ready with succulent soil, and get to work. I wouldn’t have dared to cut that many branches, and remove that many leaves if I hadn’t read, watched so much last night. The end results are as these. I emailed Scott again, and he was very pleased with how they came out.
9/23/2020
Yesterday when I was working on my other plants, I noticed reddish spots on several branches on both trees. Those reddish spots, as I read, are the future new branches. That’s exciting. I didn’t quite expect any growth yet, it’s only been a week and I had only watered it once a couple days ago. It was very cool at night the past week, so I had been moving them inside the house at night. They got plenty of sun during the day sitting on the patio.
Aside from the two sizable trees, I also wanted to start a “forest” look bonsai. During the pruning last week, I saved most of the cuttings, and sorted them into forest potential group and casual propagating group. I noticed new growth on some of the young trees. After examining the wound, I found a couple of them didn’t heal very well. So I decided to leave them on the table overnight and hopefully they will dry properly. I drilled 4 10mm holes at the bottom of a Mr. David’s cookie tin to be used as temporary training pot for Bonsai.
As I was working on the patio, this little guy sneaked up and stayed cozily in the shadow of the jade cutting?
9/25/2020
I was watching Nigel Saunders (Claire’s recommendation) pruning his jade tree for a future bonsai and was quite amazed how he trimmed the stump all the way down to create hopefully a scarless trunk. I wasn’t too happy with the stubs on my trees and wasn’t sure if I could remove them till yesterday. Here I go today, removing them completely. Weather is nice, warm and dry, hopefully they heal quickly.
Here is the picture of both trees together.
9/27/2020
It’s been raining and damp. Both jade spent most of the two days indoors. The cuts are drying out nicely. New buds are getting bigger too.
10/3/2020
The stubs at the tip of those thinner branches shrank, and created a small gap at the joint. I had researched a lot about them recently and read these stubs would shrivel and fall eventually. It’s hard to imagine until I see it happening. I touched one of the stub and it fell like a baby tooth. The joint looks greenish, but not raw like a normal cut. The new growth is so pleasing to look at. They have been sitting in the sun most of the day, the edge of the leaves show a beautiful red. Aren’t they pretty?!
The thicker stubs are still holding on. I will be patient :).
I am also starting to care for a “dead” gardenia. Need a lot of luck on that one.
10/28/2020
Tiny growths are now sizable leaves. The big cuts were healing up really beautifully too. It’s getting colder, so they are both moved inside sitting by a south facing window. Succulents are just so resilient, new leaves are finding every possible spot to emerge ?.
