by Melody on January 22, 2019

Hello again!

For this post I want to show you first a lovely succulent plant – a jade, or crassula ovata major – that has been trained into a lovely tree form. I absolutely love this plant and for many reasons; the bright green fleshy foliage, the low water and fertilizer requirements, its tendency to not be overly fussy about lighting, and also, because jade plants can live for a very long time – it can grow old with you!

Here is a picture of a beautiful jade (about 2 and a half years old) that is enjoying its location in my office.



And here is a close-up of the wonderful trunk on this jade.



Isn't that trunk just amazing? It is so beautifully colored and patterned with an almost "bamboo" kind of effect with the ridging.

I would like to give you some pointers on how to raise a jade into a specimen like this. Of course you can just let a jade grow naturally into a wonderful little shrub, but it also can be easily trained into a tree with a little work.

First off, while not "fussy" about light – a bright location will work best particularly while the jade is young and its architecture is being established. Also, a small pot (the smallest the roots can fit in) is also beneficial; this insures that the jade does not get overwatered and that watering (and light fertilizing) can be done more frequently as it will dry out faster.

Here is a picture of a jade purchased as a 4 inch pot – I selected this one because it had a nice strong trunk already and some equally nice branching.



So, step 1, (after purchasing a plant!) is to just stare at it for a very long time (kidding!) but you do need to just take a look at how the branches are going on their own natural path and get an idea of how you want your tree to develop.

For those who have never trained a plant before, just consider the "leaders" as the tips of the branches that are showing the direction the plant is taking. You may notice new growth forming in the leaf axils (the junction where a leaf meets the stem) and a new branch will arise there unless you trim it off.

Here, in this picture, I am trimming off any lower leaves that I do not want because I do not want growth to form in those axils that are lower.



If you want the branch to change directions you can leave that new growth at the axil and trim back the tip of the leader – the growth will change as the energy of that branch is basically transferred to the new growth.

In this next picture you will see that I have removed a lot of growth, but I have left the uppermost tips because I want this plant to gain some height (keep growing vertically) and then at a later point I'll trim some of those tips off and let some of the branches develop more horizontally.



One thing to keep in mind is that jade plants can get just massively large and very heavy – so as you shape your plant just remember to keep the plant in balance – as one branch grows off to the left it will need some growth to the right also to keep it from tipping over. Keeping the lower leaves trimmed off helps with balance as well. It is also a good idea to pot jades in a heavier clay or ceramic pot to balance out the weight of the plant itself.

There are many other wonderful succulents that can be trained into a tree or "bonsai" – portulacaria afra and its slower-growing variegated form are two such plants – there are many wonderful pictures of these plants available online for inspiration.

Well, all for now, but please ask any questions you may have! I know this would have been a better post with a video – working on accomplishing that!

My next post will be about succulents also; mainly just some great pictures of some mixed succulent pots. I am planning a very large succulent dish garden for this coming outdoor growing season. And speaking of next season (spring is almost upon us in Kansas) I will start discussing some new plants that are out this year and sharing with you what I am anxious to grow and excited to put in my garden.

Talk to you soon!