Have you been introduced with Dwarf Jade recently?
Or, are you just starting your gardening journey with a Dwarf Jade as houseplant?
Whatever it is…
You’ve come to the right place!
This article will tell you everything you need to know of Dwarf Jade care…
Before that…
Let us hear a fascinating story from Bryan…
I had to leave for work outside town…
It was a one month long trip…
Since I am living alone at my current house…
I had nobody to take care of my houseplants…
… including my dearest Dwarf Jade.
I was so worried that it will die as soon as I got back…
So I forced myself to let go…
But then…
When I was already back with an open heart of letting go…
I entered my house, and there it was…
My Dwarf Jade still surviving…
I leaped myself with joy and water my Dwarf Jade along with my other houseplants immediately…
It was a total relief!
There it was…
Bryan’s story just showed you…
How great this Dwarf Jade will be…
… as an indoor plant.
Especially for those of you who are out of the house often…
Even if you let your Dwarf Jade on the porch…
It will still survive with minimum amount of water…
As long as you made sure of the care process this article will inform you on…
Firstly…
What does a Dwarf Jade Look Like?
The Portulacaria afra, Dwarf Jade, is one form of the jade plant…
… which has burgundy-red stems and small glossy-green leaves.
This succulent uses its branch and leaves to store water…
Hence, one easy Dwarf Jade care is it needs no regular watering…
The bark is green and soft when it’s young…
… and transitioned to a red-brown color as it ages.
Also known as miniature jade, elephant bush, or porkbush…
The Dwarf Jade looks very similar to usual jade plant…
… but they aren’t related botanically.
Also, they are great to put in terrariums!
If you are planning to make a succulent terrarium you should seriously consider adding a Dwarf Jade Plant. They have a beautiful green leaf with a red stem and they look great combined with other succulents.
Joseph of Desert Succulents
Credit: https://www.myflowertree.com/fantastic-jade-terrarium-8166
To be exact…
Here’s a brief profile of the Dwarf Jade…
- Plant Type: Perennial
- Mature Size: 6 to 8 ft tall
- Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
- Soil Type: Potting soil
- Soil pH: 5.6 to 6.5
- Bloom Time: Late spring to early summer
- Flower Color: Whitish-pink
- Hardiness Zones: 9 to 11 based on USDA Hardiness Zone Map
- Native Area: dry regions of South Africa
Credit: https://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/PHZMWeb/
However…
Since it is different from regular jade plants…
The Dwarf Jade care process is distinct…
… which may or may not be similar to regular jade.
The care process consists of 10 main elements…
- Placement
- Light
- Water
- Soil
- Temperature and Humidity
- Potting and Repotting
- Pests and Diseases
- Propagating
- Pruning
- Fertilizing
Read more below for further details…
It gets interesting…
Since it is native to Eastern South Africa and Swaziland…
The Dwarf Jade is commonly used in soups and salads by the natives…
This rare Dwarf Jade can grow up to 20 ft in the wild lands of Africa…
… and very much fancied by wild elephants…
… and made up to 80% of an elephant herd’s diet!
However, it’s fast rate of growth…
Made these Dwarf Jade hard to demolish…
Amazing, isn’t it!
Credit: https://eefalsebay.blogspot.com/2014/04/spekboom-at-Addo-Portulacaria-afra.html
Let’s dive in…
Taking Care of a Dwarf Jade: 10 Important Things You Don’t Want To Miss!
Now that you are committed in taking care of a Dwarf Jade as your houseplant…
Let me guide you to through the 10 important things you need to know…
In a Dwarf Jade care…
Placement
It is recommended that your Dwarf Jade stays as an indoor plant…
Since there will be less watering requirements…
… and away from changes of outdoor temperature.
But you may still put them outside…
With more watering requirements…
… and attention to sun and frost exposure.
Dwarf Jade is getting enough sunlight when it’s leaves develop red tips or edges…
Do not let temperatures drop below 40 °F (5 °C)…
Light
Dwarf Jade tolerate five to six hours of indirect or partial sunlight…
Usually, Dwarf Jade is place in a window facing south, east, or west…
With protection from a window shade to avoid sunburn…
Although preferably a houseplant…
Dwarf Jades can be put on your porch…
Once you take the precautions of frostbites or direct sunlight exposure…
You still need to remember to do it gradually…
… or your Dwarf Jade will get sunburnt.
Rotate your Dwarf Jade pot during the summer to ensure even growth…
… because plants will grow in the direction of the sun.
Water
Water only when the soil is dry…
An easy way to check if it needs water…
… is by putting your finger into the top inch of soil.
If it feels dry, water moderately and avoid water accumulation in the saucer…
When indoors, there will be less watering needed…
When outdoors, water it more frequently since soil dries out faster…
Soil
Make sure to have great soil drainage for dwarf jade…
Recommended soil mixes are potting soil and coarse sand,..
… pumice, or vermiculite in a 2:1 ratio,..
… or cactus potting soil with perlite in a 2:1 ratio.
Temperature and Humidity
Dwarf Jade’s ideal room temperature is between 61 and 71 degrees Fahrenheit…
Since they are not tolerable to winter weather…
Watch over the forecast on temperature drop…
They will tolerate 50 to 61 degrees Fahrenheit, and not less…
Freezing temperatures will destroy this plant…
Potting and Repotting
Dwarf Jade is a slow-growing plant…
For recommendation…
Repot your Dwarf Jade every year in spring…
If you repot it, hold off on watering it for a week…
The roots will turn callous, which is needed for the plant to establish itself…
Watering immediately after repotting can cause root rot…
When you start repotting your young jades, exercise all the right guidelines while doing so. For instance, you should only report these plants once in two to three years for boosting growth. If your Jade is a bit older, we recommend repotting once in 4 to 5 years.
Make sure the plant is moved in the early months of spring right before the commencement of the growing season. Once you’re done repotting the plant, avoid watering it for a week or 10 days. You should also wait a month or 45 days before you fertilize the plant for the first time. Any time before this period can end up burning the new roots and therefore you should avoid it at all costs!
Susan Miller of Conserve Energy Future
Pests and Diseases
Dwarf Jade tend to not have health issues…
They are strong when watered correctly and is receiving sufficient sunlight…
Once you did experience them…
Head over here for more details…
Propagating
Propagating Dwarf Jade is easy by cutting…
Do these in the summers for best result…
Pruning
It is easy to shape a Dwarf Jade…
… and better to do it often to force branch growing, especially in the lower part of the trunk.
Established branches can be pruned from early spring to summer…
… and new shoots can be pruned anytime.
Near the end of the summer, cut back 1 or 2 pairs of leaves after 4 or 5 leaf pairs have developed.,,
Remove shoots that grow directly on the trunk, or branches that develop inside the crown…
The soft Dwarf Jade bark has to be noted…
Because it means that you should be careful when wiring…
… or they might break easily.
Fertilizing
Fertilize Dwarf Jade once every four weeks…
Since it’s best to do it in growing season – spring to autumn…
Use standard houseplant fertilizer…
… or a liquid bonsai fertilizer.
Once winter come, stop fertilizing…
… and restart in late winter with a 50% diluted fertilizer.
Time to recap…
Dwarf Jades are amazing houseplants…
Just like Regular Jade Plants are…
… just a slight difference in care and appearance.
Just remember to give it full sunlight or partial shade…
Avoid it from the cold…
… and water when soil is dry.
For complete care…
Just refer to this article to keep you on track…
Conclusion
Whether you’re starting a gardening adventure…
… or having troubles here and there on your Jade care…
… this 10 things will help you out!
If there are more of Dwarf Jade that haven’t been mentioned yet…
Comment down below on your thoughts…
… and contact us here for further information.
Have an amazing process!