Product Description:
Jade bonsai also known as dwarf jade plant and elephant bush, is a small succulent shrub native to South America with thick, small leaves and woody stems. Dwarf jade resembles the common jade plant although the two are not related. Dwarf jade plants are popular houseplants due to their small size. You can train this dwarf jade into a small bonsai tree through pruning, which is easy to do because of the plant’s slow growth rate. You can also grow dwarf jade plants in hanging baskets and let them trail down the edges of the planter. Dwarf jade bonsai plants can live for over one hundred years with proper care. The Jade is considered an indoor tree in most temperate zones, although it can be grown outdoors in full sun and high temperatures. Do not let temperatures drop below 40 °F (5 °C). It requires substantial light, full sun if possible, especially when kept indoors.
Water:
Jade trees can hold large amounts of water inside their leaves, so water sparsely and allow the plant to dry out a little between watering. If the tree is kept relatively cold during winter months, watering can be done as seldom as once every three weeks.
Light:
Dwarf jade requires at least five to six hours of bright indirect light each day and can tolerate partial shade, but take pains to keep it out of direct sunlight, which can burn the leaves. Ideally, an indoor houseplant should live in a south, east, or west-facing window that has a shade you can draw to block direct sunlight.
Soil:
Excellent soil drainage is crucial for jade. Recommended soil mixes: commercial potting soil blended with fine gravel, pumice, or vermiculite in a 2:1 ratio.
Temperature and Humidity:
The ideal room temperature for dwarf jade is between 61 and 71 degrees Fahrenheit, but it will do fine if moved outdoors during much hotter conditions in the summer. But this plant not frost-hardy and will be badly damaged or killed if merely nipped by a true frost. If left outdoors for the summer, make sure to watch the weather forecast and bring it inside before the first fall frost.
Fertilizer
Jade has moderate fertilization needs. During the growing season, from spring to autumn, apply a standard houseplant fertilizer or a special succulent plant food about once a month.
Repotting:
Repotting a Jade tree should be done every-other-year in spring. Be sure to use a well-draining soil mixture and don’t water the soil for about a week after repotting. This allows the cut or damaged roots to dry and callous. Watering after repotting leads to root rot, which can severely damage your jade tree.
Propagation:
Jade trees are particularly easy to propagate using cuttings. This should be done during the summer months.
