How to Care and Grow Crassula Ovata or Jade Plants Flowering Container Garden Favorites

How to Care and Grow Crassula Ovata or Jade Plants Flowering Container Garden Favorites

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Home Page > Home Improvement > Gardening > How to Care and Grow Crassula Ovata or Jade Plants Flowering Container Garden Favorites

How to Care and Grow Crassula Ovata or Jade Plants Flowering Container Garden Favorites

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How to Care and Grow Crassula Ovata or Jade Plants Flowering Container Garden Favorites

By: Laura Zinkan

About the Author

Laura Zinkan cultivates a gardening site at http://www.theGardenPages.com with plant profiles and growing tips on cactus, succulents and California native plants. Drop by to smell the flowers. Or visit the gardening blog at http://thegardenpages.blogspot.com for up-to-date seasonal information. © 2009 by Laura Zinkan. Article may be reprinted if author credit is given with a website link. All rights reserved.

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Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/ – How to Care and Grow Crassula Ovata or Jade Plants Flowering Container Garden Favorites

Crassula ovata or Jade plants are shrubby succulent plants that make excellent choices for dry gardens and container plants.  Xeriscaping with drought tolerant cactus and succulent plants has become popular in dry areas or places where water conservation is a concern.  Jades have thick, deep green leaves sometimes tinged with red on the edges. The leaf shape, like the name ovata implies, are oval from 1 – 2 inches long.

Crassula ovata develop thick, fat trunks that have an aged look and will eventually grow up to 8 feet tall.  In late winter jade plants get 3 inch clusters of light pink to pale salmon flowers with five petals. These perennial plants are drought tolerant and only need water once a month or so.

Indoors, succulent jade plants make good houseplants in containers.  They prefer bright, indirect light and can take a few hours of direct sunlight but they are also adapted to low light.  In a pot, Jade stay small and can even be used for bonsai.  Crassula ovata is sometimes confused with Crassula argentia, which has a similar growth habit, but has silvery grey leaves.  Crassula are usually not bothered by insects or disease.  The biggest problem crassulas face may come from over watering.  This will result in a soggy brown, rotting trunk.

In the garden, drought tolerant jade plants will grow in light shade to full sun.  In hottest desert areas, crassula do better when they don’t have an entire day of full sun.  Crassula ovata are hardy to 41 degrees (5 degrees centigrade).  A light frost will show up at brown dots on leaves.  Overhead protection is usually enough to protect succulents during a light frost.  Heavy frost, or a deep freeze will turn leaves brown and shriveled.  Frozen leaves will fall off, or you can brush them off with your hands.  If the plant branch or trunk is not damaged, new sprouts should form in a few weeks.

Green jade plants are able to live off rainfall alone in many areas.  In my southern California garden, crassula are happily growing in both full sun and shade, in heavy alkaline, clay soil.  You can see photos of flowering jade plants at http://www.theGardenPages.com .

To root cuttings like jade plant or gollum jade, start with a 5 or 6 inch cutting.  Bury about half of the stalk in soil.  This will give you deep roots and helps the plant withstand drought better.  Keep the soil moist (like a squeezed sponge).  After a month, cut back to monthly watering.  The leaves will probably shrivel a bit as the plant forms roots: it is living off the stored energy in its leaves.  This is normal.  You may also lose a few leaves, which is also normal.  The plant will start growing again and may even flower in a year.

Visit at http://www.theGardenPages.com to see crassula plant photos and read about more plants that are versatile and easy to grow.  Their winter bloom make jade plants a great addition to any garden or home.

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Laura Zinkan –
About the Author:

Laura Zinkan cultivates a gardening site at http://www.theGardenPages.com with plant profiles and growing tips on cactus, succulents and California native plants. Drop by to smell the flowers. Or visit the gardening blog at http://thegardenpages.blogspot.com for up-to-date seasonal information. © 2009 by Laura Zinkan. Article may be reprinted if author credit is given with a website link. All rights reserved.

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Article Tags:
crassula, crassula ovata, plants, succulent plants, gardening, dry garden, container plants, jade plants, xeriscape, hobbies, house plant, landscape, succulent garden

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Learn How to Care for a Container Garden

Now that you have planted your flowers, foliage, or vegetables in their containers, you need to know how to care for them. Just like your outside garden, container gardens require nurturing to keep the plants productive and healthy.

One of the challenges of container gardening is the fact that a pot is an unnatural place for flowers and vegetables to grow. Soil dries out faster and roots can become cramped.

Also, the containers themselves are prone to drainage and decay problems. In addition, they need to be tended more often because they are so visible on your patio or deck. Plants that are not maintained properly can get pretty ugly.

On the plus side, many containers can be moved easily, allowing you to protect plants in poor weather and to move them into sun or shade as necessary.

Also, because they are well contained, managing the container plants is not an overwhelming task, nor does it require a great deal of time. If a plant should die, it’s a simple matter to replace it.

Here are a few things to think about when caring for your container garden:

Watering

Watering is one of the most important aspects of plant care. Without water, plants will not live produce flowers, vegetables or herbs. In an outside garden, plants can extend their roots to find the moisture they need when the soil next to them runs dry. This is not possible, however, in containers.

For this reason, any plant in a pot requires more regular watering than one planted in an outside garden the general rule for almost all plant varieties, whether inside or outside, is to keep the soil moist but not soggy during the growing season.

If your plant has wilted leaves or flowers, it is probably stressed from lack of water. A container with a dry plant will weigh less than anyone that is properly watered.

Fertilizing

When a container plant runs out of food, it has nowhere to go to replenish it. Even if you buy potting mixes that contain nutrients, the plant will use them up within a month or so. Some of it is taken up by the roots and some is lost through drainage.

The solution is to mix in some fertilizer twice a month with your watering, or to periodically add compost as a top dressing. The nutrient most necessary to plants is nitrogen. it helps the development of leaves and its growth.

Nitrogen deficiency shows itself by turning the leaves a pale shade of green or yellow. Too much nitrogen can delay a plant’s bloom or crop.

The other nutrients that plants need are potassium, for hardiness and color, and phosphorus, for root formation. Nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus are available in complete fertilizer form or as separate ingredients that you can mix yourself.

When you apply fertilizer, make sure that the soil is moist by watering beforehand. This will help to prevent chemical burns.

Pruning

Most plants will require some pruning, especially those grown in containers. Some people may be afraid to prune their plants for fear of killing them. However, if a mistake is made in pruning, it will not usually kill the plant.

Pruning includes the removal of dead or dying stems or branches so that the strongest can survive. Sometimes, trimming also means clipping flowers, normally only toward the end of their bloom. This is called deadheading.

Controlling Pests

Pests are just as apt to visit container gardens as an outside garden. It is fortunate that pests are easier to control on plants that are planted in pots.

The key to pest control starts with the plans that you select and the soil that you use. Some plants have a natural resistance to pests.

Do not use soil that has been used before unless it has been sterilized. Better yet, purchase new soil for new plantings.

Inspect plants periodically to check for bugs and larvae. Sometimes all you need to do is pick them off your plant leaves. Other times, they will require chemical or natural insecticides.

Diseases

Usually by the time you know that a plant is diseased, too much damage has been done to it to save it. These plants should be quarantined or removed. Signs of disease include rust colored leaves or spots on the plants.

Container gardens are less likely to become diseased than those plants that are planted in a regular garden. And, if they should become diseased, it is easier to isolate them from the rest of the garden.

Caring for your container garden is not a difficult task if you use common sense. The main thing to remember is that container gardens will dry out much faster than a regular garden. That is the most common reason that plants do not grow or produce as expected.

How to Care and Grow Crassula Ovata or Jade Plants Flowering Container Garden Favorites

Crassula ovata or Jade plants are shrubby succulent plants that make excellent choices for dry gardens and container plants.  Xeriscaping with drought tolerant cactus and succulent plants has become popular in dry areas or places where water conservation is a concern.  Jades have thick, deep green leaves sometimes tinged with red on the edges. The leaf shape, like the name ovata implies, are oval from 1 – 2 inches long.

Crassula ovata develop thick, fat trunks that have an aged look and will eventually grow up to 8 feet tall.  In late winter jade plants get 3 inch clusters of light pink to pale salmon flowers with five petals. These perennial plants are drought tolerant and only need water once a month or so.

Indoors, succulent jade plants make good houseplants in containers.  They prefer bright, indirect light and can take a few hours of direct sunlight but they are also adapted to low light.  In a pot, Jade stay small and can even be used for bonsai.  Crassula ovata is sometimes confused with Crassula argentia, which has a similar growth habit, but has silvery grey leaves.  Crassula are usually not bothered by insects or disease.  The biggest problem crassulas face may come from over watering.  This will result in a soggy brown, rotting trunk.

In the garden, drought tolerant jade plants will grow in light shade to full sun.  In hottest desert areas, crassula do better when they don’t have an entire day of full sun.  Crassula ovata are hardy to 41 degrees (5 degrees centigrade).  A light frost will show up at brown dots on leaves.  Overhead protection is usually enough to protect succulents during a light frost.  Heavy frost, or a deep freeze will turn leaves brown and shriveled.  Frozen leaves will fall off, or you can brush them off with your hands.  If the plant branch or trunk is not damaged, new sprouts should form in a few weeks.

Green jade plants are able to live off rainfall alone in many areas.  In my southern California garden, crassula are happily growing in both full sun and shade, in heavy alkaline, clay soil.  You can see photos of flowering jade plants at http://www.theGardenPages.com .

To root cuttings like jade plant or gollum jade, start with a 5 or 6 inch cutting.  Bury about half of the stalk in soil.  This will give you deep roots and helps the plant withstand drought better.  Keep the soil moist (like a squeezed sponge).  After a month, cut back to monthly watering.  The leaves will probably shrivel a bit as the plant forms roots: it is living off the stored energy in its leaves.  This is normal.  You may also lose a few leaves, which is also normal.  The plant will start growing again and may even flower in a year.

Visit at http://www.theGardenPages.com to see crassula plant photos and read about more plants that are versatile and easy to grow.  Their winter bloom make jade plants a great addition to any garden or home.

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