How To Repot A Jade Plant For The Best Chance Of Success

If you love growing houseplants, you probably have a jade plant (Crassula ovata) in your collection. These are well-known for their easy care nature, demanding little attention except for an occasional watering. On a side note, did you know that the real reason you need a jade plant in your home office is because it's also a symbol of luck and wealth? While these succulents don't mind being root-bound, it's a good idea to repot it every two to three years. For this reason, you might want to know how to repot your jade plant for the best chance of success, and this couldn't be easier.

When repotting, it's best to choose a pot of similar size or one that's only marginally larger. If you select the same size pot, your succulent will stay the same; unless the root system has room to grow, the jade plant won't get any bigger. That's why these plants are favored by bonsai growers.

Ideally, you want to repot your succulent in spring just as it comes out of dormancy and starts to grow. The most important thing to remember when repotting your jade plant is that it needs a free-draining mixture that can dry out in between watering. A succulent or cacti mix is best, or you can make your own by adding perlite, vermiculite, pea gravel, or sand to potting soil. Always use a pot with plenty of drainage holes.

If you're using a similar-sized pot for your jade plant, take it out of its current one and gently shake off any mix from around the roots. Trim the roots so they'll fit comfortably into the new pot. It's also a good idea to give the top growth a light trim to keep it more compact and help it develop a thicker trunk. After all, pruning shoots down to the trunk is one of the best ways to prune jade plants to keep them happy and healthy.

Place some mix in the bottom of the new pot and put your plant on top, making sure the base of the trunk is level with the top of the pot. Fill the space around the roots with more mix and press down lightly. Water well to settle the mix but make sure the excess drains away. After that, you want to only water it sparingly until it's become established again.

When repotting into a larger container, you can follow a similar procedure, but there's no need to trim the roots as long as they'll fit easily into the new pot. However, you might want to remove any unhealthy ones. Only choose a pot that's one size bigger as this will still give the roots space to grow while not overwhelming them. You should also know these succulents are one of those houseplants that people love getting as gifts, so consider saving some of the pruned stems and using them to propagate new plants.