A Gardeners Forum Forums General Discussion The House Plant Forum Cacti and Succulents Indoors Jade defys Jade rules

Yesterday I went to my friends house and her mom had a massive jade tree. I asked her if i could have a cutting and she said yes. so she disappears and I expect her to give me a small little branch.. but no she comes back with a foot and a half long branch thats like an inch in diameter and has several small branches coming off it. Then she tells me to put it in a cup of water and it will make roots. So i say ive never heard of anything coming out of that method other than rot and she tells me she started her jade that way many many years ago and she planted it in miracle grow and waters it around every week.
I assume the frequent watering is because of its large size but still... I mean half the stuff she says she does to it and suggested I do goes against everything Ive ever read about jades, shes got like a rebel jade or something. I can take a picture of the cuttings if you guys want, but what I want to know is, could her jade be a cultivar thats more watering friendly? and if so what is it called. If not then is she just lucky and picked up a super hardy jade.

Until i am told to do otherwise i going about the normal procedure and letting it callus without hormones or water before i place it in some normal succulent soil with some sand. I don't want to push my luck unless this is some kind of hardier cultivar

I know that someone here rooted an epi cutting in a glass of water after it callused...and it did send out roots into the water. As long as you allow the cutting to callus, i think it should be ok to root in water. But you have to make sure your put the cutting in soil as soon as you see about half inch roots. The roots plants make in water are different from roots they make in soil. I'm sur I'm not the only one when I say I want to see that cutting lol You mentioned it having smaller side branches: can you cut of the smaller branches and root those as well?

Seeing as you've read up about jade cutings, I'm sure you haven't mistaken...but could it be possible that it was a kalenchoe and not a jade? I've seen some kalenchoes that look like jades and I've always started kalenchoes in water without callusing them first.

I don't have idea one about jade cuttings but I know for a fact that Philodendron & a few others thrive in water---I have cuttings right now that basically "live" in water---

Oook I'll go take a picture right now then, im not sure how to post pics on here so Ill give you guys the URL

here they are click here

and here

and here

That is definitely a jade.
I couldn't find a 'rebel' jade anywhere. In my search I did find where people were starting jades in water. My problem with water started roots is that they are different than soil roots that you plant needs to develop anyway. So I always go straight into soil for the roots that last a life time of the plant.

i found that nifty cardboard.. uh.. thing in my basement it does wonders for keeping cuttings upright while they callus ^.^

Im still bewildered at how my friends mom was keeping hers thriving like it was treating it like a non succulent plant :O

This is where that mysterious green thumb comes in, I think.

Last jade I started I just stuck into the soil and away it went. I've got one in water now for 2 weeks and I'm not seeing any roots so far.

My experience with a jade plant and too much water is not good. I almost lost my beautiful big jade because of watering it once a week. Even now I'm still having problems with it. I did loose all the lower leaves and some are still too soft compared to the newer leaves and I've been careful with my watering schedule for over a year now.

I took a side stem off of my Jade and stuck it directly into soil and it rooted great. I've also taken off a leaf now and then and stuck the base end into soil and it rooted (it takes awhile to root and sprout though) but I have little baby plants now. I water mine lightly once a week, not drench it! If I want to give it a good deep watering then I wait a week and a half or two weeks before watering again.

Uhhh thanks for restating what i already did.. i told you guys that i callused it and put it in some dry sand, i was just curious about why my friends moms did so well with water.. so far only two of you actually engaged in the question the rest just stated what i already knew. -_-

Yes, we are a bunch of friendly gardening fans and friends here. I think that jade questions are one of the most asked here. And many of us have killed off their share of succulent friends with too much love and water.
So although we stayed on the jade topic we did tend to go off your original question. My answer is that I don't know. Some people can perform mini miracles with plants because they have the right touch and best instincts. I am sorry we don't appear to have your answers.

I had written that since we don't seem to have the answer you are looking for here, the best solution would be to go back to your friend's mom and ask her how it is that she is so successful doing it that way. That would be a way to find out for sure. Maybe there is something she forgot to tell you the first time around? Or perhaps she can show you how she does it - maybe she has another cutting rooting that way?

I think it's great that people answered your question to the best of their ability - that is what we are all here for - to help one another the best that we can. In saying what most have, they are pretty much agreeing with you, RonJon, that they haven't heard of starting jades in water either.

He did post picture links on the first page and it is a jade, aka Crassula ovata. He is not needing advice. He has the best practices down pat. He simply had a question about someone who ignored the best practices as we know them and had such good results. I don't think we have that answer.