Unhappy Jade Plant

(Question)

I have an unhappy Jade plant that I inherited from a friend.  It’s losing leaves.  It’s in a sunny window.  There is a heating source nearby.  It gets watered about once every two weeks with a quarter cup of water.  Please let me know how I can improve the living conditions of my Jade plant.

 

(Answer)

Jade plants (Crassula ovata) make excellent house plants as they thrive in the warm, dry conditions of most of our homes.  Too much or too little water are the main problems affecting jade plants.  During the winter, the soil should be allowed to dry out between waterings.  During the spring and summer, the soil should be kept moist but not wet.

Sounds like your watering practice may have been sufficient enough to get it through the winter, but as the light and growth of your plant increases in the spring, your plant needs more water.  Leaf drop can happen if the plant is allowed to get extremely dry.  You do not say how big the plant is or what size pot it is in, but 1/4 cup of water every two weeks sounds like it may be too little moisture.

You’ll need to experiment a bit to determine how much and how frequently to water your Jade.  Increase the amount of water such that all the soil in the pot is moistened.  The pot should never sit in water which can contribute to root rot.  Check every few days to see if the soil still feels moist to the touch and watch the leaves closely as they get wrinkled & shrivelled if the plant is severely dehydrated.

The sunny window is an ideal location and the adjacent heat source should not be a problem with the correct watering.