Hi,
I have had a jade plant for about a year with no problems, and then all
of the sudden a brown growth started forming on the outer, younger
leafs. The growth starts on the edges and is slightly spongy. I can't
see any pests and was wondering if anyone knew what it was? I've cut
back the affected areas but it's still growing slowly. Also, there is a
white crust around the outer rim of the pot, I don't know if that's
related.
Many thanks!
Danielle

"Danielle" wrote in
oups.com:

Hi,
I have had a jade plant for about a year with no problems, and then all
of the sudden a brown growth started forming on the outer, younger
leafs. The growth starts on the edges and is slightly spongy. I can't
see any pests and was wondering if anyone knew what it was? I've cut
back the affected areas but it's still growing slowly. Also, there is a
white crust around the outer rim of the pot, I don't know if that's
related.
Many thanks!
Danielle

1. Jade trees grow slowly. I had one that was 35 years old and only
about 2-1/2' high.
2. It sounds like you are killing it with kindness. Stop watering it so
much.
3. The white rim on the pot is salts from being watered too much. Change
the pot or scrub off the salts and stop watering it so much. You might
want to even take it out of the pot, gentle shake off the loose dirt and
replace it with fresh stuff. You'll get a good idea how wet the soil is
that way, too. If you keep overwatering it you will rot the main stems
and when that starts there's no stopping it.

On 8 Aug 2006 09:14:44 -0700, "Danielle"
wrote:

Hi,
I have had a jade plant for about a year with no problems, and then all
of the sudden a brown growth started forming on the outer, younger
leafs. The growth starts on the edges and is slightly spongy. I can't
see any pests and was wondering if anyone knew what it was? I've cut
back the affected areas but it's still growing slowly. Also, there is a
white crust around the outer rim of the pot, I don't know if that's
related.
Many thanks!
Danielle


Back off on the watering. The crust around the rim is from the salts
in the water/soil. Jade plants will get a reddish edges on the
leaves when they are getting plenty of light. Jade plants must have
fast drainage and make sure they don't ever have "wet feet."

On 8 Aug 2006 09:14:44 -0700, "Danielle"
wrote:

Hi,
I have had a jade plant for about a year with no problems, and then all
of the sudden a brown growth started forming on the outer, younger
leafs. The growth starts on the edges and is slightly spongy. I can't
see any pests and was wondering if anyone knew what it was? I've cut
back the affected areas but it's still growing slowly. Also, there is a
white crust around the outer rim of the pot, I don't know if that's
related.
Many thanks!
Danielle

The white on the pot are dried salts from synthetic fertilizer. Jade
plants need very little fertilization and when they do, I recommend
fish emulsion or liquid seaweed.

Jade plants grow slowly if they are over watered, have poor lighting
or are over fertilized. They like very dry soil with a lot of sand,
like cactus.

Thing is, Jade plants grow everywhere in cracks and beside street
trees growing out of the sidewalks all over San Francisco! Huge
plants, too.

Cut back watering and don't change any soil or disturb the roots till
you see improvement, which in this case will be when you see new
growth. Put it in a south window, not near a window, a few inches
from the window.