How I Prune my Jade Tree

My sister-in-law has a Jade Tree whose life began 20+ years ago as cuttings from my now-50+ year old Jade.  My jade is almost 6 feet tall and it's a brute.

  

These photos show -- albeit approximately -- what I've done over the years to thin out any bushiness and get it to grow tall.

First, decent pruning sheers because all cuts must be flush to the branch/trunk...don't leave half-in "knobs".

The basic idea is to remove any branchlets/leaves that hang down below an "imaged" horizontal line.  You want it to grow taller, so any branches below a horizontal line will only make it look shorter overall and bushier.

Here's my jade.  Note:  it hasn't been thinned/pruned for several years so it does need work.  But I'll only focus on one or two branches today.

We'll focus on that branch at left above the chair...hope the photos go where they belong (aaaarg...new Blogger format has me scratching my head!)

This is it closer up.

 

After a bit of pruning, there are branchlets that hang down below the imaginary horizontal line.  Those need to be cut flush to the branch they're emanating from.

 

 

Ok, almost done.  Have also cut off some branches (the green fresh cuts to the trunk are visible) next branch over.  They were growing into the center of the tree, which isn't desirable.

Yes, lots comes off!  But you don't want to "scalp" the tree...give it a few leaves at the end of branches you're keeping...that'll give it a point from which to grow next season.  Unless you're taking an entire branch off to the ground.  But that would take a little sharp-toothed handsaw...another blog post perhaps.

 

 

 

This large "below-the-horizontal" branch was kept a few years ago because a Robin always makes a nest in it. 

So...having removed any below-horizontal leaves/little branches from the left side two or three branches, the tops look like this.   No more down-hanging branchlets, no more thick and crowded branchlets.  It looks like a taller (albeit thinner) branch now.  New leaves next season will grow from the ends.

 

Thinned out, its form takes on a more dramatic shape, rather than being hidden in a mess of green leaves that simply looks like a canopy...but has no "shape".

Here is my jade, with the two large branches at the left completed.  Pruned ... but now the rest of the tree needs doing.  Another day...

 

Good luck with yours, sister-in-law.

Or hold off until you come visit again...this time with your Jades in your vehicle.  

...and if you wish to start new Jades from the cut branches, lay them on a warm and dry shelf for a week or two...the cut ends form a callus.  Then plant it -- only half an inch into not-rich potting soil.  The cutting will need three or four chopsticks poked deeply into the potting soil around it so it doesn't flop over (because it has no roots yet).  Roots will slowly form but don't overwater it.  A once a month watering is fine.  Give it morning light only.

now...will try to get the photos into my post where they belong...aaargh!

Okay, okay, not all the photos went where they belong...think (know) I'm getting too old to learn new software/template changes.