Jade plant dropping leaves: Jade plant, also known as Crassula ovata, lucky plant, money plant, or money tree, is a succulent plant with tiny pink or white blooms that are indigenous to the South African provinces of KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape, as well as Mozambique. Worldwide, it is frequently cultivated as a houseplant.
The Jade Plant has a traditional succulent appearance that develops over time into a bonsai-style tree and has a variety of uses and advantages in the house. Even though this plant will eventually experience some leaf drop, it’s not typical to lose more than one or two leaves at once. To keep your indoor plants healthy all year long, be on the lookout for typical reasons why Jade plants lose their leaves.
The Essentials for Jade Plant Dropping Leaves
Jade plants typically drop leaves as a result of stress brought on by poor lighting, excessive or insufficient watering, or air currents that are either too cold or too hot. Age can also cause them to naturally lose leaves. Pests and subpar potting soil are other problems.
Reasons Your Jade Plant’s Leaves are Dropping
A jade plant might lose leaves for a variety of reasons because it is a delicate plant. However, for these emblematic plants, one of these usual causes accounts for the majority of leaf drop incidents. A few changes in the circumstances will soon take care of all of them.
1) Saturated Soil Bases and Overwatering
Succulents like jade plants prefer less water to more, just as other succulents do. One of the main factors contributing to leaf drop in all species of Crassula is overwatering. These leaves will first turn yellow and possibly start to shrivel before they drop off. If the roots are compromised, the leaf loss could persist even after you stop watering. If any saucers are soggy and won’t dry out soon, drain them and think about switching the soil mix.
Change to a cactus, orchid, or succulent-specific soil mixture for speedier drying. To avoid overwatering, wait until the top two inches of the soil are completely dry before watering a jade plant.
2) Excessive Dryness
On the other hand, the jade plant’s leaves will fall off if you don’t water it or neglect it. Being succulents, these plants do occasionally require substantial watering to keep their leaves supple and healthy.
Larger jade plants may develop sections of compacted soil or a root ball where it is more difficult for water to reach. When it’s time to water, try soaking the plant and using a well-draining soil mixture to make sure moisture reaches every part of the jade plant.
After changing your watering routine, leaves may continue to fall for a week or two, but take care not to overwater as a result.
3) Direct Sunshine
Similar to other succulents frequently grown as indoor plants, jade plants require intense light. Most often, a shortage of light rather than too much will be to blame for leaf loss due to light. The edges of the jade plant leaves will first become red under excessive direct sunlight due to sunburn. Slightly lowering the light levels preserves the coloring without endangering the leaf drop. If you don’t notice reddening leaves before they fall off, it’s more probable that your jade plant is losing leaves due to a lack of light than sunburn.
4) Pest-related illnesses or bacterial infections
Jade plants can lose leaves due to pests; however, this is less common than many other causes. Pest damage typically results in only modest leaf damage rather than a complete loss.
Leaf shedding can occur in large quantities as a result of bacterial infections that damage the roots or entire stems. Indoor jade plants are most frequently attacked by mealybugs. However, they typically do not inflict enough damage to the leaves for them to fall off. Try adjusting the soil mix and watering less instead, and look for signs of overwatering or fungal illnesses like mold growth on the soil.
5) Excessive or Insufficient Fertilizer
Persistent leaf drops can have many causes, one of which is fertilizer shock. Over-fertilization or excessive use of fertilizer can cause jade plants to lose leaves from the bottom up. Despite adequate watering techniques, the leaves may become yellow or shrivel up before falling off. Rarely does a jade plant lose leaves as a result of inadequate fertilization.
The absence of growth and a loss in color and gloss are typical symptoms of insufficient fertilizer. To avoid stunning the plant, try to fertilize no more frequently than once every three to six months and only during the growing season.
6) Stress or Environmental Shock
The plant can lose at least a few leaves in response to any severe environmental change or stress. Jade plants can lose one or two leaves just from transferring them from one room to another as they adapt to the new environment.
Environmental issues include hot and cold drafts, intensely bright light, and bright spots of light, which are rather typical. After transplanting an established plant or removing material for jade plant multiplication, don’t be startled if a few leaves begin to fall off. You will lose any coated leaves if you apply a leaf shine spray or chemical sprays to the house.
7) Root decay
Leaf drop isn’t merely a direct result of overwatering. Root rot may develop if a plant is overly wet for an extended period of time and struggles to dry off. This bacterial illness needs a lot of moisture to start. If you don’t dry out the roots and fix the issue, a jade plant with root rot will turn yellow and start to lose leaves from the bottom up.
A new potting mix or a root trim may be necessary for mature plants to solve the issue. Check that the Jade Plant’s container drains well, and make sure that any saucers or drainage basins used underneath the plants are empty.
8) Poor Soil Mixture
Jade Plants experience leaf loss due to soil mix in a variety of indirect ways. First off, a compacted mix that has been in the pot for a long time can obstruct adequate drainage. This raises the risk of root rot and underwatering.
Second, the Jade Plant will struggle to develop in a soil mixture with little to no nutrients. Look for a soil mixture that drains quickly and won’t trap water too close to the roots. Make sure there is a sufficient amount of organic material in the recipe to contribute some nutrients while maintaining a light and fluffy texture.
9) Maturity and Age
Lastly, a Jade Plant will inevitably shed a few leaves each year as it develops. Older leaves at the bottom will eventually lose their color and fall off. Naturally lost leaves shouldn’t get significantly yellow or completely dry out before falling off, though some shriveling may take place. Keep an eye out for an increase in leaf drop because that typically indicates a problem. If the plant is just losing one or two leaves per month, it is probably just a regular part of its growth cycle. This kind of leaf loss cannot be entirely prevented. The plant will eventually start to resemble a tree, with a bare trunk and foliage clustered at the top.
Jade Plant Dropping Leaves: How to Grow Happy, Healthful Jade Plants at Home
Jade plants prefer warm temperatures of 60 to 70 degrees F, with a minimum tolerable nighttime temperature of 55 degrees F. Only once every three to six months do they require fertilizer, and they enjoy higher humidity levels.
If given enough light, these plants can develop swiftly, so you might need to repot them twice a year during the first three years of growth. Use a light soil mixture made for succulents, cacti, or orchids, and make sure the Jade Plant receives four to six hours of bright light each day at the very least.
Jade Plant Dropping Leaves: Summary
Jade plants that are losing leaves frequently exhibit only minor symptoms of distress before doing so. After every big change in the environment, keep an eye out for leaf drops to determine when to vary the amount of water, light, or temperature your houseplant is exposed to each day.
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