To prevent thejade tree grows unbalanced and suffers with the arrival of winter, they are enough 6 well -positioned cuts It is a simple correction of the substrate. A plant of 80 cm, for example, needs at least 3 removals of apical branches and a targeted pruning of the side jets. The result? A more compact growth, a more stable radical apparatus and less risk of accidental falls on the balcony or on the veranda.
When the Crassula ovate begins to stretch in a disordered way, with soft drums and unbalanced hair, it is a sign that it needs a decisive intervention. Especially in view of autumn, when the reduction of light and the thermal excursions can put the structure to the test. In semi -shaded balconies and terraces exposed to the north, this intervention becomes almost mandatory.
A reinforced plant resists the cold better and maintains the rounded shape that made it iconic. For those who cultivate the jade tree in pots on window sills or inside domestic greenhouses, autumn pruning represents a small rite of the season: quick but essential.
Pruning Jade Tree: Balance first of all
A unbalanced jade tree recalls a tense sail without a master tree: sooner or later, he gives in to the first wind shot. Pruning serves precisely to avoid this flag effect.
The first thing to observe are the apical branches. When they exceed 10–12 cm, they begin to curve outwards, moving the center of gravity of the plant. It is here that we intervene.
Necessary:
- Well -sharpened pruning scissors (sterilized with alcohol)
- Crock vase with drainage holes
- Picture for fatty plants with perlite or pumice
- Straws or sticks for temporary support
- Latex or cotton gloves
Quick steps:
- Identify the branches too long or inclined
- Cut on a knot, leaving 2 branch leaves
- Eliminate the side jets that weigh down the hair
- Check the bifurcations: remove the bad ones oriented
- Reduce excess leaves to the base to encourage air
- Repot only if the roots protrude too much from the pot
A small trick applied in a terrace covered in the Milanese: prune at sunset, when the sap is less active, reduces the risk of stress. After 3 weeks, the plant had already produced new central jets.
Reinforcement of the roots: a gesture that makes the difference
Cutting up without strengthening at the bottom is like lightening the crown of a tree without taking care of the trunk. The Giada tree roots They must be compact, firm, well distributed in the substrate.
In small pots, the plant tends to root only on the surface, losing anchoring. For this reason, after pruning, it is always better to check the radical conditions.
An old greenhouse makeup: sink a finger in the soil and check the resistance. If it sinks too easily, the substrate is exhausted or too sandy.
Errors to avoid:
- Leave organic residues in the cuts (risk of rot)
- Prune too close to the main stem
- Fill the pot with universal soil
- Neglect the aerial roots on the surface
- Rinvasted with the stressed plant
A frequent observation in the balconies of central Italy: when the autumn wind increases, plants with light roots tend to tilt, even with heavy vessels. Reinforce first avoid disasters.
When to prune the jade tree: the right time before the cold
Not all autumn are the same. In areas with mild climate such as Liguria or the Sicilian coast, pruning can wait until mid -October. But in the city with cold nights already in September (such as Turin or Bolzano), it is better to anticipate.
The ideal is to intervene Between the end of August and mid -Septemberwhen the days are still long and the plant can react with new vegetation.
An anomaly lived in a home greenhouse: after a late pruning in October, the plant interrupted the growth until March, remaining bare and unstable. Fault of the sudden cold.
Where to place it later:
- Balcony with south-east exposure, sheltered from the wind
- Behind a light window, with light curtain
- In the veranda closed, on a wooden table
- Never on cold floors or in shadow corners
A useful metaphor? Think about it as a turtle: he needs sun and stability, but he hates sudden changes.
Expert advice: small gestures, great results
Those who cultivate Crassule for years know this: the most beautiful plants are not those left to grow free, but those with discretion. Pruning is never a mutilation, but aplant education.
A form in shape has woody drums at the base, fleshy and compact leaves, and a hair that does not require guardians. To achieve this, you need patience and some tested make -up.
Practical tips:
- Cut with inclined blade, to encourage healing
- Apply cinnamon powder on fresh cuts
- Avoid watering in the following 4 days
- Turn the vase every 10 days for symmetrical growth
- Do not ferty immediately after pruning
- Use supports only temporarily
A curious note from a nursery in Emilia: a Crassula pruned with criterion in September still had winter flowers in December, thanks to the absence of thermal changes and a deep terracotta vase.
Photo © Stock.adobe
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