Advice on pruning a leggy mame Jade

[Pepibom]

Hi everyone,

Long time lurker, first time poster. I have a nice little mame jade that is getting a little leggy and was thinking about pruning back. My question is: Since there is growth only at the tips of the branches, is it ok to prune away a branch- in effect leaving no green on the branch. I realize that there may be die back to previous internode but does the branch need a leaf before you prune it back? Gradual pruning? Any advice greatly appreciated. I live in New Orleans, my jade stays outdoors most of the year.

Thanks!

 

[0soyoung]

It has been a long time since I had one, but yes, cut it! Maybe don't cut all the branches at once. Then cut some/all of the remaining when those have leafed out.

btw, the cuttings and even individual leaves root fairly easily --> start some more mame.

 

[Forsoothe!]

Prune it to the internode length you want. Do it every time something grows. Do not allow an internode longer than you find acceptable to stay on the plant. Constantly tip prune to force it to have as many growing points as it takes to divide it's resources enough to put out smaller pairs of leaves, simultaneously. Ideally, every time you prune, you tip prune every tip to make the plant respond everywhere at once. Some of the tips will only have teeny tiny buds emerging. Damage them enough to prevent growth. I use just the point of an Xacto knife to excise the pair of buds without damaging the stem between the set of leaves that are present. When cutting off a stem with a long internode, leave a little stub to insure the ability of the pair of leaves left to each send out a pair of leaves or a new stem. All this is an attempt to coordinate all the growing tips to a simultaneous growth period will take time, I expect 2 or 3 years.

 

[TN_Jim]

often when I hear or think of ‘leggy’, I think of more light, or competition for it among foliage...sure this idea is species or variety dependent; however, since jade can do full sun, wouldn’t hurt...I know you said outside but that don’t mean full exposure to our big fat star, just a thought

I like that low branch, seems like it ties the whole well

 

[MrWunderful]

When portulacaria are healthy, they can be fully defoliated, so you can cut them back to wherever you want, leaving no foliage. I would do it at the hottest time of year too.

If in good soil, you can blast it with fertilizer before and after to get a good flush.

 

[Carol 83]

I had a very similar one, all the growth at the tips. I cut every branch way back and the new growth was smaller and closer together. Plus I got a bunch of cuttings. I posted before and after pictures on one of the jade threads, but I guess I deleted them from my computer. You can stick the cuttings straight into soil (I use cactus soil) don't water until you see new growth. I know some advise to let them dry out a few days before planting, but I just stick them straight into the soil and they root.

 

[Carol 83]

but I guess I deleted them from my computer

Had them on my work computer (business document, lol). Before and after .

 

[Pepibom]

often when I hear or think of ‘leggy’, I think of more light, or competition for it among foliage...sure this idea is species or variety dependent; however, since jade can do full sun, wouldn’t hurt...I know you said outside but that don’t mean full exposure to our big fat star, just a thought

I like that low branch, seems like it ties the whole well

Oh, when I mean full sun, I’m talking New Orleans Summer sun. Our star seems a whole lot fatter down here!

 

[LCD35]

Prune it to the internode length you want. Do it every time something grows. Do not allow an internode longer than you find acceptable to stay on the plant. Constantly tip prune to force it to have as many growing points as it takes to divide it's resources enough to put out smaller pairs of leaves, simultaneously. Ideally, every time you prune, you tip prune every tip to make the plant respond everywhere at once. Some of the tips will only have teeny tiny buds emerging. Damage them enough to prevent growth. I use just the point of an Xacto knife to excise the pair of buds without damaging the stem between the set of leaves that are present. When cutting off a stem with a long internode, leave a little stub to insure the ability of the pair of leaves left to each send out a pair of leaves or a new stem. All this is an attempt to coordinate all the growing tips to a simultaneous growth period will take time, I expect 2 or 3 years.

This is great advice. I'm currently repairing this mistake from my first year of growing ports.

 

[LCD35]

What drives internodal growth for jades? Common knowledge perpetuated is light and fertilizing. But I have plants all directly under the same light, same are leggy, done are tight, and a couple of weirdos display both leggy and compact growth randomly.

I chopped out a long, ugly internode from the top/middle of this one. I also became much more diligent in monitoring for nonconformists that I promptly removed. The shape and direction really tightened up. Forsoothe! is totally spot on with the advice.

 

[Forsoothe!]

When you tip prune you need to prune or damage all the tips at the same time, or the undamaged will merely become the favored growing tip and receive at the energy available.

 

[LCD35]

When you tip prune you need to prune or damage all the tips at the same time, or the undamaged will merely become the favored growing tip and receive at the energy available.

Ahhh, that's what you meant when describing the technique. Should have read more closely. And that makes sense as half of the branches I've managed to create much tighter ramification. I guess plants outsmart us sometimes.

Funny, now that I think about that technique, it makes sense when I accidentally snipped a leave. I cut it up the middle, but didn't notice. The edges of the damage calloused. The branch responded by growing 3 new buds at that damaged point.

 

[cbrshadow23]

What drives internodal growth for jades? Common knowledge perpetuated is light and fertilizing. But I have plants all directly under the same light, same are leggy, done are tight, and a couple of weirdos display both leggy and compact growth randomly.

I chopped out a long, ugly internode from the top/middle of this one. I also became much more diligent in monitoring for nonconformists that I promptly removed. The shape and direction really tightened up. Forsoothe! is totally spot on with the advice.

Internodal growth is driven by light. More specifically the color spectrum. If a plant or branch is under the canopy of other branches/plants it isn't getting blue spectrum light and 'reaches' toward the light. Blue spectrum light doesn't penetrate a canopy well. This happens in a forest when trees are competing with eachother to get the most sunlight - if they're not getting much light because they're under the canopy of another tree they grow vertical more quickly to take that light. This is triggered by the plant getting red and green spectrum light which has good penetration, but lacking blue.
This would also explain some leggy branches on your plans if they are, or were at some point, blocked from some light by other branches/leaves/plants. I have several plants that have dense internodes near the canopy but lower more hidden branches are leggy. One way to address this is to get more light to the lower branches - side lighting or reflective walls in your grow area.