Crassula Ovata (Jade)

[gallina1594]

I've been styling this Jade for about 5 years. I'd received a bag of cuttings and this was the largest one (about half the size it is now). I must say, the branch structure on this is guy is pretty crazy! I've spent a lot of time pulling down branches, and selective pruning to get it to look the way that it does now. And yes, that's dental floss! I haven't had any trouble with it cutting in to the plant. I fiddle with them almost daily to make sure there's no problems starting! The dental floss actually seems to be more gentle than wire for something fleshy like a succulent. (Black background is the oldest picture that I can find from 2017)

 

[Forsoothe!]

Fishing line would be about 500 times cheaper.

 

[gallina1594]

Fishing line would be about 500 times cheaper.

But does fishing line smell like mint when I water it?

 

[LittleDingus]

Fishing line would be about 500 times cheaper.

Dental floss is dirt cheap too. It looks like the kind @gallina1594 is using is the flat kind. The flat edge would be less likely to dig in than the round edge of fishing line. That kind of dental floss is a little stretchy too, I believe.

I am curious how well the jade holds it's shape when the rigging is removed though?

My crassula was given to me by my then girlfriend in 1991. I've always grown it as a houseplant. When it grew too big, I'd take a few cuttings and pitch the rest of the plant!!! Every 2-3 years I'd throw out 2" trunks and 70% of the plant in favor of 1/2" clippings! Stupid!!!

I recently saw a specimen at a conservatory that had a 6" trunk! That finally woke me up. This last repot, I finally decided to keep the trunks instead! I have 2 trunks that are 2" and about half a dozen or so that are greater than 1". I intend to try growing them out for a few years and see what kind of girth I can actually get!

 

[gallina1594]

@LittleDingus Yep I'm using the flat stuff! It doesn't slip on itself like fishing line does and you can get real tight knots tied. The only issue that appears once in a while is the line might get trapped under one of the leafs.

It holds its shape pretty well after removing the rigging. It does tend to spring back up a little bit, nothing too crazy. The branches lignify fully after about a year, after that it's very hard to put any more movement into it. Very hard, but not impossible! For adding movement, You have to think really far ahead sometimes; pruning branches here, letting one shoot grow here and taking the other one off on the other side of the node. Alternate your growth from left to right to give your branches that kind of "tree" vibe.

I've used wire sometimes on mine. I noticed that it's easier to break your branches when using it, it either gets wrapped up where it's not supposed to be, or you just simply get a little too excited and bend it a little too much.

Something else I do to give the branches movement, is I let the rigging hold one way for about three months, then I pull it in another direction for another couple months. The results are subtle, but it's better than just a straight stick!

Sounds like you have some good material bro start with, good luck and post some pics!

 

[LittleDingus]

@LittleDingus Yep I'm using the flat stuff! It doesn't slip on itself like fishing line does and you can get real tight knots tied. The only issue that appears once in a while is the line might get trapped under one of the leafs.

It holds its shape pretty well after removing the rigging. It does tend to spring back up a little bit, nothing too crazy. The branches lignify fully after about a year, after that it's very hard to put any more movement into it. Very hard, but not impossible! For adding movement, You have to think really far ahead sometimes; pruning branches here, letting one shoot grow here and taking the other one off on the other side of the node. Alternate your growth from left to right to give your branches that kind of "tree" vibe.

I've used wire sometimes on mine. I noticed that it's easier to break your branches when using it, it either gets wrapped up where it's not supposed to be, or you just simply get a little too excited and bend it a little too much.

Something else I do to give the branches movement, is I let the rigging hold one way for about three months, then I pull it in another direction for another couple months. The results are subtle, but it's better than just a straight stick!

Sounds like you have some good material bro start with, good luck and post some pics!

I'm not sure what "lignify" means for succulents is why I asked. The stem structure isn't the same as a "woody" plant. They clearly hold their shape at some point, but I've never tried training one. Until last fall, mine has always been treated like a house plant and I've been throwing away the good bits! I've potted a couple of trunks separate this time. I'm hoping to thicken them some then maybe think about styling. Or maybe not

Here's the one I'm most likely to try and style into something.



I like the idea of a cascade from these guys. But it's a dangerous game. If the end gets too heavy, the branches will snap just from the weight!

 

[gallina1594]

Maybe lignify isnt the right word when talking about succulents, but once the tissue starts to forms to form that gray / light brown color and "bark" texture. Those branches don't like to move much, or hold their shape after removing rigging

 

[canoeguide]

Dental floss is dirt cheap too. It looks like the kind @gallina1594 is using is the flat kind. The flat edge would be less likely to dig in than the round edge of fishing line. That kind of dental floss is a little stretchy too, I believe.

I am curious how well the jade holds it's shape when the rigging is removed though?

My crassula was given to me by my then girlfriend in 1991. I've always grown it as a houseplant. When it grew too big, I'd take a few cuttings and pitch the rest of the plant!!! Every 2-3 years I'd throw out 2" trunks and 70% of the plant in favor of 1/2" clippings! Stupid!!!

I recently saw a specimen at a conservatory that had a 6" trunk! That finally woke me up. This last repot, I finally decided to keep the trunks instead! I have 2 trunks that are 2" and about half a dozen or so that are greater than 1". I intend to try growing them out for a few years and see what kind of girth I can actually get!

You were clipping and growing but growing the wrong parts!

 

[LittleDingus]

Maybe lignify isnt the right word when talking about succulents, but once the tissue starts to forms to form that gray / light brown color and "bark" texture. Those branches don't like to move much, or hold their shape after removing rigging

Yeah, I honestly don't know. I know "lignify" is a specific process where lignin gets deposited in cell walls making them stiffen. I just don't know if that's the same process in non-woody plants like succulents.

 

[leatherback]

Yeah, I honestly don't know. I know "lignify" is a specific process where lignin gets deposited in cell walls making them stiffen. I just don't know if that's the same process in non-woody plants like succulents.

Yeah, which is why succulent really are not great for bonsai: You are over to the mercy of the plant. Let the plant go dry for a few weeks and water and the plant will resettle in the shap it wants, afaik.

 

[LittleDingus]

Yeah, which is why succulent really are not great for bonsai: You are over to the mercy of the plant. Let the plant go dry for a few weeks and water and the plant will resettle in the shap it wants, afaik.

Good point! Turgidity plays into it a lot!

I water mine by the loss of turgidity method in the winter...ifvthe leaves feel squishy, water. The plant will kind of shrug into itself and weep if I wait too long. I grow mine as a houseplant so I don't care. But hell incarnate if you're tring to hold perfect positioning.