Yellow Jade

[It's Kev]

2 things, 1st order of business, this…


And then to the next, I’m at my wit’s end with this tree, I give it all the sunlight it can get. Sun rises over the house’s roof between 8 and 9, and sets behind the opposite building just before 4. I still get so much sunlight that I had to move my maples to the shade. Could anyone tell me why this thing isn’t all lush and green?
Some notes to add:
I’m letting it “grow out” for a bit because it did have 2 lockdown periods this year while it was at a different address than I was, but I’ve been nursing it very carefully since September

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

Dang I hate these Jade plants for the rubber-looking gumdrop plants they are.
But it's krimace after all. If you're experiencing yellow foliage on the ends of a plant, it's called chlorosis, it's usually related to a metal deficiency.
It can either be a lockout of a lack of in the soil. Lockouts can be caused by a pH that is too alkaline.

If you can find a bottle of micronutrients or something containing iron, calcium and magnesium (chelated is fine), than you might try and use that. The color should improve in a week or so. If that doesn't work, it might be sunburn or that the soil pH is so far off that it either washes out straight away (see: lack of, pH too low) or that it's still being locked out (pH too high).

 

[SWfloirda]

It’s definitely not sunburn. There are different types of portulacaria afra, not all of them are green. That’s my guess. I keep mine in as much sun as possible and go heavy with osmocote, some of the easiest plants to keep healthy.
All of mine are green except this one. My neighbor just gave me a cutting of some other variety.

 

[It's Kev]

@Wires_Guy_wires more metal, got it


apparently deliveries aren't going so well coz 23 million people caught some weird pneumonia every day this whole week so i'll have to make do with what i have
I've got random fertilizer bags lying around that I'll check the contents of.
Also, spent coffee grounds could be added because they lower the PH, if my soil is too alkaline rich, otherwise ill just give it the drops of coffee that end up in the drip tray of my espresso machine, I do that to most of my other trees and they seem to be happy, just didn't do this one coz it "wants" shyte-ish conditions? not quite sure if i got the science right or not

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

I'm not a big fan of coffee grounds myself. Coffee plants do the same thing as walnut trees: they poison their surroundings to stop competing plants.
Most "indoor plant food" contains a lot of metals to keep plants green indoors.

I'll be honest, I'm not a fan of the whole p. afra species so I honestly know jack about their preferred conditions. I just know that yellow on top usually is iron related, universally across all plants.
But it might as well be something in the soil that inhibits the roots from taking it up, and the cause can be anything from pH (most likely) to rotting roots. But it's hard to tell without having a full investigation.
How much are you watering, and how often?

 

[It's Kev]

I'm not a big fan of coffee grounds myself. Coffee plants do the same thing as walnut trees: they poison their surroundings to stop competing plants.
Most "indoor plant food" contains a lot of metals to keep plants green indoors.

I'll be honest, I'm not a fan of the whole p. afra species so I honestly know jack about their preferred conditions. I just know that yellow on top usually is iron related, universally across all plants.
But it might as well be something in the soil that inhibits the roots from taking it up, and the cause can be anything from pH (most likely) to rotting roots. But it's hard to tell without having a full investigation.
How much are you watering, and how often?

I water same time as my other trees, since this one is in a shallower pot, so I water same time as my deeper potted trees. I don’t wait for leaves to shrivel up coz to my eye, it seems like shyte housekeeping

 

[AJL]

The 'old 'leaves probably suffered nutrient deficiency when it was neglected.
If it was mine I would seriously consider a thorough repot with good fresh very well-drained soil -without coffee grounds this time, as the chemicals they contain can definately inhibit growth of some plants! Portulacaria dont need watering as often as 'normal ' trees so reducing the frequency might help and maybe keep it in partial - shade for part of the day till it recovers . I have no idea of the climate in Xuang Zhou but are you keeping it outside all year round?

 

[It's Kev]

. I have no idea of the climate in Xuang Zhou but are you keeping it outside all year round?

yeah, all my tropicals stay outside, this is where all your tea trees and ficus come from, if they need hedging, plant a tea tree, and all the other trees are ficus, either micro, retusa, or some other variety with enormous leaves

 

[Firstflush]

I second and third the watering. In zone 10, now, not much water is needed. Too much will yellow it up really quick.

 

[cbrshadow23]

What are the temperatures where you're at during day and night? I would bet you're getting cool night-time temperatures now. Your plant looks about right for winter. Here in northern california any of my Portulacaria that are outside look like yours above. They go into a dormant phase at cooler temperatures and the leaves plump up and turn a light green almost yellow color. I have several right now in the same condition, but they will return to growing vigorously once temperatures increase.
If I bring them indoors or put them on a heat pad and grow light over winter they'll green up and grow again.

 

[Mapleminx]

While I am not a fan of portulacaria afra i’ll say this. There are many varieties of Jade, even some with leaves that will go yellow or tipped with red in enough sun exposure. For those plants, placing them in more shade returns them to a dark green.

Although I haven’t seen a portulacaria afra do it, maybe it has cultivars that act similarly?

 

[19Mateo83]

It’s definitely not sunburn. There are different types of portulacaria afra, not all of them are green. That’s my guess. I keep mine in as much sun as possible and go heavy with osmocote, some of the easiest plants to keep healthy.
All of mine are green except this one. My neighbor just gave me a cutting of some other variety.
View attachment 466414

That appears to be the p. Afra called “manny”. I have one just like it.

 

[HorseloverFat]

Azomite helps, too

 

[HorseloverFat]

That appears to be the p. Afra called “manny”. I have one just like it.

I knew a Hawaiian native named Manny...

He stole a police car while the cop was on the street, talking to us.

'SCONSIN!


But yeah, OP...

I don't think sun is your issue... But minerals/nutrients.

 

[cbrshadow23]

It's just in it's winter leaves, I'm 100% certain of it. Lots of mine that have been left outside for winter (NorCal) look exactly like this every winter. It'll come back and grow vigorously when avg temps go up.
The yellow cultivar of Portulacaria Afra is "Aurea". The pictured plants above are not Aurea though. Here's an example of Aurea which is a true yellow color and has pinkish stems near new growth

 

[Tropfrog]

Yes, in some places where p afra can be grown outdoors all year the leafs will turn yelow in winter. In their natural distribution range they do not. The issue here is overwatering. Just as p afras not living in desert environment gets yellow in winter your potted one will also if overwatered.

Deficiency and fertilizer is words that I may use answering questions in summer. But never ever in winter.

 

[eugenev2]

Yes, in some places where p afra can be grown outdoors all year the leafs will turn yelow in winter. In their natural distribution range they do not. The issue here is overwatering. Just as p afras not living in desert environment gets yellow in winter your potted one will also if overwatered.

Deficiency and fertilizer is words that I may use answering questions in summer. But never ever in winter.

I agree with topfrog here, most likely a over watering issue. Portulacaria afra is a native here and never goes yellow during winter and OP's post is from a zone 10 so should be perfect. You have to remember they are a succulent and have evolved requiring very little water, so once a day is far too much...once a week should be closure to their requirements. Basically they should be treated almost like a cactus ie pretty much leave it in a sunny spot and (almost) forget about

 

[Tropfrog]

My P afras got it's last water about end of september or early october. Next water will be when it heats up again in late April or early May. I am in southern Sweden similar to zone 7. The trees are kept cool but frost free and bone dry in winter. No yellow leafs whatsoever, just a little wrinkly late winter.

 

[It's Kev]

Well, it’s more green, but the stone fell out when I repotted, for some reason I couldn’t get it back in the way it came out. Twisted turned rotated and flipped to all possible angles. So instead of putting it in the middle pot which kinda was the plan, I just strapped it to a tile for flat root spread and put it in the very shallow pot that I bought the other day