SUCCULENTS > genus Crassula
IN THIS GUIDE
CRASSULA GUIDES
Varieties
Crassula ovata(AKA ‘ Money Plant ’ ) is a succulent evergreen originating from Eastern South Africa.1Crassula ovata ( Mill . ) Druce . ( n.d . ) . Kew Royal Botanic Gardens . regain March 28 , 2023 , fromhttps://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:273350-1
It maturate in a wide latitude of stipulation , is well-to-do to care for , and is long - lived .
Tricolour cultivar
comport sheeny , chunky leave and efflorescence of pretty white or pink flowers , this attractive ornamental is low - maintenance and mellow - interior decoration – no wonder it is such a pop houseplant the mankind over .
In this guide we question and featureRalph Behrmann , an experient grower and supplier at Clouds Hill Succulents .
Overview
PreferredFull Sun
ExposureIndoors
Height1 – 1.5 M
Spread1 – 1.5 M
Bloom TimeJuly – August
PreferredFree Draining Medium
MoistureWell Drained
pHAny
Money Plant , Jade Plant , Penny Plant , Lucky Plant , Friendship Tree , Dollar Plant , Silver Dollar Plant , Kerky Bush – all these name , most of them suggesting successfulness and fortune , identify one and the same plant life , Crassula ovata .
An evergreen plant bush that is as sturdy in organic law as it is in coming into court , this plant can support varying Lord’s Day - shade equipoise , ironical atmospheric condition , and even drouth conditions , and is super - leisurely to broadcast .
It is every bit loose to raise and wish for both open air and indoors , and its versatility extends even to being the plant of choice for learning bonsai : its toughness allows it to withstand rough pruning and its natural attributes make for a lovely miniaturised tree .
However , the majority of Jade Plants grown by gardeners are neither outdoor plant nor bonsai but are potted houseplants .
Potted specimens typically chance on heights of between 45 - 75 cm but in their native habitat , C. ovatacan grow as grandiloquent as 2 m.
When plants get a fate of sunlight the foliage rise an centre - catching red edging , specifically a deep scarlet - red shadowiness .
Conversely , if nights are long and the overall temperature is on the nerveless side but the plant life begin sufficient sun , older specimen will bloom in wintertime – though this is unusual in indoor potted plants .
When it does , the inflorescences are lavish – each one is about 5 atomic number 96 both in length and diam and bears a profuseness of dead - live but magical flowers .
These are superstar - shaped with lancelike petals and are white , pink , white with pink tinges , or cream .
Habitat & Growing Conditions
C. ovataitself is hardy to RHS H1C ( USDA Zone 11 ) but some cultivars are hardy to low zones ; for object lesson , GollumandE.T. ’s Fingersare stout to RHS Zone H3 ( USDA Zone 9 ) .
They do well in warm and dry climate – think Arizona – and in their aboriginal South Africa they are often found grow among impenetrable vegetation , primarily succulent , in vale and in lonely clump on stony hillsides.2Crassula ovata ( jade plant ) . ( 2022 , January 7 ) . CABI Compendium.https://doi.org/10.1079/cabicompendium.113574
In damp soil or humid climes they are susceptible to stem rot and fungous diseases , as Ralph explains :
Tricolour cultivar
“ From the feedback I get from my customer , short water direction is a huge trouble . Many hoi polloi want to give water to a plant every day , whereas this should n’t happen . ”
“ More humid environment such as bathrooms works well only for epiphytic succulent , such as genus Rhipsalis or peperomias .
“ Crassulas postulate a lieu in the house where the aviation humidness is not too eminent and in spades do not require misting ” – helping to expel a common myth of crassula plant care .
In sphere such as the UK which are typically below their designated hardiness zona , Money Plant and its cultivars can not survive stale weather outdoors and effectively become yearly .
However , plants will survive the winter if they are bring indoors and the temperature cast off no low-toned than 10 ° deoxycytidine monophosphate .
Planting
Chinese Money Plant can be planted around the year but it is not advisable to do so in the winter because this is the plant ’s dormant season .
Growing the plant in wintertime , especially in unfavorable zone or climates like the UK , may prove troublesome .
It is impertinent to embed it between mid - spring and mid - summertime , which is plumb in the middle of this succulent ’s fighting grow time of year , to alleviate unattackable rooting and truehearted ontogeny .
Plant Care
“ Most succulent are not only adapted to sunshine , they also need a sufficient amount of it for thrive ” , says Ralph , when discussing the importance of light and succulents .
This sporting plant will make do with virtually any mixture of Dominicus and tint provided that the good afternoon sun is not too red-hot or direct .
The ideal Sunday - tincture commixture is about four hours of morning sun and the remainder in tone .
The ideal temperature ranges forC. ovataare 20 - 25 ° C during the day and 12 - 15 ° C during the night .
“ In the summertime months , placing yourCrassula ovataoutside will expose it to higher light levels , which will do the plant life ’s leaf to take on vibrant red colouration , ” advises Expert Horticulturist Colin Skelly .
“ Just be deliberate to ensure the plant does not get too ‘ parched ’ or , almost as potential , too smashed in an English summertime !
“ Make certain to bring it back deep down before temperature fall in autumn . ”
This industrial plant requires a rich soil mix that drains well – make thatverywell .
A flaxen loam with compost , and including crushed rock and perlite in the topsoil , is ‘ right-hand on the money ’ .
The pH may return anywhere from somewhat acidic to slightly alkaline , with 6.0 being sodding .
Because of the way Money plant develop and employ nutrients in the soil it is almost a necessity to repot containerised flora in fresh soil about every three year .
In the spring and summertime growing time of year they should be watered freely but let the soil dry out completely before watering again – even consistently damp stain is a no - no .
wintertime is Jade Plants ’ hibernating time of year and during these three or four months , the plant life should be watered infrequently and with little H2O so that its grime stay drier for longer spells than in summer .
Bottom watering your plantsduring this period can assist – so that ground is not left wet and waterlogged – but your flora is able-bodied to suck up water when needed through its roots .
These lengthier dry periods in the winter combined with some bright sun and mostly deep shade in the 24-hour interval and coolheaded nights are the triggers that bring mature plant , particularly out-of-door ones , to flower .
Even mature industrial plant do not bloom annually but about once every three years .
Though fertilising is not necessary , to feed flora organically compost can be mixed into the grime , and in springiness and summer they can be fed with a diluted 10 - 10 - 10 swimming fertiliser every two calendar month ; or else , in early - springiness lend the appropriate amount of a balanced controlled - release fertilizer to the soil .
Cleaning Money Plant Leaves
you’re able to clean house Money Plant leaves with water using two methods but in either typesetter’s case , do make trusted that the water supply is at room temperature ; it should not be either hot or insensate .
The less sentence - consuming method acting is to utilise a spray feeding bottle or a pinched hose to give off a docile K or spray of piss on the money plant ’s leaves , need care to rinse the undersides of the leaves as well .
Another method is to turn over make clean the industrial plant :
cleanup leave not only keeps the plant looking fresh and pretty , it also foreclose plague and disease .
Pruning
PruningC. ovatais not necessary ; do so if you have a specific ground .
You can lop faded , dry - out flowers and browned or utter limb and leaves for aesthetic reason .
If your Jade Plant is in a little pot and you care to bound its size or if you care to sculpt an outdoor or indoor specimen , you could prune it .
yearly pruning arm , specially emerging ones , will result in the works becoming less shaggy-coated and developing a stout chief shank or ‘ luggage compartment ’ .
It is advisable to cut back in springtime or summer to promote quick recovery .
Propagation
“ propagate succulent from cuttings is a untroubled form to double an existing works ” explain Ralph from Clouds Hill Succulents .
“ The works you produce from a cutting will always look like the female parent plant life , whilst growing plants from seeded player can be a snatch of a dig in the dark ” .
However , C. ovataroots so strongly that when leafage or stems of outdoor specimens in favourable climates fracture and precipitate on the ground , they often settle down and become raw plants in two to three hebdomad .
As such , one can close that it is very prosperous to broadcast this plant :
you could also bring down off a minor length of the stem using sharp and disinfected secateurs .
Allow it a period of two to three days in a dry and warm room so that the plant can mend and to reduce the chance of rot .
Then lightly stick in the cut end of the cut into a favorable soil mix – theme cuttings should settle in about three workweek .
Though cuttings can be taken and root year - around , it is best and easiest to do so in the summertime .
Common Problems
ThoughC. ovatain the main are loose of diseases and infestation , the one pest that poses a scourge is the mealybug .
heighten the trouble , should such an infestation occur it can not be handle with any of the common insecticidal soap or oil colour , even constituent ones .
The reason is that Jade Plants ( like almost all other succulent ) are supersensitised to ( organic or other ) insecticides and their foliage can have serious adverse effects .
One agency to decimate mealybug is by pruning .
If you spot an plague that is localise in a small helping of the industrial plant , you may prune that part using the technique delineate above .
Alternatively , houseclean off the plague .
Soak cotton buds or a small material in scratch alcohol and gently rub the overrun surfaces so as to kill and wipe off the mealybugs .
You will postulate to repeat this cleanup and disinfestation every 24-hour interval for several day , even up to two week , until all the mealybug are gone .
Continue for a few Clarence Day even after no mealybugs are visible so as to do away with any larvae and freshly - hatched worm .
If your works is outdoors you could campaign fire with blast by simply let loose beneficial insects that prey upon mealybugs .
Release ladybug , lacewing , and mealybug destroyers .
The most common cause of yellowed leaves is overwatering , which can lead to more serious problem let in destruction .
like a shot and significantly reduce watering , both in amount and frequency , and permit the soil to dry out before re - commencing lacrimation .
If you have not been overwatering then that would indicate that the soil is not enfeeble well .
In this display case , you would need to transfer the Money Plant into a favourable soil commixture that is well - drain .
Overexposure to harsh lineal sun can also turn a Money Plant ’s leave yellow-bellied because such photograph causes the plant to produce different pigments for protection from sunshine and ultraviolet rays .
In such cases put up a roadblock to harbor it from the Lord’s Day except for two hours in the morning until it recover , or , if the works is containerise , simply move it to a location where it gets no more than two hours of morning Lord’s Day .
If yellowed leaves are limp , soft , soggy , or falling off , then the cause is overwatering .
If yellowed leaves exhibit no other symptoms or ill - effects , then the cause is too much sun .
