When your plant is not well, you’ve got to give it the right care! Here’s how a spoon of yogurt can actually save a dying jade plant.
Just like every houseplant, jade plants can often fall victim to various issues. While most have specific solutions, there are times when you need to think out of the box. So, here’s how just a spoonful of yogurt might be the rescue mission your jade plant needs.
Is Your Jade Actually Dying?
Is it just going dormant, or is something more serious going on? Jade plants often show similar symptoms for different problems, but there are a few clear warning signs that your plant is definitely not okay.
For example, leaf drops, mushy stems, yellowing leaves, shriveled or drooping leaves, or fuzzy growth on the leaves indicate problems with root health, and watering, and even lighting problems.
Besides watering issues, yellowing leaves, stunted growth, and patchy discoloration on leaves can often point to nutrient deficiencies, too. If you have been seeing limp leaves, black or brown leaf spots, and other symptoms. You need to start acting fast, as your jade plant may be on its last legs!
Also, keep an eye out for a sour or musty smell coming from the soil—this often signals root rot, which is a silent killer for succulents.
Another underrated sign is when the plant stops producing new leaves or growth completely stalls, even in ideal conditions. That’s your jade telling you something’s wrong beneath the surface.
Why Use Yogurt For Jade Plant
Out of all organic ingredients, why would anyone choose yogurt to save a succulent like jade? If this is a question that you have been wondering about, keep reading!
When talking about houseplants or succulents, we tend to focus on facts like watering, light, temperature, and humidity when it comes to their health. However, we forget the importance of the microbial communities that live in the soil and play a vital role in plant growth and in boosting their resilience. Basically, your jade plant is only as resilient as the microbiome in the soil!
If your jade plant has been showing dire symptoms. But it’s not the light or water that are the causes, then it may very well be the soil.
Just like yogurt as a probiotic works its magic and keeps our gut health in check, this extends to plants as well! Being rich in LAB or lactic acid bacteria, yogurt can facilitate your jade plant in taking up more nutrients from the soil, essentially by making them more soluble. No wonder people have been using ferments with LAB for centuries in agricultural land!
But that’s not all! Plain yogurt is such a powerful remedy in the garden as it is also a source of calcium (450 mg per cup) and probiotics (90 billion to 500 billion CFUs per cup), which is perfect for solving nutrient deficiencies in your jade.
How It Helps Your Jade Plant Bounce Back
You would already know that jade plants prefer slightly acidic to neutral soil with a pH range of around 5.5 to 7.0. The bacteria in yogurt not only improve soil quality. But making it less compact, but also helps in the slight acidification of the soil. How does this help? Well, your jade plant now has better access to nutrients!
Another bonus is that yogurt can help suppress some harmful soil-borne fungi and bacteria that thrive in unhealthy soil conditions. It helps build a stronger defense system, which means fewer future problems with rot and disease.
And let’s not forget—it’s a budget-friendly, chemical-free fix you probably already have in your fridge.
How to Use Yogurt For a Dying Jade Plant
Now that you are familiar with the immense benefits of using yogurt for your jade plant. Let’s get to the nitty-gritty. Firstly, always use plain, unsweetened yogurt for your plant as flavored or sweetened ones can damage it.
The simplest way to do this hack is to spread a spoonful of yogurt around the base of your Crassula ovata. However, you could also opt to add a teaspoon or two of it to water and apply it to the soil of your plant. Use this solution sparingly, that is, every 4-6 weeks, to avoid over-acidifying the soil or encouraging unwanted microbial growth.
Make sure the yogurt is at room temperature before applying—it’s best to avoid anything too cold, as that might shock the roots.
And if you’re using it as a diluted solution, gently stir it in and pour it close to the root zone for best absorption.
A Few Things to Keep in Mind
Do not opt for this remedy if your jade is suffering from overwatering. Plus, you should also avoid it if the soil pH is already within the ideal pH range or is too acidic.
Also, skip this method during dormancy or colder months when the plant isn’t actively growing. The beneficial bacteria need warmth to thrive, just like your jade does.
And that’s how useful a spoonful of yogurt can be! If your jade seems to be on the road to ruins, try this unique hack and let us know how it goes for you in the comments below!
