Are your Crassula ovata looking stable at only one stage? Try this pruning shortcut to make Jade plants look bushier instantly.
Jade plants are amazing houseplants, but they can start looking tall and bare if they’re not getting the right care. If you’re already pampering your plant, the missing step might be pruning. Here’s a simple trick to make your jade look fuller and bushier in no time.
Pruning Jade to Make it Bushier
No need to get out your pruning shears, yet! This pruning shortcut is actually about using your hands. Confused? Well, it is pretty simple. Whether you are dealing with a baby jade plant or even a grown one, you need to pinch the growing tips. This is especially effective if your plant has been growing straight up instead of branching out.
Using your thumb and your forefinger, pinch off the tip of the stem where you see two new leaves starting to grow. You could also go further below and snip an existing branch. But that would be for a more drastic pruning, and you would need a pair of sharp, sterilized pruning shears.
You can even use this technique to correct uneven growth. If one side of your jade looks fuller than the other, try pinching the taller stems on the heavy side. This will redirect energy and encourage new growth on the sparse side, helping the plant balance out and look more symmetrical.
How Does This Pruning Shortcut Work?
The reason why the shortcut of pinching off the growing tips works easily is that the jade plant is pretty hardy. Basically, the only two main ways you can actually kill one are not giving it enough light or overwatering it.
So rest assured, pinching some of the jade plant’s more unruly stems won’t harm it; instead, it will only make the plant grow better and be bushier! Within a week or so, you will see the tips branching out with brand new leaves (and they look adorable!)
Plus, pinching promotes stronger stems. When your plant branches out from the sides rather than shooting straight up, it becomes sturdier and less prone to bending or flopping under its own weight—especially if it’s a top-heavy jade!
Best Time To Prune Jade Plant
When it comes to pruning a jade, the first thing to know is not to do it when they are too young. Do not start to prune or shape a jade plant that you just bought. Instead, wait for a year.
The general rule of thumb is to prune during spring and summer, which allows the plant to recover best from pinching or pruning and become bushier. Many gardeners also suggest pruning them right before they come out of dormancy, which would be in spring. In fact, they swear that this can make your jade plant extra bushy!
However, the point still stands that you can apply this shortcut pretty much any time, regardless of the season (provided the plant is mature). Do this 2-3 times a year, but be patient because jade plants are naturally not very fast-growing.
And don’t forget—pruning is also a great way to propagate! You can root the healthy cuttings in the soil and grow brand-new baby jade plants. So even while you’re shaping your plant, you’re also multiplying it. Win-win!
Have you always been using pruning shears to prune the jade plant? If yes, it’s time to try this shortcut when you cannot go for a full-fledged pruning session. Let us know how it goes for you in the comments below!
