Are you wondering whether your jade plant is overwatered or underwatered? Or maybe you don’t know whether you need to increase or decrease the amount of water you give to your jade plant? If so, then this article is just for you.
If your jade plant’s leaves are shriveled and/or looking sickly or pale, then your jade plant is underwatered. Also, dry soil is usually a direct indicator of a thirsty plant. On the other hand, leaf yellowing and rotting stems and branches are the main signs of an overwatered jade plant.
In the following paragraphs, we will go through all the signs of an overwatered or an underwatered jade plant and how and when to water this plant to avoid all watering issues.
Let’s get started!
Is My Jade Plant Over or Underwatered?
To know if your jade plant is overwatered or underwatered, you must look at the leaves and the soil. Soft leaves and damp soil are the main signs of overwatering, while curly leaves and dry soil are the main signs of underwatering.
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How Do I Know If My Jade Plant Is Overwaterwatered?
Giving excess water to your jade plant can actually kill it! It would help if you always allowed the soil to dry before watering this plant. If you overwater any plant, the roots will begin to rot, and the plant will die.
The main sign of overwatering is yellow leaves. In fact, when a plant receives more water than it needs, the roots start rotting. This prevents the roots from getting enough oxygen and transferring nutrients to the stems and leaves. As a result, the plant loses its green color and looks yellow and pale.
Severe overwatering can also lead to leaf drop, significantly when most of the roots get damaged due to root rot. Generally, a thoroughly waterlogged root system cannot support the plant, which causes wilting and leaf drop.
Another sign of an overwatered jade plant is soft leaves. If you give this plant too much water, it will develop a soppy, spongy feel to its leaves. This is because the extra water causes the cells to swell, and the cell walls collapse.
Examining the soil, you can also tell if your jade plant is getting too much water.
The soil should be moist and not completely saturated. If it feels damp, you can conclude that the plant has been overwatered.
Finally, if you notice that the roots of your jade plant are soft when repotting, you can automatically conclude that it has been overwatered.
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How Do I Know If My Jade Plant Is Underwatered?
If the tips of the leaves of your jade plant have turned brown, but there is no sign of rot or decay, this could be a sign of underwatering, extreme heat, or drought. Plants with brown tips on their leaves are very dehydrated and need to be re-watered immediately.
Also, when the leaves of your jade plant start to curl, you should think about underwatering. Generally, when the amount of water in the soil decreases, the plant experiences a loss of essential nutrients, a lack of oxygen, and a decrease in water pressure. As a result, the leaves start curling.
Underwatering will also cause the leaves of your jade plant to shrivel and become very wrinkled, sometimes to the point that they actually drop off the plant.
Another sign of an underwatered jade plant is dry brown spots. When plants lack water, their leaves will turn brown and develop spots. In time, these spots will turn from brown to dark, brittle spots, eventually leading to leaf death.
Finally, the most apparent sign of underwatering is dry potting soil. In fact, if you forget to water your plant for more than three weeks, you will notice that the soil has dried out and shrunk.
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How Often Should a Jade Plant Be Watered?
Jade plants should be watered every two weeks during summer and every three to four weeks during the cold seasons. Generally, jade plants are succulents, meaning they hold water in their leaves. So, the less water you give them, the better they will feel.
The watering schedule that we proposed above is an estimate based on our experience with this plant and the recommendations of experts. Generally, there is no rigid schedule for watering a plant. Your jade plant watering schedule will vary depending on the temperature and humidity levels of the location where you live.
To be accurate when watering your jade plant, you should check the soil’s moisture level every week, then decide whether to water the plant.
The best way to test the soil of your jade plant before watering is by using a moister meter. This device measures the soil moisture and tells whether the plant needs water.
Moister meters are available in most online stores, such as Amazon and Walmart, and they are straightforward. Start by inserting the probe of the moister meter into the soil, then read the value on the device’s screen. The range of the moister meters varies from brand to brand, so it is essential to read your device’s manual before use.
If you don’t have access to a moister meter, you can check the soil by digging your finger into it and feeling how moist it is. If the soil feels dry, you need to water your plant; if it feels wet, you don’t need to water it for at least a few days.
Finally, adjusting your jade plant watering schedule depending on the season is a must. Generally, you should check your plant’s soil more frequently during the dry season because it tends to dry out faster than during the rainy season.
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How to Avoid Overwatering a Jade Plant?
To avoid overwatering your jade plant, you must grow it using well-draining soil and a pot made of porous material. Additionally, you should water the plant in the morning and place it in an area that receives at least six hours of indirect sunlight daily.
The best way to make the soil of your jade plant well-draining is by adding peat moss and perlite to your soil mix. These elements will help with drainage without making your soil feel soggy. Also, ensure that you grow your plant in a container with drainage holes at the bottom.
The other parameter that will help you reduce the risk of overwatering is the pot’s material. Generally, succulents like the jade plant love to grow in porous ceramic, terracotta, and clay pots.
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How to Avoid Underwatering a Jade Plant?
If you want to avoid underwatering your jade plant, you should water it more frequently during the hot days of summer and place it in a location where it will not get any direct sunlight exposure. Additionally, you should increase the pot by one size when repotting the plant.
If you live somewhere where summer temperature gets above 80°F during summer days, you will need to pay extra attention to your jade plant water needs. You should check the plant every few days and water it immediately when the soil starts feeling dry.
If you keep watering this plant following the winter schedule, you will increase the probability of underwatering and therefore lose the benefits the plant can get during the growing season.
Choosing an appropriate location for your jade plant is also essential to help avoid underwatering. Generally, when you expose a plant to direct sun, the soil will dry out quickly, and the leaves will show signs of thirstiness. Therefore, you should place your jade plant near a south-facing window or balcony where it will get low-intensity indirect sunlight only.
Finally, you can reduce the risk of underwatering by avoiding small pots. To do this, you should choose a larger container whenever you repot your jade plant.
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