jade plant pruning

last month

I pruned my Jade plant. It’s a quite mature plant. However noticing that there is one spot where I took a branch off that didn’t heal like the others. Pls see pics red and blue arrows. Should I be worried? What should I do?
There is new growth but I don’t want for this area to get worse and perhaps lose the plant.

Featured Answer

john davis

last month

Hey! Checked out the pics with the red and blue arrows you mentioned. So, here’s the lowdown: If that spot where you snipped the branch isn't healing up like the rest, it's kinda like when you get a scratch that doesn’t wanna close up right away. But don’t sweat it! Since you're seeing some new growth, that's a solid sign your Jade plant is still kickin' and doing its thing. To keep it on the up and up, just make sure the wound is clean and dry. Maybe dab a bit of cinnamon powder on it - sounds weird, but it's like a natural antiseptic for plants. Keep an eye on it, but don’t stress too much. Your green buddy’s got this!

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Comments (6)

L Evve (Miami)
Original Author
last month
I did put some cinnamon on it after removing that branch… when I say branch I mean I broke of the remaining of the branch where I cut that usually dries out
popmama (Colorado, USDA z5)
last month
I might be inclined to accentuate the divot by putting a jewel in it or a special polished rock. But that's just me!
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L Evve (Miami)
Original Author
last month
Thanks popmama but I am concerned about the health of the plant not about what to do with the hole or divot.
L Evve (Miami)
Original Author
last month
That one spot healed completely differently than the other spots where stump dried out
tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
last month
last modified: last month
When pruning your jade, taking note of how the leaves are arranged will help you decide where to prune. Your plant's growth habit is to grow leaves in pairs on opposite sides of the branches/stems, and each node will produce a pair of leaves growing at 90* to the previous leaves at the previous node. So, looking at the end of the branch, if the last pair of leaves are at 6 and 12 0'clock, you can count on the nest pair of leaves that will grow being at 3 and 9 0'clock. This is very useful because pruning a branch will force a new PAIR of branches to grow immediately proximal (closer to the trunk) to the pruning cut. This means you can make a branch turn up, down, left, or right just by pruning it and rubbing off the leaf or new branch that occurs on the side opposite of where you want the branch to grow. So, if you want the branch to grow upward, rub off the new growth at the bottom of the node you have determined will produce branches growing up and down. The branches will reliably grow behind the pruning cut, even if there are no leaves at the node.

I'm sure you noticed how your plant looks like it grows segment by segment. The lines that encircle the branches and stems are a clear indication of where the nodes are. When pruning your plant, it's best to make your pruning cuts distal to (beyond) the node you want to produce new branches. Your plant is fleshy, and you can rely on the stub you left drying up all the way back to the node proximal to (behind) the pruning cut. After 6 months to a year, you'll be able to simply rub the dried stub off with your thumb.

You have the overly large wound crater because you compromised the node by cutting into it when you pruned. Had you bade the pruning cut a half inch away from the trunk or halfway between the nodes, the stub left would have dried up and there would be no wound at all to speak of after you rubbed off the stub.

A tip that would have ensured a much smaller wound than the image shows: Flush pruning cuts should always be avoided when pruning crassula or portulacaria. If you must make a flush cut, wait for it to stop weeping sap (a day), then paint the wounds carefully with waterproof wood glue. This will prevent such a large area of tissue from becoming desiccated and producing a wound so large.

Cinnamon (an antifungal plant product) or any other fungicide will not help you avoid wounds that are caused by pruning in such a way that the node is compromised, nor does it help close the wound. A wound created with an appropriate pruning cut, unless the branch was bigger than a dime, might take about 6 months before it can be rubbed off, and the wound would be inconspicuous after a year or so; whereas, a dime size wound created with an appropriate pruning cut and not sealed might take 5 years or more (depending on the plant's level of vitality and growth rate) to become inconspicuous.

If the images you uploaded are recent, carefully painting the exposed raw tissue with waterproof wood glue will help prevent repeats of the large existing wound. Paint only to the perimeter of the wound. You can use a flat toothpick to spread the glue. After the wound is covered, tip/rotate the plant so the wound is up and level to the horizon to prevent the glue from running over the edges of the wound.

Too, plants are generating organisms as opposed to animals, which are regenerating organisms. Where animals (including humans) heal by regenerating new tissue in the same spatial position as the diseased or damaged tissue, plants are incapable of that type of healing. Plants cover wounds by producing a tissue called callus, which roles over the wound from the edges inward. This covers the wound but does not restore the tissue killed by desiccation.

Al