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Jade plant #437231

Asked December 31, 2017, 5:19 PM EST

Hi. I’ve written about this plant before.. a couple of weeks ago. It is getting worse. What is causing this drying out? How do I prevent it? Should I cut these stems off? Thank you

Multnomah County Oregon

Expert Response

Thank you for your new question about your jade plant.  The other experts have suggested several problems, including powdery mildew, insects (specifically mealybugs), and mineral salt deposits.  Before I suggest the same or other problems, I really need to know how often you're watering your plant, whether you've checked for insects, what type of water you're using, whether the container you have your jade plant in drains well, and whether you have followed any of the prior suggestions (about spraying alcohol for mealybugs) and soapy water/neem oil.

When there is a brown or black tip on a plant's leaves, it usually is a sign of too much or too little water.  Without information about how you take care of this plant, and what you've done in response to our suggestions, I'm afraid we're not going to be able to solve whatever problem(s) it has.  Good luck!
An Ask Extension Expert Replied January 02, 2018, 8:02 PM EST
Hi! So, I did wipe the white spot with alcohol and separated the plant from my other plants. I think I got rid of the white stuff as I haven’t seen it return.  Now that it’s wintertime, I water it once a month and I use tap water that has sat out for 24 hrs.  When I do water it, I don't  
Saturate the soil.  The pot does have drainage
The Question Asker Replied January 02, 2018, 9:39 PM EST
Thank you for the additional information. The black edges/tips are evidence of one of two additional (but relatively rare) conditions that befall jade plants. The first is a virus, and the second is a fungus. You can read about them in this article. I suggest you remove any leaves that have any blackening on them, using pruning shears that you disinfect afterwards.  If the remaining leaves begin to shrivel or droop, increase your watering to every third to every other week.  Water stress can leave these plants open to the diseases we've suggested, but underwatering is better than overwatering.  Hope this is helpful.
An Ask Extension Expert Replied January 03, 2018, 12:34 PM EST

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