Quck answer
Bonsai is the art of miniaturizing trees or plants. To bonsai a Jade Plant, follow these steps:
1. Choose a young and healthy Jade Plant with a sturdy trunk and small leaves.
2. Select a suitable bonsai pot that is shallow and has good drainage.
3. Trim the roots and prune the branches to create the desired shape.
4. Use a well-draining bonsai soil mix and repot the Jade Plant.
5. Water the bonsai regularly, keeping the soil evenly moist but not waterlogged.
6. Provide adequate sunlight, placing the bonsai near a bright window.
7. Fertilize the Jade Plant bonsai during the growing season.
8. Trim and shape the bonsai regularly to maintain its miniature size and desired form.
With proper care and attention, your Jade Plant bonsai will thrive and become a beautiful miniature tree.
The well-known jade plant (Crassula ovata, USDA zones 11-12) and its close relative, the Chinese pine jade (Crassula tetragona, zones 10-11), which are native to South Africa, can both be pruned into bonsai plants. These jade species are hardy in protected and frost-free areas, making them easy to cultivate indoors or outdoors. In regions where they cannot survive outdoors, they can be easily grown as houseplants.
Jade plants have shallow root systems, which makes them suitable for bonsai, or miniature plants. Bonsai-ing a jade plant is relatively simple, as the thick branches can be easily shaped using weights and wire. With proper care and attention, a jade plant can become an attractive bonsai.
Materials Needed
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Safety goggles
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Gloves
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Rubbing alcohol or a household cleaner
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Rag (optional)
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Cutting tools
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Shallow bonsai pot
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Cactus potting soil
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Aluminum bonsai wire
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Bonsai wire cutter
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Succulent fertilizer
How to Create a Bonsai Jade Plant
Step 1: Put on Safety Equipment
Before working with potting mixes, sterilizing solutions, and cutting tools, it is important to wear safety goggles and gloves. While the sap of jade plants usually does not cause skin reactions, it is still necessary to protect your eyes and skin from the other substances used during the preparation and pruning process.
Step 2: Sterilize Your Cutting Tools
To ensure cleanliness, sterilize the blades of your cutting tools by dipping them in rubbing alcohol or a household cleaner like Lysol. Avoid using chlorine bleach, as it can damage the metal blades. Alternatively, you can dip a rag in the sterilizing solution and wipe the blades between cuts.
Step 3: Choose a Bonsai Container
For bonsai plants, traditional pots or pans with shallow depths are ideal. These containers allow for root pruning, which helps the plant achieve the desired “bonsai look”—a miniature version of a mature specimen. If you have purchased a jade plant in a deeper container than your bonsai pot, trim the roots (if necessary) and spread them out laterally to fit the plant in its new container. Use a cactus potting mix or a mixture of 1 part sterilized loam, 2 parts sharp sand, and 2 parts peat.
Step 4: Select a Shape
You can train your jade bonsai into various traditional bonsai styles, such as the “leaning” style with a slanted, windswept appearance, or the “informal upright” style with a trunk that bends to the left or right. The thick trunk and round, fleshy leaves of the classic jade plant, as well as the pine tree-shaped leaves of the Chinese pine jade, are well-suited for traditional bonsai forms.
Step 5: Repot the Jade Plant
Prepare the jade plant for its new container by trimming the roots back by about 1/4 inch. Once the plant is established in its new container, repot the jade bonsai plant every couple of years during the spring or summer. After repotting, allow the plant to take a break from watering for a few weeks before resuming a regular watering schedule.
Step 6: Shaping the Jade Plant
To refine the design of your jade bonsai, pinch and remove branches that are growing in undesired places. Use sharp, sterilized pruners to cut the branches, making sure to cut them flush with the thick “trunk” of the jade plant. Be careful not to cut too deeply and cause a scar. Jade plants are tough and do not need to be sealed after pruning.
Step 7: Manipulating the Branches
Use gentle wiring to manipulate your bonsai. Wrap aluminum wire around the branch and then bend it into the desired shape. For smaller trees, use 1-millimeter wire and switch to larger sizes as the tree grows to support and shape the branches. It is best to wire the tree in the fall or winter.
Step 8: Maintaining the Bonsai Form
To maintain the bonsai form, trim it to train its shape. Since jade plants are slow growers, they only need to be pinched back or pruned once or twice during the growing season.
Step 9: Fertilizing to Support the Plant
During the spring and summer growing season, fertilize the jade bonsai once or twice a month. Do not fertilize during the winter months. Use a balanced fertilizer specially formulated for succulents. Always water the plant after fertilizing.
Step 10: Watering, but Avoiding Overwatering
Water the jade bonsai enough to prevent it from drying out, but be careful not to overwater it. Do not allow the soil to become soggy. Let the top layer of soil dry out slightly between waterings, and then add just enough water to moisten the soil. Reduce watering during the winter months.
