Is your jade plant dropping leaves and stressing you out in the process? We sympathize with attentive plant parents, so we've elicited help from the pros to get your greenery back on the right track.
When working with a variety of plants, it can feel overwhelming to keep up with each of their demands. If your green thumb is not quite green just yet, we'll assist with particulars so that each member of the plant crew gets what it needs.
Fortunately, the jade plant is one of the best indoor plants thanks to its low-maintenance style, so don't sweat the small stuff.
Why is my jade plant dropping leaves? Experts weigh in
"Taking care of a jade plant is pretty easy once you get the hang of it," says Bryan Clayton, CEO and co-founder at Green Pal. "They're incredibly resilient and can bring a touch of green to your space for years with just a little TLC."
Even so, caring for succulents can present its challenges from time to time, including leaves that fall off. We found some of the most common reasons your jade plant may be dropping leaves.
Bryan is the CEO and co-founder at Green Pal, a platform connecting customers to lawn care experts in their area throughout the United States. Given all types of environments he's worked with, he is very well-versed in all types of floral and plant-care needs.
1. Overwatering
It all comes down to how often to water jade plants. With succulents like this, less is more, and the reason they're dropping leaves might be because you're overwatering them.
When caring for jade plants it's important to note that they only need to be watered about every two to three weeks, depending on when the soil dries out. Bryan says that warning signs like shriveling leaves or brown spots indicate hydration problems, so you might have to cut back on the H20. If you're unsure, tools like the GROWIT Soil Water Monitor for Plants on Amazon are happy to assist.
2. Lighting
In addition to nailing down a schedule for how often to water succulents, you should be mindful of their environment as well. The jade plant likes sunlight and should be placed near a south-facing window when possible, according to Bryan. (Cute planters are not required but highly recommended.)
"If the light is too intense, but, the leaves will get sunburned, so you might need to filter the light during the hottest parts of the day," he says.
On the contrary, too much darkness will stretch out the leaves and make them look leggy, so keep that in mind as well. If you need, we found some pretty impressive grow lights for indoor plants on Amazon for under $30.
3. Pests
Another potential problem could be pests (ick!) in which case you'll want to remove the plant in question away from its leafy friends and repot it if necessary. We asked gardeners how to get rid of gnats in houseplants, and it's not as torturous as it might sound. Target the larvae, invest in sticky traps for indoor plants via Amazon, and make the soil doesn't look funky or moldy.
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