Why Is My Jade Plant Dying?

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Why Is My Jade Plant Dying?

Why is my Jade plant dying?! This can be a scary question to have to ask. No one wants a plant to die on them, especially if they don’t know what they’re doing wrong. There are many reasons why your Jade plant could be dying, and diagnosing the issue is the first step to treating the problem. But don’t worry, your plant dying will usually be down to an issue with overwatering or underwatering and it’s quite easy to work out which one is the cause if you know what to look for.

Why Is My Jade Plant Dying? – Overwatering

The main cause of a dying Jade plant is usually due to overwatering. Jade plants have thick luscious leaves that are succulent like in quality. Because of this they store the majority of their water in these leaves meaning they don’t need to be watered all that often. Squishy leaves is a common sign that you are overwatering your plant, these leaves can also turn yellow or black and fall off. If this is happening to your plant then you need to check the soil. Is it relatively dry or is it moist to the touch? It’s important that you allow Jade plants to dry out between waterings to avoid root rot which can kill the plant. If the plant is sitting in moisture for prolonged periods of time this can cause some serious damage. It’s also important that you use a well draining mix and a pot with drainage holes.

If you’re struggling to know when the soil has dried out then we would recommend using a moisture probe. With these probes you simply insert the metal ends into the soil and you get a reading of how dry it is. When the meter reads 1 or 2 that’s when you should water your plant again.

If you have a plant that is dying and it’s sitting in water clogged soil then it may be time for a rescue mission. Take your plant our of its pot and work away as much soil as you can. Leave your plant unpotted to dry out somewhere warm. Once the plant has dried out its time to repot. Take a pot with drainage holes and fill it with cactus mix and perlite. Replant your Jade plant in this mix and find it a nice warm spot with lots of direct sunlight. From now on check the soil between watering and only water when the soil has dried out. You can also cut away dead plant so that it can focus its energies on promoting new growth.

Why Is My Jade Plant Dying? – Underwatering

A slightly less common but possible cause is that you are underwatering your Jade plant. Do you go a long time between waterings? Is the soil bone dry? Has the soil been bone dry for days or weeks? If so it’s possible that you are underwatering your plant. If you are underwatering a Jade plant you will notice the leaves shrivelling up and becoming dry and crispy. They may also turn yellow or brown and fall off. If this is the case then you may have been taking the advice not to overwater your Jade plant a bit too seriously.

It’s important that you allow soil to dry out between waterings but once it is dry you do need to water your plant again. Luckily a Jade plant can withstand underwatering more so than it can overwatering so your plant might be ok. Cut away the dead leaves so your plant can focus on growing new foliage and start to water it more regularly.

You may need to adjust your watering schedules depending on the time of year, amount of light your plant is getting and how big it is. That’s why it’s so important to check the soil rather than using a set schedule.

We hope we’ve been able to answer your question of why is my jade plant dying? And hopefully with this knowledge you’ll be able to revive your Jade Plant. If you can’t save the entire plant you could try taking a cutting of some of the leaves and seeing if you can get them to root. That way you might lose the main plant but at least you’ll get a new Jade plant out of it.