When should you prune your Jade tree?

Who doesn't like pruning plants? Seriously, who doesn't? A well-done pruning, respecting the living being in front of you, can be very beneficial for it. The jade tree, despite being what it is, can also benefit from this. In fact, if it has a crown full of leaves, there will be several - or many - that do not receive as much light as they would like.

For this reason, it can be very interesting to take the scissors to trim it a little. But, When should you prune your jade tree to avoid problems?

Why does the jade tree need to be pruned?

The jade tree is a succulent plant known by the scientific name of Crassula ovataThis species grows like a bush or small tree, and it does so at a pace that could be defined as slow. This makes it very interesting to keep it in pots or planters, or even in any area of ​​the garden as long as it is protected from frost and snow.

One of the care that it may need, whether you have it outside or if you choose to have it inside the home, is pruning. But, as I mentioned at the beginning of the article, it is important that this pruning is well done; that is, that You should not prune just for the sake of pruning because we could end up without a plant. 

So, to know when to do it, we first have to know the importance of giving it this care. And the truth is that the jade tree It is not that it needs to be pruned, but rather it is done more for aesthetic purposes.; that is, for purely human reasons. It is true, and I repeat, that if the crown of the plant is very leafy, there will be leaves that do not receive direct sunlight, but this is not something that will end its life; nor will it even weaken its health.

So, if you have a specimen and you prefer not to prune it, that's fine. However, if you prefer to do it because you want, for example, to work it as if it were a bonsai, or you want to keep it small because you don't have much space for it, then perfect. I also want to tell you that Pruning is sometimes very necessary when it has suffered from excess watering and begins to have a soft trunk.In this case, you should prune the tree to try to save the parts that are still alive and more or less healthy.

When to prune the jade tree?

It will all depend on what type of pruning we are going to do, since taking a few cuttings to try to have new plants is not the same as removing everything that is rotten or soft to try to save what is left of the plant. Therefore, you should know the following:

• Pruning for cuttings, maintenance and/or training must be done in spring.; specifically, when temperatures remain between 10-15 and 20-25ºC. In this way, after having been pruned, it will surely recover quickly, since the temperatures are suitable for it to do so without difficulty. In addition, at that time it has already come out of its 'winter break' and is when it resumes its growth.
• The pruning that is done to try to save it can be done when necessary.There is no ideal time for this because, when it comes to saving a tree's life, any time is a good time. Also, it must be taken into account that if the trunk has reached the point where it is very soft, as if it is rotten, there is nothing that can be done other than cutting off the branches that were healthy. And if there are any, the sooner they are cut, the better.

What tools should be used?

So that pruning does not bring negative consequences, such as fungal infections for example, which can occur when using tools contaminated by fungal spores, what we will do is use anvil shears for thick branches and craft shears for younger, clean branches.

Tools should be cleaned thoroughly with water and a little soap, or if desired, with wet wipes.It is very, very important to do this before and after using them, because viruses, bacteria and fungal spores cannot be seen with the naked eye, so they go unnoticed. So, you know: prioritize the hygiene of your gardening tools, even if they are simple scissors. When we talk about preventing pests and diseases of the jade tree, we must try to take the necessary measures to keep it as protected as possible from these microorganisms.

I hope you now know when is the ideal time to prune your jade tree.