The Jade plants bloom with beautiful star-shaped pinkish-white flowers from late winter to early spring. Surprised?
Let me show you all the surprising facts about the Jade plant here.
Unfortunately, most jade plants do not thrive in our homes. This is why most of us have never seen this side of our jade plant.
Today let’s change that!
So, what’s the secret to getting a jade plant to bloom? It’s simple: mimic its natural environment!
I know some of you may be rolling your eyes right now. But let’s be honest, how many of us research the origins of plants before we buy them? It’s no wonder we get frustrated when our plants aren’t thriving.
Hence, to bloom a jade plant in our homes, we need to take note of its native environment. So, it’s time to start and find out what you need to know to get a jade plant to flower.
Table of Contents
Does a jade plant flower?
The answer to your question is yes, it can bloom!
A jade plant begins to flower only when it reaches maturity in its natural habitat. Sometimes, it may need to be forced to bloom by providing short days and cold, dry, and dark treatment.
In the late winter and spring, when the nights are long, Jade blooms in small, star-shaped clusters. And when the plant blooms, it opens with 2-3 clusters of pink sepals, which form buds.
Moreover, in good conditions, pollinated blooms produce small capsules filled with seeds, as reported by the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Using these seeds, you can increase the number of jade plants you grow.
How to Make a Jade Plant Bloom?
1. Night and Day Hold the Secret
In colder climates, the jade plant needs some rest to form buds, so there is no official dormancy period.
In September, the plant’s growth slows down, indicating dormancy. This is the time when you have to be careful with the watering. Only water the jade plant when the soil is completely dry.
Make sure the plant gets bright light during the day and complete darkness at night. A combination of this, along with less watering and shorter days, will encourage the plant to bloom.
2. The Maturity makes it Flowery–literally!
For the best blooms, you should buy mature plants (3-4 years old).
3. Maintain a Crowded Bottom
It is not a good idea to repot your jade plant unless it is heavily crowded. This is because, the flowering process is accelerated by keeping the plant in the same container for a long time, rather than spending energy on root formation.
However, if you want to re-pot the plant, wait until it has finished flowering. Moreover, if you are moving the plant to a new container, use loamy soil or a cactus mix.
4. The Ideal Temperature
During late winter or early spring, keep the plant at a temperature of 50-60 F (10-15 C). This will encourage the plant to form buds. During this time, it is important not to expose the plant to freezing temperatures.
5. Provide Sunlight
The lack of light is one of the reasons why jade plants fail to flower indoors. To bloom jade plants, they need a minimum of 4-6 hours of outdoor light daily.
Keep your potted plant somewhere that receives direct sunlight for at least 3-5 hours a day.
6. Give it some bananas
Make a fine powder from banana peels by grinding them after they have been dried in the sun. Mix 1-2 teaspoons of banana peel powder with a pinch of Epsom salt in a liter of water. Give it a good shake and water the plant. This can be done once a month.
You can also use a tomato fertilizer diluted to half strength before the blooming period, once every 4-6 weeks. Also, do not fertilize in winter if you live in a cold climate.
Note: A banana peel contains 42 percent potassium, an element that boosts flowering.
7. Take it Outdoors or in your Garden
When you have a jade plant indoors, move it to a bright patio or balcony where it gets direct sunlight for 4-6 hours a day. Not only will this promote blooming, but it will also improve its health.
What Should I Do After My Jade Plant Blooms?
It is best to cut the stalks supporting the flowers as soon as they fade and turn brown. Now that the temperatures have warmed up in the spring, it is time to begin watering more often.
Please do not overwater your jade plant. The roots can rot if they are overwatered. Keeping your potting soil dry is the best way to go.
During the summertime, place your Jade plant outside to enjoy warm, sunny weather. Allow it to become accustomed to the warmer temperatures. As well as more exposure to the sun over time.
Whenever the top of the soil becomes dry, provide ample water. If your plant isn’t crowded, don’t bother repotting it. In an under-potted Jade plant, blooming occurs more frequently.
Make sure you wait until the flowers have finished blooming before repotting your Jade plant. During the summer, move the plant outdoors after it has adjusted to its new container.
While repotting a Jade plant, use a cactus mix enriched with hummus and organic soil. Also, before you take your Jade outside for the summer, feed it with a diluted, balanced liquid fertilizer. Repeat this process monthly throughout the growing season.
How Often Does a Jade Plant bloom?
Don’t be disappointed if your Jade plant doesn’t bloom every year. Blooming is unpredictable and infrequent since the plant does not reproduce through flowers.
If you follow all the instructions given above, your mature Jade plant may bloom in the mid to late winter or early spring.
When do Jade Plants Bloom?
‘My jade plant won’t bloom very often’, is something I hear all the time. Plant owners often encounter this issue and it can be difficult to get jade plants to bloom.
However, before exploring how a jade plant blooms, it would be worthwhile to understand when it blooms!
If properly cared for, jade plants will bloom in late winter/early spring. However, jade plants need to mature before they can bloom. It will take many, many years for a jade plant to flower, so you should be prepared to be patient.
Before it flowers, a jade plant must grow for years in its native habitat. After maturity, sunlight determines how often a jade plant blooms.
Jade plants that grow indoors will not bloom because they won’t receive enough natural sunlight to bloom. A home’s humidity levels are also too high to encourage blooming. Yet, it is possible to make a jade plant flower if it is mature outside.
Conclusion
After reading this article, I hope you have gained a better understanding of whether or not a jade plant can bloom. Many factors influence how often jade plants bloom, and I have provided guidance on how to make a jade plant bloom.
In addition, I mentioned when jade plants bloom, which is late winter or early spring. Also, keep in mind that it’s extremely unlikely to get a jade plant to bloom indoors. Before they can flower, outdoor jade plants must reach full maturity.
Feel free to leave me a comment if you have any questions. I will reply as soon as possible.
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FAQs
Q1. How long does it take a jade plant to bloom?
Jade plants do not flower when they are young. So, if your plant is less than 1-2 years old, you should wait. It won’t blossom anytime soon. For a plant to flower, it must be at least 3-5 years old.
Q2. What is the significance of jade blooming?
According to Feng Shui, jade blooms are a complement to the plant’s grower. Furthermore, the flowering jade plant symbolizes good luck and prosperity, as well as friendship. In addition, it will produce seeds for germinating more jade plants.
Q3. Do all jade plants flower?
Most types of jade plants bloom when given the right environment. However, a jade must reach maturity before it blooms, and this can take a long time. Also, it is unlikely that a jade plant will flower indoors.
