If you are here, it’s likely that you are wondering how to get rid of scale on jade plants.
Scale insects are one of the most common pests of jade plants. It sucks sap from your plants and has a waxy shell. On the underside of the leaves, they also cause small bumps. It’s like stealing your jade’s chubbiness.
Apart from looks, it is important to know that scale can seriously damage your jade plant. Additionally, if left untreated, your jade may die.
I know leaving your jade to die is the last thing you want to do. So, if you have a light infestation, you can simply scrape the scale off with a blunt knife. However, what if there is a heavier infestation on your jade plant? Worry not! Continue reading to cover the best ways to get rid of the scale.
Table of Contents
What Causes Scale on Jade Plant?
Jade plants flourish in warm climates, but you must provide succulent soil to make them thrive. The wrong soil or living conditions can cause scale to develop on your jade plant.
1. Scale on Jade Plants Caused by Overwatering
It is most common for scale insects to attack jade plants if the soil is wet. Hence, it is important for jade plants to grow in fast-draining and light soil. In heavy soils, too much water is absorbed, causing roots to rot and scale insects to breed!
When jade plants are overwatered, their leaves turn yellow. Overwatering or using the wrong soil may have caused scale insects. Thus, repot your jade with fresh soil if you suspect scale.
2. Scale on the Jade Plant due to Mildew
Low light, poor circulation, or cooler temperatures cause mildew on jade plants. Eventually, this mildew will attract scale insects and you will have an infestation!
If you want to avoid mildew, place your jade in a south-facing window and avoid overwatering. Make sure that the soil is completely dry before you water it.
Also, it depends on your location and how often you should water a jade plant. But typically, in the summer, it will need watering around once a week.
Symptoms of Scale on Jade Plant
A scale may be mistaken for a mealybug, spider mite, or aphid on jade plants. Nevertheless, you can identify a scale infestation by looking out for some common symptoms. If you have a jade plant, you may see these scale symptoms
- A waxy, shell-like bump on the stem or underside of the leaves of jade plants.
- Poor growth
- Leaf surfaces covered in honeydew
Also, look for a white waxy fiber, which could be an egg deposited by the scale insects.
How to fix the Scale on the Jade Plant?
Obviously, you are wondering how to get rid of scale on jade plants, which is why you ended up on this article. So, to eliminate scales, we will discuss several methods in this section.
In the case of a light infestation, you can simply scrape away the scale carefully with a blunt knife. To prevent pests from returning, the best method is always to use rubbing alcohol.
If your jade plant has a heavy-scale infestation, use 70% Isopropyl Alcohol (rubbing alcohol). Also, it is cheap and easy to find rubbing alcohol almost anywhere.
However, if you are using isopropyl, make sure you dilute it with water in order to prevent leaf burn (phytotoxicity). For the easy appliance, dilute the rubbing alcohol in water and pour it into a spray bottle.
Interesting facts: It’s awesome to know that jade plants aren’t damaged by rubbing alcohol!
After that you simply need to spray the mixture on your jade plant, making sure to get into all the nooks and crannies! If you caught the scale infestation early enough, one treatment should suffice. Also, the scales on your jade plant will return within a few days if you don’t do anything. Therefore, repeat the process until they disappear forever if this happens.
You can also use neem oil to treat jade plant scale. The product is very popular among gardeners due to its non-toxic nature and its ability to kill almost any pest. Since it’s affordable and comes with a pipette, I prefer to use Neem Oil by Kate Blanc. There are a number of uses for this particular product, including the use on hair, skin, and nails, and it lasts for months on end!
Apply the neem oil directly to the scale insects once you have it. Repeat this process once every 2-3 days until the bugs are gone.
Note: In the event of severe scale infestation, you might want to remove infected branches.
Conclusion
I hope you are now well prepared to deal with scale insect infestations after reading this article on scale insects. You just need to keep an eye out for scale symptoms like waxy substances or bumps on steam. It is better to detect scale early in order to prevent damage to your plant.
The methods above can be applied to your jade plant once you notice the scale. You can apply rubbing alcohol, neem oil, and other methods according to the degree of infestation. Besides, to avoid scale infestations, it is essential to maintain a living environment for jade and avoid overwatering.
If you have any other methods for treating scale on jade plants, please share them in the comments! It’s always great to learn new ways to care for succulents!
Is your jade plant infested with scales? Here’s how to remove scale from jade before it wreaks havoc on your plant.
