Do Jade Plants Smell?

Does the Jade plant have a smell?

The Jade plant is a well-known plant in the indoor gardening world, and many gardeners prefer this plant for its beautiful leaves and overall appearance.

However, like many indoor plants, this plant can also release smell due to various reasons.

If you are a beginner in the gardening field, you might feel confused about such a smell from the plant.

So, in today’s guide, let’s learn more about this interesting Jade plant issue in detail.

Do Jade Plants Smell?

The Jade plant can surely produce a distinctive smell at some point in its lifecycle.

The reasons for the smell can depend on various factors, which include organic as well as inorganic.

In most cases, you will experience the smell due to external factors more than anything else.

So, it’s important to perform a thorough inspection of the plant to understand the main cause of such issues in your houseplant.

If you don’t find any issues after the inspection, you can rule out the plant factors and look for some other possible reasons for this issue.

In the following section, I have shared a couple of prominent reasons why you’d experience such a smell from your Jade plant.

Let’s check them out.

Why Does My Jade Plant Smell?

Even though there could be many reasons for the smell issue, it’s likely to be caused by the following factors.

1. Too Much Water In The Pot

Do you overwater your Jade plant?

Or have you kept your plant on the balcony during the rains?

If this is the case, there will be too much water in the pot.

Since the Jade plant is succulent, it doesn’t like a lot of water sitting in the pot for long.

Once the soil remains wet for a long duration, it turns into the root rot issue in your Jade plant.

When the roots of the plant start to rot, they often release an unpleasant smell from the pot.

The odor will last for many days if the soil in the pot doesn’t dry out quickly.

Again, the reason for the soil not drying quickly could be related to the root rot issue in the plant, as the roots will stop functioning properly.

In this process, they won’t extract an adequate amount of water from the soil.

Ultimately, the water will just sit in the soil, making the entire situation even worse.

This will also happen if there are no drainage holes in the pot.

Apart from that, the cooler environmental conditions can also slow down the drying process in the pot.

2. Fungus In The Soil

Fungus is another crucial factor that can cause the smell from your Jade plant container.

Generally, the fungus grows on the soil and spreads on the plant pretty quickly.

When it is at its prime growth stage, it will cause more damage to the plant.

This makes the stem and branches of the plant rot.

The issue is commonly known as stem rot and is observed in many other indoor plants too.

If you don’t attend to this issue quickly, it can also lead to permanent damage to the plant.

So, how do you identify this problem in your Jade plant?

The best way to do so is to feel the stem and branches of the plant.

If you feel the stem is soft and squishy, it is a sign of rot.

This is also the reason why you might be experiencing a foul smell from the plant.

3. Flowers On The Jade Plant

Yes, the Jade plant does bloom, and it could also be the reason for the peculiar smell of the plant.

The flowers smell like soap. 

The smell, however, won’t be too intense.

So, you will have to be closer to the plant to notice any such fragrance from its flowers.

As for the flowers, they bloom in clusters and generally appear in white or pink color.

Overall, these are the three reasons for the smell in your Jade plant.

Of course, the first two reasons need more attention, whereas the third one is just a gift of nature.

For the first two reasons, the problem is how you water your Jade plant.

So, in the next section, let’s learn a few useful things about the watering process for the Jade plant.

4 Things To Remember While Watering Your Jade Plant

These are the things you will have to remember while watering this succulent in your home garden – 

1. Water Your Jade Plant When It’s Required

That’s right!

Overwatering doesn’t help any plants in your indoor garden, which is especially true for succulents like the Jade plant.

If you water the plant even when it doesn’t require water, it will cause root rot and stem rot issues.

In order to prevent such situations, you should consider opting for an interval watering schedule.

With this schedule, you can only water the plant when it’s required.

Ideally, the Jade plant should be watered every week or so.

You can alter this schedule depending on the size of the plant and seasonality.

For e.g.,

In winter, you can water the plant every month, as the plants often enter into hibernation mode during this period.

You won’t see much growth during these months, so it’s better to cut down on the watering frequency.

2. Allow The Soil To Dry Out Completely

If you are not sure when to water your plant, you should just wait for the soil to dry out completely.

This is the best method to know when your plant will need the next round of water supply.

Furthermore, you can also dip your finger in the soil to check the moisture level in the pot.

If the 1-2 inch of soil seems wet, you don’t have to water the Jade plant at all.

You can easily wait for a few more days for your watering session.

Additionally, use a moisture meter to get accurate readings from the soil.

3. Do Not Water Your Plant If You Notice The Root Root Issue

Do you get any foul smell from the soil?

Well, it’s likely because of the root rot issue.

To confirm, you can remove the plant from the pot and check the condition of the roots.

If you see damaged and dead roots in the soil, it’s a root rot problem.

The other sign of this issue is the wet soil.

Therefore, if you see something like this in your Jade plant’s container, you shouldn’t water the plant at all.

Otherwise, you will have to deal with the smell issue for many more days.

More importantly, the plant won’t survive if you don’t address this issue quickly.

4. Do Not Mist Your Jade Plant

Many of us like to mist our indoor plants, as it can be a fun activity in the garden.

However, the misting process can do more harm to your plant.

If the plant is already suffering from wet soil or fungus issues, you shouldn’t mist the plant.

It will add more moisture to the plant’s surface, which can only help the fungus grow rapidly.

Once the fungus takes over the plant, there is very little you can do to prevent the growth and save the entire plant.

So, as you can see, these are the things you need to remember when dealing with the smell issue.

If you have any more doubts related to this topic, do check out the FAQs section below.

I have tried to answer a few common questions from the readers.

FAQs