What do you do with the Jade plant's broken trunk?
It's one of the first questions that arises in your mind when you see a damaged trunk on your plant.
Well, indoor plants can break apart for many reasons, but you need to know how to tackle this issue quickly.
In the following guide, I have shared a few insights on what you need to do to revive the broken trunk of a Jade plant.
So, let's get started!
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How To Grow A Jade Plant From Broken Trunk
These are things you should do to fix this problem in your succulent -
1. Examine The Trunk Of Your Jade Plant
First and foremost, you should check the extent of damage caused to the plant. This will give you an idea of planning the strategy for the revival process.
You can just let the plant be if the damage is not too much. You will not have to do anything else to fix this problem in such a plant.
However, if the trunk is damaged severely and is not holding up straight, you might have to resort to some of the following methods. So, assess the damage and think of what might be the best solution for your plant's trunk.
2. Cover The Damaged Part With A Clean Cloth
When your plant's trunk is damaged, this is the ideal thing to revive the plant. Furthermore, the patch will allow you to support the plant and prevent insects from attracting to the broken trunk.
For this, you can use any clean cloth or cotton to cover the broken part. While performing this task, you should ensure that the trunk is in its correct position. Do not let it bend on either side, as it will not restore properly.
Note: You shouldn't perform this task if it's a minor issue like a scratched surface on the trunk.
For this type of damage, you should only clean the damaged trunk with water and an insecticidal soap solution. Although it's not necessary, it will help prevent bugs and fungus.
3. Try To Support The Plant Using A Wall In Your Room
Sometimes, the plant will need extra support due to a broken trunk. So, the best thing you can do is to support it using a wall in your room.
Once you finish the assessment and cover the damaged part, you can allow the plant to lean on the wall. It will give your plant much-needed support and will also keep it in the upright position.
4. Support It With Stakes Or Strings
Don't have a wall to support the plant? No issues! You can also use stakes or strings to keep the plant in the right position.
If you use stakes, you should put them firmly in the potting soil. In addition, you can also use strings or threads to tie the branches in a way that supports the entire plant's structure.
However, the stakes will offer good support, especially if you have no experience tying the strings.
5. Wait For A Few Weeks And Keep Tracking The Growth Of Your Plant
Followed all the steps?
Now, you can wait a couple of weeks to see how the plant responds to the patch. There is nothing else that needs to be done at this stage.
The leaves and branches will look fresh again if the plant is doing alright. If not, you should think of different propagation methods. Meanwhile, check out the following section to learn a few important things related to this process.
Things To Avoid While Addressing The Damaged Trunk
Even though the above suggestions are useful, you must follow a few more things to keep the plant alive.
Here's a list of additional guidelines -
- Do not keep your plant in direct sunlight.
- Limit watering your Jade plant.
- Do not fertilize the plant for a few weeks.
- Please keep it away from your children's and pets' reach.
- Do not move the plant frequently.
- Avoid misting the plant.
- Do not remove the patch or cover from the damaged part.
You need to follow these things if you want to revive the plant. Now, let's see how you can root the broken trunk of the Jade plant.
How To Root The Broken Trunk Of A Jade Plant
If you feel the chances of surviving this plant are low, you should follow the given methods quickly. There are a couple of ways to go about this process.
1. Rooting The Main Trunk
In the first process, you can cut the trunk from the damaged part and try to root it in the existing pot. It has a low chance of success, as the trunk may not have sufficient leaves.
You can keep the remaining branches intact if the trunk is broken from a slightly upper position. Do not remove these branches.
Alright, here are the steps you can follow for this process -
- Cut the trunk just below the broken part. You may use a sharp knife or blade to perform this task.
- Similarly, remove any hanging or dead branches from the plant.
- Water the plant.
2. Rooting The Broken Branches
Now, let's look at the second way for this rooting process. Here, you have to root the branches of the plant. Since you are going to throw them off anyway, it's better to use them for propagation.
You can propagate them using the soil and water propagation method. So, let's look at them in detail -
Soil Propagation:
- Cut the branches from the plant and clean any leaves from them. Let them callus over for a couple of days.
- Put them in a small pot with fresh soil mix.
- Water the pot.
Water Propagation:
- Use the callused cuttings and put them in a bottle filled with water.
- Keep them in the water for a couple of weeks.
Don't forget to change the water every 3-4 days.
Note: You should let the cuttings dry out for a day or two.
If you are not in a hurry, you should follow this extra step for both these propagation methods. Moreover, I like the water propagation method because it gives you a better chance of successfully rooting the cuttings. So, do try it out and see how it works for your plant.
In the next section, let's take a quick look at the FAQs related to this topic.
FAQs
Yes, you can bring your Jade plant back to life. You have to assess the damage caused to the plant.
Once you get the hang of it, you can proceed with the ways to revive your plant. If you feel the plant is not going to make it, you can follow the propagation methods.
The Jade plant can fall apart for several reasons, i.e., underwatering and top-heavy plants.
If your plant is overgrown, it might put more pressure on the trunk. This might cause the plant to break into parts from weaker sections.
The other reason is underwatering. When you don't water the plant for long, its branches will begin to droop and might break apart. Apart from these two reasons, the plant may also get damaged when kids play around it.
The splitting process is fairly easy for this plant.
When you see two Jade plants growing together in the pot, you can remove them using this technique.
For the method, you just need to pull the plants out of the container. Remove the excess soil attached to the roots. You may use water spray to clean the dirt off the roots.
Once the roots are cleaned, you can use sharp scissors to cut the roots from the middle part. Make sure each plant has enough roots to grow further in the future.
Important: You will need to keep the separated plants as it is for a day or two. Do not plant them in the pot right after the splitting process.
Yes, you can root the Jade plant cutting in water.
For this type of propagation, you will have to keep a few branches in a glass or bottle filled with water. This whole procedure might take a couple of weeks.
In the end, you should be able to see roots at the bottom of the cuttings. If you don't see root formation for some reason, try to keep it near a window.
Yes, it's better to propagate succulents in soil than in water. Soil helps in providing sufficient nutrients for the rooting process.
Note: Some succulents won't grow roots in water, so you will need to confirm it before putting them in water.
Charles says
Thanks for the Jade plant info. It was total and in my case, very useful.
Charles Fox
Harshad says
Hey Charles!
Thanks for the feedback.
I'm glad you found it useful. Cheers!