jade plant also named as money plant is seen as good luck

4 Things You”ll Wish You”d Known Before Misting Jade Plants

Jade plants are one of the best houseplants you can grow! They are known for their good luck and are believed to bring wealth and prosperity to the household. Besides as it is a succulent, it is extremely easy to care for and demands less attention. So,
Should You Mist a Jade Plant? Misting Jade plants regularly will change the humidity around the succulent & this can lead to rot which can slowly kill the plant. Also, it can lead to weaker root development and stunted growth of the Jade plant.

Why you should never Mist a Mature Jade Plant?

Let’s take a quick look at 4 of the dire consequences of misting Jade plants:

Fully Matured Succulents Do Not Like to be Misted

The easiest way to make any green plant grow best is by providing it with conditions identical to its natural habitat.

Succulents normally grow in drought-prone areas where water is scarce. However, when it rains, it pours.

  • As a result of which they have developed fleshy leaves, stems, and a wide network of roots along with a lot of other structural modifications that help them to absorb and store every last bit of water.
  • The humidity in these places also remains extremely low.

So if you end up misting them, the moisture level in the air changes, and instead of getting poured with water, it is receiving water droplets in sparse amounts. Hence you should never mist fully grown-up Jade plants and other succulents.

Let’s take a quick look at some other consequences of misting Jade plants

Improper Water absorption will happen

Succulents absorb water mainly through their roots. Misting the succulent leaves, branches, and the stem won’t be any good if the soil remains dry.  Hence it is advised to drench the soil in water as only then the root hairs will be able to suck water from the soil.

Misting on a regular basis will lead to underwatering and the succulent leaves will end up shriveling and changing colors.

Slowly it will start shedding off unwanted plant parts, its growth will be stunted and it will enter the dormant stage.

Development of weaker roots will take place

Roots are the foundation of any plant and the health of the roots gets directly reflected through the upper succulent body. In fact, the most common reason succulents die is because of root rot. This just shows how important the root health is for the succulents.

  • When you only mist the upper plant part along with the soil, the water barely reaches only up to a depth of few inches.
  • This does not facilitate better root development as the roots can absorb water available only a few inches under the topsoil.
  • They dont need to go deeper down in search of water.

As a result, weaker and stunted root development will occur which further will lead to a malnourished looking stunted succulent development.

When you soak the soil with water instead of misting it, the succulent roots are encouraged to go really deep to absorb every last drop of water available to them and this facilitates better and stronger root growth.

Chances of Pest manifestation and bacterial or fungal infection will increase

Misting the leaves and branches will leave these plant parts moist for a long period of time especially if you are growing them indoors. Doing this on a regular basis will attract a variety of pests and can lead to bacterial or fungal infections.

Infections are commonly found to occur especially at the joining areas or the junctions of the branches and the leaves. Hence misting indoor plants regularly can be really harmful in the longer run.

The Exception: Only Time You Can Mist Jade Plants

You should only mist jade plants and all other succulents when it is totally unmatured and has not yet developed roots properly. For example, if you are growing the jade plant via propagation and you have planted the leaf or stem cuttings into a new potting soil then you should try misting the potting mixture whenever it feels dry.

  • It should get sufficient indirect sunlight, preferably from eastern or southern windows.

misting jade plants using spray bottle

Within a few weeks, you will notice roots coming out of those plant parts and then you can switch over to normal watering i.e, the process of watering where you aim for the soil and drench it until water starts coming out of the drainage holes.

In case, You have been Already Misting Your Jade Plant

  • Check for signs of Pest or microbial manifestation on the leaves and branches. Especially check the undersurface of the leaves and junctions of leaves and branches.
  • See if your plant is in healthy shape or showing signs of stress. Closely observe if the jade plant showing any color changes in the leaves or showing other signs of underwatering.
  • If you feel the jade plant has been not growing as swiftly you thought it would then it can be due to the underdevelopment of the roots. Firstly make sure you have proper succulent friendly soil which is porous and light. The roots need space to breathe. Next totally avoid misting and strat drenching your succulent with water and soak the roots thoroughly every time you water. No more of just splashing water on the topsoil.

If Misting is a Big No-No then How to Water Jade Plants

  • What is the best way to water succulents? Whenever you are watering the Jade plant, make sure to completely drench the succulent soil with water, do not hold back. Dont stop watering until water starts oozing out of the drainage holes at the bottom.

You should always aim to grow Jade plants on containers with drainage holes. It has got multiple advantages. It will help in better drainage and will let the soil to dry up quickly. And those small openings will also promote better aeration. If you are growing them indoors you can grow them over some plate or tray to keep things tidy and clean.

  • Avoid watering the leaves, branches, and only aim for the stem base and topsoil. As mentioned, moisture in the upper plant body attracts pests and can lead to infections. Doing this once in a while is not expected to be troublesome.
  • Rainwater is the best kind of water you should use for watering Jade plants. It is slightly acidic and as succulents love slight acidity in their soil, this is good for them. And also it is free of chemicals present in tap water.

Must Read: How You Are Damaging Your Succulent using Tap Water(Solutions Included)

  • So When Should You water Jade plants? You should always try watering jade plants in the morning before the sun goes up properly. Avoid watering them after 2 pm or in the evening as doing this, in the long run, can harm your succulent and increase the chances of root rot.

Also Read: When Should Succulents be Watered? (At What Time of the Day)

  • Instead of using spray bottles or normal watering cans, you can use succulent friendly watering containers as it will provide you with better control.

FAQ

How can I tell if my Jade plant needs water?

The best rule about watering any succulents is to always check the soil dryness before watering. You can easily understand whether your jade plant needs water or not by checking the soil moisture.

Unlike tropical or subtropical plants, you should never aim to stick to a watering schedule with succulents. They dont need to be watered regularly to be alive. So when the soil is properly dry you should go ahead and water the succulents. In case of being underwater, the jade plant will show symptoms like:

  • Shrieviling of the leaves along with discoloration
  • The leaves will look completely dry and lose softness
  • The whole plant will feel wrinkly and worn out

How often should you water jade plants?

The watering need or the time it will take for the soil to dry up depends on a lot of factors like:

  • Sunlight exposure the succulent is getting
  • The time of the year it is
  • The potting soil mixture quality
  • Presence or absence of drainage holes and the container quality

So it is best to use a moisture meter to check the soil dryness before watering them. In the long run, this can save you a lot of headaches as succulents are not forgiving about overwatering.

Conclusion

Succulents can put up with neglect and can adapt well with the conditions however they are quite sensitive regarding watering. They can put up with overwatering but high humidity or improper watering can easily cause fungal infections which can slowly go on killing the plant.
  • Misting unfortunately keeps the plant parts moist and it is totally unnecessary as no proper water absorption happens through the upper plant body.

So instead of misting you should always water the succulents properly and soak them completely in water every time you water them.