Nice Jade!

[oldgus]

Saw this Jade on a window sill in an office. Wonder if I could make the owner an offer and turn this beaurty into a bonsai? It's about two feet tall right now with a nice think trunk and great branches. Bad pic taken with a cellphone doesn't do this tree justice.

[iamurthman]

Maybe you can talk him out of a branch? Jades are real easy to start. Just cut off a likely branch and allow the cut end to dry till it scabs over. Stick it in sand or I even use regular potting mix, and it will root. The trick to Crassula is that they are not trees, not really. They grow like a tree, but they are a succulent and grow like one. Jades hold their water in the branchs and leaves. Their roots breathe in and out, only growing when the plant is drying out, and shrinking back when the plant is saturated. That's why bigger ones like this will fall over when overwatered. The leaves are the best indicators. If they are fat and hard the plant is happy. If they start to become soft and a bit wrinkly, it's time to water, and water it good. I pulled one much like this one out of a dumpster, the owner thought it dead. I revived it and took it back to them, much to their amazement, I might add.