Gollum jades are beautiful succulent plants that can be a welcome addition to any home-growers collection. It has unique finger-like green leaves that branch out from the body of the plant. Gollum jades can easily be propagated once they are mature, allowing you to make more and more of them.
So how do you propagate a Gollum jade? Gollum Jade plants are easily propagated by simply taking a piece of the plant, letting it dry for a few days, then planting it in a suitable potting mix. Although it sounds simple enough, there are a lot of different variables you need to be aware of, which we’ll get into later.
Propagation, and gardening in general, is not an exact science as everyone’s circumstances will be different. Here are some fool-proof tips to help you propagate your gollum jade …
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What Is Propagation?
Propagation simply means to reproduce something. Whether through spreading seeds, cutting and replanting segments, or any other way of reproducing plants. As opposed to natural forms of a plant reproducing, propagation is when the plant is manually reproduced by a gardener.
For gollum jades, propagation is done by cutting or removing one of the finger-like leaves and replanting it in soil. The leaf will then begin to grow roots and will produce a new plant entirely. The reproduced plant will be a clone of the original, with the same DNA and characteristics.
In the wild, jade plants do this process naturally, as leaves that fall from the plant begin to root next to the original plant. Leaves may be carried away by gusts of wind or by running water. When the leaves end up in the new soil, they will begin to form a new plant.
How Do I Know If My Gollum Jade Is Ready To Propagate?
Healthy gollum jade plants are vibrant and green, with plump green finger-leaves. The leaves have an opening at the top that is ringed with red. Make sure your plant has these characteristics before you think about propagation.
To ensure that the propagation works, and the original plant is not damaged, it is very important that the plant is healthy and can spare a few leaves being removed. Instead of making a second Gollum jade, you might just end up with the baby one, as the original dies from the process.
Any green parts of a plant are important, as they absorb sunlight for the plant to use as energy through a process known as photosynthesis. Removing a leaf from a gollum jade that cannot afford to lose it may damage the plant long term.
Preparing For Propagation – Make Sure It Has:
Enough Sunlight – A gollum jade plant needs a fair amount of sunlight. They benefit greatly from roughly four hours of the morning sun, with indirect light for the rest of the day. If your Gollum jade’s leaf fingers are beginning to dry and turn brown or yellow then you may be giving it too much sun.
Once you buy a gollum jade, let it get used to its spot in the house before you start trying to propagate it. The spot you choose for it may not be suitable, and it may struggle to survive if you start chopping leaves off to propagate.
Make sure the finger leaves are plump and entirely green before you think about cutting or removing them for propagation. Any leaves that look wrinkled or yellowing should not be considered for the propagation process.
Enough Water – Gollum jades don’t need watering every day. This makes them a perfect low-maintenance plant for busy people. However, you should water more frequently in spring and summer, and less in winter and fall. The plants go dormant in winter and are less likely to need water.
Hotter climates will require more watering as the water in the soil will evaporate faster. Likewise, colder climates mean that water will stay in the soil longer. Make sure to check the soil by hand before watering. If the top two inches of the soil feel dry then add a splash of water.
The Right Soil – Gollum jades ideally need a type of soil known as a potting soil mix. You can easily find this type of soil at gardening stores or online. The potting soil is normally made up of 1 part peat moss, 3 parts coarse sand, and 1 part organic matter. Each element helps the plant to grow healthily.
Ensuring your gollum jade has the right nutrients and drainage will help it survive the propagation process. The peat moss and organic matter in the soil will ensure that the chemicals the plant needs to regrow are available, While the sand helps with drainage.
Make sure that your gollum jade is in soil that drains well. The plant hates to sit in overly moist soil. The roots of the plant will start to rot and the plant will not be able to absorb nutrients that it needs to grow.
Also, whilst you’re checking the soil. Keep an eye out for any unwanted pests that might be hiding out in there or on your plant. This is essential before propagation as they can easily spread to the new plant.
Flowers – When a gollum jade begins to bloom, this is a good sign that the plant is mature enough to begin to propagate. A plant will only flower when it has enough nutrients to do so. Although gollum jades commonly reproduce through natural leaf propagation they can also produce seed in the flowers.
The flowers are small and white. They start to bloom out of the opening in the leaves. Many leaves attached to the same stem will flower, giving the effect of a larger flower when combined. Flowering is also a good sign that your gollum jade is healthy and happy in its spot.
What Do I Need To Propogate A Gollum Jade?
To properly propagate a Gollum jade, there are a few things that you will need…
Scissors
Scissors or any kind of gardening shears may be needed to propagate a gollum jade. Making sure you make a clean cut is important to not damage the original plant too much. Rather than using force to pull the stem cutting off, scissors cut the stem and leave some remaining.
You may not need scissors if you are using a different method of propagation in which just the leaf is removed. Simply twist the whole leaf until it comes away from the main body of the plant. It may be good to take more than one leaf, as not all the leaves will survive the process.
A Safe And Dry Space
Whichever method you use, the leaf needs to be left in a safe and dry space in order to heal the layer that was once attached to the original plant. This allows the plant to harden the area that was cut so that it can be re-potted and begin to grow roots.
Try putting them on a saucer or plate next to the original plant but away from direct sunlight. The leaves are fairly small and can easily roll off of surfaces and get lost. Likewise, the leaves are quite fragile and could easily be trodden on or squashed by objects.
Make sure the stem cutting or leaf has healed the area that was once attached to the original plant and the area has dried. If it hasn’t dried, then leave the stem cutting or leaf for a day longer in the same spot, or try moving it to a drier spot. It is important that the wound has healed before repotting.
Rooting Hormone
A substance known as rooting hormone can be applied to the leaf to help it begin the process of growing roots. Dip the end of the leaf or stem cutting into rooting hormone to help the cutting to speed up the process. Rooting hormone can come in powder, liquid, or gel form.
A New Pot
Like the mature plant, a propagated gollum jade will need well draining soil. Sticking the cut and now hardened leaf into a suitable soil will ensure that it has the right water levels, nutrients, and space to begin growing its roots and establishing itself.
As the leaf establishes itself, it is important to give it indirect light. The leaf will be far more sensitive to light than a mature plant and will benefit from not being in direct sunlight. As the plant begins to mature, you can move it back into a similar spot to the original plant.
Final Thoughts
Gollum jades are a great and satisfying plant to grow. Their unique shape and look make them a great conversation starter or statement piece in any living room. Propagating a gollum jade is easier than with other plants, and can be done at home with not much fuss.
Make sure you have the right tools and a mature plant and you can be well on your way to making more and more gollum jades. Why not propagate your plant and give the baby plant as a gift to someone you love?
Gollum jades are also known as the money plant (but don’t mistake it for the Chinese Money Plant) due to their symbolic connection with prosperity and good fortune. In Asia, jade plants are believed to be a good luck charm that activates financial energy to their owner. What can be better than that? A beautiful plant AND good luck.
