If you’re like me, you love keeping plants around the house. Not only do they add some life and color, but they also help to clean the air. And if you’re new to keeping plants, there’s probably nothing easier than a jade plant.
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They’re low maintenance and can thrive in a variety of conditions. But even with the easiest plants, there can be problems if we’re not careful. Today we’ll be talking about how to identify overwatering symptoms in your jade plant, and how to correct them!
What Are 6 Jade Plant Overwatering Symptoms?
There are a few different symptoms to look for on your jade plant to tell if it’s being overwatered. This can be just from looking at the plant’s leaves, or looking at the soil!
And once you’ve determined that it has been overwatered (rather than underwatered), read to find out a few things you can do to save your plant!
Your jade plant can also fall over if it’s been overwatered!
Keep reading about overwatered plants: overwatered Christmas cactus care
Yellowing Leaves
The most common symptom of overwatering is yellowing leaves, or even turning white. This can be either on a few leaves, or on most of the plant’s leaves. It can also be a sign that the plant is starting to die, so if you see this symptom it’s important to take action right away!
Yellowing leaves can also be a sign of scale on your jade plant, so be sure to check for bugs on the plant as another cause!
Leaves Falling Off
Another common sign of overwatering is when the leaves start to fall off. Especially if they’re getting wrinkly or turning black and falling off. This can be because the plant doesn’t have enough energy to keep them attached, or it could be a sign that the roots are rotting.
Wilting Leaves
Wilting leaves is another common sign of overwatering. This happens when the leaves start to droop and curl inwards, as if the plant is thirsty. If you’re seeing this symptom, it’s important to take action right away!
It can be confusing when you see this and may think that it means the plant needs more water. But before you give it more water, check the soil!
Soil Moisture
This one isn’t obvious to just looking at your jade plant, but an easy way to tell if you have an overwatered jade plant is to feel the soil. If the soil feels soggy, and isn’t drying out after weeks of not watering, you’ve probably got an overwatered jade.
This means the plant can’t breathe through the roots, and is essentially suffocating the plant.
Mold Growing on Soil
If you see mold growing on the surface of the soil, it’s another clear sign that your plant is overwatered. This can be harmful to both your plant and to you, as it can release spores into the air which can cause health problems.
Rotting Roots
If you see the roots of your jade plant starting to rot, it’s another clear sign that the plant is being overwatered. This happens when the roots are constantly wet and can’t dry out, which will cause them to rot and die.
Comparing to Overwatered Jade Symptoms
Now that we know some of the signs to look out for, let’s compare them to underwatered jade symptoms.
Underwatered Jade Plant Symptoms:
- Leaves are wilting and drooping
- Plant is stunted and not growing
- Soil is dry and crumbly
That’s why it can be confusing to just look at the leaves and be able to tell if your plant is underwatered or overwatered. And it’s why it’s so important to check the soil!
What Are a Few Things You Can Do For An Overwatered Jade Plant?
Once you’ve determined that your jade plant is overwatered, it’s time to reduce the water in the soil of your jade plant. If your plant isn’t majorly overwatered, try just not watering it until the soil is dry to the touch.
Also, if your plant isn’t getting much bright light throughout the day, move it somewhere partly sunny! This will help dry out some of the water.
Unconventional Tip:
An unconventional method to try to remove water from the soil is to dig a small spot in the soil away from the roots and put a tampon in (ideally a 100% cotton one). This may seem weird, but the point of tampons is to soak up liquid. So if you have an overwatered jade plant, this will soak up some of the excess water.
I’ve had mixed luck with this, as it does absorb a lot of water, but if it’s severely overwatered you’ll want to move on to the next step.
Very Overwatered Jade Plant Care
If your plant is very overwatered, you want to remove it from the wet soil completely and repot it.
So carefully take your jade plant out of the wet soil, and try to get as much soil away from the roots as possible. If there are any dead roots, cut those off with clean pruning shears or scissors.
Make sure to choose a pot that has a drainage hole, and ideally a terracotta pot (because it lets moisture out of the sides as well). Add in fresh, dry soil (quick draining soil) to the pot, and carefully put your jade plant in. Top it off with more dry soil.
DO NOT WATER THE PLANT. This is the most important part! Since your plant has been dealing with too much water, you don’t want to add more by overwatering it. Avoid watering it for at least two weeks.
Future Care For Your Jade Plant
To keep your jade plant from getting overwatered again, it’s important to know how much water your jade plant needs.
Jade plants need water when the top inch of soil is dry. You can either wait until the top inch dries out or you can check the soil moisture with your fingers. If it feels dry to the touch, it’s time to water your jade plant.
And keep in mind, even if you’ve got your jade plant as an indoor plant, water needs will vary throughout the year! Especially if you’re trying to get it to flower, it will need to be watered significantly less at some points in the year.
Overwatering your jade plant can lead to a number of problems, such as mold growth, rotting roots, and stunted growth. If you’re unsure whether your jade plant is getting enough water or too much water, it’s important to check the soil moisture levels and compare them against underwatered and overwatered jade plant symptoms!
