Yep, more light, better soil.
I'd probably trim it lightly, and re-pot it in a more upright fashion. After it grows
in the new position for a while, I'd prune again based on the new growth.

I'm with Al...more pics would help, indeed.

Josh

Sorry it's taken me so long to get back to the forum. Thank you to both Al and Josh for taking the interest in my post.

Al, I got a Photobucket account and am going to try my hand and posting a few different views of the jade here.

{{gwi:102893}}

{{gwi:102894}}

{{gwi:102895}}

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As you can see, I've moved it to a sunny window. Again thanks for your help. I'm eager to hear your ideas.

Hello Mama_Otter,

I'd trim off the part that is most hanging over which is the heaviest area on the plant. I edited the picture to circle the area I'm talking about. Also the area that I put an X on could be removed and any other branches that curl down and are trying to grow back up. You could also just trim off branches like that and see how it looks to your liking before you went more drastic. I would also recomend repotting it in a more gritty mix and turning the plant so it would be more upright and see how it grows. Good luck and let us know what you do.

{{gwi:102897}}

Good job on the pictures!

If you decide to listen to me, it's going to take a certain amount of trust on your part. To reassure you, I'm a long time bonsai practitioner, and used to looking at a plant and seeing in the mind's eye how it could potentially look many years from now. The down side is, you'll have to be content with a plant that won't start to look a lot better until it back-buds and starts to grow some new branches. I'm so accustomed to that wait that I don't even give it a second thought - just chop when & where it's appropriate, but that decision is easier on me because for every raw tree I have, I have 10 that are getting to the stage or are at the stage where they are pleasing to the eye, so that 1 raw tree sort of gets lost amid the rest of the greenery.

Changing the planting angle of your jade isn't really going to fix the long internodes and leggy growth. That's a function of the low light level it's been grown under. I can't see all the branches, but the only ones I really wanted to see are those that emerge from the trunk before the first big 'Y'. If you look at the second picture you posted today, you'll see a branch that comes of the near side/top of the trunk just before the big 'Y'. That branch appears to move from right to left in the picture. That's your new leader. If you sever the main trunk at the 'Y' and leave a stub there, a new branch will emerge from the base of the new leader. You can clean up the stub after the new branch gets going. I'll be around in the spring & can help you with that. All the branches growing below that new leader will be removed next summer, but leave them on for now. The tree needs them for their ability to make food (for the winter), and they will further thicken the trunk, which will add taper to your tree. You might not realize it, but the taper you'll be creating in your trunk is a feature that will add a LOT to the plant's eye appeal. If you become a regular member or otherwise stay in touch, I'll even help you with a plan for future pruning. You can easily build a plant that is much more unique and interesting than most jades commonly seen - sort of lemons to lemonade.

For those who want to keep their jades very compact, prune them in June, making sure to prune all branches at least hard enough to remove all growth made from the previous Sep through pruning time. This ensures that ALL growth on the tree will have been formed under the highest light period and while the plant is changing from a tendency to elongate to a tendency to STORE nutrients for the winter.

Not a jade, but getting close. This plant has actually outgrown itself & needs a restyling because the large branches are too congested.
{{gwi:3241}}

Here's what it looked like after a repot and some critical thinning & restructuring of branches.
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..... not exactly pretty, but necessary. The tree's appearance would have continued to decline. It will look better by next summer's end (looks much better already) and will look good by mid summer '14.

So - do you have the courage? ;-)

Al

Great update, Al ;-)
Yes, should be looking good by 2014! I just gave my Port. afra a bit of a trim.

Al, I noticed you didn't mention a change of soil...or did you and I missed it?

I wouldn't recommend changing the angle without that trim that I suggested.

Josh

Oh boy - I didn't even notice that you'd posted, Josh. My bad! A change of soil would definitely be a priority if it was mine. And she could change the plant's attitude (planting position/angle) in the pot if preferred. In my mind, I'm seeing the pruning I described now, and a repot come June '13. The position of the branch I figured for the new leader sort of fit very nicely with that plan. I rescanned the thread, but didn't see where MO lives, so, as durable as her plant is and in view of how much it doesn't like wet feet/a soggy soil, a repot might still be a possibility, depending on what she has to offer in the light/temp dept - if she lives in the southern tier of states, perhaps.

...... and I agree - IMV, that semi-cascading branch has to go in order to get the plant back on a track to making it over into a uniquely interesting specimen.

Al

Indeed!
I agree, if there's enough good weather left, I'd re-pot...although it is gettin' late
in the season.

Josh

Yes, Al, I do have the ccccourage! And more questions, of course. What do I make the cut with? a very sharp knife and cut straight through?

The potting soil is MG w/moisture control. It was re-potted about 5 mos ago into this large pot. If I don't need to re-pot now, I'll save soil questions for later.

Light: It is now in a east-facing double window that gets full direct sun until about noonish. It has never been outside. I live in Idaho high desert (winters are freezing, summers are hot!).

OK, I had fun with the photo program; here's the pic.
{{gwi:102900}}

Great - you have the pruning laid out correctly. Leave the stub - it will dry back to the next viable node where a branch will occur eventually, and you can prune the dead stub back to sound tissue next spring. It doesn't matter what you prune it with, a pair of sharp bypass pruners would be best, or a saw with a fine blade, but be sure to support the main trunk well while using the saw. You can Make cuttings from the branches you prune off if you like. They should strike pretty readily for you - use a very coarse medium. Both Josh & I grow succulents in something that looks like this:
{{gwi:1295}}

and they love it.

Your plant will love it outdoors when temps are above 55* - just don't take it out and set it in full sun w/o acclimating it. It's probably better now, to keep it indoors until next summer or late spring, then give it a vacation in the yard. For now, acclimating it to a south or west exposure indoors will give it the light it craves.

I'll leave a link that covers some basics and talks a little about soil, which is an issue that can be pivotal. If you're to have a healthy plant, you have to provide a healthy home for roots - a requirement, not an option. The former is not possible w/o the later. The link is below - if that one is helpful and you'd like to learn more about soils, I'll provide that link, too.

Best luck!

Al

Here is a link that might be useful: Click me & I'll take you to the thread.

what is the mix you show for succulent cuttings?

It's equal parts, by volume, of screened Turface MVP or Allsport, crushed granite in grower size or #2 quartzite (aka cherrystone), and screened pine or fir bark. Someone from GW started calling it The Gritty Mix 11 or 12 years ago, and the name stuck. Click me to read more about it.

Al

Thanks a lot!

Alternatively, a Jade can just be left alone to freeform itself the way it wants...full Western exposure sun under a lanai, in Florida. Rain all summer.

Linda - No question what you said is 100% true. Just musing here and not at all being critical of your plant or how it's cared for. When we strive to learn, we grow in our hobbies and pastimes; and, the more proficient we become at keeping our plants healthy, the more particular we're likely to become about their appearance. Very rare indeed is the good looking houseplant that isn't programmed (genetically) to be strictly true to a form (think Norfolk Island Pine). This means that unless we provide the physical guidance some plants need to be pleasing to the eye (by pinching and pruning), it's a good bet it ain't gonna BE pleasing to the eye; this, because indoor conditions really mess with a plant's natural growth habit, more often than not to the degree the indoor plant looks nothing at all like in situ plants of the same species. Look no further than a short distance upthread for examples of growers who fully realize their plants aren't looking as good as they'd like because they haven't yet taken control over their plant's form ..... but they're working on it.

We all need to allow for the fact that a very high % of hobby growers are thrilled with nothing more than seeing their plants grow and exhibit signs of reasonably good vitality ....... nothing at all wrong with that, nor does it deserve to be diminished. When we reach the stage where we can reliably keep our plants in prime condition, most of us are ready to move on to the next challenge, which might just as well be keeping them pleasing to the eye, too. Every 'AHA!' moment that proves as useful as it was exciting when we first realized or discovered it, elevates the plane on which we interact with out plants, so progress lifts us up and provides lots of personal satisfaction. If we plan on exacting personal satisfaction from any hobby, learning new things and progression becomes an investment instead of a chore. Just the view from here. As always, YMMV.

Al

I didn't think anyone was being critical! Just wanted to show that the care can also be quite simple. That's all.

I didn't think anyone was being critical! Just wanted to show that the care can also be quite simple. That's all.

Also, mine is not a houseplant, and it has been pinched quite a bit. I work at shaping all my plants, this one just grew very quickly and happily so I left it alone.