Dwarf jade: Diseases and Remedies (Complete Remedies List)

NOTE: The terms Dwarf jade and Portulacaria afra are identical in this text; in reality, Portulacaria afra is Dwarf jade’s biological word.

The dwarf jade is a perennial plant with small leaves and reddish-brown stems. In its native South Africa, dwarf jade is a shrub or small tree, but for the rest of the world, it is an easy-to-care-for houseplant.

Why does my Portulacaria afra roots have rot?

Root rot on your Dwarf jade (Portulacaria afra) can be fatal if not treated with care. For this reason, we strongly recommend that you follow our guide to keep your plant alive if the symptoms occur: Root soft and blackened.
Dwarf

Why does my Dwarf jade have gray mold spots?

A particular fungus that frequently affects flowers and spreads quickly is known as gray mold spots. This fungus is most likely to blame if you see any brown (or gray) spots. Don’t ignore these signs because doing so could cause your plant to die.

Our Solution

The solution is quite logical when you know the cause of the problem. Most of the time, it is due to overwater of the Portulacaria afra. We advise you to remove the infected parts of the plant, cut off the infected roots and leaves, then repot your plant using sterile potting soil and a clean pot.

Why does my Dwarf jade have leaf spots?

Leaf This type of disease is one of the most frustrating for Dwarf jade owners, we give you all the leads to spot and save your plants that present symptoms such as leaves that suddenly change color, or wilt/droop.

Why are my Dwarf jade leaves turning yellow?

Yellowing leaves are arguably the most prevalent issue in the gardening world. Overwatering or a lack of nutrients are the 2 main causes of this issue.

Reduce your watering frequency when you fear your plants are being overwatered, and follow these steps to determine whether they may be lacking in nutrients:

Here are some signs of yellowing caused by the many deficiencies on the Portulacaria afra in question:

  • The first symptom of a magnesium deficiency is yellow patches between leaf veins on elder leaves. The leaf’s core turns yellow while the veins stay green. The edges of the leaf yellow last.
  • Another indicator of iron deficiency is yellowing between leaf veins, but young leaves on plant tops and branch tips are first affected.
  • Sulfur shortage first affects the youngest leaves, turning them entirely yellow.
  • Leaf edges turning bright yellow but inside leaf remaining green are signs of potassium insufficiency. The symptoms first appear on older leaves, and the leaf edges quickly become dark.
  • A broad yellowing indicates a nitrogen deficiency. Yellowing starts with older, inner leaves. Yellowing spreads as it advances, eventually touching new leaves as well.

Our Solution

According to the symptoms mentioned above, you just have to act accordingly. You can reduce your watering frequency, or fix a deficiency in Potassium, or Nitrogen, for that, you just have to buy a special soil for your deficiency, a consultant in a gardening store will know perfectly well how to inform you.

Is my Dwarf jade sunburned?

It is simple to determine whether your Dwarf jade (your Portulacaria afra) has sunburn. Your plant will change color in this instance, beginning to turn yellow or white, much like it does on us.

Sunburned

As we saw above, the leaves of your Dwarf jade can also change color if it receives too much water or insufficient light.

To find out if the yellow leaves have been sunburned, look at the part of the bottom that is tinted closer to the base. The yellow leaf is probably burnt and not something else if this portion stays greener.

Why are my Dwarf jade leaves turning brown?

The classic sign that a plant has been overexposed to direct sunlight and sunburned is the development of browning leaves. Rest assured that while this may probably save your plant from dying, it will adversely affect its growth.

Should I leave my Portulacaria afra in direct sunlight?

No! Don’t leave your Portulacaria afra (or Dwarf jade) in the sun if it displays the symptoms mentioned above; that’s why it’s in such a bad situation.

Our Solution

The remedy, as said in the paragraph above, is simple: just move your plant’s Dwarf jade out of direct sunlight. Your plant should swiftly re-grow with this strategy and appropriate watering.

Why are my Portulacaria afra leaves drooping or wilting ?

This typically occurs when your Portulacaria afra gets dehydrated. Large plants are more at risk since they naturally require more water than smaller plants.

Drooping

An easy way to know if your Portulacaria afra is lacking water is to under-weigh its pot, if it looks light, it means that the soil and the roots are probably quite dry, and therefore need water!

Our Solution

If the soil in the container is completely dry, you must first moisten it to guarantee that your plant’s roots absorb the benefits of the water. One common mistake is to drown the Dwarf jade right away after a dry time because you think it needs a lot of water.

This is true, but the easiest way to end it is to give too much water at once. Instead, you should water the soil properly, returning to a peaceful watering rhythm.

Caring Tips for Portulacaria afra

Water Occasionally

Water is essential to the survival of your plant, however, it is important to balance the rate of watering. As we explained above, overwatering could have fatal consequences for your Portulacaria afra.

Touching the soil will let you know whether your plant needs water or not; if it still feels damp, it’s generally best to wait a few more days.

Always keep temperatures stable

It is also a good idea to keep your Portulacaria afra at a stable temperature (especially if it is kept indoors!). At GreenShack, we generally recommend staying in the 65 and 85 degrees F range. Of course, do not place your Portulacaria afra near a source of hot (or cold) air such as A/C units, radiators or the like.

Keep your Dwarf jade Dust-Free

This one is about houseplants. Your indoor plants’ leaves get dusty just like your furniture does. The problem is that this might prevent photosynthesis from beginning, which would result in the plants gradually losing their color.

This would be a true journey into hell for your Dwarf jade and would also satisfy the pests.

To remove the dust from the leaves of your plant, take a microfiber cloth and gently rub the leaves. You can wet the cloth to make it easier to remove the dust, but never use corrosive products (such as rubbing alcohol!)

Keep drainage in mind

If you tend to overwater, you need to pay attention to your drainage, and we advise choosing a saucer and a pot with drainage holes if they are not already there.

You can add volcanic rocks (or any other pebbles with holes) to the bottom of your pot in the interim if your pots don’t already have holes in them. This will help to form a channel so that the water doesn’t pool there for too long (preventing the rot of the roots!).