September is a transitional month in the indoor garden, as many houseplants are slowing down and preparing for dormancy. It means that care for the likes of a jade plant starts to change from the routine you kept in summer.
Growing a jade plant is very straightforward and low-effort year-round, but it is important to adjust how often you water it and where it’s located as daylight and temperature changes this month. Failing to do so can unintentionally harm your jade plant, weaking it before the most challenging winter conditions arrive, potentially killing it off.
That’s why I always tick off a few key tasks in September to rejuvenate my jade plant after a tiring summer of growth and set it up for the incoming cooler season. So, with an Amazon soil moisture meter to hand (and the rest of your houseplant care kit), here’s where to start.
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1. Relocate It Somewhere Brighter
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As my attention turns to fall houseplant care in September, one of the first things I do is reposition my jade plant so it receives adequate light.
While a jade plant may turn red in a south-facing windowsill during scorching summer heat, this spot during fall can provide the 4-6 hours of bright light these succulents need.
Further away from a windowsill may be too dark as daylight hours deplete. Leaving a jade plant in this position with too little light can encourage leggy and stretched growth, weakening it and causing a less aesthetic silhouette.
If you do find your jade plant becoming leggy, cut back to just above a leaf node and gradually improve light exposure to encourage fuller growth. You can use these Fiskars micro-tip snips on Amazon to do this.
2. Reduce Watering
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Jade plants actively grow during spring and summer, during which they require regular watering to stay hydrated in hotter weather. Come late summer and early fall, they require much less water.
As succulents, jade plants are susceptible to overwatering and root rot, so it’s best to allow them to dry out completely between watering. The thing to be aware of this month is cooler temperatures will dry out the soil more slowly, so you won’t need to pick up the watering can as frequently.
For this reason, I always use my soil moisture meter (which you can also find at Walmart) before watering my jade plant. You can also use the bottom watering houseplants method to properly hydrate the roots if you’re nervous about overwatering.
3. Check For Pests
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After a hot, dry summer, September is a good time to check over your jade plants for pest and diseases. Mealybugs, scale and spider mites in particular thrive in the drier conditions of summer and if not stopped, can quickly take over and kill houseplants.
Fall can also bring a lot of houseplant pests indoors and populations can explode. I like to regularly check underneath my jade plant’s foliage for any hiding pests and handle it as soon as its spotted.
Cleaning houseplant leaves with these houseplant dusting gloves from Amazon can help deter pests, as well as using organic neem oil (you can use this neem oil for plants from Walmart) to make your plants less habitable for them.
4. Stop Fertilizing
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You only need to fertilize your jade plant when it’s actively growing, supporting it with a boost of essential plant nutrients.
In September, fertilizing is no longer needed as roots aren’t soaking up the nutrients so readily. In fact, chemical feeds can burn roots and oversaturate the soil during this time, resulting in discoloring foliage, leaf drop, and even death of the plant.
It can also encourage lots of new, tender growth that won’t cope well with colder conditions in fall and winter, ultimately weakening your jade plant.
Instead, stock up on jade plant fertilizer from Amazon now to apply in early spring when your plant shows signs of new growth.
5. Propagate Your Jade Plant
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I always like to propagate houseplants in September, as the lingering warm temperatures and longer daylight hours provide the perfect conditions to support rooting before fall.
You can propagate your jade plant by taking a cutting of a 3-4 inch stem with these gardening snips from Lowe’s. Always cut just below a leaf node as this is where roots will emerge.
As with propagating other succulents, allow your jade plant cutting to form a callus before dipping it in rooting hormone powder (available at Walmart). You can then insert it in potting mix, keep it on a warm windowsill and watered to encourage rooting.
What to Shop
There are several challenges of caring for houseplants in fall and winter. If your jade plant starts dropping leaves over the coming weeks, for example, it could indicate a watering issue. You may also find you need to repot your jade plant if it has outgrown its current container. Fall is a good time to do this.
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