What is wrong with my Jade

Question

I’ve had my Jade for over 10 years and it has done amazing until recently. She is very large, with her pot she stands around 4.5 feet. During a spot my house was over crowded and my plant had things in front of it. When I finally got to it, the plant had grown up trying to reach the light so they were a bit spindly. But nothing seemed wrong. Everything has since been put away and it started to look back to normal. But now random branches are drying up. The branch looks normal but in one spot where it’s twisted and brown, it falls off and completely dies. What is wrong with it? I do have pictures.

Answer 1

If you’ve had this plant for 10 years and it has grown to such a size, you obviously know what you’re doing in terms of correct watering. But you do seem to have a problem. I’m thinking that the time your plant spent in lowered light stressed her out and allowed some soil pathogen to take hold, because the symptoms you describe sound like a fungal infection of the roots. The most important thing you can do right now is to get the plant into as much light as possible, and try drought therapy – that is water less than you normally would, which inhibits the fungus and allows the plant’s natural defenses to gain the upper hand. Then, since this sounds like such a beautiful plant, I suggest you take some soil and branch samples to the Extension Service for analysis, and recommendation of the correct fungicide to use, if that is indeed the problem. This link will help you locate one: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/extension-search/