My jade plant used to be compact, but over the last few months it's gotten tall and leggy with huge gaps between the leaves. Will pruning help, and how do I root the top cutting afterward?
Where is it sitting - maybe it doesn't get enough light? Jade plants stretch out exactly because of insufficient sun, it's textbook. Pruning will help, but first move it to the brightest spot you have, otherwise the new shoots will grow the same way.
Cut the top with a sharp knife just below a leaf, let it dry for a couple of days (this is important, otherwise it'll rot), then stick it in dry succulent soil and water it rarely - once every week or two, only when it's completely dry.
This is definitely a lighting problem - jade plants stretch out when there's not enough light, and pruning without fixing the conditions won't help for long. Cut off the top and root it in dry sand or just in water (it roots easily), but the main thing is to move the plant closer to the window or under a grow light, otherwise the new shoots will grow just as ugly.
Pruning will definitely help, but it only solves half the problem. Stretching out is a signal of insufficient light, and if you just cut off the top without moving it to a brighter spot, the plant will keep stretching. So first move your jade plant to a window with maximum light (preferably south- or west-facing), and then do the pruning. New shoots will grow more compactly with proper light.
You can do a few things with the cutting. Rooting in water works fast - put the cut in a glass, and roots will appear in a couple of weeks. Then transplant it into soil. If you prefer to go straight into soil, use a mix of sand and soil (about 1:1) and keep it slightly moist at first. The main thing is don't overwater: your jade plant can rot in moist soil after cutting.
Here's a life hack people often forget: the stump left after pruning will produce side shoots, and you'll get a bushy plant. But if there's not enough light, even those shoots will be sparse. So good lighting is the foundation for everything else.
Everyone's right about the light, but here's what people often miss: even on a bright windowsill, jade can get leggy if the pot is too large and the soil stays constantly wet - the plant grows "lazily" outward instead of upward. After pruning and moving it to the window, try cutting back on watering too and repot it into a smaller pot so the soil dries out faster. The easiest way to root the cutting is to just lay it on dry sand or even a paper towel by the window - jade barely needs any water during rooting, the main thing is not to overthink it.
Guys, you keep talking about light and humidity, but you're missing the main thing - after pruning, the jade plant will only branch out if it has enough energy, and it gets that energy from its roots. If the root system is weak or rotting (which happens a lot with frequent watering), then even on the sunniest windowsill new shoots will be weak and sparse. Check the roots before pruning - pull it out of the pot and see if they're brown, mushy, or smelly. If everything looks good, cut off the top, let the cut dry for a day or two, then propagate it in dry sand without watering - just mist it once a week.
Log into answer.
