I've got this jade plant that was doing great for months, but recently the leaves started getting this brown squishy texture. I only water it like once every two weeks and it sits by a south-facing window. The soil drains pretty well too, so I'm confused about what's going wrong.
Check the drainage hole on your pot right now - if water's pooling or the pot doesn't have one, that's likely your culprit since "drains well" soil still needs somewhere for excess water to actually go.
Jade plants are super susceptible to root rot, and even with infrequent watering, if that moisture can't escape, the roots will rot and cause that mushy brown appearance you're seeing.
Have you checked if the soil feels soggy deep down, or is the pot sitting in a saucer that's collecting water? Also, is this happening to the lower leaves first, or scattered throughout?
Fungal or bacterial rot is probably happening even with light watering, especially if humidity is high where you're keeping it. Jade plants are drought-tolerant but they're also susceptible to root rot when conditions stay damp - and here's the thing most people miss: even if your soil itself drains fast, if the pot sits in a saucer or tray that holds standing water, or if you're misting it occasionally, the leaves can stay wet long enough for pathogens to take hold. South-facing windows are great for light, but if that spot gets warm and humid (like from a humidifier nearby or just general summer moisture), it creates the perfect storm for fungal issues.
I'd cut back the watering immediately - maybe every three weeks or longer - and make sure you're not letting water sit under the pot. If the mushy parts are already extensive, you might need to repot into fresh, dry soil and pull away any soft or blackened roots. Jade plants bounce back pretty well once you stop the moisture problem, but you have to catch it before too much of the root system is compromised. If it keeps spreading even after you dial back the water, you're looking at needing to propagate healthy leaves and start fresh since the roots could be totally shot.
Don't assume mushy leaves mean you need to cut back watering even more - that brown squish is almost always root rot, and once it sets in, the plant can't absorb water properly no matter how little you give it. Pull it out of the soil, trim away any blackened or mushy roots with clean scissors, repot it in fresh dry soil, and hold off watering for at least a week or two while it recovers.
Root rot is definitely the issue here, but watering frequency alone doesn't cause it - it's usually a combo of poor drainage setup and environmental factors! Even with good soil, if your pot lacks drainage holes or the humidity around the plant is staying high (like in a bathroom or from misting), water gets trapped around the roots and they just rot out, which is why the plant can't drink no matter how sparingly you water. Cut away any mushy parts with a clean knife, let the soil dry out completely for a few days, then repot into fresh cactus/succulent soil in a pot with drainage holes on the bottom - that should turn things around!
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