In the early spring of 2016 I bought and tried to grow a
Crassula ovata sometimes known as a Jade or Money Tree/Plant. I failed miserably. So did the plant. It was not happy in my home and I never could work out whether I was not watering it enough, watering it too much, if it was too hot, too cold, not enough light, whatever. It kept drooping and after a long while of pandering to it, I chucked it onto the garden and chopped it into the soil. Done with that! This year, in July, I bought another (after all, in a
previous garden in the 1980s, I had grown a magnificent one in the conservatory) and by that time I had my new but unheated
garden room built and wondered if a Crassula ovata might fare better there. It has. It has almost doubled its number of leaves since buying it.
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| Crassula ovata - 01 October 2017 |
The label says: Crassula ovata (Money Plant) prefers a light position with temperatures of between 5C to 27C. It must be kept moist with less water in winter. It likes a monthly liquid feed when in active growth and should only be repotted when essential using a general purpose compost.
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| Crassula ovata - 01 October 2017 |
Since buying my plant in July, I have repotted it into a John Innis soil-based compost. That allows for easy drainage and also gave this plant, which can be rather top-heavy, some weight at the base. It seems happy in the unheated garden room which, according to the temperature monitor, has achieved since June temperatures ranging between 8C and 31C. I keep it on the ground in the corner not to close to the windows where it can benefit from plenty of light. I have left the blinds (which absorb heat and reflect sunshine) in a position which allows light at all times to the plant.
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| Close up of Crassula ovata, 01 October 2017, showing appearance of more succulent leaves |
As you can see from the above image, even now, at this time of year, the plant is happily making new leaves. But I'm not sure at this point what I will do when winter comes and I will have to keep an eye on the temperature monitor to see how cold it can get in the unheated garden room. It's quite experimental at this stage and if I feel it is getting too cold, I will bring the plant into my home as and when it is deemed necessary.
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| Newly bought Crassula ovata, July 2017 |
The
garden room is double-glazed and the walls are insulated. It is clad in cedar and the internal plywood walls and ceiling have been emulsioned with Dulux bathroom paint which is guaranteed anti-fungal for several years. As yet there are no signs of damp and the hygrometer has never gone beyond 70. Time will tell.
