I started this tab on my blog with articles highlighting some of the mistakes I have made with my houseplants, but now I will show you some plants I have done right by. And to kick it off, I will tell you how to grow a fantastic Jade Satin Scindapsus houseplant!
Avoid Making These Houseplant Mistakes
Nursery Worker Surprised Me
Last summer, I went to my local nursery searching for a Scindapsus Pictus Exotica, which the box stores in my area don’t carry. And while I was trying to decide between two Scindapsus Pictus Exoticas I had in my cart, a worker came from behind to let me know that only a few Jade Scindapsus Pictus plants came in that day and put a huge one in front of me.
My Jade Satin Scindapsus Had No Tag, Yet
They still needed to be tagged and put on display for purchase, so my timing was perfect! , She went into the part of the nursery where only the employees were allowed to bring one out for me. Then she put the price tag on it right in front of me. I thought it was a bit pricey, but after seeing how full and lush the plant was, I was immediately hooked on it!
Doing My Research
I returned home and researched the Jade Pictus Scindapsus to learn from Brittney Goldwyn’s blog that it is a variety that is indeed hard to find in some areas of the country. I don’t have any plant friends who have one. In fact, even Brittney got her only Jade Scindapsus from a friend who gave her one shriveled-up leaf that had one node. She was lucky and propagated it right away! Now, she has a small plant.
Growth Rate of My Jade Satin
As with most Scindapsus Varieties, the Jade Scindapsus Pictus grows very slowly. (That was almost a deal-breaker for me). I’m not too fond of slow-growing houseplants and favor long-vining plants.
Set It and Forget About It
It’s a cool mental game to me. When I know a houseplant is slow-growing, I forget about it. Ironically, that helps me because I fuss over plants less when I know not to expect much growth. But most importantly, it helps the plant because it is spared my abuse. LOL.
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I am a Houseplant Kleptomaniac
I have discovered that the plants I ignore tend to do better. I am like a kleptomaniac who cannot keep their hands off things. (There may be a medical term for a houseplant Kleptomaniac). I almost have to do something with at least a few houseplants daily. That is not necessarily a good thing. While it may help me mentally, needing to do something with a plant every day can harm it.
It’s a good metaphor for real life. Sometimes, when we leave situations alone, they will do much better.
Surprise Growth During the Winter
My Jade Scindapsus is surprising me with a lot of growth this current Fall/Winter season! I am talking about a plant that did not budge during the summer months!
I even put a smaller Jade outside under a tree to receive rainwater and dappled sunlight, and it still did not grow this summer. The smaller plant even got some spider mites which freaked me out! I cut the affected leaf off before I brought the plant back indoors. I could have treated the leaf and entire plant for spider mites, but I panicked. I dared not put the mother plant outside! That was an experiment.
Watering
I only water my Jade Satin Scindapsus once per month during these cold days, and it seems to love that watering schedule. (I put date tags on my plants to remind me of the date I last watered them.)
Always Check The Soil First
But one caution here: I don’t necessarily water it automatically every 30 days to the exact date. I still check the soil to ensure it is mostly dried or bone dry before I water it again. I sometimes use a moisture meter to check the soil, but I find them to be unreliable. I have purchased three of them, and I get the same thing. Sometimes they are accurate, and sometimes not.
Except when I add worm castings to the soil, I usually bottom-water my Jade Satin Scindapsus to encourage the roots to grow downward.
Bottom Watering
I have taken to bottom-watering my favorite plants. The only exception is when I mix worm castings (worm poop) into the soil. Then I top-water the plant to ensure the castings are evenly distributed through the soil.
During the summer months, I watered my Jade about every two weeks, but next summer, I will water it even less as I now know that Scindapsus plants are prone to root rot from over-watering.
What Does Over-Watering Mean?
Incidentally, I should clarify what I mean by “over-watering” (which I did not understand when I started growing houseplants). I now know that I killed a lot of houseplants by watering them too frequently, not by adding too much water to them when I did water them. I often would not allow the plant to dry out enough before I soaked it with water again. This rule applies to most tropical plants.
Propagating
I cut off a few leaves of my Jade Satin Scindapsus to send to my son’s friend so he could prop them to start his own plant. (I need to check with him to see how the plant is doing).
Perhaps the Chopping Stimulated This Winter’s Growth
I gritted my teeth while cutting off leaves because I knew how slow the Jade Scindapsus grows. But now that I am thinking about it, I wonder if it was the fact that I pruned it that it is growing so fast right now. (That thought did not occur to me until just now). I thought it had something to do with the indoor winter climate of my home.
My Next Pruning Experiment
So, guess what? Next summer, I will prune the mother plant again (EEK) to see if it will encourage faster growth). That would be wonderful! Pruning typically encourages growth on other plants, but for some reason, I think of my Jade Scindapsus like royalty because I know it is not readily available.
From Water and Then Transferred to Soil
I propagated mine in water first (for a long time), and after it got a few roots, I put it in a 6-inch pot in some well-draining soil, which consists of regular potting soil and lots of perlite and pumice!
Soil and Drainage
I learned that growers use moisture-retaining soils, such as Peat Moss, so they don’t have to water the plants so often. But most of us do not grow our plants in an environment with the perfect combination of light, humidity, and airflow as the growers do.
Most of us do not grow our plants in an environment with the perfect combination of light, humidity, and airflow as the growers do.
And since I have a heavy hand, I decided to help myself and the plant by adding things to improve the soil drain. To help prevent over-watering, I did add perlite and pumice to the soil of my Jade Satin Scindapsus.
Lighting and Sunburn
The leaves on the Jade Scindapsus are dark green, so I was surprised to learn that they still burn when put too close to a south-facing window.
I need to check this because plants with dark leaves don’t require as much sunlight to help them photosynthesize, making them more tolerant of darker spaces. Think ZZ Plants.
Close Proximity to a Window Won’t Improve Growth Rate
I assumed that placing my Jade Satin Scindapsus close to the window would make it grow faster. It did not. it only scorched a couple of leaves. I am glad I caught it early because leaves don’t recover from sunburn.
The leaves on the Jade Scindapsus are dark green, so I was surprised they still burned when near a south-facing window.
I have put my 6-inch Jade, under a powerful grow light, but nothing. LOL! I should give up on making my Jade Scindapsus’ grow faster! But it will be interesting to see if the growth I am getting now will slow down during the coming summer months. Due to the environment in my home, the humidity levels, lighting, etc. Jade prefers it.
Pets
I do not have a pet, but for those of you who own a pet, such as a dog or a cat, be warned that the Jade Scindapsus can cause problems if they nibble on it. I have friends whose pets have no interest in their houseplants, so, in the beginning, keep your Jade up if you have a dog. For you cat lovers, I don’t know because we know that cats can jump and climb.
Keep a Close Eye on Your Pets
So, you would have to monitor your pets’ activities around your plants. And do not assume that if your pet ignores one type of plant, they won’t fancy chewing on a different kind. So, I think you should be vigilant there.
Aesthetics
The Jade Satin Scindapsus is aesthetically pleasing in any way you display it. You can grow it on a moss pole or wood plant to get larger leaves. You can hang it from the ceiling, wall, or shelf, or you can keep pruning it (and propagating the cuttings) to keep it short and lush to use as a tabletop centerpiece.
Currently, I have my original Jade Satin Scindapsus plant sitting on the top of the desk (a vanity) in my daughter’s room, but I am looking forward to the day when it starts trailing so I can hang it back up.
A Favorite For Sure
Finally, if you are blessed to get your hands on one of these beauties, I will do a happy dance for you. Follow my basic instructions on care requirements, and I know the Jade Satin Scindapsus will be one of your favorite houseplants as it is mine!- Happy Growing!
