Jade plants or Crassula Ovata are the easiest to maintain succulent plants. They grow slowly but at a long height of 6 feet if taken care of properly. So, it becomes one popular indoor plant to own. Also, in Asian countries, they are known as a symbol of luck and prosperity.

However, these easy caring needs don’t mean jade plants can’t have problems to tackle. One such you may face is jade plant leaves curling. There can be many mysterious reasons for these thick green leaves curling like yucca such as underwatering, cold weather, lack of light, etc.

This article is going to discuss all the possible reasons for the leaf curling of jade plants and their treatment.

Why are My Jade Plant Leaves Curling and How to Fix It?

Now we’ll talk about different reasons why the jade plant leaves may curl and how to treat it.

1. Chill Weather Cause Curling of Jade

Jade plants are originally from South Africa where you know the weather doesn’t go too chilly even in the winter season. So, jade plants can’t tolerate cold temperatures lower than 40°F which causes the plant leaves to curl (like spinach) or limp.

The chill weather freezes the water inside the plant leaves (same as curry leaves) and breaks leaf cells. Though light exposure to cold weather may cause less damage where on the opposite side longer exposure can cause un-revival damage.

Solution

To stop curling the leaves from cold weather keep the jade plant at a bearable temperature so it can work normally. The best solution is to keep the plant indoors in the winter season and maintain the temperature between 65° to 75°F.

Though on winter nights the jade plant can tolerate around a temperature of 55°F. You can cover them on cold nights. However, already damaged leaves need extra care and a bit of pruning in the damaged section.

2. Leaves Curled from Underwatering

Due to the plant’s originality, it can survive a long time without water. They are succulent plants so these leaves can store water inside to survive in the hot weather. Though a long time no watering can cause dehydration for the plant.

And the final result will come as curling the leaves like olive and leading to become thin and eventually falling off. Including the leaves, the stems of the jade plant can also have dehydration issues.

Solution

To revive the dehydrated jade plant the first thing you should do is to water the plant consistently until the plant is revived. For that, a good method is to keep the plant pot under a sink and water the plant until the pot is overflowed.

After that, monitor its condition for about two weeks. If the plant shows signs of improvement keep watering it in a regular routine. The routine should be watering the plants once a week.

While in the dormant season, from spring to winter the jade plant needs less water. So, watering once in fifteen days is good to go. For chillier times once a month is better.

3. Overwatering Cause Curling Too

Just as underwatering, overwatering also causes the plant leaves to curl up like aloe and mushy. Though the overwatering can cause more likely death for your jade plant. The plant’s roots may start rotting due to waterlogging in the soil.

Excess watering will stop the plant from taking nutrients and moisture from the overflowed soil. As a result, the roots start to be damaged by the extra water and eventually kill the plant.

Solution

If the plants start rotting over water the solution is to lift the plant from the pot and remove the rotten stems and roots. Remove any black roots you see in the plant and cut them off. Then take the healthy stem and dry the roots to replant in fresh soil.

As the healthy plant is revived now you have to keep the plant watering in the regular routine as said before. If you get confused with the timing then there is a quick tip too. Dig your finger in the soil about 1 to 2 inches deep and feel if the soil is moist or dry.

If it’s dry you should water the soil with the required amount of water. And if the soil is already moisturized then leave it as it is.

4. Lack of Light for Jade Plant

Though jade plants live in partial shades, they do need a little bit of sunlight to grow properly. If the plants don’t get the proper sunlight, the leaves will get shriveled with a yellow tinge. And if kept in too dark a place the plant can lose its leaves and die.

Solution

An easy solution for this problem is to keep the plant in a sunny place and look if there is any improvement. For a well-grown plant, there should be at least 4 to 6 hours of sunlight. So, you can also invest in plant grow lights for indoor plants. Whereas for a young jade plant only a bright room with no indirect light will be great.

5. Excess Light is Bad Too for Jade

Jades do great in sunlight but only if they are always kept in sunny weather. If the plants are grown in a dim area, a sudden shift to a sunny area can cause curl and redness in the jade plants.

Even too much sun can create sunburn on your jade plants so it’s best to keep a balance in between.

Solution

If the plant is kept in a sunny area for a long time, keep moving the plant from the sun to a dimmer area slowly. And once it’s adjusted properly keep doing the process.

6. Dry Soil Cause Curl Leaves

Soil is equally important as water and light for the jade plant. The right nutrients in soil play the best role to grow a greener jade plant. The soil should be loose enough to drain the water from the pot so the root can stay dry.

Solution

If the soil is not well drained, you should dig up the soil every month to create more air pockets on the root. You can use a stick or knife to create air pockets on the soil surface.

7. Excess Wind Can Curl Leaves

Excessive air pressure on the jade plants can curl the leaves. For heavy wind, the leaves lose moisture and cause leaves to shrivel and thin.

Solution

To solve the moisture issue, water the jade plants properly and they will start restoring in 2 or 3 water cycles. Also, shift the plant from a windy area to a shaded place so the revived moisture can stay intact.

Takeaways on Jade Plant Leaves Curling

Jade plants are great indoor plants for easy-to-maintain nature. But there are little hiccups as curling leaves (like the paddle) to these jade plants. There can be many reasons for the jade plant leaves curling such as lighting problems, watering issues, soiling problems, or many things like that.

But all those issues can easily be solved with the proper amount of light, temperature, water, and soil subtraction. So, just find out the reason, that is causing your jade plant to have curled leaves like calathea, and solve the issue accordingly.

A short video on Jade plant leaves issues and solutions: