CRASSULA OVATA

ORIGIN AND CHARACTERISTICS

This succulent from South Africa is commonly known as "Jade Tree" or "Money Plant". It belongs to the Crassulaceae family and is very popular all over the world.

The plant has branched and quite woody trunks and reaches a meter and a half in height. It is not a plant that reaches a large size and can grow into a shrub, it is so popular because it can be transformed into a bonsai.

It has oval leaves due to the storage of water in its tissues and they are covered in maturity with a whitish fluff and it has an intense green color on its leaves, some call this color "Jade green" and that is why the common name is has put.

Flowering takes place in spring, or at any time of year in an area with a favorable climate for this succulent, and in autumn-winter it produces white pentameric flowers, they are born in the form of a cluster with a white hue in the center and pinkish at the tips. 

DECORATION ... EXTERIOR OR INTERIOR ?

It depends on what you want to use this Crassula, as we have already said before, this plant can become a bush or we can transform it into a bonsai.

We can include it in our garden or in our residence, it requires little care, and in its flowering it will give beautiful flowers that will decorate any place where it is.

If we incorporate it into our home, the only thing we have to take into account is to find a conditioned pot for it that provides the drainage it needs (25-liter pot), if we incorporate it into our garden the same, it only requires that we be aware, when Let's water it so that the soil is dry and that it soaks the earth well once we have put the water in it.

CARE FOR CACTUS AND SUCCULENTS

They are showy plants, very pretty and that practically do not need much maintenance.

- They prefer places with direct light or that have good lighting, preferably next to a window, on a balcony, a terrace or in your Garden.

- They can withstand low temperatures, around 5º.

- It is essential that they have good drainage, both in the soil and in a pot.

- The ideal substrate for cacti has to be combined with sand and gravel, so that they have good drainage, humidity and excess water are not good.

- Irrigation does not have to be excessive. From spring to autumn, which would be its growth period, water every 15 days, abundant watering and wait for the soil to be very dry again. In winter do not water or give one watering per month.

- Fertilizer. During the growing season (spring - autumn) you can fertilize them with worm humus. Eggshells are a good homemade fertilizer, they contain (Calcium, Iron, Potassium, magnesium and Phosphorus) these nutrients are very important and favor their growth, you must crush and mix them with the substrate, administer them a couple of times a year.

- Treatment against fungi due to excess humidity, disinfect the area with a copper-based fungicide.

- If you want to transplant them from the pot or the ground, the best time would be from spring.

And don't forget that to work with cacti you have to wear good gloves.