Pearls and jade pothos plants are invented in the Botanical labs of the University of Florida. Marble queen is the parent of pearls and jade pothos. This is the reason it has dual-color leaves (green and white). The University revel the secret of pearls and jade pothos care.
If you like to grow variegated plants then you need to think about growing pearls and jade pothos.
This beautiful plant is easy to grow and maintain. Give it indirect bright light, some healthy boost in form of fertilizers. And give fresh water regularly. This is all about growing and caring for pearls and jade plants.
In this post, we’ll discuss all its needs in detail. Read the article carefully and start growing pearls and jade plants today.
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Quick care guide
| Common names | Pearls and Jade |
| USDA Zones | 9 to 11 |
| Toxicity | Cats, Dogs, and Humans |
| Light | Indirect light source |
| Soil | Well-draining |
| Water | Moderate |
| Pests | Scales, spider mites, Mealybugs |
| Diseases | Bacterial leaf spot, Pythium root rot, Rhizoctonia Stem Rot |
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Pearls and Jade Pothos Care guide
Follow the below care guide to grow healthy plants. It also has a section on pearls and jade plant problems.
Light
Pearls and jade need indirect bright light. For the best possible care put the plants near a sunny window.
Remember that the jade plants need 70 % shade and 30 % light. If the light intensity increases then 30 %. Then the plant leaves become lifeless. The light source can be artificial grow light or Natural Sunlight.
On the other side, if the shade goes above 70 % then the plant leaves stay dark green. They do not develop the second color (white).
Having green leaves in the pearls and jade is not a problem. It is just about the looks. Some people like green leaves while others like dual-color leaves.
If you already have jade plants and they do not produce green and white leaves. Then the problem is low light. Move the pot to a brighter location. The plant leaves grow normally and develop their green and white color.
Watering Pearls and jade pothos
You will be surprised to know that an extra cup of water can kill your pearls and jade plants. Extra water can lead to root rot (plant fungus).
No doubt some people grow pothos in water. This is called hydroponic growing pothos. But when we use soil as a growing medium. Then you need to be careful while watering your plants.
A little bit of dry soil is good for the plants. Because pearls and jade plants are prone to root rot.
To save them from root fungus you have to give them less water.
Always give water to roots do not use a spray bottle and mist water on leaves. This will increase the chances of leaf fungus infection.
Soil
The very first thing is you cannot use your garden soil to grow pearls and jade pothos. You need to buy the potting mix from the local garden store.
Because plant roots need enough place to grow. The garden soil is heavy and dense. It does not allow roots to expand freely.
But if you are sure that your garden soil is rich in plant nutrients. Then you need to modify it according to the plant needs before use.
Here we have two Best methods of soil modification
- 1 part garden loam or potting soil, 1 part sand, or 2 parts peat moss
- 1 part sand, 1 part pine bark, 1 part peat moss
One important point is you need to sterilize the soil before use. Because pathogens and other harmful bacteria can live for years in garden soil.
The soil sterilization process kills all the bad bacteria and gives you perfect hygienic soil for indoor plants.
Learn how to sterilize the soil.
Humidity
Pearls and jade need a high humid environment to grow. Humidity between 50 % to 75 % is good for the plants.
If the air in the room is very dry then you have to turn ON the humidifier. This machine will increase the humidity in few minutes.
Remember that high humidity also decreases the watering needs of plants.
In the summer season, you can mist the water on plant leaves. But do this in the morning so that the water drops can evaporate before evening. Otherwise, your plant leaves will get infected by leaf fungi.
I do not prefer misting water technique. When I see brown leaf tips (an indication of low humidity), I move the plant to the bathroom (high humid place).
Pebble tray, plant grouping are some other options that you can use to increase the air moisture.
Temperature
Maintain the room temperature between 17 to 27 Degrees C for the best pearl and jade pothos care.
In summers it is easy to keep the room temperature in this range. The problem comes in the winter season when the temperature drops below 0 degrees C.
At this time move the plant pot to a warm location. But do not put it in front of hot air vents. Hot air put stress on the plant. It also evaporates the moisture stored in plant leaves, stems. Therefore, roots need to work more.
But winter is their rest time. Therefore, putting work stress on roots is deadly for plants.
Fertilizers
The golden rule of fertilization is if the soil you use to grow the pearls is highly fertile do not fertilize plants.
If there is a need for fertilizer then choose general-purpose houseplant fertilizer.
Before the application check the conditions of the plants. If the plant looks healthy and vibrant. Then no need to fertilize it.
Because unnecessarily adding fertilizers results in the salt build-up in the root area. This build-up directly affects the water and nutrient absorption power of roots.
Therefore, only give nutrients to plants, when they look weak and their leaves do not look bright and vibrant.
Note: Small pots need few ounces of fertilizer. Dilute the liquid nutrients as per the instruction and then give them to the plants.
Propagation
In the case of pearls and jade pothos propagation. It is not possible from seeds. Because pothos rarely blooms so saving seeds is not possible.
The only left method is stem cutting propagation.
In this technique, we use healthy plant cuttings and grow plants from them. Below is the step-by-step process
- Choose the healthy stem and cut it from the plant.
- Make sure the tools you use to cut the stem are clean.
- Then take the glass of water and dip the cutting in it.
- Keep changing the water from time to time.
- Wait for the 2 weeks and the cuttings will develop roots
- Instead of water, you can use the potting soil.
- Take the cuttings and directly plant them in the potting soil.
- Then put the pot in a warm environment
- Give water to keep the soil moist
- In this method, you have to wait for 3 to 4 weeks to see roots.
Pruning
To maintain the aesthetic shape of pearls and jade pothos you need to trim plants on time. This plant has vining like habits.
If you do not cut the plant stems, they will overgrow and climb the near walls.
Pruning is necessary for vine type plants that have the tendency to grow faster.
For proper pearls and jade pothos care, you need to trim them on daily basis or occasionally.
If you want to keep the plant short in height with bulky looks. Then you need to pinch the new growth almost every other day.
On the other hand, if your pearls and jade pothos are growing in hanging baskets. And you want vines to trail down. In this condition, you have to trim the plant occasionally.
Pruning also includes removing dead parts of the plants. If the leaves are infected by some disease. Then you have to cut them and remove them. This will save the un-infected plant leaves.
Repotting
Pearl and jade are small size plants. They also grow slower than many other common houseplants. This means you do not need to report them every month or every year.
It will take almost 2 years to repot pearl and jade plants.
Repotting is necessary to step up the pearls and jade pothos care routine.
For repotting use 2 inches wide and deep pot than the current pot. Use the same pot material. If your plants are growing in a plastic container. Then use the same container for potting up.
But the thing you need to take care of is Potting soil. Do not use the old potting soil in a new pot. Because with time, the potting soil becomes less fertile and becomes no longer useful.
Double-check the bottom of the pot it should have one or more draining holes. Remember that extra wider pots will not benefit the plant.
In fact, using such pots will put a negative effect on plant health.
Common Problems with Pearls and jade pothos
If your plants are suffering from disease and pest infections. Then look at the below part and get the solutions. Follow the instructions and get rid of all the plant problems.
Scales and Mealybugs
Scales and mealybugs both insects live on plant leaves. They increase their population underside of the leaves. You need to inspect the plant closely almost every day. Pest infestation is more common when you use garden soil to grow plants in containers.
Both the insects live on the plant food. They suck all the plant nutrients from the plant leaves. When the plants become nutrient deficient. They start dying slowly.
To fix this problem take the cotton cloth and rubbing alcohol. Pour some rubbing alcohol on the cloth and wipe the leaves one by one.
Then use insecticidal soap to kill the remaining pests.
At last, use a neem oil spray to heal the plant and to prevent them from coming back.
Diseases
There are many plant diseases that can infect your pothos. In most cases, there are three diseases that infect 90 % of the plants. Following are causes and solutions of them.
Pseudomonas cichorii
Pseudomonas cichorii is a pathogen that is found in soil. Once it attacks the plant leaves. The foliage develops brown spots with yellow circles around them.
To fix this problem remove the infected leaves and save others. You can also use pathogen-killing sprays. In this situation do not mist water on plant leaves. This will increase the chances of pathogen infection.
Root rot
This disease damage the roots of plants. Once the roots get damaged the plant becomes unable to absorb water and nutrients.
To fix this issue you can cut the damaged part of the roots. You also need to change the soil and then plant it again in the pot.
You can prevent this disease by limiting the watering of the plants. Above in the pearls and jade pothos care guide, you’ll find the best methods of watering pearls and jade pothos.
Yellow leaves
Overwatering and nutrient deficiencies can cause yellow leaves in pearls and jade plants. Both these conditions put negative stress on the plant.
To fix this issue stop watering the plant. Your plants will turn green in few days.
If the cause of yellow leaves is nutrient deficiencies. Then give some nutrients and your problem will be solved.
Plant toxicity
All types of pothos are toxic to dogs and cats. The toxic effect only triggers when pets consume any part of the plant. If humans consume the plant leaves or flowers then it will be mildly toxic to us.
Vomiting, stomach pain, cough, dizziness are the symptoms of pearl and jade plant toxicity.
If you see any of these signs in your pets then call the local animal doctor right away. If these symptoms are in your children then call the poison control center.
