From my perspective as a Jade plant (*Crassula ovata*), I am a succulent that naturally wants to grow towards the light. My stems are thick and store water, and my leaves are my power centers for photosynthesis. Without intervention, I tend to become leggy, stretching out with long gaps between leaf sets (internodes) as I reach for sunlight. This is my innate survival instinct. Pruning is a form of communication; it tells me to stop my upward, single-stem focus and to redirect my energy laterally. It signals that it is time to activate my dormant buds and become fuller, which ultimately makes me a stronger, more structurally sound specimen.
The ideal time to perform this procedure is during my active growing season, which is in the spring and summer. This is when my sap is flowing most vigorously, and I have the maximum energy to heal the cuts and push out new growth quickly. You might see me actively producing new, lighter green leaves at my stem tips. Pruning me in my dormant period (fall and winter) is possible, but my response will be much slower, and the cuts will take longer to callous over, leaving me more vulnerable to infection. Always ensure your tools are sharp and sterilized with rubbing alcohol to give me a clean cut and prevent the introduction of disease.
Look closely at my stems. You will see small, raised bumps or rings located at the base of each leaf scar, where a leaf meets the stem. These are my meristematic tissues, my growth nodes. This is where my latent growth potential lies. To encourage bushier growth, you must make your cut just above one of these nodes on a leggy stem. A good rule is to prune the stem back by about one-third. After you make the cut, I will immediately begin to seal the wound with a callus. More importantly, the removal of the dominant tip (apical meristem) halts the production of auxins, the hormones that suppress the growth of side shoots. This hormonal shift is the key. It tells the two nodes immediately below your cut to awaken and develop into two new, separate branches, effectively doubling the growth points from that one stem.
After you have pruned me, my needs are simple. Place me back in my favorite spot with plenty of bright, indirect light. This light energy is the fuel I need to produce those new branches you desire. Be very careful with watering. My fresh cuts are open wounds, and my water needs are slightly reduced since you have removed some of my foliage. Water me only when the soil is completely dry to the touch. Overwatering now could lead to stem rot at the cut sites, which would be a severe setback. You should see small, pinkish nubs emerging from the nodes near the cuts within a few weeks, which will quickly develop into new branches and leaves.
