Thanks for your question. Could you please send me a picture of the plant. Be sure that the picture also shows the plant’s container.

Many thanks. 

Here is a photo. 

I am sorry  but no picture of your jade plant came through

Is it there now?  

Thanks for the picture. It looks like you have an amazingly healthy plant. I would guess that you’ve had it for many years.

Although its current pot seems adequate for the plant, one of the indicators that a jade should be repotted into a larger container is the dropping of leaves from its lower branches. Whether this is why your jade is now losing leaves, I don’t know. Still, repotting may be something you might consider doing within the next year or two. Use fresh soil that is a cactus/succulent mix. You could also make your own consisting of 2 parts potting soil + 1 part coarse sand/perlite/pumice. The following can provide some guidance in doing this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=sjiZq62GI24

https://worldofsucculents.com/repot-large-jade-plant/ - :~:text=Step 1: Spread out a,of the new larger pot.&text=Step 5: Make sure the,repotted again for several years.

https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/jade-plant-crassula-ovata/

https://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/jade-plant/

Besides indicating that repotting may be in order, leaf drop can also occur because of how the plant is being watered. As you probably know, jade plants are very susceptible to overwatering. Under watering can also be an issue.

If the dropped leaves are yellow and/or soft, this is usually indicative of overwatering or poor drainage. The roots are too damp, possibly rotting. The plant responds by shedding some of its leaves on its lower branches. Judging from the shed leaves in your picture, this does not seem to be case for these leaves.

If the dropped leaves are dry and/or wrinkly before falling, the cause is under watering. Sometimes very high light/heat stress can also promote dry leaves. Again, this does not seem to the be situation with the dropped leaves in your picture.

If they are firm and green but just dropped off suddenly, this suggests some form of environmental stress such as recent moving the plant, significant temperature shifts, or inconsistent watering. The shed leaves in your picture seem to fit into this category. You're the best judge of what environmental changes may have recently occurred. I see that the pot is on a rolling platform, which suggests that you may often move the plant.

In short, I don’t think that anything is wrong with your plant. Repot sooner than later. Try to maintain a constant environment for it. See the following for further elaboration:

https://extension.psu.edu/jade-plant-a-no-fuss-houseplant

https://libguides.nybg.org/crassula

Good luck. Please get back to us with any additional, related questions. Thanks for using our forum.

We had mealy bugs a couple months ago on this plant. We think we have them taken care of now. Would that have anything to do with the falling leaves?  Thank you for your expertise!!  

Thanks for the response. In it you posed a great question.

One of the most common mealy bug on jade plants is the Citrus Mealybug (Planococcus citri). Here is some information about it:

https://ncipmhort.cfans.umn.edu/sites/ncipmhort.cfans.umn.edu/files/2022-03/Citrus_Mealybug.pdf

Note that this pest has a white, even fluffy appearance. By looking at images in the above site, you should be able to determine if this was the critter visiting your jade plant. Their infestations are usually quite obvious.

The quick answer to your question is yes, mealy bugs can cause leaf shedding. However, I’m not convinced that this was the only cause in your situation. Mealy bugs feed on plant juices by sucking these liquids out of the leaves. In this respect, they are like aphids. The leaves that fall typically would have an appearance like leaves from an under watered jade plant. The leaves would appear shrunken and wrinkled. I did not see this appearance in the shed leaves in your pictures. However, if the jade leaves were already impacted by one or more environmental stressors, a mealy bug infestation could certainly accelerate the process of leaf drop.

It would be prudent to eliminate all mealy bugs from your plant. Perhaps you have already done that?

See the following:

https://www.heidihorticulture.com/2013/09/mealybugs-on-jade-planococcus-citri.html - :~:text=September 09, 2013-,Common House Plant Pests - Part 4: Mealybugs - Planococcus citri,each leaf node (joint).

https://extension.umd.edu/resource/mealybugs-indoor-plants/

Take critical note of the material in the following two sites:

https://www.thespruce.com/jade-plant-dropping-leaves-6891499 - :~:text=Insect Pests,to bacterial infection or mold.

https://www.picturethisai.com/disease/Crassula-ovata-Mealybugs.html

My suggestion at this point would be to do the repotting in the near future and to minimize environmental stress to the plant. In addition, be vigilant in monitoring for the presence of mealy bugs and take immediate steps to eliminate them.

Thanks for bringing the presence of mealy bugs to my attention.

Good luck. Thanks for using our forum