Gollum Jade looking wrinkled
I got this plant about a month ago, and I haven’t watered it in about three weeks. Given how long most succulents can last without water, I’m a little hesitant to water it now unless it’s obviously thirsty, but it’s leaves are looki mg slightly wrinkled so I don’t know.
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Yes, leaves that are that wrinkly on a jade definitely means it's thirsty. If you're worried about overwatering, wait a week after you next water and gently try to bend/fold one of the leaves; if firm, it doesn't need a drink yet. If softer and slightly bendy, you can go ahead and water. Attached a pic of my gollum jade that I rescued last year, it started out as a tiny cutting, wrinkled and thirsty. I have used this test to determine when to water and it is doing well. It gets a lot of sun, so it needs watering about once a week or once every 10 days. Best of luck with yours!
@dirstenkunst I gave it a big drink today, and the leaves did feel bendy and soft. How long should I expect it to take before they become firm?
@GleefulCatthyme okay. I can see that you got this plant last month. did you repot it into that medium or did it come that way from the nursery? My guess is that your plant does not have a strong enough root system yet. Since you went 3 weeks without watering it, this can make the leaves shrivel because the root structure is not yet developed enough to allow for the plant to get water into its tissues properly, and its existing roots have dried out too much. This can take a while to improve in appearance; you can assess how it's doing from its new growth. in the meantime, increase watering frequency to once every 7-12 days. The pot is terra cotta and the medium looks good and aerated, so this shouldn't be a problem for it. Keep monitoring its new growth and adjust watering accordingly.
@dirstenkunst Just now seeing this, but I’ll do that.