Re: two problems

Dear Karrie:

Can't help you with the cypresses though I think the gentleman is right.
Once you prune a tree you have to keep pruning it forever.

As for the jade, Crassula argentea, that's the easiest cultivation in the
world.  If it grows in the ground it can take sun - or dappled sun (or San
Francisco sun) - but in a pot it's quite happy in shade.  Bright light is
fine.  You've just given yours a sunburn.  They need very little water; if
internodes are lengthening then they are getting too much.
I feed mine maybe twice a summer with diluted cactus fertilizer.
Benign neglect is the best policy.  Like all succulents they can suffer
from scale or root mealies;   you can easily check for the latter by
pulling one of the plants from its pot and inspecting the roots.  If it's
ok jam it back in and forget I mentioned it!

Maria



>    Dear Collective Plant  Wisdom: I need info on two separate
>situations. 1.     Our church has  2 60-year old Italian cypress planted
>in front that need some shaping.  One  is 8-10 feet taller than the other,
>and I meant to have it topped and shaped to  match the other.  A gentleman
>in the church has said that will make the  tree sprout off in different
>directions from the top, and it shouldn't be  done.  Anyone have
>experience with this situation?   2.    I brought home 3  lovely jade
>plants from my mother-in-law's patio, and have put them on my front  porch
>which is shaded, but receives indirect light.  I have only watered  them
>once since I brought them home 2 months ago.  I also put them out in  the
>sun for a few hours one day because we had been having so much rain, I
>thought they might need a little more light.  I confess I know precious
>little about their care, never having raised them before.  Now the oldest,
>largest one is showing brown "scabs" on some of its leaves, and I am
>wondering  if I sunburnt them back a few weeks ago, or if I shouldn't have
>watered them, or  if I'm not watering them enough.  Anyone grow these who
>can offer some  advice on their culture to get them back looking happy
>again.  In fact, the  two smaller varieties still look fine.   Thanks so
>much in advance, Karrie Reid Folsom Foothill Gardener CA Zone 9
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