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I got this plant about 6 months ago and it was lush and happy. I was sick for a few weeks and neglected it and found it dry with almost all the leaves fallen. I moved it to a new window and mildly watered it, clipped all the dry branches and hoped for the best. After 2 weeks of watering little a day, it continued to droop and the branches were looking wrinkly. Did the scratch test and it's still green. The soil is draining well, the roots and firm and light yellow/white. The trunk below the soil is firm and strong. So what I did was water the soil through and let it drain out, put it back where it thrived before. This is where I am at currently. I've taken pictures to see if there is anything I should do differently. I'm planning on leaving it alone for a while until the soil dries and water thoroughly at that time. Anything I'm missing?

Hello and welcome

You are one of hundreds with the same problem, and all have the same solution: place it outside. An indoor tree does not exist, at least not in the way people understand "indoor" ( which isnt your dry, low light and humidity, heated, airconditioned,... lethal living rooms)- and yes i know it is labeled or sold as indoor tree.
So, place it outdoors, first in the shade, gradually moving it into more sun, water untill water spills from the drainiage hole underneath with a garden hose or watering can. Repeat when soil feels dry to the touch. DO NOT fiddle with it, cut off branches, fertillise it untill you see healthy growth. It might recover, but it doesnt look good for this one...

I agree with Lucr when it comes to indoor trees. There are no such thing.

But this is technically not a tree, it is a succulent. Some kind of jade plant. Crassula or portulacaria. They are south africa natives and like most succulents from SA do quite well indoors.

Beeing sick a couple of weeks and not watering jades is not a problem whatsoever. Watering a little bit every day is a sure killer. These plants have evolved in a very dry environment and can handle dry but not wet.

My indoor jades gets watered every 2-3 weeks in summer and less than once a month in winter. The outdoor ones gets watered every 2 weeks in summer and are kept protected from frost and bone dry for 4-6 months in winter. Bone dry means no water whatsoever.

It is utterly important that the soil dries up in 24 hours after watering or the roots will rot. The soil your plant is in looks very heavy, I am sure it keeps it moist far too long after watering.

Your jade is in a very bad shape and may not be possible to save. Honestly I would discard it. But then I have some 30 jades in my collection. What you can do if you want to try saving it is cut it off close to the soil. Put it in a hot and dry place for a few weeks. After the cut has healed put it back in the pot in a very well draining mix. Wait another 2 weeks until first careful watering. After that careful watering once a month until spring. If there are still sign of life and it starts growing increase amount of water and do it every 2nd week.

It may sound drastic, but really this is your only chanse. I have been growing jades for 30 years far longer than bonsai and know what works.

My thoughts - Jades and Ficus bonsai can do great indoors. I've kept them many many years without any issue.

BUT - keeping trees indoors has its challenges:
1. You need lots of light, only a south facing window (and placed right at the window) will suffice
2. Your bonsai need to be planted in proper bonsai substrate, so it drains water well
3. Watering - never let it dry out. Beginners just forget to water and trees die without it - unlike some of our houseplants that can do without water for short periods.

@Seebee - your plant to me looks lost. Perhaps start again with the three tips mentioned above? Or... try an outdoor bonsai

My conclusion - with lots of light, good substrate and careful watering, Jades and Ficus do super well indoors.

I have a couple of succulents outdoors. We moved them last year from indoors since we were going on vacation and then forgot to move them back in.

Since moving outdoors they have gotten too back to move back indoors where they were. We just had serious rain every day for over two weeks. They are huge. Last winter it only got below freezing a few times, but they don't seem to have been bothered.

Put them in will drained soil and there should be no problem.

Thank you so much for your thoughtful responses. I didn't feel it was doing this badly as it did well for months in the same place, granted during the winter and spring months. I do have well draining soil but I wasn't sure if I should make too many changes at once. It is worth noting that green leaf is new in the past 3 weeks ish.... but I guess it am clinging to wishful thinking.

Looking closer on the photos now. Are the trunk above the branch soft? That part looks rotten to me. If that is the case it will need to be remowed as this spread thru the plant. Cut well into healthy tissue to make sure everything is gone.

I agree totally that trees should never dry out. But as said before this is not technically a tree, ir's a succulent. Jades are very common house plants. It is native to very dry conditions and are better treated as cactus. Drying out totally between waterings is essential for long term health. The water the plant needs is stored in those fleshy leafs.

The area right above the main trunk is wrinkled and soft. The base of the trunk is firm and smooth.

I do have better soil available. You think it is worth reporting? Or is cutting it at the trunk my only option?

Thanks again for your detailed response. I appreciate your time.

The soft tissue needs to go.

To be honest, I don't think this plant have much roots left. They rotten far before the trunk if overwatered. But you can try to take it out of the pot and rince from soil. Even if there are some roots left it needs to heal before planted again. So two weeks in warm and dry place before potting it up again still applies.

If there are few roots or mushy roots, the best is to cut where the soil level used to be. My first answer is based on the asumption that this is the case.

But the likellyhood of recovery is very low. Actually I think the best chanse of a living plant in the future is growing a leaf cutting from that one leaf still there. But that sets you back 3 or 4 years. If successful that is the time to grow a leaf cutting to the size it is today.

Actually, I took it out of the pot yesterday prior to posting, it had lots of roots, long roots that were firm, white/yellow. Some light brown, nothing mushy.... I had put that in my initial post hoping it would help.
Regardless, I have taken your advice and trunk chopped it and am leaving it in a warm dry place for a bit. The trunk is half brown half green inside.

Fingers crossed!