You can contact him via email alswart@mweb.co.za. Spekboom is a sculptural low-maintenance choice for a warm, sunny spot; it likes bright, indirect light - a few hours of morning sunshine is perfect. Portulacaria afra grows 6 to 8 feet tall and spreads indefinitely.Use it as a backdrop plant, and/or prune into a hedge. The existing leaves may even shrivel before new leaves appear. I’ll keep checking back here as things progress. Bonsai masters use the Elephant Plant to create spectacular bonsai. Use a normal fertilizer that is well-balanced and apply it sparingly. Only needs a … The Spekboom Challenge is a social media drive, motivating all South Africans to plant at least 10 Spekbome each, in 2020. Image caption: The size of these trunks is what we all dream about. To acquire the best Yamadori on these rocky slopes, you need medical insurance (It's dangerous! You can even turn yours into a lovely bonsai! The reddish-brown stems sustain upward reaching up to be 8’ to 15’ feet tall. Care and maintenance of your new bonsai. This will let the roots become dry and callous and can prevent fungal root rot. How to Grow Crassula Portulacaria. However, there are both green and variegated options for you to choose from in most cases. Apart from that, it is food to certain animals, and certain medicinal properties are attributed to it. Sometimes referred to as the “money plant”, South Africans have a saying: “as long as your Spekboom (Elephant Bush) grows and prospers, so will your finances.” Fortunately, this branching bonsai will thrive to a ripe old age with very little care. A small-leaved succulent plant native to South Africa, Portulacaria afra is a small, succulent plant that produces compact growth and rounded pads. Wiring is to keep the thicker branches in place and wire “loosely." Getting the plant to bloom will require you to keep it in a dry location, withhold water, and expose it to cooler nighttime temperatures. It is also excellent for bonsai! Even very large Yamadori can be treated like this. Grow your Portulacaria afra indoors if you live in a temperate zone. Your bonsai mix depends on where you live, your climate, your watering routine etc. With fertilizer they can push growth and if left in the sun, they need very little care. #5 It is High in Basic Nutrients This plant is edible and high in nutrients, especially Vitamin C, and a perfect addition to a salad. Portulacaria care requires warm temperatures and bright light. But, if you don’t mind spending a bit of time pruning it, you can also turn your dwarf jade into a bonsai tree. Portulacaria afra ‘Variegata’ (tricolor or rainbow elephant bush) first appeared as a sport (variant growth) of Portulacaria afra.It has cream-and-green leaves and pendant, trailing stems; and forms low, shrubby mounds that spread several feet tall and wide. It’s the best variety to grow as bonsai, not just for its looks, but also for ease of care and maintenance. Tie down the larger truncheons with wire or anchor pillars or tie against a rock for support for a few years! The cultivation and care of Bonsai art involves the long-term development of trees into miniature specimens in small containers. Here’s what you need to know. Portulacaria use their fleshy leaves and branches as reservoirs. Portulacaria afra is an attractive and robust succulent shrub species that is grown around the globe and is often used ornamentally as a house plant, pruned to resemble a bonsai. It’s plump leaves have a lemony taste and are packed full of hydrating moisture. They store more water in their branches than most trees, so they take much longer to lignify (harden, turn from green to gray), so for these reasons it is difficult to successfully train these with wire, but not impossible. Then those haven’t been to the Karoo on a field trip, in certain places they are 4-5 meter proper trees with nebari (like a ficus) and trunks thicker than an average human body. Place your new plant into a well-draining soil mixture. If you can get a proper and believable tree image out of it, why not use it? So use sharp scissors to cut the section where it meets the main part of the stem. The only way to thicken the trunk is to put them in bigger pots and to grow them outside as much as possible, try against a northern faced wall and aim for root zone warmth. I believe it is underutilised in our country, so I think we need to make more use of our indigenous species. Image caption: Make a clean cut at the roots and wait at least 2 weeks for the wound to callus over before you plant the tree in a container. Fortunately, this branching bonsai will thrive to a ripe old age with very little care. Given the right setting and environment, a spekboom plant not flowering, may simply be that it is not old enough to reproduce yet. Portulacaria pygmaea is a dwarf succulent type of shrub with small, thickly fleshy, grey green leaves and occurs on rocky hillsides in Namaqualand, South Africa and is also not suited to bonsai cultivation. You have to figure out some of those requirements for your microclimate and then decide which is the best mix. ), abseiling skills and the proper equipment and technique. Growing Elephant Bush Houseplants These succulents need well drained soil and an unglazed pot that will help excess moisture evaporate. Whether you are looking for a plant that can be turned into a … If some of the old leaves drop, they will quickly be replaced. My advice. Aug 3, 2014 - Portulacaria afra (dwarf jade) bonsai tree forest. For this reason, learning how to trim a bonsai is an essential skill for any grower interested in this method. If your tree is drooping branches that touch the side of the container or the soil, you'll likely have to cut it back to save the rest of the plant. It has small round succulent leaves and red stems that can survive arid conditions. I had watered the plant in its grow pot a few days before the repotting. Dwarf jade is a low-maintenance houseplant. It is native to Africa and likes to go dry between waterings. I use the “hedge cut“ method for the first 2 growing seasons to develop the canopy, then cut back hard and then to go into the structure with scissors to identify the branches you want to keep and to remove all the unnecessary growth that will interfere with the desired result. Cuttings can be allowed to dry out for at least a week in a cool place and then planted in washed river sand. Portulacaria afra or Porkbush is a popular succulent garden plant in use around the world and is often used for bonsai. Or, you can grow it in a hanging basket ant let it sprawl like a waterfall instead of growing it as an upright miniature tree. So it is technically not a bonsai until it is in a bonsai pot. Portulacaria has very thin cambium so the wound will not be overgrown like other species. Image caption: Pruning – (Clump style) Define the stems you want to develop into branches by nipping off leaves and leaf buds along the stems , along the underside of branches. Learn how to grow and maintain a Jade Plant bonsai tree. I cover "cage" wiring to working the nebari. Thank you for your support! Cape Town, South Africa (2 February 2020) – The City’s Recreation and Parks Department will participate in the Spekboom Challenge with the Newlands Nursery growing 5 000 Spekboom trees to be distributed for planting during Climate Change Month in April this year. However, when done slowly and methodically, Portulacaria afra benefits from pruning, which can force the tree to develop branches lower on its trunk. Portulacaria afra plant prefers growing in dry, rocky slopes and outcrops. A few rules on how to care for elephant bush will help you grow a specimen of interest that may be a stand-alone plant or part of an intricate succulent garden. Actually the explanation is rather funny. Spekboom do well when fertilized with organic fertilizers, or those organic pellets in abundance on the surface (or even inorganic, a few 2:3:2 granules in used tea bags just below the surface at the rim of the pot) will let them grow like crazy, so you have to keep up with pruning right through the active growing season, which here in George, Southern Cape, is almost throughout the year. Knip ook die kroon van die boom korter sodat die bonsai nie te lank vertoon nie. However, it is the most preferable to remain a smaller plant growing only a few feet tall. The spekboom is my second bonsai, my first being a black monkey thorn, a … My calendar. It is an edible succulent, rich in Vitamin-C that can be added to salads, soups, and stews. As succulents, they don’t need to be watered very often. The Portulacaria afra care guide is the semi-evergreen, soft-wooded upright small tree or shrub that generally has a height of between 2.5 and 4.5 meters. There aren’t many options when it comes to varieties of Portulacaria afra you can use for bonsai growing. I use about 70% grit/crushed stone and 30% composted pine bark, and I water my spekboom collection almost everyday. Portulacaria afra ‘Variegata’ (tricolor or rainbow elephant bush) first appeared as a sport (variant growth) of Portulacaria afra.It has cream-and-green leaves and pendant, trailing stems; and forms low, shrubby mounds that spread several feet tall and wide. "According to C.A. Portulacaria afra is not prone to many diseases or pests. It is also called a dwarf jade plant. If you’re looking for a versatile plant that can be turned into a hedge, a bonsai, used as ground cover or perhaps a large bush, spekboom is the plant for you. Portulacaria afra is an attractive and robust succulent shrub species that is grown around the globe and is often used ornamentally as a house plant, pruned to resemble a bonsai. Stap 2 • Druk ’n stuk koper- of aluminiumdraad van omtrent 15 cm in die grond naby die boom se stam. Refill the pot with fresh, an almost loose , gritty mix and important to position your spekboom to its original growing position not to further stress the tree. Spekboom Overview. If you’re looking for a versatile plant that can be turned into a hedge, a bonsai, used as ground cover or perhaps a large bush, spekboom is the plant for you. Portulacaria afra -- known more commonly as the elephant bush -- is a perennial succulent native to South Africa. It requires substantial … Here’s a tree: It needs trimming, wiring and repotting. Baobab Style, Spekboom Bonsai Forest, August 2015 - YouTube Keep them in a warm shady position until those shrivelled leaves start pushing out new and luscious green leaves after about 1 -2 weeks. ... Other names of Portulacaria Afra include porkbush and spekboom. Let the soil dry between waterings, but then here it depends on your growing medium. How to Propagate a Portulacaria Afra. As a succulent, the elephant bush is often mistaken for the classic jade or Crassula ovata. It is a favorite snack for elephants, rhinos, tortoises, and goats. It has a pale pink flower. The spekboom is my second bonsai, my first being a black monkey thorn, a … I’ll keep checking back here as things progress. Watering “Elephant Bush” has typical watering needs for a succulent. I hung it in the spot near the front door where the Spider Plant had been growing. How to Grow Crassula Portulacaria. Dwarf Jade Bonsai (Portulacaria afra) The Dwarf Jade Bonsai is a brilliant easy to take care of full proof bonsai tree. Many people choose to plant trees into a big plastic or ceramic pot to grow the tree to achieve denser growth, to get thicker trunks, to develop roots, or just to build up the overall health of the tree. Some will refer to Portulacaria afra as a “Dwarf Jade Tree“ well Portulacaria afra is not a jade plant. A few online options for buying succulent & cactus mix: Bonsai Jack (this 1 is very gritty; great for those prone to overwatering! Care for an Elephant Bush After Repotting. It’s tropical by nature, so can do well indoors as long as you give it enough light. Some spekboom trees can reach heights of 5 metres. It’s best to use the “soak and dry” method, and allow the soil to dry out completely between waterings.Portulacaria afra needs less frequent watering during its dormancy period.. Because the leaves on Portulacaria afra are so thin, it can handle more frequent waterings than other succulents. Dwarf Jade Bonsai Techniques. There is no one “best” mix. Spekboom; Elephant succulent; Elephant Bush Plant Care Size and Growth. From a distance, crassula portulacaria has leaves that look like those on typical North American variegated trees and shrubs. The reddish-brown stems sustain upward reaching up to be 8’ to 15’ feet tall. Per a comment in McCarthy's article, in Tucson, Arizona "[the collared peccary (aka javelina or musk hog, Pecari tajacu )] love, love, love to munch on [widely used landscaping] elephant food. In this first part of a series on aquariums, the Dunhin’s introduce the reader to some of the decisions a hobbyist will need to make when getting started. Since this is a versatile semi-perennial succulent that can adapt to many conditions, you have lots of options regarding how to grow it. Do not train your tree like a shrub, you have to see the branch structure by creating empty spaces. Prune heavily in the spring and summer, but then also anytime when there is active growth pending where you are and your micro climate. Portulacaria afra grows 6 to 8 feet tall and spreads indefinitely.Use it as a backdrop plant, and/or prune into a hedge. It is also called a dwarf jade plant. An easy to care for plant, it is often used in bonsai cultivation. This houseplant copes well with average household humidity and will thrive in a sandy, well-draining potting mix for cacti and succulents with added pumice. Image caption: Water sparingly so that the potting mixture is only damp, but I prefer to give them a twice daily misting on the leaves only, until the cutting takes root. Because they’re so tough, spekboom are often used as firebreaks. The portulacaria afra (dwarf jade, elephant jade, spekboom) is native to South Africa where they are part of the African elephant's diet. 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