How Well Do Porticularia Afra Do Indoors Under Grow Lights?

[Isilwen]

For whatever reason, it seems my screened balcony for our apartment is not good for bonsai. I'm thinking it just doesn't get enough sunlight. I have always thought it got at least four hours of morning sun, but now I'm thinking more like two, maybe two and a half hours. After the two hours an oak tree blocks the sunlight and then the sunlight gets blocked by the roof. None of our windows gets good sunlight either.

So, I was looking for something I can do indoors. One species that keeps popping up in searches is portulacaria afra.

Is this a good species for indoor keeping with LED grow lights?

What I was thinking about getting something from Lowes and creating something from what I get.

Something like this: https://www.lowes.com/pd/2-5-Quart-...k146EQtxLhhKwTSyBQUaAubiEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

[Carol 83]

I keep some at work in a southern exposure and I overwinter other's under lights, they do fine. You could get a lot of cuttings off of the plant shown.

 

[Eckhoffw]

Like @Carol 83 said, they do fine under lights.
I winter mine under T-8 grow bulbs. They tolerate them fine but do way better outside.
Like anything, a lot has to do with your Light setup and indoor conditions.

 

[Isilwen]

I keep some at work in a southern exposure and I overwinter other's under lights, they do fine. You could get a lot of cuttings off of the plant shown.

Unfortunately, none of our windows gets good light exposure. They are all blocked by the oak tree and then the sun goes overhead. Our windows are all on one side of the apartment, save for one and that is our bedroom, but that gets no direct sunlight at all and is always shaded.

 

[Isilwen]

I keep some at work in a southern exposure and I overwinter other's under lights, they do fine. You could get a lot of cuttings off of the plant shown.

Also, who do you trust YouTube wise for propagating these from cuttings?

 

[LittleDingus]

Also, who do you trust YouTube wise for propagating these from cuttings?

They are so easy to propagate...plunk a cutting with a leaf or two in some dirt and your 95% there!

[Dingus] For fun portulacartia afra progression from a single cell division

I've often claimed jade and fake jade (and many, many succulents!) can be cloned from a single cell. Since covid has me working from home these days, I decided it was time I did a little documentation to back up my statements :) "From single cell division" is a bit of an exaggeration. I...

www.bonsainut.com

They do very well under lights. I find they bend away from blue though so try and get full spectrum. Full spectrum just looks nicer too

 

[Carol 83]

Also, who do you trust YouTube wise for propagating these from cuttings?

Never watched YouTube about it. Stick a cutting in some soil, easy peasy.

 

[Isilwen]

Never watched YouTube about it. Stick a cutting in some soil, easy peasy.

Okay. I wasn't sure.

So, they didn't have what I linked above, so I grabbed what they had and it's much much smaller than the linked one above. I am going to let it grow out some and then take some cuttings.

Here it is here...

 

[Isilwen]

I decided to go ahead and separate one out to be my project. I didn't cut it and used the same root as the whole thing came apart easily. I repotted the rest of them together in cactus soil and I guess we'll see how it all goes.

And then there was one:



What do you all think?

Edit: I really can use input and such. I don't have a club close to me and the forums and YouTube are my only option to bounce this stuff off of.

 

[Carol 83]

You picked a good subject, they are easy plants. Give it as much light as you can, water sparingly and just watch it grow. If it gets leggy, trim it back and make cuttings.

 

[Isilwen]

You picked a good subject, they are easy plants. Give it as much light as you can, water sparingly and just watch it grow. If it gets leggy, trim it back and make cuttings.

I'm thinking I wasted my money on the LED lights below for it. I cannot hang anything from the ceiling being in an apartment like the lights I see in other posts, so I grabbed what I thought would work and there were good reviews on it from bonsai owners in the listing.

The LUX rating was about 2800 LUX.

 

[Carol 83]

They aren't that picky. Too bad you're in an apartment. Living in Florida you could grow so much outdoors all year.

 

[Isilwen]

They aren't that picky. Too bad you're in an apartment. Living in Florida you could grow so much outdoors all year.

So the two LEDs pictured are fine?

Someday we won't be, but housing prices in Florida need to drop before we can even think about buying something. Although, we have also been talking about moving back to where I am from which is Pennsylvania. Not quite all-year-round growing, but some of the deciduous bonsai and conifer bonsai would do so much better there with the cooling in the winter.

 

[LuZiKui]

I'm thinking I wasted my money on the LED lights below for it. I cannot hang anything from the ceiling being in an apartment like the lights I see in other posts, so I grabbed what I thought would work and there were good reviews on it from bonsai owners in the listing.

The LUX rating was about 2800 LUX.

I'm in a similar situation, not great sun exposure so I'm always trying to figure out what to do for my plants.

I currently don't do any light growing, but the output of those lights drops off drastically the farther away they are from the plant. Everything I've read is that you need to get the plants as close as possible to maximize the energy they are getting from the light. I can't tell the exact scale in that picture but I would try and get those plants another 6"-8" closer to the light. Otherwise they'll get very leggy on you.

A big concern with growlights is having them burn your plants. These new LEDs run so much cooler and the jade is such a tough plant you shouldn't have an issue with it.

 

[Isilwen]

I'm in a similar situation, not great sun exposure so I'm always trying to figure out what to do for my plants.

I currently don't do any light growing, but the output of those lights drops off drastically the farther away they are from the plant. Everything I've read is that you need to get the plants as close as possible to maximize the energy they are getting from the light. I can't tell the exact scale in that picture but I would try and get those plants another 6"-8" closer to the light. Otherwise they'll get very leggy on you.

A big concern with growlights is having them burn your plants. These new LEDs run so much cooler and the jade is such a tough plant you shouldn't have an issue with it.

How's this? I got them to about 4-5 inches from the top of the pot.



I have a single LED grow bulb that puts out over 11k lux at about the same distance as what these other ones that are putting out, which is 2k. Should I use that one instead? Was trying to not use that one since I have both pots to have a light on and I think the single one would just be good for one pot.

 

[Srt8madness]

Lux doesn't mean much, PPFD matters. Those lights might keep the P afra alive. Thrive is another story.

For my indoor setup I got a metal shelving unit and grow light from Amazon. Cost a bit over 100. (Just checked prices, inflation! The shelf is 70 and light 60)

B08CZCDYR3 is the Amazon number for the older model. Something in this range. You could probably find one for 50 and a cheaper shelf.

 

[Isilwen]

Lux doesn't mean much, PPFD matters. Those lights might keep the P afra alive. Thrive is another story.

For my indoor setup I got a metal shelving unit and grow light from Amazon. Cost a bit over 100. (Just checked prices, inflation! The shelf is 70 and light 60)

B08CZCDYR3 is the Amazon number for the older model. Something in this range. You could probably find one for 50 and a cheaper shelf.

Unfortunately, I cannot do something like the light you have linked, in the apartment. I have to work with something like I I showed above or single lightbulbs like I mentioned in a clip-on lamp.

 

[Srt8madness]

That's why I mentioned the shelves, you hang the light from the shelf, lol.

You're going to be limited using the octopus lights.

The sun puts out 1500-2000 ppfd overhead.

The lights I showed are 750-1250

The octolights/single bulbs put out <100 ppfd. So they need to be as close to the plants and on for as long as possible.

 

[LuZiKui]

I feel you, all about making the best with what you have available. That will absolutely provide more energy to the plant but as SRT mentioned it will still be a fraction of the light that the sun puts out. My advice would be to use your current set up for a few months and if you like it and want to continue then look at getting a bigger/better light. You can always use this light for seedlings or other trees.

I've been trying my hardest not to just throw a bunch of money into bonsai as I'm learning. I've got a handful of plants and I've spent this time watching them grow and learning how they react to small changes like watering, fertilizer, sun exposure, etc. You gotta remember that bonsai is a marathon not a sprint so enjoy your setup and your plants and learn for now.

 

[Isilwen]

That's why I mentioned the shelves, you hang the light from the shelf, lol.

You're going to be limited using the octopus lights.

The sun puts out 1500-2000 ppfd overhead.

The lights I showed are 750-1250

The octolights/single bulbs put out <100 ppfd. So they need to be as close to the plants and on for as long as possible.

I guess I can try that, but space is at a premium in here. All available space is taken. The above pictured P. afra is sitting on top of a savannah monitor enclosure.

The single bulb that I mentioned is putting out ppfd in the range of 700 - 900.

Will that work?