Jabily / Elephant tree

I appreciate the info I've learned from this thread and hope you guys don't mind me picking your brains regarding these fascinating trees.
I recently acquired a pachypus and a decaryi, and had questions regarding the propagation of root cuttings.
  • Type of soil used to plant root cuttings?
  • How often do you water the root cuttings? (Summer in Southern California could average around 90 degrees).
  • In regards to the mother tree, once you cut off a root, could the wound be buried under the soil?
 
I've done it only once so my experiences are very limited and documented on page one of this thread.

I used DE I do use for the most of my plants. Concerning watering... the root cuttings were watered well and then allowed to dry a bit.
Yes, the cut on mother plant was sealed with cut paste, let dry and after an hour planted and buried in inorganic soil. I repoted it after three years this spring and there was no sign of rot or die back...
 
DE stands for diatomaceous earth. You're welcome.

Nice tree, BTW, will prune, wire and share my trees shortly.
 
I have in the past rooted cuttings, no need to air layers, cutting's work better than air layers. Take the cuttings, and set them on a self, or windowsill for at least a week, up to several months. The cut wound needs to dry. If temperatures are above 68 F or 20 C, then insert the cut end into your potting media. Water well. Water maybe once a week. The cuttings will root and grow, all they need is warmth, sun & occasional water.

Opercularia decaryi is tolerant of a wide variety of media. Any media suitable for pines, meaning fast draining, and mostly inorganic, will work. I am not familiar with O. pachypus, if it is a calciphile, from limestone regions, then top dress your pot with crushed oyster shell or crushed dolomite, or horticultural lime as a top dress to your potting mix. If you don't know don't worry about it.
 
When wiring these trees is there a particular guideline one needs to follow in order not to damage the bark? For example, the gauge of wire, the type of wire, how long should one leave the wire, and so on.
 
estradagies said:
When wiring these trees is there a particular guideline one needs to follow in order not to damage the bark? For example, the gauge of wire, the type of wire, how long should one leave the wire, and so on.
Click to expand...
That's a good question. I'm not sure if it's a very thin bark or skin. But no special guidline for wiring. I try to be careful and gentle, often use a pliers to hold wire. For the lengths I'm used to leave a bit longer to create a fish hook to support the end of branch better and have some reserve, you know if...
You can always use smaller gauge of wire than you would use for other woody plants. The branches are very playable for a long time. Their thickening is very unpredictable (just look what grew in three years from root cutting and/or in some places wire can be left for more than a year) so watch the wire.
 
I am really impressed with the result you got , size leaf is really a great point for this kind of tropical tree contrary to ficus for exemple...
This kind of sharing is a great source of motivation 👍
 
Hello! Hoping I can get some advice on my tree I got spring '20. It gets some direct sun a few hours of the day, mostly bright indirect light. I've been doing a full watering every 2 weeks since I got it.. Didn't realize there should have been a fully dry period. It's April now and the past week it's been dropping more leaves.. though most branch tips show new growth. I'm not particular about the shape of the tree, I like the wonky look.

Should I keep on going as I have been? Is the leaf drop not a concern? IMG_8917.JPGIMG_8921.JPG
 
I have some of these. Three are fairly large and three are rooted cuttings a year old. Two of them under lights are about 75% defoliated. One in a greenhouse is 100% defoliated. The three small ones have minor defoliation. All of them are alive and well and sending out new growth. This is the time to give yours a haircut and a bit of styling. This is a bit unlike some of my other tropicals like ficus that I will not prune until late spring and summer. Just be sure to check yours thoroughly for insect or root problems since you have been watering yours pretty frequently for winter.
 
earthbian said:
Hello! Hoping I can get some advice on my tree I got spring '20. It gets some direct sun a few hours of the day, mostly bright indirect light. I've been doing a full watering every 2 weeks since I got it.. Didn't realize there should have been a fully dry period. It's April now and the past week it's been dropping more leaves.. though most branch tips show new growth. I'm not particular about the shape of the tree, I like the wonky look.

Should I keep on going as I have been? Is the leaf drop not a concern?
Click to expand...
I still have my two, still growing them on my window sill indoors.
I think I water them more than required with no ill effect... but they're potted in inorganic substrate. It means almost every day in season and at least once a week in winter. One of them goes dormant every season and second is semi-dormant, holding some leaves. I think it's caused more by a length of a day and by temperatures then linked to dry period. I reduce watering after they start dropping leaves in winter.
And yes, that's a good sign yours is pushing new growth while dropping old leaves.
... I could enjoy very first flowers this spring.
 

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penumbra said:
... and three are rooted cuttings a year old...
Click to expand...
Could you please elaborate this, first time hearing they can be propagated by cuttings. I'd be happy to have more of these without repotting and making root cuttings, my daughters always ask for a plant that can live without water for a couple of days😁
 
petegreg said:
I think it's caused more by a length of a day and by temperatures then linked to dry period.
Click to expand...
I don't think so. They are from Madagascar and most African succulent trees lose leaves during periods of drought.
petegreg said:
Could you please elaborate this, first time hearing they can be propagated by cuttings.
Click to expand...
The three that I started by cuttings were done in the spring and placed under a dome, watered once, until they stated growing. I tried again later in the season and they did not root. On the other hand, from what I have heard about root cuttings, it is pretty fool proof.
 
penumbra said:
I don't think so. They are from Madagascar and most African succulent trees lose leaves during periods of drought.

The three that I started by cuttings were done in the spring and placed under a dome, watered once, until they stated growing. I tried again later in the season and they did not root. On the other hand, from what I have heard about root cuttings, it is pretty fool proof.
Click to expand...
Thank you I'll give it a try.
 
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