Shohin Portulacaria Afra broom

[lomar]

Ah I see...you peeled it. You sure it was rotting bark? Must be a cork bark then.
Nah mate this tree aren't bothered by pests much. If it's happy and getting enough sun, it's almost bullet proof against pests.
Another thing, more friendly than non friendly bugs uses the bark as hiding...and playing place
Don't peel it

some of it was soft and moist, it looked like a rotted root. if it is cork, why it drops a branch where it is corking? the whole branch just fall off? with green leafs still on the branch! its drivng me nuts

 

[fredman]

Yeah they do drop sections of branches. I've only seen it on smaller tips of branches though.
Does it get enough sun, and not to much water?

 

[Trenthany]

some of it was soft and moist, it looked like a rotted root. if it is cork, why it drops a branch where it is corking? the whole branch just fall off? with green leafs still on the branch! its drivng me nuts

Mine is doing this. In my case I think it’s too much water. I did an emergency repot with more drainage more sun and am hoping it recovers.

 

[lomar]

Yeah they do drop sections of branches. I've only seen it on smaller tips of branches though.
Does it get enough sun, and not to much water?

Not much water! Could it be ? The leafs were not wrinkled at any time! I thought they could go days or weeks without water! I don’t wait that long neither.

 

[Trenthany]

Not much water! Could it be ? The leafs were not wrinkled at any time! I thought they could go days or weeks without water! I don’t wait that long neither.

I’m in FL and it rains daily or several times a day here. Mine was at the base of the trunk and top of roots like a root rot so I am blaming that. I could be wrong though. Putting it where it gets more hours of sun on top of hot black composter seems to be helping. It’s already perked you and trunk seems to be filling back in. Time will tell. I went to a coarser soil approx 5-8 mm. Sifted of course. The soil I got it in had some fish tank type gravel sand and loam/peat in it. It held waaaaaay to much water.

 

[fredman]

Not much water! Could it be ? The leafs were not wrinkled at any time! I thought they could go days or weeks without water! I don’t wait that long neither.

Yeah they prefer to little than to much water. In saying that, they can handle over watering to. When I got mine from a guy, it was standing in a pot filled with garden soil for 15+ years and it looked fine. That soil was soggy all and every winter.
I don't know mate.

 

[fredman]

Ah well...Trees go through ordeals like us to. We get hurt and we grow stronger
It'll recover and form new bark...and look the better for it.
All we can do is learn the best practice for it, and leave the rest up to them.