The Start if my Variegated Portulacaria Afra Journey

[MrMiagtree]

I made my first big change to a plant this weekend. New year, new beginnings and all that. My P. afra looked nice, but when you took a close look, I had a few bar branches plus competing leaders for future development. As much as I wanted the greenery to develop the trunk, I was worried about reverse taper in a couple of spots, along with a fairly hefty competing leader growing straight up off the back of that curve. It seemed like several branches had to go to maintain the vision.

I also decided to move it from pure succulent mix to a heavy inorganic with some pumice. It was fine, but the soil was packing down and retaining moisture. I just didn't want to risk root rot over time. I also reset the original angle, more or less. When I did a slip pot a few months ago while still brand new to this, I insisted it must be straight up. However, the plant wanted to angle. That angle added so much more character in retrospect, it seemed a travesty to force it out of the design.

Anyway, hope you enjoy my potato picks and changes. Be gentle, please!

 

[Nickuk74]

Have you found this yet?

Bonsai with Tom

Drinking coffee, sharing my trees, and evolving my bonsai… Most of my trees are various types of jades - Crassula Ovata, Dwarf Jade (Portulacaria Afra), and a few other varieties of succulents . For me, working on my bonsai is like meditation or taking a mini vacation as it recharges my soul...

www.youtube.com

 

[jerrymc]

Have you found this yet?

Bonsai with Tom

Drinking coffee, sharing my trees, and evolving my bonsai… Most of my trees are various types of jades - Crassula Ovata, Dwarf Jade (Portulacaria Afra), and a few other varieties of succulents . For me, working on my bonsai is like meditation or taking a mini vacation as it recharges my soul...

www.youtube.com

Thanks for posting this..I curiously took a "quick look"..it's now 1 1/2 hrs later..good stuff!

 

[MrMiagtree]

Have you found this yet?

Bonsai with Tom

Drinking coffee, sharing my trees, and evolving my bonsai… Most of my trees are various types of jades - Crassula Ovata, Dwarf Jade (Portulacaria Afra), and a few other varieties of succulents . For me, working on my bonsai is like meditation or taking a mini vacation as it recharges my soul...

www.youtube.com

No, but you're going to send me down a rabbit hole. Thanks!

 

[milehigh_7]

Careful with that mix it looks like it holds a lot of water... They can be thirst when it's really hot but if not you can rot pretty easy. This is especially true when a lot of foliage is removed.

 

[Eckhoffw]

As I have a little forest of the same, I’ll chime in and say;
they seem to grow a little slower than the normal variety. I keep mine in purely inorganic material. DE + calcined clay sifted fines.

During the growing season, I water -fairly regularly- twice a week.

Lots of light!!

 

[MrMiagtree]

Careful with that mix it looks like it holds a lot of water... They can be thirst when it's really hot but if not you can rot pretty easy. This is especially true when a lot of foliage is removed.

It's about 70% inorganic, 30% Organic. Mostly pumice and lava rock with a bit of Turface tossed in. The inorganic is succulent mix. It was in pure succulent mix prior, and while that retained a fair amount, I was careful with watering and it was growing quite well.

 

[MrMiagtree]

As I have a little forest of the same, I’ll chime in and say;
they seem to grow a little slower than the normal variety. I keep mine in purely inorganic material. DE + calcined clay sifted fines.

During the growing season, I water -fairly regularly- twice a week.

Lots of light!!

View attachment 625355

I love your forest!

I understand that. Summers get pretty hot and dry here. I thought a bit of organic would help with that, as well as provide an extra shot of nutrients. I'm hoping to push a couple of years a trunk and root growth before I begin potting it.

 

[Desert O'Piñon]

they seem to grow a little slower than the normal variety.

This is also my experience. I have a couple 10G aquariums, one for variegated and the other for green. Even indoors under lights, the variegated are staying healthy, but the "plain" ones are showing strong growth since I dug them from their grow box and pruned them October 19th.
@MrMiagtree, yours looks good. Did you keep any cuttings to make more trees?

 

[milehigh_7]

It's about 70% inorganic, 30% Organic. Mostly pumice and lava rock with a bit of Turface tossed in. The inorganic is succulent mix. It was in pure succulent mix prior, and while that retained a fair amount, I was careful with watering and it was growing quite well.

Careful with Turface... dangerous stuff...

 

[Eckhoffw]

Careful with Turface... dangerous stuff...

I’ve found Turface to be dangerous when using it neat. The same for any of the other oil dry type calcined clays.

However, I think they can have their place as an ingredient to a soil mix. Adding to pumice, lava, or other valcanic grits, can add some benefits.
I believe Nigel Saunders used or still uses Turface + pumice extensively.
I wouldn’t do that myself
But apparently it works for him.

sifting all ingredients well and to the same size, has made weird clumping issues disappear.

 

[MrMiagtree]

This is also my experience. I have a couple 10G aquariums, one for variegated and the other for green. Even indoors under lights, the variegated are staying healthy, but the "plain" ones are showing strong growth since I dug them from their grow box and pruned them October 19th.
@MrMiagtree, yours looks good. Did you keep any cuttings to make more trees?

I tried, but the wife is drawing the line at any more plants right now . And here I was going to root them and get the kids into it!

 

[MrMiagtree]

This is also my experience. I have a couple 10G aquariums, one for variegated and the other for green. Even indoors under lights, the variegated are staying healthy, but the "plain" ones are showing strong growth since I dug them from their grow box and pruned them October 19th.
@MrMiagtree, yours looks good. Did you keep any cuttings to make more trees?

I trier, but the wife is drawing the line at any more plants right now . And here I was going to root them and get the kids into it

Careful with Turface... dangerous stuff...

I hadn't heard that. What's the issue with Turface? I knew it could mean an akadama replacement in mixes and just happened to get some from a more experienced bonsai grower.