100 Pins • 16 Followers. In the hotel grounds there was a Portulacaria Afra bush. First time i ever trip and do defoliation on a Portulacaria afra (Little Jade, Elephant Bush, Dwarf jade, Porkbush, Spekboom) I was scary but I took a lot of cutting for backup. In January 2018 I went on holidays to the Canary Islands. Choose a location with indirect sunlight when growing elephant bush indoors. Allow the cleanly cut edges of the cuttings to dry out for a few days before planting it in well-drained river sand. Spekboom can be propagated from cuttings, which must be kept dry to prevent rotting. Once trees get into bonsai pots, they don’t typically put on much trunk heft. Use a 1/3 strength fertiliser mix into moist soil, once a week. It responds very well to pruning, and you should prune it regularly to force it to grow branches, especially in the lower part of the trunk. Sep 30, 2019 - Explore Fred Miller's board "Bonsai - Spekboom, Jade etc" on Pinterest. . It is the natural form (P. afra forma macrophylla) from the far north of the species’ range. the Elephant's Food or Spekboom. Posts about elephant bush written by adamaskwhy. It truly is a magnificent plant. Like Like. Bonsai masters use the Elephant Plant to create spectacular bonsai. It can absorb a lot of atmospheric carbon and in recent years, people have started using it to prevent climate change. Simply snip off or pinch off the newly sprouted leaves on the end of each branch. A major part of bonsai pruning is performed at the initial stages of growth, when a normal plant specimen is transformed into a fit candidate for growing as a bonsai. William N. Valavanis . Findings suggest that up to four tons of carbon a year would be captured by each hectare. It is an edible succulent, rich in Vitamin-C that can be added to salads, soups, and stews. Pruning is meant for reducing the size of the tree, and to achieve the desired style of foliage growth. Do not use cut-paste on Jade trees. Ensure that the container you choose has wide drainage holes. After heavy pruning, buds will emerge from the trunk The stem will die back (dry out/seal up) to the first line below your cut. training into bonsai forms. Saved by Stephanie Lopez Portulacaria afra is a popular subject for bonsai enthusiasts. It has small round succulent leaves and red stems that can survive arid conditions. If the diameter is for instance 2" (5cm) the tree can be 6-12 times the diameter, in other words 1-2' (30-60cm), high. I have lived in the Eastern Province of South Africa for many years and have grown the spekboom as a bonsai for ages. Overly bright sunlight can char the leaves and cause them to drop off. It makes a beautiful bonsai or a great potted plant. . That’s what you get when you grow out trees in the ground. It is a favorite snack for elephants, rhinos, tortoises, and goats. In this example that would be at roughly 4" (10cm) above the soil. Before and After spekboom bonsai trim . Portulacaria afra in need of pruning: Prune by cutting above a pair of leaf pads., a new bud will grow from the base of each of the pads . #dwarfjadebonsai #portulacariaafra #bonsaitree #bonsailover #trim #treemaintenance #ramification #pruning … Spekboom can be propagated from cuttings, which must be kept dry to prevent rotting. It makes a beautiful bonsai or a great potted plant. Specimens near Mt. The ancient practice of bonsai lifts pruning to an art form. Spekboom Overview. It's also known as elephant food, elephant plant, spekboom, and by its scientific name Portulacaria afra. All clippings can be turned into new trees – Spekboom forms it’s own micro-climate under its protective thicket – Spekboom leaves are edible and rich in manganese, cobalt and especially magnesium and it contains microelements, rich in vitamin C, iodine and selenium – Spekboom is … They like sun, but not to be kept.wet, Take cuttings, practice on them not the mother shrub. Spekboom is a really versatile plant. It responds well to pruning and grows densely, making it an excellent, hardy screen or hedge. Bonsai can become a hobby that lasts a lifetime and bonsai enthusiasts describe growing bonsai as “extremely therapeutic”, because it is a way of slowing down to the pace of nature. Well done! It responds well to pruning and grows densely, making it an excellent, hardy screen or hedge. It is also commonly cultivated as an indoor houseplant and can be used in the Japanese art of bonsai. Leaves of plants grown in Full Sun are smaller than those of the same variety grown in partial shade. A recent study in the Eastern Cape has highlighted the fact that the humble spekboom (or ‘elephant’s food’ as it is also known) has an amazing ability to soak up CO2, equivalent to that of sub-tropical forests. elephant bush – Adam's Art and Bonsai Blog. Recently took a cutting from a beautiful 3m x 3m x 3m Spekboom plant in the Karoo. Many bonsai artists will score the stem of the plant, giving it the appearance of shaggy, gnarled bark. Portulacaria Afra Bonsai Care. ‘Foliis variegatus’ is a slow growing variegated form well suited to container culture. Good Day Anthony . The low-maintenance plant can survive on as little as 250 – 350mm of water per year! How to Prune Your Bonsai. Reactions: Lobaeux and just.wing.it. Pruning a jade that already has a few branches will encourage more growth and help to balance the symmetry of the plant. Whether you are looking for a plant that can be turned into a hedge or a bonsai, or used as groundcover or a large bush, spekboom can do it all. 6. The stem gets thicker over time as the plant matures. The best mixture for this type of plant is cactus soil or potting soil cut by half with sand, vermiculite or pumice. You can watch the progression of this cutting in this Youtube playlist. It grows quickly, is naturally tolerant of low moisture and can be trained into the form of a majestic tree. Elephant bush, Portulacaria afra, is a perennial succulent shrub from South Africa that is a popular succulent garden plant around the world.It is easily grown as a seasonal accent plant or low maintenance houseplant in our part of the world. There are several beech species native to Japan. Reply. Other names of Portulacaria Afra include porkbush and spekboom. Milkw90ds are slow to develop but they can be successfully grown as bonsai especially ifyou start with a tree with a large trunk. See more ideas about Bonsai, Jade bonsai, Bonsai tree. Hope you enjoyed my little […] Bonsai Cuttings... - a grouped images picture. How to prune over grown jades: If you’ve … ‘Cork Bark’, selected by a bonsai practitioner, is prized for bonsai because of its fi ssured, corky bark. By not pruning a tree regularly, however, the tree will slowly disappear, and the shape will be hidden in the dense foliage. Spekboom is a really versatile plant. I took a cutting and I’ve been growing it every since. 6. #3 It is Water-wise and Super Resilient. is the most commonly trained species for bonsai in Japan. Creating a Beech Forest Bonsai . Spekboom switches gear from slow … How to Prune Dwarf Jade. It can be planted in a large container on a sunny patio, but it will need to be watered occasionally. Potted Spekboom needs nutrients added to the soil from time to time and can be trained into a bonsai look. Portulacaria Afra is a small evergreen succulent. Beech are highly prized for bonsai because of their characteristic white bark, beautiful foliage, winter hardiness and easy training. The foliage of Portulacaria Afra is used as food in some native cultures. I’ve had this tree for about 3 years maybe even 4 and I’ve put so much work into what it used to look like. Pruning and wiring: Because the Jade tree is a succulent, it retains water in its trunk and branches. Spekboom also responds well to pruning and grows densely, making it an excellent, hardy hedge. Care Guide. ‘Limpopo’ has much larger leaves. I found out how adaptable they are almost by accident. 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. Whether you are looking for a plant that can be turned into a hedge or a bonsai, or used as groundcover or a large bush, spekboom can do it all. I am trying to add videos every week and keep it uptodate. Pruning is essential to maintaining the shape of the tree—though the term is loosely used, as it is a broad concept in the hobby of bonsai. just.wing.it Deadwood Head. They grow quickly and if left in the sun need very little care. The lines are where you can expect new growth to come from. See more ideas about bonsai, bonsai plants, plants. The pruning techniques for bonsai not only reduce the size of the plant but strive to mimic the natural forms of the trees that grew in the mountainous, harsh regions where bonsai originated.. One of these popular forms is the cascade bonsai. Take some sharp scissors or bonsai shears and trim in between the bars/lines that wrap around the branches. Yet here’s this relatively small Spekboom (just over 12″ tall) growing in a rather confined space and its trunk is … Sometimes, the entire top portion of the tree is removed, to make it compact. Jun 21, 2020 - Explore Grenville Wilson's board "Spekboom Bonsai" on Pinterest. White milkwood (Sideroxylon inerme) This is a protected species but can often be found in nurseries. Bonsai - Spekboom, Jade etc Collection by Fred Miller. They are hardiest in USDA zones 9-11. I know this seems counterintuitive, but cutting off the newly grown leaves will in fact encourage more branching, making for a fuller jade plant! These plants are very easy to grow and propagate. They start out as a small bush and eventually grow tree-like. a rule of thumb is: The diameter of the trunk at the lowest point determines the maximum height of the tree. Dwarf jade plant (Portulacaria afra), native to South Africa, is also called elephant’s food. Keep reading to learn about creating a cascade bonsai. Miniature Trees Succulents Bonsai Garden Plants Plants Japanese Garden Planting Flowers Miniature Garden Garden. Portulacaria afra Bonsai. often called the Dwarf Jade, Spekboom or Elephant Bush . An elephant. Trim job on this spekboom bonsai! The water retention makes the tree limbs heavy which naturally bends the trunk and branches. In late winter and spring, this plant flowers bloom in beautiful pink. Now this is pretty remarkable. The flowers are rich in nectar, bringing beautiful birds to your garden. The plant grows in the wild in Africa, where it serves as a food source for elephants. The Japanese beech, Fagus crenata. Once trimmed they can survive for a while indoors but when they drop leaves it is time to move them out again. Fertilise for a month and then prune back to the first leaves ----- observe. Allow the cleanly cut edges of the cuttings to dry out for a few days before planting it in well-drained river sand. You can also try pinching leaves in choice places as this can result in an entire branch forming where the single leaf used to be! It can be planted in a large container on a sunny patio, but it will need to be watered occasionally. In Bonsai. – Spekboom responds well to pruning and grows densely, making it an excellent, hardy hedge. New growth can be expected to be seen within a week during warm weather, from the base of removed leaves. For more videos visit my video gallery. 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