starting a raft jade?

[Nwaite]

I have a jade that I think with some time and a bit of work could be a nice raft style. ..

I have two questions.

1. If I pin one of the branches down to the soil what are the chances of it growing roots and maby a branch or 2?

2. Any one know how well jades do with grafting?

Was thinking if option 1 wouldn't work I could graft the branches I don't won't from the top along the bottom of the plant to expand its base..

Give me them words of wisdom my freinds!

 

[GrimLore]

Shove a leaf in topsoil/sand mix, keep damp, grow a new Jade

Given a chance to grow they are a natural raft and in some places considered and grown as shrubs.

Easy peasy just grow one for 30 or so years and you have a 150 pound raft!

Serious -

Base -



In bloom -



Grimmy

 

[Jarath]

Damn nice grimmy. My jade is so small, 5 yrs old and growing slowly. And camels to kill u quickly.

 

[GrimLore]

Damn nice grimmy. My jade is so small, 5 yrs old and growing slowly. And camels to kill u quickly.

That was my friends pack of camels, I only smoke an occasional cigar. That jade is in his Greenhouse 36 years or so now. I have two cuttings of it growing in the same pot at my Wife's Office for 3 years now. They are growing fast, from 1/4 inch bases to 2 inches in 3 years. The trick is not a trick - Keep them in a crap mix, heavy on sand and perlite, and a small amount of topsoil so they don't fall out of the pot when they get top heavy. Let them go at least a week between watering, two weeks when it is above 50 percent humidity. They get about 3 hours of sun a day and can take a lot more when they hit 10 years or so. They have never been fertilized as there does not seem to be a need so far. I will ask her to take a picture as I don't have a recent one. As I mentioned they are considered a shrub in many places so I treat them as such only indoors

Grimmy

 

[Nwaite]

That's a really cool jade!

But any one know about the questions I asked?

 

[Jarath]

It's a succulent, so I am not sure grafting works. And yes, on rooting it in soil. They root quickly. I allowed my jade branch to lay on top of soil and it rooted from branch.

 

[carp]

@GrimLore that looks more like Crassula ovata rather than Portulacaria afra. Portulacaria is typically what we refer to as Jade in bonsai. I would also say that is a clump, not so much a raft. A raft style represents a tree which fell over and the branches on one side grew towards the sun as trunks.

I have a Portulacaria raft in progress. Theoretically, the branches touching soil should eventually root. I haven't seen it happen on mine yet and it's been about 9 months. A cutting can root in just a few days though.

Grafting isn't likely. I'm 80% sure its not possible. The way Portulacatia heals is different than other trees. Rather than forming a callous which grows over the wound and closes it, Portulacaria exfoliated any dead tissue and grows fresh bark on the exposed wound. Hard to explain without seeing it. That means where the graft is made, there is no callous tissue to fuse the cambiums.

 

[Nwaite]

Well 2 different answer. ... gess I'll have to just test out and hope for the best!

Thanks for your reply every one.

 

[GrimLore]

@GrimLore that looks more like Crassula ovata rather than Portulacaria afra.

I have no idea what type that @Nwaite has... Do you?

Grimmy

 

[Nwaite]

I'm not sure.... but I know it's a small leafed type but not the mini ones with the pinkish color. ... it's all green.

I have it at work an did some wiring on it yesterday on my brake . Doing a bit more today if I can.

I'll take a few picks. Maby you will know what type it is .

See ya when I see ya slick!

 

[Nwaite]

I'm not sure.... but I know it's a small leafed type but not the mini ones with the pinkish color. ... it's all green.

I have it at work an did some wiring on it yesterday on my brake . Doing a bit more today if I can.

I'll take a few picks. Maby you will know what type it is .

See ya when I see ya slick!

 

[fredman]

Nah I cant think how they can graft. Like carp said they heal different than woody plants. Yeah if you pull a branch down it should take in time. They spread themselves that way in nature, but that's through broken off/fallen branches. That you don't have to water until it starts growing roots.

 

[fredman]

Starting some silly rafts... Ill leave it unwatered over winter. They'll push roots when they feel like it...

 

[Nwaite]

Hey that really neat fredman.
That s kinda what I did with mine. But I didn't like the root there so I ran wire over it in stead and pulled it down on to the dirt.

 

[fredman]

Yeah that's why I got the stones on..to keep it flat. Don't know where exactly it will root...hopefully everywhere

 

[Nwaite]

Went in to work 40 min early so I could work on my plant this morning. ... aaahhh...

But here's a few pics of what I hope will become a nice raft style some day.

Befor and after.

 

[AlainK]

Hi Nwaite,

Firstly, your plant is definitely Portulacaria afra, not Crassula ovata. Too bad, crassukla ovara are much easierr to keep

Then, I'm interested in this thread because I've thought for some time to make a raft from a cutting from a big Portulacaria that a "very temporary member" bought and trimmed at our club.

I took tha cast-offs. It's better to let them dry out a few days before planting them, so they don't rot from the cuts. But since I'm not into "tropical bonsai under LED", I didn't care much and left them outside when temps got below zero, and all but the bigger one died:

I put the one that survived in a spare pot, but the "branches " are just on one side:

But to my dismay, it thrived! This is how it looks tonight:

So, after all I should perhaps keep it alive as a "house bonsai/plant", and make it a raft, with a Chinese feel:

 

[Nwaite]

That would be a nice start for sure!

So what's the difference between the port and crass that's so disappointing?

 

[fredman]

Alain I guess that used to be a side branch that was started as a cutting....? That's why it only branches on one side. That side used to be the upper side of the side branch. They will keep growing mostly on that side only....
The positive of that is when its laid down and used as a graft the growth is in the right direction already. That one will make a super raft I think.
For me Crassula is better used as a pot plant on the patio than as a bonsai.

 

[AlainK]

So what's the difference between the port and crass that's so disappointing?

Where I live (USDA zone 8) I have to bring tropical species indoors. Ceassula keep their leaves without any problem whereas Portulacaria don't f:are so well.

For example, this Crassula kept in the same conditions has a much more dense, healthier foliage: