Bonsai White Belt
Mame
Here is some material I have let grow out. Below is a hole I think gives character that should be front and the whole trunk from angle. The black lines are where I'd chop it. Bottom left id wire up. 
Any advice?
- Thread starter Bonsai White Belt
- Start date
Paradox
Marine Bonsologist
I am not knowledgeable about jades. Hopefully someone who is can answer
penumbra
Imperial Masterpiece
I would go with the chops but be sure to root the cuttings. Hard to tell from the picture, but you may want to choose between the two parallel branches on the lower right.
Shibui
Imperial Masterpiece
Can't hurt a jade by chopping. Hard pruning is almost always a good thing to get rid of long branches and encourage more ramification and better branching.
Srt8madness
Omono
Im making an assumption this is kept inside 24/8/365:
Candidly, Jades can live inside, but they are very difficult to develop as bonsai inside. Even under supplemental lighting they have long internodes and sparse foliage. It's more realistic to develop outdoors, then when general shape is achieved can be kept inside under lights and just trimmed back.
Once the design is mostly complete, keeping it potted until the roots are constricted will help keep it in form.
Candidly, Jades can live inside, but they are very difficult to develop as bonsai inside. Even under supplemental lighting they have long internodes and sparse foliage. It's more realistic to develop outdoors, then when general shape is achieved can be kept inside under lights and just trimmed back.
Once the design is mostly complete, keeping it potted until the roots are constricted will help keep it in form.
Bonsai White Belt
Mame
Yeahhhh I'm sure you're right. I live in a condo with no outdoor access, so I guess I'm out of luck.
Srt8madness
Omono
I mean, it will be harder for sure. There are some close internodes on the bends of the upper branches, cutting to those could keep your foliage tight. Restricting root growth would do the same. Just may take a lot longer.
TrevorLarsen
Chumono
Get some good lights and put them a few inches above the plant.
MaciekA
Shohin
I grow p. afra outdoors in the warm months but under "proper" grow lights in the cold months. There is no doubt they put on a lot of mass and grow vigorously under proper grow lights, and this combination has them growing 365 days a year.
I have not had luck with recommending proper grow lights to beginners. When I use this term I mean a light that is unpleasant to look at (i.e. very bright), draws a properly high wattage for its surface area, and generates some waste heat. On reddit at least, beginners tend to get lights that are literally 10 to 25 times weaker than the table stakes bare minimum to grow a species like this. You can't grow a competent p. afra bonsai with a weak light marketed for growing basil on your kitchen counter or something intended as a reading light. A cannabis grow light setup will meanwhile grow vigorous p. afra effortlessly.
To maximize how much I get out of my light and reduce the wattage that I grow it at (my rates have gone up last year and this year..), I grow all my succulents a roughly equal size and hover the light just a couple inches above them as @TrevorLarsen recommends. Get the strongest light you can justify and do whatever you can to capture and redirect all light to the plants.
