Developing Portulacaria Afra

[MrWunderful]

Ive been growing Porties for a few years now and want to do some progressions.

They grow pretty well in my foggy climate, and I like their durability and the fact that you can work them hard and they repay you with a lot of ramification.


#1

Paid 29$ as nursery stock.

Hard cutback

today


I was feeding very heavy this year, 5x normal amount of blue juice every watering. Got a ton of growth (6 prune sessions) but too long of internodes.


I left myself a bunch of outs so I am going to Let it run until next spring then fully defoliate it. I am still going to fert heavy but with an organic pelletized at 10x the amount.

 

[MrWunderful]

#8 (variagated)

 

[MrWunderful]

My first p. Afra forest I have made using some techniques from Kato’s book.
The trunks are obscured from leaves to leave as much foliage on as possible until I hard structural prune next year. There are some fatties in there (All cuttings taken from #1) so I am excited to clean it up in spring

Goal is aggressive hedge pruning to give a thick pierneef style to the canopy

 

[Michael P]

My portulacaria forest is at a similar stage: lots of leaves and a large pot.

 

[thatguy]

My first p. Afra forest I have made using some techniques from Kato’s book.
The trunks are obscured from leaves to leave as much foliage on as possible until I hard structural prune next year. There are some fatties in there (All cuttings taken from #1) so I am excited to clean it up in spring

Goal is aggressive hedge pruning to give a thick pierneef style to the canopy
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Really enjoy seeing your threads! Will be interested to watch this forest develop. I love Kato's book and am using it to plan a few plantings for this spring.

 

[Mycin]

My first p. Afra forest I have made using some techniques from Kato’s book.
The trunks are obscured from leaves to leave as much foliage on as possible until I hard structural prune next year. There are some fatties in there (All cuttings taken from #1) so I am excited to clean it up in spring

Goal is aggressive hedge pruning to give a thick pierneef style to the canopy
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View attachment 330234

I’m very intrigued and want to do something similar. Most forest tutorials I’ve found are for the “landscape” type however - with space between the trees.

without giving away all the secrets from the book, is there much more to this than careful selection and placement of stock, and then wiring it all together to form a unified rootmass?

e: examining your photo looks like some trees are positioned outwards - wiring or just the shape of those trees?

 

[MrWunderful]

I’m very intrigued and want to do something similar. Most forest tutorials I’ve found are for the “landscape” type however - with space between the trees.

without giving away all the secrets from the book, is there much more to this than careful selection and placement of stock, and then wiring it all together to form a unified rootmass?

e: examining your photo looks like some trees are positioned outwards - wiring or just the shape of those trees?

That is the basis of Katos book. I did my best to mix up sizes and make a semi convincing “grove” but it will not be on par with an old Trident/etc. forrest due to the nature of P. Afra as a succulent.

I did choose the “pointing out” trees for outside to give the impression of reaching away from the grove to more light. Im excited to do a clean up to expose some of the structure. I will only do a slight wire eventually, if I even do wire.

 

[just.wing.it]

That is the basis of Katos book. I did my best to mix up sizes and make a semi convincing “grove” but it will not be on par with an old Trident/etc. forrest due to the nature of P. Afra as a succulent.

I did choose the “pointing out” trees for outside to give the impression of reaching away from the grove to more light. Im excited to do a clean up to expose some of the structure. I will only do a slight wire eventually, if I even do wire.

I wire mine like anything else.....they just need to be re-wired frequently because the branches take a long time to set and hold position.

 

[Michael P]

I'm not familiar with Kato and his/her book. Please post the full author's name and title.

 

[MrWunderful]

I wire mine like anything else.....they just need to be re-wired frequently because the branches take a long time to set and hold position.

Since I can get such aggressive growth, I find clip and grow works best. But I have a 10 month growing season and they stay outside year long. I like a combo of guy wires and heavy wire for bigger branches until it cuts in.

 

[MrWunderful]

I'm not familiar with Kato and his/her book. Please post the full author's name and title.

Forest, Rock planting and Ezo spruce Bonsai
By Saburo Kato

 

[MrWunderful]

Reverse variagated twin trunk (due for a prune)



A semi- refined Var.



Almost defoliated my big #1 today as its getting leggy-er every day because I could probably get another flush before cold temps come in, but had to exercise restraint. Pinched the above instead and I will prune in spring.

 

[MrWunderful]

Reverse variagated twin trunk (due for a prune)

View attachment 331637

A semi- refined Var.

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Almost defoliated my big #1 today as its getting leggy-er every day because I could probably get another flush before cold temps come in, but had to exercise restraint. Pinched the above instead and I will prune in spring.

 

[MrWunderful]

Finally got a corker! Thanks so much to @Housguy for the hookup. Fair price, quick shipping and great packing. Great guy to deal with!

 

[LemonBonsai]

Finally got a corker! Thanks so much to @Housguy for the hookup. Fair price, quick shipping and great packing. Great guy to deal with!

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Hey I would like to pick your brain about variegated ports. Since you said you have grown them for years and I see you habe one. I just bought a nursery stock variegated portulacaria afra and I noticed that some leaves on it were cupped upwards I also noticed that the leaves are easily plucked or knocked off. I have read that this can mean drought stress but I am not sure. Have you ever had this happen to your variegated variety?

Also how much slower does variegated grow compared to the non variegated kind and what lighting do you keep your variegated species under?

 

[MrWunderful]

Hey I would like to pick your brain about variegated ports. Since you said you have grown them for years and I see you habe one. I just bought a nursery stock variegated portulacaria afra and I noticed that some leaves on it were cupped upwards I also noticed that the leaves are easily plucked or knocked off. I have read that this can mean drought stress but I am not sure. Have you ever had this happen to your variegated variety?

Also how much slower does variegated grow compared to the non variegated kind and what lighting do you keep your variegated species under?

yeah sure.
I have found the leaves on

the variegated ports to be very small, as well as folded. When you prune a lot they get to be very tiny and take on a more yellow hue with a pink edge. Sounds normal to me, but feel free to post a pic.

As far as being easy to break off, I think that is common across the species, especially when well watered. I water mine quite a bit and they are in an open soil.Some of them consume quite a bit of water, and stay turgid. That stiffness from the turgidity I think is what makes them easy to break. When I “pinch” some of them, I just pop off the new young shoots with my fingers. I dont think you have a problem, but you may have a unique situation.

I dont know if they actually can get drought stress, a lot of people swear by little watering but I dont think you get as full/vigorous growth.

Variegated Portys do grow at about half the speed compared to standard (same goes for “aurea”) but once ramified a high quantity of leaves can speed them up a little bit.

While counter-intuitive, pruning them actually speeds them up quite a bit (after early investment).

Mine are outside all year, in full sun in a southern orientation, but my microclimate is very specific. I will defer to others who grow indoors during winter for lighting recommendations.


Hope that helps.

 

[LemonBonsai]

yeah sure.
I have found the leaves on

the variegated ports to be very small, as well as folded. When you prune a lot they get to be very tiny and take on a more yellow hue with a pink edge. Sounds normal to me, but feel free to post a pic.

As far as being easy to break off, I think that is common across the species, especially when well watered. I water mine quite a bit and they are in an open soil.Some of them consume quite a bit of water, and stay turgid. That stiffness from the turgidity I think is what makes them easy to break. When I “pinch” some of them, I just pop off the new young shoots with my fingers. I dont think you have a problem, but you may have a unique situation.

I dont know if they actually can get drought stress, a lot of people swear by little watering but I dont think you get as full/vigorous growth.

Variegated Portys do grow at about half the speed compared to standard (same goes for “aurea”) but once ramified a high quantity of leaves can speed them up a little bit.

While counter-intuitive, pruning them actually speeds them up quite a bit (after early investment).

Mine are outside all year, in full sun in a southern orientation, but my microclimate is very specific. I will defer to others who grow indoors during winter for lighting recommendations.


Hope that helps.

Thanks! I have attached a picture of what I mean for the leaves being cupped. Its interesting that the leaves off this variegated one the leaves fall off very easily however on my normal port they dont fall off as easy, (i need to give it a little tug for them to pop off)


And finally one last question how do you find cuttings off the variegated variety root? With as much ease as the regular variety or does the variegated mutation hinder that as well?

 

[MrWunderful]

Thanks! I have attached a picture of what I mean for the leaves being cupped. Its interesting that the leaves off this variegated one the leaves fall off very easily however on my normal port they dont fall off as easy, (i need to give it a little tug for them to pop off)
View attachment 333196

And finally one last question how do you find cuttings off the variegated variety root? With as much ease as the regular variety or does the variegated mutation hinder that as well?

those look fine and healthy to me. And I have had the same success with rooting as the normal type, maybe a slight amount less.

 

[LemonBonsai]

those look fine and healthy to me. And I have had the same success with rooting as the normal type, maybe a slight amount less.

Thanks for your help! Btw you have some really nice projects in here! I have to admit I do love the look of variegated ports. And yours look really nice.

 

[MrWunderful]

Thanks for your help! Btw you have some really nice projects in here! I have to admit I do love the look of variegated ports. And yours look really nice.

Thanks, when I find time I will throw some more up.