Prune Portulacaria afra this way and it will grow beautiful and vigorous, and one plant can even become many

Portulacaria afra is also called the jade plant, belongs to the Portulacaceae family, and is a perennial herbaceous plant from Africa. Its name sounds lovely and carries a very good meaning. It is also very easy to care for. Like the jade plant, it grows especially fast. If you want a beautiful and attractive plant shape and even more vigorous growth, you need to prune it often. So how do you prune Portulacaria afra?

Methods and tips for pruning Portulacaria afra

Pruning time: summer temperatures are too high and winter temperatures are too low, so these two periods are not suitable for pruning. At all other times, pruning can be done at any time.

The pruning method and steps are to cut off one third of the length of the main branches, leaving only about two thirds.

For the side branches, cut off half their length and leave one half. Then leave only three or four branches on each side branch, and cut off the extra branches.

In normal times, promptly cut off the young shoots sprouting at the base of the branches. This allows the main trunk to absorb more nutrients and grow faster. The pruning shape can be chosen according to your own preference, for example slanted trunk style, curved trunk style, cascade style, and so on.

For the care of Portulacaria afra, it is best to use fertile, loose, breathable and well-draining sandy soil. Mixing leaf mold, garden soil and sand together is enough. Do not water too frequently, too much or in excess. Otherwise it easily drops leaves. Keep the potting soil slightly dry. It is not tolerant of moisture, so water thoroughly only after the soil has dried out.

Under high summer temperatures it needs shading. In other seasons it needs sunlight, and more fertilizer, in small amounts each time. In winter, place it indoors in a warm, wind-sheltered spot and water less. This way Portulacaria afra grows sturdy, vigorous and beautiful.

Portulacaria afra has very tenacious vitality. Do not throw away the branches cut off during pruning. Remove the leaves from the bottom of the branches, let the cut dry for a day, then insert them directly into leaf mold and coarse sand, or into a flowerpot with vermiculite plus nutrient soil. Spray water several times a day to keep the medium slightly moist, and roots can grow in less than ten days.

After transplanting into a pot, do not fertilize for the first period. Wait until it has settled in and the root system has grown firm, then give a small amount of fertilizer. In this way, one Portulacaria afra can be grown into many beautiful Portulacaria afra plants.