Is the Portulacaria afra tree worthless? Fine specimens are so expensive you could not afford them even with two months' salary
The Portulacaria afra tree is a common household flower. In many places, flower lovers call it: Golden Branch and Jade Leaf. Its alias is also called Golden Branch and Jade Leaf. Actually, its scientific name is simply Portulacaria afra, and it is definitely not the same plant as the purslane we commonly see. Many flower lovers may not know that the Portulacaria afra tree is an excellent succulent flower bonsai seedling, especially in the south, where the Portulacaria afra tree is a very common courtyard flower, and can even be seen everywhere in the wild.
The "Portulacaria afra tree" is worthless? These "fine specimens" cannot be bought even with two months' "salary"!
But it is exactly this kind of courtyard flower and household potted plant, seen everywhere, that is a very suitable seedling for ornamental bonsai. The Portulacaria afra tree has characteristics such as being tolerant of pruning, branches that easily age and show the plant's sense of vicissitude, and succulent leaves that grow quickly, so flower lovers use it to make bonsai. Originally, the Portulacaria afra tree, which can be cut anywhere, had no value, but after pruning, wiring, root exposure, fertilizing and other treatments, an ordinary Portulacaria afra tree becomes a pot of "fine bonsai". It is a bit like an ugly duckling turning into a swan.
When using the Portulacaria afra tree to make bonsai, you can prune and wire according to the direction of the plant's branches and trunk. The wiring force must not be too strong, because the branches and trunk of the Portulacaria afra tree are soft, and wiring too tightly will cause damage. Generally, you can cultivate bonsai in styles such as: formal upright style, slanting style, semi-cascade style, cascade style, forest style, root-over-rock style, and so on. After pruning, wiring, and later care, the value of the bonsai obtained can multiply many times. It is very common for any pot to be worth over 10,000 yuan, and if the tree age is greater, a value of 30,000 to 50,000 is also common.
In fact, the Portulacaria afra tree is originally a very good bonsai seedling. During care, you need to pay attention to the following three points, and you too can gradually grow it into a bonsai!
1. Pruning
The Portulacaria afra tree is a plant that grows relatively quickly. If you want to make it into a beautiful bonsai, pruning is an indispensable task. When pruning, cut off leggy branches, cut off unnecessary side branches, cut off the terminal buds of key branches, remove apical dominance, and then promote the sprouting of side buds, so that the whole plant grows full.
2. Wiring
If you want to make a bonsai, you cannot let the plant grow freely. You must carefully wire it, using thin aluminum wire (lead wire) for wiring, mainly tying it into the shape you want. However, there is one point to note: the branches of the Portulacaria afra tree are relatively soft, so when wiring, be careful not to let the wire cut into the branches.
3. Root exposure
When cultivating the plant in the early stage, you can grow it in a seedling pot. Every year, in addition to pruning, fertilizing, watering, and wiring, appropriate root exposure treatment should be carried out in spring. Root exposure is very simple: remove the soil on the upper surface of the plant, expose the root system, prune off the fibrous roots, and let the thick roots be exposed to the air and continue to grow, developing a graceful shape.
The Portulacaria afra trees grown this way all increase in value. Many fine specimens cannot be bought casually, so I also hope that all friends who grow flowers can try this way of playing with plants, and you will have different gains!
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