Pinch your Portulacaria afra regularly, and in just half a year you can easily grow it into an old bonsai-like trunk that will make all your neighbors envious.

Portulacaria afra (elephant bush) carries a lovely meaning: it symbolizes that blood relatives will always stay together, so many families like to bring a pot home to grow. However, some flower lovers find that their Portulacaria afra grows more and more slowly, and has no attractive shape to speak of at all. In fact, Portulacaria afra needs to be "pinched" regularly. If you want it to easily turn into a small old trunk in half a year, then hurry up and give it a try! When the neighbors saw how successfully we had grown our Portulacaria afra, they all said they were extremely envious.

Portulacaria afra does not need any advanced care techniques. The difference between good and poor growth lies in whether it grows vigorously or not. With the same sandy soil and the same watering, of course you cannot see any difference. But I learned a trick from the master gardeners: pinch its branches. Only those who know how to pinch branches can grow a beautiful Portulacaria afra.

Pinching branches means learning how to prune your Portulacaria afra. It has very strong sprouting ability, so you can completely rest assured when cutting branches. Trim off the branches that look unattractive or are slightly malnourished, so that a perfect shape can be maintained, and at the same time the old branches will become even sturdier.

When pinching branches, you can also prune the outline according to your own preferences. Some families prefer a full, rounded look and will trim it into an arc shape, while others prefer a steady look and will trim it into a triangular shape. There is not much fuss about this. As long as you avoid rain and strong sun exposure after pruning, the cut branch ends will heal quickly.

However, if you want your Portulacaria afra to grow even better, it is still more suitable to apply fertilizer once a month. In weather like this, phosphorus and potassium fertilizer is more suitable, because it can strengthen the toughness of its branches and trunk, so that the old trunk can form faster. If you are also a flower lover distressed about not being able to grow Portulacaria afra well, do not rush to envy others. Hurry up and pinch it regularly, fertilize it appropriately, and you too can grow a small old trunk!

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