A year-round watering guide for Portulacaria afra, easily getting through its 2 dormant periods

I wonder if you have all heard of "jin zhi yu ye" (Portulacaria afra)? This plant looks a lot like purslane, and its other name is: purslane tree.

Portulacaria afra belongs to the purslane family and is also a type of succulent. Speaking of succulents, the most troublesome problem for everyone is watering. That's right, watering Portulacaria afra really is a science: water it too much and the purslane easily develops root rot; water it too little and it suffers from lack of water and insufficient moisture.

So for Portulacaria afra, watering is a big deal. Today Huahua will explain to everyone exactly how to water Portulacaria afra through all four seasons of the year!

Spring

In spring, Portulacaria afra, like other plants, has just finished its winter dormant period, so it needs some buffering time. At this point, do not water it too much, otherwise it will not fully wake up and will not drink much water either, and instead you will get waterlogged roots and root rot. Most plants cannot tolerate waterlogging, so do not harm your Portulacaria afra. The watering frequency in spring is roughly once every 4 days.

Summer

Once the temperature slowly rises again, you can gradually increase the amount of water for Portulacaria afra in moderation. When summer heat is at its peak and water evaporation reaches its maximum, be sure to place Portulacaria afra somewhere with scattered sunlight, where it is both ventilated and shaded. In high temperatures, Portulacaria afra has roughly already entered its dormant period, so water it less at this time, about once a week, and remember to regularly mist the plant with a spray bottle to cool down its surface.

Autumn

In autumn the temperature drops, and Portulacaria afra slowly recovers its vitality from the dormant period. The watering frequency can be the same as in spring, once every 4 days. As the temperature drops lower and the air becomes drier, reduce the amount of water, cutting the number of waterings to once every one to two weeks, to prevent root rot caused by Portulacaria afra's slow water evaporation.

Winter

In winter, Portulacaria afra generally enters its winter dormant period. During this time it is best to keep the potting soil slightly dry; you can often use a small spray bottle to spray some water on the plant's surface so the leaves stay moist, which makes it less likely to cause leaf dehydration and similar conditions. You can also just let the watering go, once every half a month is enough, but you still need to keep an eye on Portulacaria afra's growth condition in time and replenish water promptly so the plant does not suffer from lack of water.

When observing Portulacaria afra, if you find the leaves becoming soft and wrinkled, with symptoms of yellowing and dropping leaves, it is very likely that Portulacaria afra is short of water. At this point, replenish water promptly and do not let the lack of water continue.

The above is Huahua's summary of how to water Portulacaria afra through the four seasons. Have you all learned it?