What to do if your Portulacaria afra grows slowly? Remember 3 points, and in 1 year it will easily grow into an old trunk

Portulacaria afra, also known as the purslane tree, is a flower that gardening enthusiasts rather like. If cared for well, a single Portulacaria afra can grow to 4 m tall, the same as the other potted plants we usually keep; it can be called a veritable giant. But many gardening enthusiasts complain that Portulacaria afra grows very slowly, and if you want to shape it into a form, who knows how many years it will take. So today, the editor brings you this article to see how you can make Portulacaria afra grow a bit faster and quickly turn it into a small old trunk. Let's take a look below.

Portulacaria afra is a perennial evergreen succulent shrub of the Portulacaceae family. If we care for it well, it can grow to over four meters tall. Although the leaves of Portulacaria afra are very small and delicate, they look very glossy. Because its care method is very simple, it is loved by many gardening enthusiasts. So what should be done if Portulacaria afra grows slowly? We only need to pay attention to these three points to solve this problem and let Portulacaria afra quickly become a "small old trunk". Let's take a look below at which three points need attention.

During the care process, if we want Portulacaria afra to become a small old trunk, we need to pay attention to the following three points.

1. Prune often

Portulacaria afra has a very strong branching ability, so when we usually care for it, we should prune it often, as only then can it be encouraged to sprout more branches. Moreover, if we prune often, not only can we keep the plant's shape beautiful, but we can also make the old trunk grow more robust. So how should we prune? Generally, we cut off all diseased and weak branches, dense branches, or clustered branches. After pruning, we should place the Portulacaria afra indoors for care, avoiding sun and rain, otherwise the cut wounds are very prone to infection.

After pruning the Portulacaria afra, in order to make it more beautiful, we can wire it. I generally choose to use aluminum wire for wiring, so that the Portulacaria afra will be more stable and graceful.

2. Water with a bit of woody water.

Many gardening enthusiasts say Portulacaria afra grows slowly. What is the reason? A large part of it may be caused by improper fertilizing. In order to promote the growth of Portulacaria afra, we can apply a decomposed liquid fertilizer once a month. In this current season, the fertilizer we give it should be mainly phosphorus and potassium fertilizer. When applying phosphorus and potassium fertilizer, we can increase the potassium content partway through, because potassium fertilizer is a necessary substance for plant cell wall growth; after it is taken up well, it can increase the plant's toughness, so its epidermal layer and cuticle will begin to become hard, thereby achieving a lignified effect.

For phosphorus and potassium fertilizer, we can choose potassium dihydrogen phosphate. Mix potassium dihydrogen phosphate into a 0.2% aqueous solution, then use it to water the flowers, which can produce a woody effect. You can also directly use plant ash, then dilute it with water 10 times, set it aside, and after letting it stand overnight, take the clear liquid to water the flowers. Used once a month in this way, it can likewise enhance the lignification effect of Portulacaria afra.

3. Water appropriately

Portulacaria afra belongs to the succulent plants and is very drought-tolerant, but it is not resistant to moisture, so when we usually water, we must wait until the potting soil is dry before watering. Spring and autumn are the growing seasons for Portulacaria afra. At this time we can water it a bit more appropriately, but it should still be mainly on the dry side. What needs special emphasis is that in summer, Portulacaria afra is in its dormant period. At this time we absolutely must not water it too much, and we must pay attention to controlling water, otherwise it is very prone to root rot. In addition, in winter, Portulacaria afra is also in its dormant period, so we also need to control water for it, and place it in a sunny spot for care, which is more conducive to the plant's lignification.

What to do if your Portulacaria afra grows slowly? As long as we pay attention to the above three points, in about a year it can easily grow into a small old trunk. Gardening enthusiasts, have you learned it? Alright, today's article is shared here. Thank you for reading. If you like this article, give the editor a like, save it and follow. The editor shares all kinds of flower-growing knowledge every day. Welcome to leave comments and learn more flower-growing knowledge together.