Both kinds of jade plant make handsome bonsais. Two different succulents are known to plant growers by the common name jade plant. In spite of the Oriental aura of the name, neither is known to have originated in China. The first, Portulacaria afra, is a member of the purslane family and comes from East Africa. The second, Crassulata ovata, belongs to the huge stonecrop family, of varied origins. Fortunately, both plants respond to the same care advice. Learn more about caring for jades, especially jade bonsais.Both jades look confusingly alike: rounded, thick, meaty leaves; stems with a thin, papery bark and small to moderate-sized root systems. Like all succulents, jades store water with great efficiency in all parts of the plant. In the absence of insect infestation, suspect overwatering any time your plant is visibly distressed, and treat the roots as well as stems and leaves.
Overwatered jade plants show stress in all parts of the plant. Symptoms include leaf drop, stem droop and a musty smell from the planting medium. Even symptoms that might look more like an absence of water -- withered leaves and shriveling stems -- may have their origins in too much water. The first step in cases of overwatering is to remove the plant gently from its pot, so as to prove any signs of rot from the roots. Roots that are soft, slimy, covered with white fungal patches or disconnecting from the root ball need to be trimmed with sharp scissors to remove all areas affected by wetness.
Washing the pot thoroughly and replacing the old planting medium with new, dry nonorganic compost gives your plant the best chance to recuperate from root rot. After pruning, do not add any water to the pot for at least a month. Slow-growing jades need plenty of healing time. Do not plan to prune anything but damaged stems and leaves for at least three months. Some growers suggest that root and branch prunings of even healthy plants be widely spaced through the year, lessening overall stress on the plant.
Jade plants being grown in bonsai form will require more frequent prunings than jades growing free-form, but pacing is still distinctly slower for slow-growing jades than for other kinds of plants. Jades tend to be semidormant in winter; this is a good time for repotting and root pruning. This is not an annual chore. Many growers suggest repotting and root pruning every two or three years. Planting medium should be completely dry when you remove the plant from its pot. Fill the same or a new, slightly larger pot with fresh, dry medium. Using your fingers or a bonsai root-hook, gently untangle the roots, removing any dead or diseased pieces. Since pruning of healthy roots is usually a strategy used to stimulate growth, bonsai growers proceed with caution, both in pruning and in drastic increases of pot size. Healthy plants can tolerate up to roots being pruned up to one third.
Occasionally an accident will necessitate pruning of jade bonsai roots. Try to stay within the recommended one third cutback if possible. Replace the pruned plant in a similar-sized container with new dry medium and watch your plant carefully for signs of stress for the next three to six months. Do not prune the plant top unless absolutely necessary during this period and do not overwater. In general, a healthy jade bonsai benefits from an annual refreshment or replacement of its growing medium but far less frequent pruning of either roots or limbs.
Photo Credit Ryan McVay/Lifesize/Getty Images; Read Next:
No comments:
Post a Comment