Mini-jade (Portulacaria afra) Bonsai Handbook
Aka small leaf jade, Portulacaria Afra, bonsai are excellent for beginners and their ability to satisfy the most bonsai styles make them popular among enthusiasts too. They are ideal for beginners because they grow very quickly, can be kept indoors, and can be a time to go without water. This is because, succulents store water in their stems and leaves. They also give clear signals when it is water, the necessarybe useful, just starting to grow bonsai.
Mini-jade property
Start young shoots of Portulacaria afra is green or red depending on the sunlight. Later, mature industries develop a gray color with a rough texture. The shape of the leaves can be best described as a circle crossed with a tear. Grow perpendicular to the branch.
Irrigation
You must be really careful Jade overwatering. I think it can rot,especially in winter, very simply, if overwatered. Often this is the first manifested itself in a falling leaf or the entire industry. One of the good things about them is that they give you clear signs when they actually need to irrigate. The leaves begin to flatten and then fold. I discovered that the wait for the cultivation of the signs of this are safe indoors to avoid such problems. If your mini-jade plant in a mix very fast draining bonsai soil in a good amount of sun orclosed on a sunny windowsill, this is a minor problem.
Light requirements
Portulacaria Afra can be grown both indoors and outdoors. If grown indoors they like the proximity to a source of natural light. The placement near an open window usually works best. If this is not possible, then keep them in a room that has the bright neon light usually works well. You have to be concerned only with stop overwatering than in those situations. If they keep the outside tend to grow very rapidlyin full sun.
Temperature
When they are tropical succulents, jade best mini-USDA zones 10-11, but also grow in many areas where they are not exposed to temperatures below 50 degrees Celsius
Training
It 'very difficult to train a small jade leaves from branches of wiring. Its branches are usually very fragile and could snap under the pressure. Pruning in the preferred direction of growth is more effective and itching. Do not cut off immediately after the merger. Flat Cutsthe bark is reported to heal with less scarring of the concave, but I have not noticed any horrible scars, if a concave pruner with me.
The branches are naturally static weight of the water from the store where you can leave behind. Many people use this property with cascading style training.
Jade can be propagated by cuttings from pruned branches.
Earth
Jade will do well in most of the bonsai soil mixture, but rather those that are very wellEmptying. The soil mix should contain less organic matter and peat. Their roots are a little 'red when they are wet for long periods.
Portulacaria Afra and pest problems
Stairs to devastate a jade. Root rot can occur even when the tree is watered too often in low light. The tree is showing stress, both the extent and root rot caused by fallen leaves and branches.
To learn more http://www.mellobonsai.com/care/Mini-jade-bonsai.aspx
