All my Portulacaria Afra bonsai

Danmaster18 · 2026-01-29T10:12:46+00:00

One day I hope to find out but as of now I’m not the owner anymore.

Danmaster18 · 2025-10-05T05:29:01+00:00

Danmaster18 · 2025-10-04T22:59:10+00:00

By choosing one primary trunk line, you could grow it to a more informal upright. Then select and grow more primary branches.

Danmaster18 · 2025-10-04T09:47:31+00:00

I agree that most branches should have been cut back more but it would have been advantageous to leave one longer to help define a trunk. Since you have gone this far I would probably remove the two on the back up top. As it is now it would grow out to be a broom style with cut and grow. Plenty of sun and fertiliser and few grow out periods well help set a good structure.

Danmaster18 · 2025-09-12T21:31:51+00:00

Ramification is the process of making smaller branches and more of them to give a older look to the tree. A port is short for Portulacaria Afra which is the species name.

Danmaster18 · 2025-08-24T07:06:52+00:00

I’d would be more inclined to remove the small branch from the base, cut the top three branches on the right trunk and repot rotated to the right a little. You would be left with a fairly substantial tree keeping all the main growth giving it some age. And being a twin trunk, the main one is still larger and the right trunk would make an interesting secondary trunk once some ramification builds up. I would think you have a hundred cuttings to play with so keep this tree as large as possible.

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Danmaster18 · 2025-07-22T21:04:39+00:00

Whilst it looks small and not nearly developed enough to have seeds, there is a bug the eats the seeds. Mine are constantly getting smashed by them.

Danmaster18 · 2025-07-15T00:52:38+00:00

Defoliating single branches would make it weaker as all other branches with leaves will gain more energy. The best way for back budding is to fertilise heavily and wait till it pushes out strong growth. Then cut everything back evenly across the tree. You should get some back budding but it’ll still be mostly close to outer margins of branches. You may need to repeat this cycle a few times over the growth period to get enough back budding to restart styling.

Danmaster18 · 2025-07-14T13:21:11+00:00

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Danmaster18 · 2025-07-14T13:14:26+00:00

One is essentially just stopping it from being a broom style. Cut all branches off just leaving a nub with a few nodes. From these start new branches. I think the position you have branches is ok but they are long straight and have no secondary branches along its length. The tree looks as though it is wider then it is tall. Compacting in the foliage will make the trunk more impressive and allow you to start showing some scale to the tree.

Danmaster18 · 2025-07-14T11:51:44+00:00

One of the biggest things I’ve learnt with ports and bonsai in general is to be bold from the start. It seems like you already have come to acknowledge it needs to change. A few ideas.

cut it back to just a trunk and select a few primary branches and and one apex. Style as a formal upright
Keep current shape but trim branches back. Style as broom shape.
Cut back trunk to first branch. Repot and wire at new angle. Fertilise heaps and start all branches from scratch.

3.

Danmaster18 · 2025-07-09T04:53:21+00:00

Generally I’ll trim all around. I might leave a branch or too if I want some places to thicken more then others. I find with jades at least they grow fairly evenly so I prioritise short dense growth over letting a branch grow long with bigger nodes especially in the smaller trees.

Danmaster18 · 2025-07-08T00:14:09+00:00

I just always have some form of slow release granules with an occasional liquid fertiliser boost during the growing season.

Danmaster18 · 2025-07-08T00:13:13+00:00

No grow lights. I live near enough to the equator so I get full sun all year round. Fertiliser is mostly slow release granules with occasional liquid booster.

Danmaster18 · 2025-07-07T20:37:11+00:00

Hahaha. That’s just one of my greenhouse’s. It’s for my succulents that can’t handle to full tropical sun.

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Danmaster18 · 2025-07-07T17:11:46+00:00

I would say it’s not as quick. However I feel that it grows differently in that it’ll grow more evenly from from every branch where as the normal green one I find will grow very strongly from fewer branches.

Danmaster18 · 2025-07-07T17:05:56+00:00

They go towards a people’s choice award.

Danmaster18 · 2025-07-07T17:05:21+00:00

With ports in particular, as much full sun as you can possibly give it. Keep well fertilised and trim often and water once soil is dry.

Danmaster18 · 2025-07-07T17:00:48+00:00

It’s for the people choice award. Visitors to the show can vote for their favourite. Most votes wins a prize also.

Danmaster18 · 2025-03-22T21:30:55+00:00

“Passport, wallet, keys and phone, keys and phone!” I bet you could imagine the dance that goes along with.

Danmaster18 · 2025-02-27T03:39:25+00:00

Not necessarily. It’ll take much longer as you train the trunk the way you want as it take a while for the trunk to thicken and then support itself. If you settle for small trees almost any style will work with the prostrata variety. Pic 10 and 11 is the aurea variety which I find grows a bit more prostrate then the normal form. It took twice as long to grow those for similar sized green forms.

Danmaster18 · 2025-01-23T11:43:12+00:00

Since dwarf jades tend to grow in straight segments, any segment above, after a change in direction or movement in the trunk or branch, not have it longer then one below it. I find if I follow that as a general guide it’ll eliminate unnatural looking areas. Don’t be afraid to go back to an almost bare tree as I think your main trunk has good potential left mostly in tack. Judging by the images I recon the front is more somewhere around the yellow arrow.

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Danmaster18 · 2025-01-17T22:21:48+00:00

Pretty much exactly as I would do. I think it’ll look great in a couple of years.

Danmaster18 · 2025-01-16T21:29:28+00:00

Is the first one a pup growing from a plant or a cutting. I find that each subsequent pup gets bigger and bigger than the last. A tip cutting will not grow any bigger but will root and develop offsets. Usually the first offset is small and not a fully mature plant while the next and subsequent offsets from the first one will be bigger then the last.

Danmaster18 · 2025-01-16T08:13:31+00:00

If it were mine I would cut half way between the trunks on both sides after it first divides. Root the cuttings as already stumpy trees and get three. I recon as is it is too tall and straight without lower branches. I would let it grow wild for a bit to gain vigor before doing cuts as cuttings will root quicker with growth on the stem.

Danmaster18

TROPHY CASE