Welcome to another edition of #ProgressionThursday. In today’s installment, a Portulacaria Afra (aka known as a “mini-jade”). Mini-jades for bonsai have grown in popularity in the last few years. Technically, a succulent, mini-jades are great trees for beginners. Extremely difficult to kill, they can be trained with wire or the cut and grow method. They also grow quickly, allowing a new bonsai enthusiast to try techniques that will show progress in months instead of years.
This tree was started from cuttings.
Spring of 2015
I potted it up and let it grow. Here's a pic from 2016. As you can see, no real cuts or pruning has taken place.
I decided to cut it back hard in the winter of 2016-17.
From there, I repotted in the spring of 2018 and the basic structure began to grow. December of 2018.
Now it was starting to look like something! One year later, December 2019
I decided that I liked the movement of the tree from the other angle, so it's been turned. The movement feels a bit more seamless. Although, the tree looks good from either angle. Here is the tree today:
I've enjoyed growing this tree and I look forward to it's continued progression. So, what do you think? Have any Portulacaria Afra's? If so, share some pix in the comments, I would love to see them! Or post on your IG, be sure to use the hashtag #progressionthursday so I can track'em!
Until our next #progressionthursday, Peace Love Bonsai