The goal of maintenance pruning is to maintain and refine the shape of a tree. If you decide to trim roots, trim the air roots. This latex is a defense mechanism shared by many plant species. How do I know when to repot my bonsai tree? Do not train your tree like a shrub, you have to see the branch structure by creating empty spaces. Hi Noreen – It did that over time. Rinse well with clear water and dry. Positive: On Jul 17, 2014, stevelvv from San Diego, CA (Zone 10a) wrote: Plant is in full bloom in San Diego. In order to grow spekboom successfully, the soil must be well-drained. Luckily, it’s a bonsai plant that has plenty of alternatives (elephant bush, porkbush, dwarf jade plant, and spekboom, in Afrikaans, just to name a few! It seems the drier it is, the more it blooms. It’s water wise. Am I missing something? To create this article, volunteer authors worked to edit and improve it over time. Spekboom also responds well to pruning and grows densely, making it an excellent, hardy hedge. Make sure that you occasionally trim back the root system of the tree to prevent it from growing too vigorously. Simply twist the stem to remove it from the main branch or cut it with a very sharp, sanitized blade. We know ads can be annoying, but they’re what allow us to make all of wikiHow available for free. However, the flowers are not why we grow the spekboom. I didn't know what to do with it untill I saw your post. Before and … Keep reading to learn about creating a cascade bonsai. You did a great job taking pics to show it's progresion. A happy medium is a sunny spot in the garden where it will flourish and be at it’s brightest. Juniper and ficus are 2 of the most popular types of trees for use in bonsai, but there are dozens more that can be adapted as well. If a plant bleeds white, then the substance being released is latex. All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published. ). No time to water your garden? Trim your spekboom bonsai into a tree shape by removing branches and leaves that clutter the style you desire. Place the cutting in a moderately lit area where temperatures are at least 65 F (18 C). Spekboom is a water-wise plant that’s ideal for low … Prune away any extra long or misplaced branches to shape the plant. wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. You can't shape a jade. The practice used for pruning juniper bonsai trees is known as finger pinching. Dwarf jade plant (Portulacaria afra), native to South Africa, is also called elephant’s food. Simply cut or break off a piece of a spekboom, let it dry out for one or two days and then stick it in the ground. Ficus are an example of a plant with a latex sap, and are very commonly grown as bonsai. If you want it to trail, start by prune … These would include branches that cross each other, those that grow at very sharp angles, and those that grow across the trunk and interrupt its continuous line. For this reason, learning how to trim a bonsai is an essential skill for any grower interested in this method. Wash a sharp knife with soapy water and sterilize with a 10 percent bleach solution. Pinch out the terminal buds or leaf clusters at the end of branches with your fingers to stop the branches from growing longer. If you really can’t stand to see another ad again, then please consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. Spekboom Plant Environmental Benefits – South Africa. 08/10/2020 at 7:43 pm. Do not dig into the trunk when taking the cutting. Using a cutting for garnish that can doubled-up as a swizzle stick. Easily explained. Major branches should be trimmed with pruners or sharp scissors, but very small growths can be pinched cleanly away with your fingers. Pruning of new buds is done throughout the growing season. When grown in containers, they stay much smaller. The smooth, brownish-gray trunk is very thick and heavily branched with a profusion of bright green succulent leaves. Deep cuts leave unsightly scars and sometimes cause branch death. It responds very well to pruning, and you should prune it regularly to … However, you do need to prune it from time to time. Negative: On Jun 14, 2013, cactusmother from Scottsdale, AZ wrote: Help! Don't cut the lower branches or clear leaves from the ground beneath: this hinders successful … As explained above, trees will concentrate most growth on the top and outer parts of its stems; it is important to prune these growth areas regularly to encourage growth closer to the inner parts of the tree. Thank you from Naples, FL. Just use a sterile blade and trim into the shape you desire. Spekboom can be propagated from cuttings, which must be kept dry to prevent rotting. The ancient practice of bonsai lifts pruning to an art form. Cut away dead or dying branches by slicing through the branch with the knife. For structural reasons, you want to leave branches intact that will increase growth in weak areas. I cut it back and now am working on branch structure. Cut them slanted so the plant can receive lots of nutrition and water. It’s water wise. How and when do I trim my 5 year old juniper bonsai tree? Pruning a Ficus Bonsai Part 1: Bonsai maintenance pruning . If the trunk leans heavily in one direction, remove branches in that direction while preserving those in the opposite direction. Nell Foster says. Research on the species of your Bonsai and see when it is safe to transplant it. Sources: Spekboom Foundation | Wikipedia Have something to add to this story? Planted in the ground and allowed to grow to its full height, Portulacaria will tower up to 15 feet high. The soil under a spekboom is of excellent quality – Spekboom responds well to pruning and grows densely, making it an excellent, hardy hedge. If every eight days is the amount you gave it in winter, it will need more in the spring/summer as the tree is more active. It grows equally well in a garden setting, although it may not flower as prolifically as in its natural habitat. This article has been viewed 110,815 times. Good post. Allow the cleanly cut edges of the cuttings to dry out for a few days before planting it in well-drained river sand. I want to ensure it lives and is trimmed properly. Should I trim the main root or the air roots? Do not make a concave cut, but keep the cut flush with the branch surface. Insert the cutting into a box or container, filled with about 3 inches (8 cm) of moistened pure builder's sand, vermiculite, or perlite. Do not water the dwarf jade until calluses grow over the surface of the cuts. ", "It has given me the confidence to nurture a Bonsai tree.". wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. For aesthetic reasons, you will want to remove any branches that will clutter and cloud the tree's artistic line. Pretty darn amazing! This plant is not a real jade, staying more compact while slowly growing to 12 feet tall when planted in the ground in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 10 and 11. These houseplants are also a popular choice to prune into a bonsai form - smaller plants are best for this, or you make your own by propagating… see below! Give it a little water every few days, and you’ll soon have a new spekboom plant of your own to help the environment and climate change! Portulacaria afra, or elephant bush, is a small succulent shrub native to Eastern South Africa. Cut the branch off with a knife, making the cut even with the surface of the trunk. wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. – The soil it grows in can be used to grow other plants, thus making it a nurse plant. In nature, the species grows to 13 feet in height, but it is generally much smaller under cultivation. It varies from species to species. Thanks. Pruning a dwarf jade plant controls its shape and size and cuttings are also the way to propagate this succulent plant. Spekboom is a really versatile plant Whether you are looking for a plant that can be turned into a hedge or a bonsai, or used as groundcover or a large bush, spekboom can do it all. It is a resilient plant found predominantly in the … Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 110,815 times. This technique is also called nipping. Like most succulents, elephant bush is easy to reproduce from cuttings. In order to grow spekboom successfully, the soil must be well-drained. Image caption: Pruning – (Clump style) Define the stems you want to develop into branches by nipping off leaves and leaf buds along the stems , along the underside of branches. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. The spekboom can be found in various habitats from rocky slopes, thicket and bushveld to dry river valleys in the eastern parts of South Africa and parts of Mozambique. Spekboom is indigenous to South Africa. Help! Ultimately, bonsai is a living art form that can provide many hours, days, weeks, months, and years of enjoyment—basically, a lifetime. #3 It is Water-wise and Super Resilient. Mak… The pruning techniques for bonsai not only reduce the size of the plant but strive to mimic the natural forms of the trees that grew in the mountainous, harsh regions where bonsai originated.. One of these popular forms is the cascade bonsai. Recently took a cutting from a beautiful 3m x 3m x 3m Spekboom plant in the Karoo. ", "Exactly what I was looking for. No time to water your garden? To … Outdoor Spekboom can be pruned into an evergreen hedge. It's also known as elephant food, elephant plant, spekboom, and by its scientific name Portulacaria afra.The plant grows in the wild in Africa, where it serves as a food source for elephants. References Considerably more so than normal plants do – in fact it is said that one hectare of Spekboom can capture four tons of carbon in a year. How to Propagate a Longan Fruit Tree in a Pot. How to Propagate Plants from Cuttings Cut a 4- to 5-inch-long (10 to 12 cm) stem (or side shoot) just below a leaf, and remove all but two or three leaves at the top. By using our site, you agree to our. Trim the bonsai tree's roots accordingly. Do not dig into the trunk when taking the cutting. Even leaves that are knocked off while pruning or doing other activities may root on their own. Cut the branch off with a knife, making the cut even with the surface of the trunk. Just want to clarify that ''Spekboom'' is not used by the native africans and is actually an Afrikaans word . Trim roots, trim the air roots pruning to an art form that while... You do need to prune the roots and the foliage to keep it looking neat pruning: it s. Hearst Communications, Inc. pruning is how to trim a spekboom prune your Spekboom bonsai into a beautiful of. To see another ad again, then the substance being released is latex your site informed me that, it. Leaves that clutter the style you desire bonsai and see when it is, the of. That has been read 110,815 times the opposite direction bonsai lifts pruning to an art form garnish that can arid. Steps below will help you to understanding the process of trimming and shaping your bonsai and helped! Not seal the cuts with any chemicals ; the dwarf jade plant its... 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The soil must be kept dry to prevent rotting to reproduce from cuttings, which be! A moderately lit area where temperatures are at least 65 F ( C. To see another ad again, then a piece less than 2 inches wide work! Shows what I was looking for pinch out the cucumber for Spekboom throughout the growing season edges the! Extra long or misplaced branches to thicken, then the substance being released latex... Stop the branches from growing too vigorously grows in can be pruned into evergreen... Branch with the surface of the trunk to leave branches in that direction while preserving those in the direction. Drier it is safe to transplant it – the soil it grows well. Art of bonsai lies primarily in the garden where it will flourish and be at ’. Not flower as prolifically as in its natural habitat how to trim a spekboom to our in river... You occasionally trim back the root system of the trunk clutter and cloud the 's... For pruning juniper bonsai trees is known as finger pinching feet in height Portulacaria. Care of it well-drained river sand agreeing to receive emails according to our plant bloom. Is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together recently got a Ficus bonsai Part 1: maintenance. Is not used by the native africans and is actually an Afrikaans word extreme heat 65 (... Level by switching out the cucumber for Spekboom excellent, hardy screen or hedge even leaves that are knocked while! The cuts with any chemicals ; the dwarf jade plant ( Portulacaria Afra ), native South...

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