succulent bonsai

[Tina]

Hi jim
I was looking at my variegated plant of this thinking the same thing.

[Jim_Mercer]

I was looking at my variegated plant of this thinking the same thing.

The pot I am going to use did contain a variegated one but it insisted in growing down which isn't what I want so I am doing a bit of a swap. It may just be the variegated clone that I have but my other plants of it all show the same growth pattern.

[Jim_Mercer]

Sorry about the plastic pot but this is how my variegated portulacaria afra seem to want to grow

Variegated Portulacaria afra

My green plants all seem to grow upright so this one is going to get the bonsai pot

Removing the plant from its pot and giving it a bit of a shake to remove some of the existing soil resulted in a rootball that would fit in the bonsai pot,

I did trim the roots a bit before putting the pant into the pot with some fresh compost - my usual mix of B&Q multi-purpose compost, Tesco cat litter and chick grit. Next job is to trim unwanted branches to reveal a bit of the trunk.

Got a few more tools for cutting/trimming and removing soil from roots - none of them true bonsai tools

I wouldn't call this a finished plant but this is as far as I took the pruning today

[JaneO]

Hi Jim/Tina,

Is this the same plant you are discussing?

[Colin Walker]

Sorry about the plastic pot but this is how my variegated portulacaria afra seem to want to grow



My green plants all seem to grow upright so this one is going to get the bonsai pot

Removing the plant from its pot and giving it a bit of a shake to remove some of the existing soil resulted in a rootball that would fit in the bonsai pot,

I did trim the roots a bit before putting the pant into the pot with some fresh compost - my usual mix of B&Q multi-purpose compost, Tesco cat litter and chick grit. Next job is to trim unwanted branches to reveal a bit of the trunk.

Got a few more tools for cutting/trimming and removing soil from roots - none of them true bonsai tools

I wouldn't call this a finished plant but this is as far as I took the pruning today

Excellent tutorial on bonsai technique - many thanks for that.

BTW, in my experience, P. afra is an erect growing shrub.

[Tony R]

BTW, in my experience, P. afra is an erect growing shrub.

I agree - this specimen, seen NW of Grahamstown, would certainly not fit in a bonsai pot

[Tina]

Hi
Here's my plant in a 4" pot, not sure how you would trim it for a bonsai style, I can't see how bonsai growers see the shape even after Graham walker did a very good talk on the subject.
Where is graham ??

[Jim_Mercer]

I can't see how bonsai growers see the shape even after Graham walker did a very good talk on the subject.

Some of them start with bigger plants http://adamaskwhy.wordpress.com/2012/08 ... aria-afra/


Looks like I will have to find another variegated plant as Jane and Tina have got plants that have "normal" growth but a quick search via google does find that I am not alone in having a plant that prefers to grow down http://lennardsbonsaibeginnings.blogspo ... trate.html

[lzrddr]

Here's my little succulent bonsai... Tylecodon wallichii in a very shallow but super heavy concrete pot a few days ago... middle of its 'bloom glory'.

[Apicra]

The bright yellow flowers on your glorious Tylecodon, which must be about a metre across, reveal that it is T. cacaloides, rather than T. wallichii.

Best wishes,
Derek Tribble