I have been wanting one for years, and just received my first Bonsai as a gift. Its a Dwarf Jade, or Portulacaria Afra by its formal name.

Here is a pic (copy paste into browser): http://i.imgur.com/fVTEN.jpg

I tried to do as much research as possible and I gathered the following, I'd love it if an expert could read this over and give me their input:

Watering: This breed stores a lot of water in its leaves, so its a bit more tolerable of dry soil. Top 1-2" should be dry before watering, filtered water should be given until water drains well out of the drain holes. In the summer this may be once a week, possibly as infrequent as once every three weeks in the winter.

Wiring: This breed is very difficult to wire, I won't even attempt it.

Trimming: As with any bonsai, trim as needed within reasonable limits set by plant health.

Fertilizer: This is where I need more input. I've read that it should be fertilized from spring into late fall (the growing months) with an NPK balanced blend. I ordered some organic 3-3-3 fertilizer and I plan to start with applying it once a month during watering and see how that goes.

Any other tips? Its currently living in an eastern facing window ledge in my office that gets plenty of morning sunshine.

Thanks.

The Portulacaria afra (Elephant's [Food] Bush) is an excellent bonsai candidate.
Although called "Jade," as you know they are not in the same genus or family even.

These plants, though succulent, do not like to dry out as much as Jades (Crassula ovata).
With the proper soil, you'll be able to water thoroughly without any fear of root-rot.
A gritty, porous soil of mostly inorganic material will work well. I do not recommend
a peat-based soil - infact, I strongly caution against it.

I fertilize from Spring to Fall with a fertilizer in a 3-1-2 ratio (Foliage Pro 9-3-6).
I use a milder dose, however - probably 1/4 strength most of the time. During the Winter,
I fertilize even more lightly, but I still fertilize consistently.

There are some excellent Port. afra growers here, and I'm sure they'll drop in.

Josh

Like Josh, I use the 3:1:2 ratio fertilizer Foliage-Pro 9-3-6. 3-3-3 is a 1:1:1 ratio fertilizer, but plants use on average 6X as much N as P, so why supply as much P as N? All that does is add extra P to the soil/soil solution and make it more difficult for the plant to absorb other nutrients, particularly Fe and Mn. After the factoring is done for how P and K are reported in fertilizers, 3:1:2 ratio fertilizers come in supplying nutrients in almost the exact ratio in which plants use them. Also, soluble fertilizers supply exactly what they say they supply in the immediate. Fertilizers like your 3-3-3 that depend on soil organisms to break the fertilizer down into elemental form leave you guessing as to what/when/how much of any one nutrient your plants are getting.

These plants like LOTS of light, so your east-facing window will probably not be enough to keep the plant truly happy.

Water on an as-needed basis. If the leaves are wrinkled or puckered, you waited a little too long. Even true jades would be better if watered before leaves lost turgidity. No plant LIKES drought stress, though some are adapted to tolerate it reasonably well.

Al

I inspected the soil this plant came potted in, by my estimation its about 30-40% porous rock, another 30% bits of wood, and the rest is what you might call "dirt". There doesn't seem to be much peat in it at all.

I gave it a thorough soaking on Friday when I got it, and now on Tuesday, the top 1" is definitely nice and dry, but you can tell that the soil is still holding some moisture deeper down. That is a good sign I guess, as root rot and soil that is too wet is probably (given your input) the worst thing to deal with.

I'm going to watch the leaves and the soil very carefully, and I'll also probably invest in some Foliage Pro.

Again, many thanks and if anyone has more input, I'd love to hear it.

Al

Yes, my hobbies include firearms, motorcycles, and tattoos...maybe not the classic image of what one expects when they think of someone interested in Bonsai. :-)

Although, I also like the reference to the latin "si vis pacem, para bellum" which literally means "If you desire peace, prepare for war". It outlines my general philosophy on life that I like to try and be as prepared as possible for the worst in life, as this allows me to enjoy the best in life.

I'm half Japanese, and my grandmother and grandfather kept Bonsai around their home. I'd like to continue that family tradition, I only wish I had thought to learn it directly from them when they were still alive.

Oh well, enough about me. I've just ordered a book on Bonsai that was well reviewed on Amazon, and I've been doing a lot of reading on the topic. My god, this hobby is a bit like firearms or wrenching on cars/motorcycles, it seems there is an absolute OCEAN of information and things to learn. It seems that one could live a long life in devotion to a hobby such as this, and still never truly know "everything".

:-)

If I was to repot it, what is an ideal soil mixture? I see that an inorganic soil is recommended, would akadama suffice for a plant like this?

This plant is from south africa and seems to thrive in semi arid climates where the ground is very porous.

Any advice on soil mixtures is appreciated.

Eventually you're going to discover that an understanding of soil/water relationships is an essential part of the tools you're going to need to keep your plants in top vitality. Your soil choice is a pretty pivotal issue, so I'm going to link you to a thread that's devoted specifically to media for container growing and contains a full explanation of how water behaves in container soils.

The soil I grow in looks like this:

The large volume of air this soil holds makes for a very healthy root environment, which is essential to a healthy plant. Over-watering is so difficult you'd really need to be working hard at it in order for it to be a factor.

..... ALWAYS ready to talk soils if you have interest. Meanwhile - take a peek at the thread I linked to.

Al

Turface seems to be a US made answer to akadama, I can get that online, but the others (crushed granite, pine bark) I'm having trouble finding a source of.

I'll keep looking, thank you for that link.

I think I will try a small amount of this blend for when I repot this plant (its in soil that appears to be very "peaty", which worries me a bit), while I look into locally sourcing the individual components. I have found a source for fine crushed gravel and the pine bark, just need to find the Turface (may have to go online for that).

The bonsai mix you describe should probably be screened/sifted to remove as much of
the moss as possible. Also, if the sand is less than 1/16 of an inch, screen that out, too.

Below, I've linked to last year's Thread on re-potting my Port. afra.
Warning, it is nowhere near as nice or developed as Al's! This was a cutting that I rooted,
and I'm slowly removing the older branches to replace with new, pliable branches that can be
shaped properly. This summer, I also reduced the overall height by one-third.

Josh

I'm trying to learn as much as possible, I guess I could see why the sphag moss might not be ideal, but the coarse sand is something I don't get...is that because it would occupy space otherwise better filled with air?

Josh

I'll inspect this mixture and run it through a fine screen if there appears to be a lot of fine components smaller than 1/16".

Your input is much appreciated.

:-)

Al

Right now, this bonsai is an office plant, in an eastern facing window ledge getting direct sunlight for the first half of the day.

I may put a grow light on it in the winter, just to help keep it from getting sickly due to the short days.

Tee to Green Turf Supply
Savoy
(217) 493-8512

or

Illini FS
Urbana
(217) 384-8308

or

John Deere Landscapes
Champaign (217) 355-5249

If you don't mind driving a little NW of CHI, you can get perfect prescreened fir bark from Oak Hill Gardens in Carpentersville. Let me know if you need their # or addy.

For the grit - you should be able to fine either Gran-I-Grit in grower size or #2 cherrystone, either or both at rural feed stores that cater to farmers & those that raise their own fowl.

You'll also LOVE the soil for your houseplants if you grow them.

I hope that helps.

Al

I found grit at Prairieland Feed supply, on Rt45. in Savoy, IL. They have fine crushed granite for turkey grit, looks like the right stuff.

My book on indoor bonsai came in last night and I read it cover to cover. Since I won't have a proper outdoor setup for a while (not until the spring at the very earliest) my interests will all be directed toward indoor bonsai cultivation (but I realize that outdoor is probably the best).

I may also pick up a small Ficus to keep alongside this P Afra.

And this is a variegated Port. afra that I've been working on. Just gotta keep pinching....

Josh

Thanks for posting that info, when/if it begins to shed leaves your post will save me from making a "help!" post in here. My book which covers indoor bonsai cultivation (or at least, the breeds which do better indoors) didn't mention leaf shedding in the winter (but I'm not surprised).

:-)

Mix of Turface, lava rock, pine bark, tiny bit of sphagnum moss and coarse sand:

Al

I don't plan on repotting until the spring of course, I just wanted to have everything ready ahead of time.

Thanks for all the great info. I got a dwarf jade bonsai last summer / early fall and noticed the leaves getting really sparse over the winter. Josh did mention in one of the posts that this was normal. Nonetheless, it's already late April (I'm in southern California) and the leaves still seem rather sparse (some new growth at the ends, but not much mid-branch).

I want to start fertilizing it and we have the Miracle-Gro Water Soluble All-Purpose Plant Food around. It's 24-8-16; same 3-1-2 ratio as the Foliage Pro you guys use. Can I use the Miracle-Gro? Should I dilute it more than instructed? And how often should I fertilize?

Also, I've read a lot of different materials about watering. They're consistent in saying that you should wait for the soil to dry out before watering. So I've been watering every 2-3 days or so, and just a tiny bit each time. Am I being too neurotic? Would my little buddy be better off if I watered more thoroughly each time, and less frequently (perhaps once a week)?

Thanks for your help in advance. This plant was given to me from someone really special, and if it doesn't thrive again, I'll be very sad.

If you have foliage at the ends of branches, you need to determine what's causing it. The big 3 are low light, low N supply, and root congestion. If roots are congested, it won't matter how much light or N you supply, the growth will tend to concentrate near apices and your plant will have that 'poodle' look; so be thinking 'repot' if the plant needs it, and around Father's day is a good time to do it.

You can use the Miracle-Gro. It's a fine fertilizer for containerized plants. For bonsai though, fertilizers that get their N from nitrate sources are better because they tend to keep growth compact by reducing internode length and keeping leaves smaller. If you DO use the MG, you'll need to be sure your plants are getting an adequate supply of Ca & Mg, because they are lacking in the MG. If you're making your own soil and didn't use lime (dolomite), you'll need to address this issue. I won't get to deeply into it until I find out what you're using for soil.

Avoid watering in sips. The practice ensures that soluble salts will build up in the soil, causing a drought reaction that could cause shedding of foliage and branches, or poor looking foliage and poor growth. Use a soil that allows you to flush the soil when you water. For bonsai, nothing else is appropriate and will lead to problems. You can review pictures upthread. Soils like Josh, Parabellum, and I use will all please you and your plant.

A picture would be nice .....

Al

1) Low light
The plant is usually kept next to our sunroom window with lots of afternoon sunshine. Did you say that the threshold was 56 deg to keep it outside? Or was it 65? I couldn't quite tell. My preference of course is to just keep it in the sunroom, if you think it's ok. But I have been taking it outdoors during the day lately just because I don't know what's best.

2) Low nitrogen
With the M-Gro, I'm thinking of doing 1/2 teaspoon per gallon of water, once every 2 weeks. Or is 1/4 teaspoon per gallon, once every week, better? Since the plant is so small, could I make a large solution and keep it around? It seems ridiculous to try to measure 1/32 (or 1/64) teaspoon per cup. Let me know if you think the Foliage Pro would make a significant difference over M-Gro. It doesn't seem to be available in stores near me, but I can get it online.

3) Root congestion
As for the soil, it's just whatever came with the plant when delivered to me--my friend just got it for me because it was supposed to be EASY to take care of, haha. Anyway, I am hesitant to do any repotting until I've tried everything else; it would be my first time and I'm afraid to mess things up even more. Let me know what you think from the pictures in terms of urgency for repotting.

I didn't see an option for uploading pics, so I've included it as a link. Thank you so much, I appreciate it!