Through Spring and Summer, this succulent plant likes to be watered well using water at room temperature, then allowed to almost dry out before its next drink. Limited Range of XL Philodendron Hopes - Now in Stock! Its small, round leaves are edible and have medicinal properties. (Optional) Dip the cut end in rooting hormone. This houseplant likes a warm, draught free location and will grow happily in temperatures of 12-27°C, but try to avoid sudden drops in temperature and cold windowsills. Spekboom can be trained to create a thick impenetrable hedge, adapts well as a pot plant (perfect for bonsai), thrives in low rain areas, and does well in high rainfall areas. The cutting will require regular watering until it has formed roots of its own after which it pretty much just thrives on neglect. Continue to leave the cutting in water until there is a nice network of roots about 2-inches long. Environment Allow the cleanly cut edges of the cuttings to dry out for a few days before planting it in well-drained river sand. For more information, please visit the South African National Biodiversity Institute website. Food and fuel. Use a balanced fertiliser at half the recommended dilution level. The main cause of leaf drop in the Elephant Bush is a sudden drop in temperature or being placed in a cold, draughty position, or too close to a heater. A special potting mix for cacti and succulents is a good choice for this plant, and if desired, you can also add some pumice and sand for extra drainage. These five simple steps walk you through making the right cuttings to letting them root in water, with pro tips from plant expert Joyce Mast. Marketing & Finance Elephants are not the only ones who enjoy it. The cutting may be small for a pot, but need to be about 30cm or more to plant in your garden. Keep in a more shady spot until the plant has recovered. Spekboom isn’t a thirsty plant, which is excellent news given that South Africa is a water-scarce country and is in the midst of a water crisis. This is called etiolation and means that your Bacon Tree isn’t getting enough light; stems will be especially ‘stretched’ with big gaps between leaves; move to a brighter location. Lastly, water the cutting and allow the soil to drain thoroughly. Spekboom (Portulacaria afra) Well-known for its unique carbon-absorbing properties, this indigenous succulent grows easily from cuttings. is an easy going succulent that has an attractive growth habit, with small green succulent leaves on a red coloured stem. Place the cutting in a moderately lit area where temperatures are at least 65 F (18 C). This is often caused by root rot as a result of prolonged overwatering, especially during the winter months when the plant can enter a period of dormancy. Best of all is the fact that spekboom is easy to propagate: simply cut or break off a piece, stick it in your garden bed or rockery, water every few days and soon enough you’ll have another one of these versatile carbon-munchers happily growing in your garden. Allow for a 1.5 to 2 sqm area around the plant, as the lower limbs tend to lie on the ground and if you do not trim it, it will sprout roots and grow further from there. Jade Plant Propagation by Cuttings. Propogation of Spekboom: Break off a piece and plant it – it really is simple to grow this wonder plant. I do not really find the need to use a rooting hormone but some people prefer using it to speed up the process and also guarantee success. The cost of planting spekboom cuttings ranges from R2000 to R5000 (US$270 - 670) per hectare, depending on the soil type and proximity to intact spekboom-rich thicket. Insert the Spekboom cutting into the soil and press lightly around the stem. Scientific name: Portulacaria afraSynonyms: Spekboom, Bacon Tree, Pork Bush, Elephant’s Food, Elephant Bush, Dwarf Jade Plant. The spekboom is an attractive evergreen succulent with its small round emerald-green leaves, borne on startling-red stems. Let your cuttings dry (not in direct sunlight) for 24 hours – this allows the cut area to seal a bit and protect the cutting from too much water or bacteria once you “plant” it. But Spekboom can be grown almost anywhere in South Africa and is easily propagated, which is great news for budget gardeners. Fill the pot with succulent potting mix or your own mixture of course and standard potting soil. Keep the soil lightly moist and in a few weeks the cutting will root and you will have a new elephant bush succulent to share with a friend or add to your collection. Your Spekboom is getting too much bright, intense light; move to somewhere more shady - indirect light is best for growing these as houseplants. Die Spekboom het 'n uitsonderlike vermoe om groot hoeveelhede koolstofdioksied uit die lug… Increase pot size by just a few centimetres. Handmade in ZA and availabe in 2 Quirky Colous! The spekboom cuttings… are harvested from healthy, dense spekboom stands. Grow Your Own. Planted in the ground and allowed to grow to its full height, Portulacaria will tower up to 15 feet high. Condensed Version: The spekboom is easy to grow and although it is known to be a great drought tolerant plant which is perfect for water-wise gardens, it will even grow in well-watered garden beds as long as the soil drains well. Spekboom, Bacon Tree, Pork Bush, Elephant’s Food, Elephant Bush, Dwarf Jade Plant. Portulacaria afra copes well with average humidity; in a more humid environment, less watering will be needed. Farm Management Remove any leaves from the bottom third of the cutting. Even though it has no special requirements to grow, compost and fertiliser will encourage quicker growth. This is normal and growth will resume when temperatures increase. Step 2. Use rubbing alcohol to wipe affected areas, or spray the plant with insecticidal soap or neem oil. Pretty darn amazing! If the plantlets around the mother plant already have a good root system or have started to root in the soil and have plenty of leaves, you can cut them off with a small section of stem and pot them up in individual containers. Dit is 'n merkwaardige sappige boomplant wat inheems is in die Oos Kaap. Rooting will take place within 14 to 20 days. Economy The ladies make sure to only harvest from bushes of a certain size (they identify the largest ones), and they know how many cuttings to take from each plant (no more than 6 for the largest plants). Place the branches in a large vase indoors and they’ll absorb a multitude of pollutants. But as a houseplant bright, indirect light is best - a location that gets a few hours morning sun would be the perfect spot. Portulacaria (Port-yoo-luh-CARE-ee-ah) is a small genus of upright, semi-woody succulents indigenous to South Africa.The stems are thick, succulent and brown to burgundy, with small, round jade green leaves. Step 3. You can also use these cuttings to create a bonsai plant. Plant: Leaf cuttings – You can place your leaf cuttings on top of the soil, the root is still able to grow regardless of it is placed into the soil or onto the soil. Roots ‘circling’ around the bottom of the nursery pot is an indication that repotting is needed. Note: This plant is pet friendly and safe for people that like to nibble…it’s actually edible and used in salads (just wash before use!). Rural Development Elephant Bush Succulents. Make a 45° angle cut and remove the leaves at the end of the cutting. Allow the cleanly cut edges of the cuttings to dry out for a few days before planting it in well-drained river sand. The wound on the jade plant cutting you have taken will be wet and will invite disease if you try to root it wet. 6 Roodehek Street, Gardens, Cape Town, 8001, Monday - Friday (09h00 - 17h00) & Saturdays (09h00 - 13h00). To grow to a 2m height will take a very long time. Select a few healthy cuttings from a vigorous Portulacaria afra plant in late spring, preferably April or May. Look for vigorous branches with thick and healthy leaves. The Elephant Bush plant grows best when slightly root-bound, so doesn’t need to be repotted regularly. To plant, push the cutting into well-drained soil, How much does a Spekboom cost? 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. The ideal cutting should be between 10 and 15 cm in length. enjoy fertilising during their Spring - Summer growth period; once a month is sufficient. Spekboom leaves close-up Cuttings are simple to make. These houseplants don’t have any major issues with pests but a combination of really warm temperatures and lower humidity can sometimes invite mealy bugs, or scale onto the Spekboom. Permaculture super plant! Use a sharp, clean knife to cut the selected branch off the plant. Roots can appear in a matter of days or up to a few weeks. Easy with this versatile chappie. Plant has stopped growing: Over winter, if temperatures are cold enough, the Spekboom can go dormant; or have a winter rest. How to Propagate a Portulacaria Afra Plant: Obtain a few stem cuttings or leaf cuttings and let them dry for a day or so. 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! Simply snip a piece of 5–8 cm off a spekboom. Cuttings are easily rooted in spring through autumn. The plant will be ready for potting into a large container or planting out in the garden when it is well established and growing strongly. Portulacaria propagation is a breeze - trim stems and leave to dry off for a day or two before planting the cuttings in a potting mix for cacti and succulents and wait for the plant to root. Talk about a plant for the planet. Spekboom - Portulacaria afra Kingdom - Plantae Clade - Angiosperm Order -Caryophyllales Family - Didiereaceae Genus - Portulacaria Spekboom - ook beskend as igwanishe, varkvleis, olifantkos of Portulacaria afra. Propagating a plant is easier than it seems. (We hate spam too), Cape Town Store Open BEST WISHES FOR 2021 . Beside this, is Spekboom fast growing? Politics & Policies If the plant isn’t dropping leaves, but is yellowing, the possible causes are that temperature might be too high or the plant isn’t getting enough light. This step is not necessary, although it will increase the speed of the cutting’s root growth. GROWING OR MULTIPLYING YOUR SPEKBOOM Find a healthy, vigorous mother plant to take a cutting from – your plant will be genetically identical. Over winter, if temperatures are cold enough, the Spekboom can go dormant; or have a winter rest. 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. How to Propagate a Portulacaria Afra Step 1. The leaves are perfectly safe to eat for humans. Native to South Africa, particularly the Eastern Cape, the Spekboom can be found growing on rocky, or sandy terrain in shrub-like form. Grow spekboom anywhere. It’s really easy to prune your Spekboom when the stems get particularly long to keep it looking neat. Not all plants can grow … Dr Ayanda Sigwelwa, a restoration ecologist based in the Eastern Cape, was quoted in local media saying the plant had the ability to switch from a rainy plant to a desert plant. Allow the jade plant cutting to rest in a dry, preferably warm, spot until a callous develops (in about one to two weeks). The ideal cutting should be between 10 and 15 cm in length. Ideal in coastal areas, but not on the Highveld, as heavy frosts will kill it off. Spekboom can be propagated from cuttings, which must be kept dry to prevent rotting. Place the potted cutting in indirect sunlight for at least five hours a day and apply water once a week. Outdoors in its natural habitat it is pretty prolific and can grow up to 6 metres tall! In order to grow spekboom successfully, the soil must be well-drained. Step 3: Dip the cutting in root growth hormones. Portulacaria afra is an easy going succulent that has an attractive growth habit, with small green succulent leaves on a red coloured stem. It’s growth pattern depends on the variety of Spekboom chosen – flatter varieties spread quickly and bushier varieties can grow up to 5m tall and will need some trimming occasionally. Subscribe to our Newsletter for only the good stuff! Keep in a more shady spot until the plant has recovered. Select a few healthy cuttings from a vigorous Spekboom, preferable in late spring. All In order to grow spekboom successfully, the soil must be well-drained. Look for vigorous branches with thick and healthy leaves. Propagation of a jade plant is usually done asexually by making leaf and stem cuttings, and then placing them in soil for encouraging root formation. Moisten and dip the end of the cutting in a root growth hormone that will stimulate root growth. All About Growing Portulacaria afra. At this point, reduce watering until signs of active growth resume. Just use a sterile blade and trim into the shape you desire. We hate Spam too. If the roots of have started to rot, take stem cuttings of your Portulacaria afra and root in potting mix as detailed below. Eat the spekboom. Prepare a rooting pot that have several drainage holes at the bottom. Join our Newsletter to hear about it first Only the good stuff! Use rubbing alcohol to wipe affected areas, or spray the plant with insecticidal soap or neem oil. Just reduce watering until active growth starts up again. Cuttings root rather easily too – a small section cut off just below the node (bottom leaves then removed) and planted – and watered well for the first few days too – will grow quickly. Portulacaria afra (known as elephant bush, dwarf jade plant, porkbush and spekboom in Afrikaans) is a small-leaved succulent plant found in South Africa. 1. Over winter, if temperatures are cool enough, the bacon tree will have a rest period which will be signalled by slower growth. up to 0.8 metre height / 0.5 metre spread indoors or kept in a container. This is normal and growth will resume when temperatures increase. To plant spekboom, all you need to do is to take a cutting from an older plant and place this where you’d like to plant it (sandy soil is best). The Spekboom doesn’t like having wet feet so make sure the planter has drainage holes. The next step for starting a jade plant from a cutting is to allow the cutting to dry. Its sometimes referred to as a ‘dwarf jade’ plant due to its appearance but is actually not related to Crassula; it’s part of the Didiereaceae family. Last week I had the great pleasure of taking cuttings from spekboom from a garden where a diversity of carbon sequestration plants grow in abundance.I prefer this way of sourcing spekbbom plants for it creates a virtuous cycle of sharing that supports the sustainability of the earth at many levels. Elephants also enjoy it… hence its nickname ‘elephant’s food’. Its sometimes referred to as a ‘dwarf jade’ plant due to its appearance but is actually not related to Crassula; it’s part of the Didiereaceae family. Make a 45° angle cut and remove the leaves at the end of the cutting. Remember to check on your cutting and top-up or change the water periodically. Spekboom plays a number of different roles in a permaculture garden or farm. Select a few healthy cuttings from a vigorous Spekboom, preferable in late spring. This houseplant needs a warm, bright spot to thrive. This is a sign of a watering issue and could be a result of either root rot or prolonged under watering. Plant your cutting directly into the soil (will also root in sand). With basic guidelines, you can produce new jade plants by vegetative propagation methods. Evergreen, it reaches 2–4m high. When grown outdoors the plant is quite tolerant of bright, direct light. Take a stem cutting, approximately 10 to 50 cm in length with a clean, sharp knife or secateurs. Spekboom is high in Vitamin-C and has a zesty taste, making it a perfect addition … Measure 5 or 6 inches from the tip of the branch and make a 45-degree angle cut using pruning shears. Click to see full answer. Making the Cuts Determine if your species of plant can grow from a cutting. 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