Portulacaria: home care
Content:
Portulacaria: description of the succulent
Succulent Portulacaria: flower photo
Portulacaria is a special plant species that is most closely related to the Portulacaria family. In nature, most often this culture can be found in drier and very hot areas, especially in South Africa. There is a wealth of data on this plant, and they are all from various sources. The data indicate that there are about five species in the genus of portulacaria, and the genus can also be monotypic, it all depends solely on the criteria by which the florist himself evaluates this culture. But in general, there is an opinion about the existence of only one species - African portulacaria, which also has another interesting name - elephant bush.
African purslane is a bush that branches very strongly and over time, its stems begin to woody. The bush can reach a height of about 3.5 meters, it has several fairly large shoots that show the specifics of chaotic growth, and the stems themselves are very thick and fleshy. If these are young stems of African purslane, then their color is more likely to have a lilac-red tint, but gradually, over time, the stems become covered with dark brown bark, begin to woody, some may lose their flexibility. The internodes of the plant are short, and the nodes stand out very well. The leaves are juicy, petiolate, and relatively small. In length, one leaf can reach three centimeters, but the width of the leaf is from one to two centimeters. Also, the leaves may have a slightly pointed tip, which makes them even more decorative.
The flowering of the African portulacaria turns out to be quite abundant, while the flowers are quite small, no more than 2.5 millimeters in diameter, painted in a delicate pink shade. Collected flowers in inflorescences, spike-like in length about 7.5-8 centimeters, no more. The inflorescences are located at the very tops of the shoots, at the same time they look quite bright, stand out, are interesting in terms of decorative properties and characteristics.
If we talk about a more original form, then it just has foliage, which is painted in a pale green tint. But you can also meet such forms that are painted in a purple-pinkish hue, which stands out to a particular extent closer to the edge of the leaf. Also, whitish spots can be located on the surface of the leaf, which at the same time are distinguished by their shapelessness. Sometimes these spots can spread, due to which the leaf plate becomes completely discolored and, at the same time, it still looks very interesting and attractive.
We will devote this article to the care of purslane. We will tell you about what kind of lighting and temperature conditions this plant needs, how to properly water it and maintain a comfortable air humidity. He will also dwell in more detail on the features of the portulacaria transplant, how it can be propagated, and what pests and diseases can be dangerous for planting, how to effectively deal with them in order not only to preserve the plant, but also to strengthen it.
Portulacaria: home care
Portulacaria: home care
The purslane plant, to which this article is devoted, differs in that it is generally completely unpretentious in care. That is why it can also be grown by those flower growers who have no experience in floriculture and gardening, but who would like to try to grow a wide variety of crops both at home, indoors, and in the conditions of their personal plot. Let's begin to describe the care of purslane with illumination.
In order for the plant to grow and develop normally, it needs to organize high-quality and very bright lighting. In this case, direct sunlight plays an important role in lighting. In this regard, the plant should ideally be placed on windows that have a southern orientation.In order for the crown to be not just decorative, but also evenly formed, you can use some tricks. One of them is that the container with purslane should be regularly turned in different parts of it towards the light source so that the plant receives full and comprehensive lighting. Overall, the portulacaria succulent really responds well to lighting. In winter, the plant should be additionally illuminated, for this you can use phytolamps, the lighting should be at least ten hours a day, so that the flowers feel all the strength, power and, accordingly, fully unfold, demonstrating their beauty and decorativeness.
The next factor in the care of the portulacaria succulent is the organization of a favorable temperature regime for the purslane. The plant as a whole feels comfortable in climatic conditions that are established in mid-latitudes in the spring and summer. It is best at this time to move the container with the plant to fresh air, install it on a personal plot, loggia, terrace or balcony. It is also worth keeping in mind that the plant responds perfectly to fresh air, so when the container is located in room conditions, the room should be regularly ventilated.
Portulacaria needs a cold wintering. It is also worthwhile to carefully monitor that the air temperature in the room at this time does not drop below ten degrees, otherwise the leaves of the plant will begin to freeze, which will affect their external properties and characteristics - lethargy will appear, the shade will change, the leaves will become completely unattractive and not decorative ...
The purslane flower is quite calm during dry periods, especially if the succulent grows in areas where rain is rather rare. Therefore, if purslane grows in indoor, home conditions, then it is worth providing the flower with similar conditions as in its natural habitat. Watering can be carried out only after the soil is dry in the pot by about one third. If wintering is carried out in a cool mode, then watering should be reduced and rather rare. This is due to the fact that if suddenly the plant experiences an excess of moisture, then this can lead to the fact that the deciduous part and the root system begin to rot very quickly, and this will already lead to the plant dying altogether.
If the portulacaria succulent has not received enough watering for a long time, this may also affect its external characteristics - the leaves will become wrinkled and look lethargic. But this can be corrected - it is enough to give the plant watering in time, and then the leaves will smooth out again, become fresh and very attractive. It is best to water the portulacaria with water at room temperature. It should be non-chlorinated water, it can be settled, melt or, ideally, rainwater. If the water is from the tap, and it is not chlorinated, then, in principle, you can not even defend it beforehand. As for the hardness of water, this indicator does not matter at all, since the most important thing is that the water is at room temperature, not too chlorinated and without additional impurities, which can also affect the general condition of the plant to a certain extent.
Succulent Portulacaria: flower photo
As for the air humidity, it does not need to be artificially increased. But if we are talking about hygienic purposes, then it is best to periodically arrange a warm shower for planting. Thanks to him, you can not only slightly moisten the leaves, but also remove accumulated dirt and dust from them. Also, a shower is great if pests have suddenly settled on the plant, but we will talk about this a little later, also within the framework of this article.
When purslane enters the stage of its active growth and development, then it is worth feeding the plant with a frequency of about once every 14-15 days. For top dressing, it is best to use fertilizers that contain a minimum amount of nitrogen. Also, ready-made liquid fertilizer is ideal for portulacaria, which is originally intended for cacti and succulents, the main thing is to very carefully apply it and observe proportions. From mid-autumn to mid-spring, all feeding stops, as the purslane enters a dormant stage, and at this time it is better not to disturb the plant at all - stop feeding and reduce the level of watering to a minimum. Thus, the plant will be able to rest, gain strength before the new season, in order to further delight the grower with its incredible decorative properties and characteristics.
Let's talk about the soil mixture for the purslane flower. The substrate must be loose, water-permeable and ventilated. It shouldn't contain that many nutrients. In order to prepare the ideal soil mixture for the plant, it is necessary to mix the commercial soil intended for cacti and succulents with coarse sand, which can be replaced with another substance - vermiculite. And also to replace the sand, you can take brick chips or fine gravel, which are mixed in a ratio of 3: 1: 1, and then you get a really ideal mixture for planting, which is perfect for portulacaria. The plant differs from other crops in that it grows rather slowly. In this regard, only fairly young plants should be transplanted regularly. If the plant is already an adult, then it is transplanted into another container or into another substrate only if necessary. For example, if the root system has completely filled the container, then it is really time to transplant the plant, otherwise there is a great risk that due to lack of space the plant will gradually wither, some diseases will appear, and as a result, the plant may die altogether.
If this succulent is grown at home, then for reproduction of portulacaria, you can use a method such as cuttings. At the same time, fairly thick branches are perfect as cuttings. On which there must be at least four internodes for the cuttings to be viable. After the branches on the cuttings have been cut, it is recommended to leave them outdoors for about two days so that they dry out a little, after which they are sent to the soil mixture for rooting. The substrate is prepared in advance, it should consist of sand and peat. The very first roots of cuttings will appear about 14-20 days after planting, after two or three months it will be possible to plant rooted cuttings in a permanent container, where they will further develop into a full-fledged plant. You can also use the seed method, but more experienced gardeners say that even at the stage of buying seeds, some difficulties may arise, and therefore flower growers still prefer to propagate purslane by cuttings.
Succulent Portulacaria: flower photo
Let's talk a little about pests and diseases that can be dangerous for this plant. In general, portulacaria has a very high level of immunity and resistance to stress, so not all pests can attack it. But on such a plant, pests such as mealybugs and scale insects are often found, as well as spider mites, which, however, can choose any culture and settle on it. As soon as the grower notices the presence of these insects, the plant should immediately be sent to a warm shower to wash off the pests from the leaves and stems. If the infection turned out to be strong, and the pests managed to multiply directly on the plant, then in addition to a warm shower, it is worth treating with insecticides.
The purslane flower is quite resistant to various diseases. But at the same time, if the florist does not follow agricultural techniques and the rules of caring for the plant, then it can very easily and simply get sick. For example, if the plant was given too much watering, then this will lead to the fact that the plant will begin to undergo putrefactive decomposition. The same will happen with purslane, if suddenly the plant was in a cool room for a long time. Also, the bush often partially sheds its foliage, which may be caused by a lack of light in the winter period of time, but there may be any other reasons that the grower himself needs to track and eliminate in the very near future. If the conditions for the growth and development of the portulacaria succulent are restored in time, the leaves will also grow very quickly.
In general, a very big responsibility lies with the florist, so he should know the basics of planting care so that the purslane flourishes exclusively.
