Caring for Portulacaria Afra Sunlight Requirements: Light Shade to Full Sun Portulacaria Afra needs

Caring for Portulacaria Afra Sunlight Requirements: Light Shade to Full Sun Portulacaria Afra needs plenty of bright sunlight and can tolerate full sun. You may need to acclimate the plant to full sun initially. Mild sunburn may be expected under extreme heat conditions but otherwise, these plants can handle the heat. Indoor Lighting If caring for the plant indoors, provide the brightest light possible in the house. A south facing window will work best, but an east or west facing windows will also do. You may need to move the plant a few times until you find the right spot. Ideally, the plant needs at least 5-6 hours of light. If your area does not receive adequate sunlight or you have poor lighting at home, consider using a growlight so your plants can meet their lighting needs to grow properly, especially during those dark winter months. Here are some growlight recommendations that may help. To read more about this topic on indoor lighting for succulents, check out my post on “Proper Lighting for Succulents Indoors” to get some helpful tips. Outdoor Sunlight Requirements Portulacaria Afra ‘Elephant Bush’ does best in areas that receive plenty of sunlight. They can tolerate partial sun to full sun, but they prefer bright filtered sunlight. They need to be acclimated to full sun or the leaves will get sunburned. If kept outdoors, place in a bright sunny location. Before moving the plant outdoors or increasing the amount of sunlight it receives, it is better to acclimate the plant to help prevent sunburn or sun damage. Slowly increase the amount of sunlight it receives until it is fully acclimated to the sun. Keep in mind that even when the plant is already acclimated to full sun, it can still get sunburned during a heatwave or intense heat. Sunshades are a real lifesaver for my plants during the intense summer heat here in Northern California where the temperatures can rise above 100℉ or 37.8℃. Here are some of my recommendations for sunshades and sun protection. For further details and information on outdoor sunlight requirements, please visit my post “How Much Sunlight Do Succulents Need Outdoors?” to get some useful tidbits. Frost Tolerance Portulacaria Afra can tolerate mild frost and freezing temperatures as long as they are not for long periods of time. If you live in USDA hardiness zones 9-11, you can leave the plant outdoors all year long and they can even be planted in ground. If you have extreme winter conditions in your area, the best way to grow these plants are in containers. That way you can bring them indoors during winter or when there is forecast of frost or snow. If for whatever reason you cannot bring the plants in, there are ways to protect them from frost or freezing temperatures. You can use frost cloths or mini greenhouses to help them survive the cold winter. Here are some of my recommendations for frost protection. For more information on this topic, do visit my post on “Optimal Temperatures for Succulents to Thrive”. Soil Requirements for Elephant Bush Just like with other succulent plants, Portulacaria Afra ‘Elephant Bush’ needs a well draining soil. I have been using a simple concoction that has worked well for my plants. I like to use a cactus potting mix combined with perlite for more drainage. I do not use exact measurements but eyeball it to about 2:1 solution of cactus mix and perlite. Others recommend using a sandy soil. This can be achieved by mixing cactus mix or potting soil with coarse sand (about 2:1 ratio). I get most of my materials from a local hardware store. You can also obtain them online at the touch of your fingertips by visiting this page. To read more about soil for succulents, please click on “Best Soil for Succulents”. Watering Requirements for Portulacaria Afra Watering largely depends on the climate you live in. These plants are highly adapted to dry conditions and drought but they thrive when given sufficient water. There really isn’t a set schedule or formula on when to water succulent plants like these. I live in a very dry climate so my watering schedule is adapted to the dry conditions of my environment. In the summer months, I water my Elephant Bush as often as every 7-10 days, sometimes more during a heatwave, giving the plant a good drink. I cut back on watering to about 10-14 days when the weather cools down. If you live in a humid location, you won’t need to water as much. And if you keep your plants indoors, you may not have to water as much especially if they are not receiving a lot of light. During winter season, I mostly rely on rainwater and hold back on watering altogether because this is when we get a lot of rain in my area. But if we don’t get any rain at all during winter then I water at least once a month or every 2-3 weeks. One good way to tell whether it’s time to water is to check the moisture of the soil. The top inch of the soil needs to feel dry before you can water again. If you are unsure how much and how often to water in the beginning, it’s always better to underwater and increase watering as needed. Pay attention to how your plant looks and you can adjust watering accordingly. If you need further help with watering techniques, consider using tools like hygrometers or moisture meters to check for moisture in the soil and air. These tools are pretty affordable and can come in handy especially if you are unsure of when to water your plant next. Do check out these moisture meter tools if you need help in gauging your watering needs. Interested in finding out more about watering succulents? Visit my post “How And When To Water Succulents” where I go into details about this topic. Propagating Portulacaria Afra Portulacaria Afras are one of the easiest succulents to propagate from stem cuttings. For me, this is the easiest and fastest route to propagate. You can also root from leaves although this is not my preferred route. I do leave the fallen leaves alone when they land in the pot and let them do their own thing. If you want to propagate from leaf cuttings make sure to use the whole leaf including the base to ensure success. I prefer using stem cuttings because I find it easier, faster and almost foolproof. I find leaf propagation a bit trickier and takes a lot longer. A Message from Bob's Discount Furniture Here comes the sun! SEE MORE I found a couple of rooted leaves when repotting a Variegated Elephant Bush plant. Here’s some of my Elephant Bush grown from stem cuttings. How to Propagate a Portulacaria Afra Plant:

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