Transcript:
Hi guys today! I’m going to talk about seven common problems with Elephant Bush, also known as Portulacaria. Afra, that I’ve encountered with my own plants and offer some quick, simple solutions to these problems. So I’ll dive right in and get started. The first and common problem is dropped leaves. The most likely reason for drop leaves is watering issues. A pertulocaria offer that is too wet will drop its leaves. This usually happens when the plant has been over watered or the soil you use does not dry out fast enough or both when over water, the leaves might also feel squishy, not firm and will take on a light, green or yellowish color. A plant that has been constantly over watered will drop. Its leaves at the slightest touch when this happens to your plant. The quickest solution to this is to let your plant dry out before watering again. You may also need to repot it into a more suitable potting mix. This plant needs a fast draining soil. If your soil is not fast draining, you can amend it by adding perlite or pumice. I usually use a combination of cactus. Mix and perlite for my plants. You may also need to adjust your watering schedule and water your plant less often water only when the soil feels dry problem. Number two stems turning black if severely over watered, the stems of the plant would start rotting from the bottom. The first sign of this is brown or black spots, usually at the bottom of the stem. A plant will constantly with constantly wet feet. That does not get enough. Sunlight rots faster as the plant is not given a chance to dry out to prevent this from happening. Make sure you are using a fast draining soil for your plant and refrain from over watering the plant. This plant can take very dry conditions, but not too much water. If the plant has already started rotting from the roots up to the stem, you can still save the plant by cutting the rotten parts off and saving the stem cuttings, dry the stem cuttings for about a few days to a week and stick the cuttings back in soil to propagate problem. Number three shriveled leaves. This usually happens when the plant is too dry and not getting enough water. The leaves would start looking wrinkled and when touched the leaves feel soft, flat and deflated. I tend to underwater my succulents, including my elephant Bush. So I am very familiar with shriveled leaves since I see it so often I don’t really get alarmed. When I see first signs of shriveled leaves a quick solution to this is to give the plant a good drink of water it. Should it should perk back up within a few days of watering and the leaves will appear plump again and not shriveled. You may want to increase the watering frequency. If you find this happening to your plant often, if your plant looks shriveled, no matter how often you water, and you notice that the water goes right through the pot Almost immediately after watering the plant may not be absorbing any water at all. Either the soil is too fast draining, or you’re using the wrong soil transplant the plant in a fresh potting mix. As I mentioned, I like to use Cactus Mix combined with Perlite. If you don’t like mixing materials, you can use a very porous mix like cactus jam, just a quick side note. All of the top three mentioned problems have to do with watering either. The plant is getting too much or too little water. If you constantly have watering issues with your plant, you may want to pay attention to the size of the planter You’re using, make sure the pot you’re using. Is not too big for the plant. You are potting. I try to choose a pot That is just the right size for my succulents with a few inches extra for them to grow. If the pot is too big, you run the risk of having too much soil for the plant and depending on your watering technique and the soil you use the plant can either be too dry or too wet, so moving right along. The fourth common problem with this plant is leaves turning brown. The most common reason for brown leaves is sunburn. If the brown spots are on the leaves and appear to be patches of different shades of brown, its most likely sunburn. Elephant bush can take full sun, especially mature plants that have been acclimated to the heat or have been outdoors. All along a new plant you’ve recently purchased from the store may not be used to full sun or intense heat, So if you’ve just recently purchased your plant, it may need to get acclimated to the sun First before you place it under full sun. Also new cuttings that you’ve recently propagated cannot be placed under direct sunlight or they will burn a quick solution to sunburned leaves is to move the plant to a shadier location to let the plant recover. Try not to over compensate by watering the plant too much just water as you normally would. Unfortunately, the brown spots will not fade away, but the plant will eventually shed the burned leaves as new growth comes in. If you can’t wait to get rid of the brown spots, you can trim them off or pull out. The burned leaves problem number. Five stems stretching. If you notice your elephant Bush stretching out and the stems appear to get longer and the plant just has this overall stretched out appearance. The plant is most likely not getting enough sunlight. This may happen to your elephant. Bush, that’s being kept indoors with improper lighting or even an outdoor plant in the shade. A quick and easy solution is to move the plant to a brighter location where it can receive enough sunlight. If you are unable to find a bright enough spot indoors, consider using a grow light to give your plant enough light or supplemental lighting partial sun to full sun is well tolerated by this plant. I have some growing happily under the morning sun and also some in the full afternoon sun. I believe these plants are happier outdoors than indoors. So if you must keep your plants indoors for the winter, give them some outdoor time during the warmer months to keep them happy problem. Number six leaves turning yellow leaves can turn yellow for various reasons. Some of the reasons are inconsistent watering, using the wrong soil and lack of nutrients. I’ve already discussed watering issues and using the wrong soil, both of which can all contribute to yellowing leaves. Another reason that I will discuss here is lack of nutrients. This happens when you’ve had the plant in the same potting mix or the same container for years and years. Which is what happened to one of my elephant. Bush plants the potting mix. The plant has been planted in may be depleted of nutrients. And if you and if you don’t normally feed or fertilize your plant, it may be time to do, so. I don’t normally fertilize my plants, especially newly potted ones in fresh potting mix. I often forget to fertilize or am too lazy to add the extra step. When a plant lacks nutrients, the leaves will start to discolor and turn yellow, that’s. When I know it’s time to repot or fertilize when I do Fertilize, I use a cactus fertilizer diluted to a quarter or half strength of whatever it says in the bottle. I usually fertilize until I get a chance to repot the plant into a fresh potting mix from what I’ve learned. I only fertilize during the spring summer and early fall seasons and refrain from fertilizing during the winter months when the plant is not growing as much fertilizing your plant or repotting. Your plant are both good ways to revamp it. Lastly, problem number seven is black spots on the leaves. Black spots on the leaves, usually signal that the plant is not doing well and appears to be sick. This is not the same as problem number. Two when the plant is rotting, the black spots I’m talking about here. Appear on the leaves of the plant. There could be different reasons for this. One reason I commonly see in my elephant. Bush, with black spots on the leaves, is that they have been exposed to frost from the previous winter and the soil stayed too wet. It usually rains during the winter months. Where I am and since I keep most of my plants outdoors, They are exposed to frost and rain during the winter months. Succulents are so resilient that most of my plants survive, but succulents. That are not frost tolerant like the elephant. Bush may end up with scars such as black spots on the leaves. Usually when you repot the plant in fresh potting mix, the black spots slowly fade away, but if exposed to the problem again such as frost and too much water on or rain the next winter season, the spots may reappear if possible. Bring your plants in for the winter to protect them from the cold or put them in the shade to protect them from too much rain. These are just some of the most common problems you will encounter with Portulacaria offers and some simple solutions. You can do to save your plan. I’ll end the video here. Please, like this video. If you found it helpful and subscribe to this channel. If these are the types of content you’d like to see. I also have a playlist of related topics. You can check out. Thanks so much for watching and happy gardening.