We water the bush once a week, or two weeks depending on how dry the soil is. It is in the sunlight all day. And it has been for almost a year and it used to thrive. I repotted all my plants two days ago and checked for root rot. The roots looked healthy and strong on all plants. We did have a problem with the flies that lay eggs in your soil, but the flies are gone and all soil is replaced to fresh new soil. I am very worried as the little bush has been here ever since we moved in, so i want to ensure it will live on for a long while
by Kindly-Address-2214
8 Comments
Is it planted directly into that ceramic pot and does that pot have drainage holes?
If yes and no, then it could be sitting in damp soil too long. I don’t know the plant but in general succulents want well draining soil and to completely dry out between watering. If that pot has no drainage holes then that probably isn’t happening, even if the top of the soil appears dry. The soil also looks quite ‘rich’ but be an idea to add some grit/sand/perlite to it for drainage as well. I have a couple of succulents in pots without drainage and I rarely water and when I do, do so carefully so it’s not sitting in water for ages
Have you checked it over carefully for pests? My elephant is the canary in the cole mine when I have an infestation brewing in my plant room. It will have two visible scales on it and drop half it’s leaves. It’s a drama queen.
I know you said you let it dry out between waterings, but that soil looks super dense. I have mine in a succulent mix that drains well, in a terracotta pot. I find it likes to dry out completely but get watered more often than a lot of my other succulents.
Think you should trim it more regularly
It looks like it’s lacking light, and the soil is staying moist for too long.
Tiny leaves are the giveaway for light, and the fact that the leaves are dropping off is the sign that the soil can’t dry out quickly enough.
It’s definitely overwatered. The soil composition and pot size and incompatible with the plant. Also, all plants must absolutely have free drainage.
The soil should be succulent soil that looks more like [this](https://getbusygardening.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/diy-succulent-soil-Pin.jpg). This soil is far too organic. With appropriate soil it may not necessarily need a smaller pot, but I think it would do better with a pot a touch smaller, since there’s really only one solid stem.
When you water, place the pot in a bowl of tepid water that reaches almost to the rim of the pot, and let it soak for about 10 minutes. Then let the excess drain before placing it back on a drip tray. It’s best to soak succulents because they can easily get hydrophobic. Succulents need a cycle of going from completely dry to wet.
Your elephant bush is a variegated variety (‘Medio-Picta’ to be specific). Variegated ones are slightly more fussy than the standard Portucalaria Afras and grow a bit slower.
First of all – did you water if after re-potting? You shouldn’t do that. General rule of thumb with Portulacarias is to let it dry before doing things like trimming, re-potting or anything drastic and then after you’re done wait for it to show some new growth. This means that all the wounds have dried a bit (including on damaged roots), there are new roots growing and the plant is no longer in shock. Then you can water it.
Good drainage is essential. Most of the soil might be dry but the bottom will still be soggy when there is no drainage. If you use plate under the pot – chuck the excess water away if it fills up. And don’t use soil as an indicator. Wait for the leaves to get a bit wrinkly and less firm. It’s far more reliable.
Portulacarias also tend to drop leaves from the shock (like re-potting) or when they come back from dormancy. Personally I’d wait a week or two to let it all dry thoroughly and give time for some acclimatization before changing soil or anything. Just unblock the drainage asap.
I don’t think it’s the light issue. Imo it doesn’t look stretched and leaves seem normal sized for the variety – at least the ones that already dropped.
Here is a nice lecture about Portulacarias: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=weTrlB5r9ok](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=weTrlB5r9ok)
I believe the problem is inadequate lighting. Mine does fine next to a scorching hot window, but if I move it even a few inches away, it starts to drop leaves. Also, make sure the soil has good drainage, as others have mentioned.
This is a plant that comes from an extremely hot, dry environment. At the very least it needs a more free draining soil and far less water. You don’t want a soil that will hold moisture for this plant.