7 Common Problems With Elephant Bush and Quick Fixes

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7 Common Problems With Elephant Bush and Quick Fixes

Рет қаралды 83,342

3 жыл бұрын

Is your Elephant Bush (Portulacaria Afra) turning yellow? How about brown or black spots on the leaves? In this video, I talk about 7 common problems I've encountered with my Elephant Bush plants and offer some quick fixes and tips on how to resolve the problems.
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Пікірлер: 111

@kateyurkova6384 10 ай бұрын

My problem is that shriveling yellow leaves can be caused by both under-watering and overwatering. My plant started dropping leaves like crazy and I thought I over watered it so I waited for it to get dry as a rock, but only once I made up my mind and watered it properly the shedding stopped. Really happy that at least it can regrow leaves fast

@marlonstrachan9655 2 жыл бұрын

I just bought a little one, and it's my fourth time trying to grow this plant.I hope by following your tips.I will be able to grow plant into a giant .

@granlex 2 жыл бұрын

I used to use the same soil until i discovered bonsai soil or none organic soil. This is composed of lava rock, akadama, pumice and small pine bark. I can now water my plants daily without any problems.

@succulentplantcare373 2 жыл бұрын

thanks for your comment!

@kellymcinerney2219 Ай бұрын

Great information! Very thorough and easy to follow.

@jeffhurst4744 3 жыл бұрын

Well, I have learned several things here. Biggest is to repot in better draining cactus soil mixture. Thank you.

@succulentplantcare373 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching!

@karamcfly Жыл бұрын

Very good information delivered in a concise manner. Excellent. Thank you!

@adarshajith5721 2 жыл бұрын

I recently got a elephant bush and it was full of leaves and when I planted it, it started dropping it's leaves, soo I kept it under sunlight and it got sunburned and now the stems are shriveling up and the Leaves too, I watered it after a week and still hasn't improved much, all the leaves are thin and not plump, I don't know what to do, please help!

@brickcity9mm896 2 жыл бұрын

😏You murderer🤭

@adarshajith5721 2 жыл бұрын

@@brickcity9mm896 Guilty ☹️

@vibesforanytime Жыл бұрын

Same

@ba-dum_tss 7 ай бұрын

If you ordered via online nursery, They keep them under artificial indoor lighting which mimic sun rays.

@ba-dum_tss 7 ай бұрын

I suggest go to nearest nursery and plant in new pot filled with Coco pit once it gets back to normal repot it with soil mixed with perlite as suggested in video.

@StaceyHerewegrowagain 3 ай бұрын

I love the elephant bush sucuclents ❤ Thanks for sharing your tips❤

@MaybeBonsai 2 жыл бұрын

I never have any watering problems because I don't water them at all, I just leave them in water all the time! Seriously, you can grow them in water and propagate cuttings in water

@nikod1912 3 жыл бұрын

Great video, very informative! I just got a couple cuttings of this plant from my mother in law. Can’t wait to grow this plant! Thank you for taking time to make this video. Just subscribed! 😃

@succulentplantcare373 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you and good luck with the cuttings!

@lindaplaidduck 6 ай бұрын

@succulentplantcare373 Hello! I hope you're still available to answer a question for me. 🫤 I've had my beautiful elephant bonsai for almost 15 years & it grew beautifully until recently. I've been home more now & I think I loved it with too much fussing & over watered it. All of it's healthy looking leaves just started falling off - especially if barely touched! It's practically bald although some small, new leaves are appearing. But sometimes they fall off. 💔 I read your written article which led me to this video - but I have a question about drying it out prior to repotting. You mentioned that we should remove it from the pot & let it dry out first. Do you mean just take it out of soil completely - roots and all exposed to air & let it sit like that for a couple days? I was concerned because I though roots die if exposed to air too long. Thank you so much! I hope this isn't a ridiculous question. I love this bonsai & would hate to lose it after all these years. Take care! Linda B.

@marsh443 2 жыл бұрын

🌞 Beautiful garden, very helpful elephant bush plant care tips too! Tks👍

@kellypeirce4099 Жыл бұрын

Hi there I got some cuttings with lots of brown dots on them is that disease?

@anjalisharmapusa299 2 жыл бұрын

Very well explained video. Thank you. It was very helpful.

@fitz7663 6 ай бұрын

My bush is in pretty much purely cactus mix, I hadn't watered it in a month, it gets 12 hours of sunlamp (north facing windows and close tall forest), inside temp is 68°F-and the day after I water it, leaves and yellow, wrinkly, mushy, and dropping!

@robertadelye3322 3 жыл бұрын

I love your succulents. I killed all my succulents with over watering & impatience. 😩

@succulentplantcare373 3 жыл бұрын

Oh man...I find that it's better to leave them alone and ignore them than smother them with love. 🙂

@manila1909 3 жыл бұрын

The most useful video on these types of plants!

@succulentplantcare373 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you!

@beepboop3264 Жыл бұрын

Nice info. Thank you. Your plants are lovely

@daminiraghuvanshi7514 8 ай бұрын

Thank you, this was very informative

@peggykelley3034 Жыл бұрын

I bought mine from a friend it’s 12 years old and it is at all yellow on it. I gave it a big thing of water and yeah yellow leaves drop now it is really green and Joyann feels moist. Should I transplant thank you Peggy.

@michellewalker1158 Жыл бұрын

I got a small pot and the tallest stem broke off! 💔 can I propagate in water?

@sophiefletcher1300 2 жыл бұрын

Very good information

@stevezphone 7 ай бұрын

Great info Thanks!

@rosacruzhernandez546 Жыл бұрын

PLEASE HELP!! So my plant dropped all its leaves and it’s turning brown but towards the top of the stem. I used regular potting soil in the pot and it’s facing a window that faces west but it’s currently winter so not a lot of sunlight and idk what to do. Maybe repotting? Would I have to trim the top portion of the stem? I would really appreciate the help 😣

@donnajacobs1722 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you very good information

@succulentplantcare373 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks!!

@meep2576 2 жыл бұрын

I water my succulents and elephant plant with my fish tank water or out of the rain barrel. I’m in zone 9 they get morning sun afternoon shade on my patio. I hope they do well as this is my first time 🤞

@jodyann77 Жыл бұрын

The leaves on mine are so thin I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong!

@solarwinds- 3 ай бұрын

I was hoping I could get some information on if the root system tends to be shallow or deep. Thoughts?

@BiolTales 3 жыл бұрын

I am having variegated variety and it is hardly producing any new leaves and consistently shedding old leaves. I have reduced watering also. Any solution?

@annettenoga6182 2 жыл бұрын

Love your informative video. Previous elephant bush have died with dropping leaves. Just bought new plants, what pot would you suggest? I got the green one. Thx😎

@saltpepperketchup7082 Жыл бұрын

I don't get it... why does she, at 5: in video, show healthy plants while talking about brown spots, sunburn, and at 8:14 she shows a plant with brown spots while discussing yellow leaves. 🤨 Regardless, (even tho she showed spotted leaves while talking rotting, black stems, lol), I learned a lot and gave thumbs up and saved to Playlist. Thank you especially for the pot size at 4:28ish! My dog tail cactus isn't doing so good since I put him in a big pot. I guess im irked by the spotty leaved plants not getting their proper showing because that's why I came here to this video. My young elephant bushes have spots that appeared this morning. And now I know its because of the last 4 days of frost, preceded by days of heavy rain. I don't understand when she says it's "from the frost of the previous winter" My little guys are cut stems rooted 5 months ago. But I guess I should give them fresh dirt that's not so wet from the rain. Question. Can I set the wet dirt out to dry and reuse? I would rather not do the oven drying method to sterilize. It's fresh dirt from 3 months ago.

@12herr 11 күн бұрын

Did you know the leaves are edible. It has a lovely sour taste. You can add it to salads. Elephants just love tese leaves.

@xyz4582 Жыл бұрын

I've noticed my elephant's bush leaves are still shriveled even after watering. What seems to be the problem? Pls help 🙏

@marshalbarb Жыл бұрын

hi! usually when elephant bushes leaves are shriveled can indicate a lighting issue or a watering issue. east and west facing windows that get plenty of light are perfect for elephant bushes because of the amount of light. if you notice they shrivel after watering, try to cut down the # of times you water. make sure the soil is dry, and always be sure to feel the leaves before you water. if they’re a squishy, or pale color, then go ahead and water. good luck! ❤️❤️

@MyWeirdNormal1 3 жыл бұрын

My issue is that mine started dropping leaves, but I've been barely watering it at all! Tried repotting and realized that it's actually root bound and I have no idea how to come back from that!

@succulentplantcare373 3 жыл бұрын

What I would do if that happened to my plant is I will repot the whole thing in fresh potting mix. Try to trim the roots a bit to try to rejuvenate them. Good luck!

@Probablee_Ashlee Жыл бұрын

Also you can take a root rake or a chop stick and gently de-tangle the roots. A big bowl of water to dip the roots in is advised so it doesn’t dry out and makes detangling easier. After that just trim like 10 percent of the roots with clean scissors. Depending on how root bound it is you can take a max of 25% of the roots off. Portulacaria Afra have a small root system so I’d stay closer to 10% and after that just repot as you would normally. You might see it shrivel a bit after trimming roots it’s totally normal, if that happens just give it some shade for a few days and add a tiny bit of moisture to the soil. Like just a quarter cup for a six inch pot.

@kenzieblossom6974 Жыл бұрын

Mine is a bonsai so it stays in a small pot. It stayed healthy for years until recently all the leaves fell off. I'm not sure If I over watered it and it has root rot, or underwater it and the leaves fell off. I scratched one of the branches to see if the plant was still alive and its still green and wet inside so its still alive. Trying to figure out what it needs.

@bellafrancesqui1550 3 жыл бұрын

hi!! i love your video but my problem is that the leaves of mine are shriveled and fall off frequently, after a couple days of watering they don’t seem better. i have no idea what i’m doing wrong pls help!!

@succulentplantcare373 3 жыл бұрын

Have you tried reporting it? Sometimes there’s something going on underneath that we can’t see. Maybe root rot or even pests that’s causing the plant to shed leaves. Or maybe it’s in the wrong soil. Repotting in the right potting mix may help

@bellafrancesqui1550 3 жыл бұрын

@@succulentplantcare373 thank you so much!!! i repotted it i a different soil and i think it’s doing much better than before, i don’t know why i didn’t think of this earlier. thank you!

@succulentplantcare373 3 жыл бұрын

@@bellafrancesqui1550 Keeping my fingers crossed for you!

@sirishapuvvala330 3 жыл бұрын

Hello... Thanks for sharing this video... I have this plant with shriveled leaves... But when I checking my soil still moisture.. i am giving right amount of water in right time.. but leaves didn't get thier original condition please help me

@yasink18 10 ай бұрын

What's the orange one leave next to this pot..

@Micheal_Uppal 3 жыл бұрын

Informative

@succulentplantcare373 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching 😊

@Eliroxu 3 жыл бұрын

Mine has dropped all the leaves and the stems are shrivelling up?! I just repotted it in the cactus mix

@succulentplantcare373 3 жыл бұрын

Shriveled leaves are usually a sign of under watering but dropped leaves are usually due to overwater. Maybe inconsistent watering?? Good luck and thanks for watching!

@potatoeschip3529 Жыл бұрын

I got my elephant bush a month ago and it didn't grow yet but it's still healthy. Can you give an advice how to grow up my elephant bush?

@ellieyworld130 Жыл бұрын

The plant photos shown doesnt match the content of your video. Confusing.

@hazeieris4478 3 жыл бұрын

I've had my elephant bushes since the beginning of the year and they were growing like crazy but I over watered it one time as I was going away for a few days and it was going to be really sunny. I actually have very fast draining soil mix and lots of drainage holes at the bottom of the pot, so it's not sitting in water. However, the leaves of several plants are turning yellow and have lost most of its leaves, despite changing the soil and giving it a few days to dry out before watering again. I also water it was liquid fertilizer everyone 2 weeks, so I don't know why it's still loosing it's leaves. Please help!!!

@succulentplantcare373 3 жыл бұрын

Hi I’m not sure whether you watered it too quickly after repotting? I would have waited a week or longer after removing from the old soil to repot. And wait a few days after reporting to water again. Also, I don’t fertilize my elephant bush regularly especially if newly potted. I only fertilize the ones I’m training as bonsai regularly. Maybe you can try to remove from soil again and see if you notice any root rot. Trim any rot you find and a few days to a week before reporting again. Good luck!

@mandira_draws 9 ай бұрын

I think over fertilization?

@H.C.Q. Жыл бұрын

Hi. I ate one of the leaves of these today. It was delicious. It tasted a little bit like lemon juice. Do you know if these plants are safe for parrots?

@pastrycookie8080 2 жыл бұрын

Mine keeps having stem breakage??? The leaves are fine, green and no issues but its stem will break off at times, i orginally thought it brushed against something when i was moving it and the stem broke but it has been sitting with nothing nearby and the stems are still having breakage. (Its only about half an inch of breakage each time but its happening more than it should...) please help😭

@geraldinejain. 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the info How do I maintain the white leaves of my midstripe rainbow elephant bush. A plant I bought earlier turned green eventually

@succulentplantcare373 2 жыл бұрын

Hi, I've heard that some variegated plants revert back to green eventually. In my experience, when the plant is exposed to stress like cold temp. and sunshine, they maintain their vibrant colors. If indoors or watered regularly, they turn green.

@geraldinejain. 2 жыл бұрын

@@succulentplantcare373 Thanks

@elizabethannshealthyliving6970 Жыл бұрын

Hi! I have had a small one for over a year now, and I don’t have any of the problems mentioned in the video, but my issue is that my plant doesn’t seem to grow. It really hasn’t changed at all in over a year. Yet ironically it looks healthy and seems happy. It is outdoors and gets plenty of direct morning sun, and I only water it once to every two weeks. I live in Florida zone 9b. Any help is so appreciated!😊

@cameronpepe6868 Жыл бұрын

Needs bigger pot trust me

@cameronpepe6868 Жыл бұрын

Bigger home more feeder roots bigger plant especially in Florida

@cameronpepe6868 Жыл бұрын

Give it a trim grow the cutting every cut spot with produce 2 new growth points the more growth points thicker trunk put in a decent pot cut a little off and leave it alone for the rest of the year let it bush out before you think about shaping this species you'll have a fat trunk fast this way I to was in Florida growing 100s for over 2 years

@mahaswetamukherjee06 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much! Can we add used , dried tea leaves to the soil?

@succulentplantcare373 3 жыл бұрын

Hi! Not sure about dried tea leaves because I have never used them myself. I read they could be high in nitrogen which is not good for succulents but I don’t know how accurate that is. Dried manure tea bags might be better?

@mahaswetamukherjee06 3 жыл бұрын

Okay, thank you !

@joehisel5966 Жыл бұрын

Your voice sounds just like miss orchid girl!

@igayparisjr 2 жыл бұрын

Also, where can we follow you on social!? :) loved all the info

@succulentplantcare373 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks so much! I'm not big on social media these days...I do have a blog with over 100 succulent articles. If you're interested please check out www.succulentplantcare.com

@markwoodard659 10 ай бұрын

APL good?

@igayparisjr 2 жыл бұрын

Wow, this is very informative. I recently got my jade and thought it was good. Turned out it had the beginnings of a mealy bug infestation. Think I got it I’ll see control, noticed the soil was dry ish so watered it. Ans now it’s dropping leaves left and right.. only watered it after o seen it was drying and leaves were yellowing some. Used the tampon method and crossing fingers that it bounces back. Any suggestions!? This is my second portucalaria. First bonsai I got think I overwatered and killed too..

@succulentplantcare373 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for your comment! You mentioned mealybugs? What I do with mealybugs is I spray them with an alcohol solution to get rid of them. The leaves could also turn yellow when it's too dry, not only when it's too wet. To be on the safe side, I would repot it in a fast draining soil and wait a few days before watering again. This plant bounces back right away when it's too dry as soon as it's watered. But when it's too wet, it does not do well. Good luck on your plant!

@igayparisjr 2 жыл бұрын

@@succulentplantcare373 ty! I’ll try the alcohol method :)

@deyali24 3 ай бұрын

Hi, it's very informative. I am facing an issue with my plant. When i bought it, its stems were all red but now it's turning green slowly. I tweaked its soil because the soil was so compacted that a stick was not able to go inside the soil. So i reduced the soil and mixed perlite. I don't know what to do next. What should i do? Please help me 🙏 Thank you

@zahrahusein3561 3 жыл бұрын

I can't seem to figure out what the issue with my bush is. It has these brown spots all over the leaves and looks almost burned, but it's winter so I don't think it managed to get sunburned. It also has a few pale spots as well. I'm curious if it has to do with the hail and rain storm we had a week ago. I'm able to repot if necessary and I also have an indoor grow light if I need to give it some more "sun" but I'm not sure what needs to be done.

@succulentplantcare373 3 жыл бұрын

Zahra, we had the brown spots also on a few of our elephant bush - they looked burnt. And we think the soil might be too wet and since it’s winter time with lots of rain and it doesn’t dry quickly. We have one that we repotted with a fast draining soil and we bring indoors whenever there’s not much sun, we’ve been doing this the past 2 months. And the new leaves are all green so far.

@zahrahusein3561 3 жыл бұрын

@@succulentplantcare373 thank you so much! It's supposed to be 80s next week so I think that'll be a good time to repot! Finger crossed 🤞🏽

@succulentplantcare373 3 жыл бұрын

Good luck!!

@t.c87 2 жыл бұрын

What about indoor

@hallie3063 3 жыл бұрын

I have an elephant bush plant and it is slowly dying. It was thriving in the summer and I noticed that when the weather got colder it started dropping leaves and looking dead. Do you have a facebook or somewhere I can show you message you a picture of how it looks so maybe you can help me?

@succulentplantcare373 3 жыл бұрын

Please visit our website at succulentplantcare.com and you can contact us there. We also have a similar experience with one of our elephant bush starting to look dead. Check your soil is it too moist? Try this: Repot to a fast draining succulent mix and water less maybe stretch to once a week in the winter. Every time you give it water you can give it lots of water and let the excess drain out so all the roots gets to drink. Bring it inside if it rains or if there is frost and only bring outside if it’s sunny.

@barbaramedina1085 3 жыл бұрын

My plant froze this winter. It’s in bad shape. Is it salvageable?

@succulentplantcare373 3 жыл бұрын

It depends on the extent of the damage. I would probably repot in fresh potting mix and try not to expose the plant to too much stress. I’ll also get some healthy stem cuttings if possible just in case the plant doesn’t make it. Good luck!

@barbaramedina1085 3 жыл бұрын

@@succulentplantcare373 thank you

@kevionPinkston Жыл бұрын

water with neem oil every other or 3rd watering

@beipijothyujothyu5515 3 жыл бұрын

Which soil is required for this plant

@succulentplantcare373 3 жыл бұрын

We suggest a fast draining soil and preferably nothing that has moss that retains too much water. Check out our soil comparison video: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/rp2WjKWZksXcoXU.html bonsai Jack is what we’ll pick.

@succulentplantcare373 3 жыл бұрын

Fast draining would be best. I use succulent/cactus potting mix