How do you grow Jades? | Bonsai from Crassula & Portulacaria 

Do drop me a line, and let me know what you think of Jades for bonsai!

Hey Jelle, nice video :) Tbh I never quite got what people’s problem with succulents for Bonsai was (of course I get that it’s not technically a tree). Honestly people do Bonsai with a lot of things that don’t grow as trees (I mean have you seen azaleas or blackthorn in nature?). I think succulents make for great Bonsai (yeah yeah) and are especially great for beginners. Wouldn’t want to miss my portulacarias from the collection. As Bonsai spreads across the world why not be open to new species? If someone doesn’t like it, no one is forcing them to use it :)

crassula ovata has a really special place in my heart, it's the first plant that made me want to grow plants. Whether other people think it's a bonsai or not doesn't matter to me. I like it and I'll keep growing it.

WOW. I learned more from your video than several others combined. Thanks Jelle.

I have recently got a cutting of the larger species from a friend and it has successfully rooted so I'm 100% gunna try and do my first pretend bonsai. Thanks for the tips!!

that is a STUNNING Jade Bonsai!

Nice one Jelle. I have quite a few of both of these and I have to agree with you entirely. They can be fun to clip and grow, require very little attention...and best of all - you don't have to worry about them when you decide to take a holiday 😎

I have a couple of Crassula/Jade. Very easy to work with and propagate. As usual, an excellent video! Thank you.

Nice. I don't yet have a jade, a ficus or a Chinese elm, so I think I'll head out and see if I can pick up a portulacaria afra tomorrow and start ticking some off the list!

I like them as I can admire “bonsai” and some nice pots indoors during the long winter months

Beautiful Pafra tree!

Interesting tutorial, thanks Jelle. I actually started a few of the exact two species this past summer. My granddaughters love my bonsais and I thought these would be a great variety to get them started and interested in the hobby. We’ll pot them up next spring and I’ll pass along this helpful information. Thanks, keep growing

Amazing tree

Nice video! Call them what you want to call them but they do look nice when trained this way. Thanks for sharing!

I love my PAs regardless of what people say about them as bonsai. Nice video!

Hey Jelle Great Video. I also have two small Crassula. Yes, no Bonsai but really nice plants! 😊 Like it, that you show also this species 👍🏻

Thank you for the great video going to start Bonsai journey with my girls God bless you and have a great day

What a nice little pot😍

Port is amazing practice and Great to keep your hands busy in winter especially if you live in an apartment

I have many of these plants they are so easy to look after and give as a gift when you have lots of cuttings Great video Jelle my friend 👍

Its beautiful .. I have lots Jade Plant at home .. Now I can try Bonsai .. Thank you for sharing this video

Jades, one off my favorite plants since at least 30 years! I was expecting to see C sarcocaulis when I saw the title. Great vid as allways.😀👍

thank you for your video!!

Nice sharing friend watching from Indonesian.

so nice ❤

I recently discoverd your channel, very informative! Can u please tell me what kind of soil or substrate you use? I got one about the same size as the big one shown and want to repot it soon

I don't agree that only japanese species can be bonsai. If it looks like a miniature tree in a pot, that is good enough for me, and most people I think. 😀 I have big Crassula and medium Portulacaria and I think they are awesome. Also, Ports are edible and can be put in a salad

The common name here in ZA is "spekboom." It translates to bacon-or fat tree. I like playing around with them and i am experimenting with some of them and C sarcocaulis growing on rocks atm.

Bonsai doesn't really have rules for what plant but how you care for them. Bonsai roughly translates to tray planting or plant planted in tray.

👍👌🙂

How old was the biger tree, when it reached that size?

I've had a few jades, they never seem to last for me, they shrivel up in pretty much no time...

I have no luck to grow jade. I have 3 dwarf jades and all of them drop leafs and I don't know why.

Can they be indoors?

Just got a little pot, but it’s a crassula ovata… very nice elevator music, by the way! 😂

Thanks for the instructions. Btw, the Portulacaria Afra is not a Crassula sort

You can actually eat the leaves of port afra, sour apple ish

I appreciate this video and others on the channel but have to disagree about the "it's not bonsai" statement. There are many schools of thought, and maybe the point you're making is that it's not "traditional bonsai," which is certainly correct, but there are many (hundreds, thousands?) bonsai enthusiasts who have no problem considering succulents, shrubs, even some perennials for the art.

Why is it not bonsai?

"You can't make a bonsai of out succulents." to which I like to reply "Well maybe you can't Jimmy, but I clearly see that Jelle can." People who claim that only traditional stuff matters are those who will complain about other dumb BS like adding a pineapple on pizza even tho nobody forces them to eat it that way. Edit: To me it really IS a really beautiful bonsai. IMO what really matters in this art is to make something pretty.

Sorry, but I have to disagree with you on this one. Because bonsai has spread around the world, many bonsai artists are using native plants for bonsai. I don't remember reading anywhere that only hardwoods have to be bonsai. I have three portulacarias that are over a decade old, grown from cuttings, and follow the classic styling of bonsai. In some respect, they are more difficult to style. Wiring a succulent without breaking it can be very stressful. The amount of care I put into them is no different than different than hardwoods. Additionally, many bonsai artists use hedge material, which I wouldn't classify as a tree. Imo, bonsai represents an artistic expression with the plant and cared for over a very long time. I get it that pines, conifers, and deciduous trees are the traditional material, but just as bonsai evolved from penjing in China, bonsai should continue to evolve beyond the traditional definition. Thanks for the videos and allowing us to express our opinions.

I call my Jades Fauxsai! 😂