---
title: "My Elephant Bush (Portulacaria Afra) bonsai project."
description: "My Elephant Bush (Portulacaria Afra) bonsai project."
url: "https://getplanta.com/community/hB0M8pmURCqUK7zhKpIOTw/qwsTULkc8XCXVxuJTaAA5n"
community: "Bonsai Matters"
author: "Lachlan"
published: "2025-09-06T12:59:21.338927Z"
language: "en"
image: "https://images.getplanta.com/v1/resize/ZjErUkXwYWKjDEb1d0yzTV7X4Guvfk9nLNujw0gLnRM/Phb11sv9SnukR8oTw4i9jA.webp?size=large"
---

[Community](https://getplanta.com/community.md) / [Bonsai Matters](https://getplanta.com/community/hB0M8pmURCqUK7zhKpIOTw.md)

# My Elephant Bush (Portulacaria Afra) bonsai project.

_Posted by Lachlan on 2025-09-06_

My Elephant Bush (Portulacaria Afra) bonsai project.

![Attachment 1 of 1](https://images.getplanta.com/v1/resize/ZjErUkXwYWKjDEb1d0yzTV7X4Guvfk9nLNujw0gLnRM/Phb11sv9SnukR8oTw4i9jA.webp?size=large)

## 6 comments

### Just a guy commented on 2025-09-07

Cool can’t wait to see it grow

### BrianDaWheelman commented on 2025-09-07

I’m jealous haha. Yours is structurally way better off than mine is right now and we’re at similar growth stages.

![Attachment 1 of 1](https://images.getplanta.com/v1/resize/a939J0yZcxUxjJul39WDAnUPU4gTT1_I7cAcyW-AErk/Y-1EwwHNSQazypYTV5fA7Q.webp?size=large)

#### Lachlan replied on 2025-09-07

Thanks I just committed to the branches I liked and did some hard pruning. Now I’m gonna let it grow out for a couple months to thicken the trunk.

#### BrianDaWheelman replied on 2025-09-07

That’s what I need to do also. I’m waiting for some little pots to arrive so I can plant some of my cuttings.

### BrianDaWheelman commented on 2025-09-11

What soil are you using? I bought a bag of what I thought would be good to grow my cuttings in, but the pieces of the soil components are massive and water instantly drains through the pot drainage hole.

#### Lachlan replied on 2025-09-11

This one is in bonsai soil but my other ones are in a succulent mix that I make myself.

50% Standard Succulent Mix  
20% Pumice  
10% Zeolite  
10% Perlite  
10% Scoria

This mix works good for me my plants love it, normal succulent mix has too much bark and gets soggy. Pumice + zeolite hold nutrients/water and perlite + scoria helps drain excess water and give the roots air. These plants live in the desert so I try to replicate that environment.

---

_Source: the Planta community (https://getplanta.com). Reading is open to everyone. To post, comment and like, get the Planta app: https://getplanta.com/download_