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Old 30-08-2003, 01:12 PM
Peter Le Roux
 
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Default [IBC] succulents as bonsai

Here in South Africa, Crassula grow pretty big- even where I live, which is
a whole different climate from where they originate (most crassula are from
mediterranean/semi desert areas and I live in a high altitude summer
rainfall climate) we had two crassula growing outside our house that were
about 7 feet high.

one thing that is worth mentioning about these plants in relation to bonsai,
is that most of the bonsai I see in photos from europe and the US look like
they don't get much water- the leaves are normally thin, slightly wrinkled
and often have a purplish tinge. The plants that grow here are normally
watered as for any other plant, and have plump, *succulent* leaves. Bearing
in mind that we have clayey soil that drains poorly, I have only rarely seen
crassula suffer from any sort of rot or other damp-related problems, so
maybe they can take a bit more water than they are normally given? Remember,
just because they can survive in the desert, doesn't mean they will thrive
like that- and in any case, most of them are from slightly wetter climates.


Peter le Roux
Johannesburg, south africa

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