Question
Hello Will.

I think you will one day regret allowing me to ask you questions!  :)

I have a Portulacaria Afra that is growing beautifully. The leaves are even starting to looked branchy (stacked?). I'm not sure if I'm describing it the right way. Anyway, I've been reading and reading to keep it very dry.
It's about 5 inches tall and I have it in a 2 inch clay pot with cacti / succulent soil. I have been watering about every 25 - 28 days. The window has a southeastern exposure. It's right on the window sill. My question is about leaf drop.

There are maybe 3 - 6 leaves that have shriveled or are
shriveling. Is this normal for the plant? My natural inclination is to water (It's been almost 3 weeks since the last watering), but I'm not sure if that's the right thing to do.

When I first got the plant in July of this year, it dropped a lot of leaves and quickly grew new ones.  I'm pretty sure that was due to the change in atmosphere.  It's not dropping nearly as many now. But it's three months later. I realize that my question my seem a bit paranoid, but I really don't want to kill this plant.

I live in southeastern Michigan (Detroit area) by the way.

Thanks Will!

Answer
Hi Amanda,

Your concern is a legitimate one and you are not suffering from paranoia. However, I suspect you are suffering from reading too many warnings about overwatering.

Although it is true that this is a succulent and as such it should be in  porous soil that is allowed to dry out between waterings, I think you have gone to an extreme.

It does not need to get as dry as a Cactus. It is also in a very small clay pot that will dry out much sooner than a larger, non-porous pot. It also has very good light exposure which will cause it to use more water. Finally, you have had it long enough that its roots have expanded in the pot and will need more water.

Calculating just how often to water a succulent is always a bit dicey because it is so hard to tell just when that sandy soil is dry. However, give all of the factors I mentioned in the previous paragraph, I think your Portulacaria should be watered thoroughly every 1 to 2 weeks. Certainly, it should be watered at the first sign of shriveling, if not sooner.

Thanks for providing the detailed information that I need to provide a good answer. Other than your parsimonious watering, you seem to be on the right track with your Portulacaria.

Please let me know if any of this is unclear or if you have any additional questions.

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Regards,
Will Creed, Interior Landscaper
Horticultural Help, NYC

You can E-mail me directly at: [email protected]

Visit my website at  www.HorticulturalHelp.com

If you would like to e-mail me some photos, I may be able to provide some additional insights.