Pachira Aquatica is a very interesting and slightly strange indoor tree of the Baobab family. Due to its ability to accumulate moisture, it belongs to succulents. Its dark leathery leaves are very similar to chestnut leaves, and the trunk is shaped like a bottle. That is why in some catalogs this plant can be found under the name "bottle tree".
If this indoor flower is provided with proper care, then an aqueous pachira, as it is also called, can grow up to one and a half meters. Breeders appreciate the plant not only for its exotic appearance, but also for its very impressive panicled flowers of white or light pink color, which have a delicate aroma reminiscent of vanilla. The flowering period usually begins in early spring and lasts until November. However, pakhira aquatic at home blooms extremely rarely.
Homemade Funeral Care
If this unusual pachyra plant appeared in the house, then you need to think about where to place it so that it feels comfortable and, albeit slowly, but still gives a steady increase. First of all, it is recommended to carry out quarantine measures: firstly, immediately transplant the plant from temporary soil to permanent, and secondly, in order to avoid infection by pests, it is necessary to exclude the proximity of the tree to other indoor plants for about two weeks.
Pachira flower at home can feel quite comfortable. How to care for him? The opinions of gardeners on the issue of caring for pachyra are divided. Some believe that the pakhir tree is an unpretentious plant that does not require any special care, others believe that if it is not provided with special conditions of maintenance, it can slow growth for a long time, or even die. In any case, pahira aquatica care and attention will certainly appreciate and for a long time decorate your house or apartment.
Pahira flower
Be that as it may, pakhira is a photophilous flower, but it must still be protected from direct sunlight. If you place the pahira on the western or eastern window, the flower will be quite satisfied. If there was no other place except for the south window for the Pachira, then at noon it should be shaded. But the temperature at which the indoor tree will feel good, grow and develop normally - 22-24 ° C in the summer and 16-18 ° C in the winter.
Note! Pahir should be protected from the drying air of radiators in the winter and from strong drafts in the summer.
Since the Pachira tree has the ability to accumulate moisture, excessive watering can be detrimental to it. The best for pakhira will be to add water to the pan, from which the plant will take moisture as much as necessary. However, if it is noticed that the soil has dried and cracked, the flower needs to be watered. It is very important not to allow a long absence of moisture in the soil, otherwise the plant will drop leaves.
For your information! Fertilizing the plant is allowed, but with caution. If you feed the pachira, then its roots will burn, and the plant will die.
Pahira
As a rule, palm-like pahira requires a transplant every three years. In this case, you need to choose a pot about 5 cm larger than the previous one. If the tree is young, then replanting is carried out once a year. As a filling, choose a soil mixture suitable for dracaena and palm trees. This soil is different in that it is not overloaded with nutrients and has a slightly increased acidity.
If desired, you can make the primer for the pahira yourself. To do this, take in equal proportions the turf soil and sand, then mix thoroughly. Since the flower has a superficial root system, when planting it is not necessary to deepen the roots too much into the ground. This will not allow the root system to rot in the future.
So that the crown of the home tree does not lose its decorative effect, you should do pahira pruning from time to time. This is usually a spring procedure. Before you start stopping overgrown branches, you need to make sure that the branches are strong enough and able to transfer pruning without damage.
Pahira transplant
Probably, many saw how effectively the interlaced trunks of several plants look. This is not at all difficult to do. To do this, in one pot, the desired number of processes equal in length to the same distance from each other is planted. As they grow, the stems are braided into a braid or twisted in a spiral, and a common trunk is formed. The upper part of the stem is fixed with twine or a garden clamp.
Note! Be sure to check whether the trunks tighten the trunks too much. If the circulation of wood sap is disturbed, the plant will die. If you remove the bark in the places of contact of the stems, then they will grow together, and the bizarrely bound trunk will look even more interesting.
Twisted trunk of pachira
Pests, for some strange reason, love to attack this flower. Scale, thrips, spider mites and aphids can threaten the plant. The usual universal insecticide bought at the supermarket will come to the rescue. Most likely, the processing will need to be done several times with an interval of 7-10 days.
Note! If it is not enough to carefully care for a miniature tree, then you can encounter serious problems.
Pakhira leaves turn yellow and fall: what to do
This may be due to the fact that the soil contains insufficient nutrients. It is necessary to feed with liquid fertilizer and observe the plant. Another flower may lose leaves due to too large a pot.
The plant suddenly turned brown leaves
Most likely, this is due to direct sunlight, which caused burns. In this case, immediately transfer the flower pot to the shade. And if only the tips have withered, then, most likely, the plant is in a draft.
In addition, you need to check the elasticity of the trunk from time to time. If it became too flexible, then the reason lies in the waterlogging of the soil, which caused rotting of the roots.
Diseases and Pests
Pachira can be propagated using cuttings from seeds. To propagate the flower with seeds, you need to take a very fresh planting material. The fact is that the seeds of this plant quickly lose their germination. Seeds should be laid out on moistened soil, sprinkled lightly on top and covered with a film, creating the effect of a greenhouse. Suitable temperature for seedlings - 35-30 ° C. It is also necessary to spray and ventilate the plant daily.
Note! The first sprouts should appear after about 20 days. The transplantation of young seedlings should be carried out only when they are sufficiently strong.
You can propagate pahira cuttings. The most suitable time for this is the end of summer. The apical stalk is taken. It needs to have at least one leaf and one growth bud. The shank is easily rooted if it is placed in a peat-sand mixture and a temperature of 25-30 ° C is ensured.
In addition, it will be necessary to cover the sprout with a polyethylene cap and provide a sufficient level of humidity by regular watering or pouring water into the pan. The daily check of a home-made greenhouse is important.
Pahira seeds
Rooting in water
You can try to root the shoot in the water. To do this, the cut apical sprout must be placed in water, after placing it in a solution of phytohormone for about a day. No need to swamp water, otherwise the lower part of the plant will simply rot. The first roots should appear after two to three weeks. Once they have reached a sufficient length, the cuttings need to be planted in the ground.
No matter how capricious the pachira is, the reproduction of this flower is not a very complicated process.
Rooting Pachyra in Water
In addition to the well-known water sacchar, other species of this plant can be grown at home. For example, Pachira rotundifolia. This species has rounded leaves and creeping long shoots, so it is usually grown in hanging baskets. Another common form of this flower is silver or nurutdinova pakhira. It differs from the widespread aquatic environment by a gray shade of leaves.
Favorite plant on all continents
In 1968, on about. Taiwan, the simple driver came up with the idea to grow several small trees in one pot, braiding their trunks in a bizarre spiral. After some time, the fashion for a pigtail tree swept all over Asia. In the East, pahira is endowed with mystical properties that attract financial fortune. In Japan, this plant, tied with colored ribbons, is usually placed at enterprises. The Chinese believe that each five-leafed lobe means one of the elements: fire, air, water, earth and wood. Therefore, it is customary to keep this tree at home to bring harmony and peace.
Note! On the American continent, pachyrah fruits are readily eaten. They bake bread, roast like chestnuts, boil, prepare drinks resembling hot chocolate. Some people prefer the leaf and flower salad of this extraordinary plant.
More conservative Europeans enthusiastically form wonderful bonsai from this representative of the Baobabs, competing in weaving bizarre trunks.
Thus, it is a universal flower that not only pleases the eye with its unusual appearance, but also benefits according to world beliefs. It is not difficult to grow it, the main thing is to adhere to the elementary rules described above.
