Pahira water - a tropical plant from the genus baobab or bombaks. It comes from the marshy regions of Central and South America. The plant has other names: Guian or Malabar chestnut, saba nut, money tree, Chinese tree and bottle tree. In this article, we will try to answer a question that worries many readers: “Will Pachira grow aquatic at home?”
Plant description
Under natural conditions, pahira reaches 20 meters in height. This unusual tree has water between wood and bark. The trunk expands closer to the base, forming the shape of a bottle, so the tree got one of its names.
The plant is covered with smooth leaves growing on long cuttings covered with green bark. Water pachira blooms from June to November, but cultivated plants, with proper care, can make this process year-round. During flowering, Pachira does not drop foliage, as many of its relatives do. Large flowers (up to 10 cm in diameter) are located on a whisk, up to 35 cm long. Flowers can be of different colors: from snow-white to pale green or pink. The scent of flowers is a bit like vanilla.
After ripening fruits, whose length is from 10 to 20 cm, they crack, in their middle you can see from 10 to 25 seeds. More often they are called nuts, because they are covered with a strong brown skin. Edible nuts. They make flour and bake bread. In addition, they are boiled, fried, eaten raw. They make a drink reminiscent of the taste of chocolate. Edible leaves and flowers.
Pahira aquatica: home care
Most often grown as a houseplant pahira water. As we have said, in nature it is a very impressive tree in size. And this is not surprising, because its closest relatives are real giants - breadfruit and baobab. Of course, at home, the size of the plant is much more modest - no more than three meters. True, plant growth can easily be controlled by pruning and crown formation.
Pahira water is not the only variety of plants that are grown at home. Much less often in indoor conditions, you can see silver pakhira, which has a silvery shade of leaves.
The soil
For the active development of the plant, it is very important to choose the right soil mixture for the pachira flower. Home care begins with the preparation of the substrate. It consists of part of the sheet land, part of the turf, part of the sand and half of the brick chips. Many gardeners acquire a ready-made mixture for dracaena and palm trees.
Lighting
You can not talk about caring for pachyrus at home without mentioning the lighting. This inhabitant of the tropics needs good lighting. It is a bright but diffused light. Pakhira tolerates exposure to direct sunlight, but only for a short time. With a lack of lighting, the plant loses its decorative properties.
The indoor bottle tree feels great on the east or west side of the house. In summer, pahira can be carried out into the air. In a city apartment, it can be a balcony or a loggia. From early spring, the plant must be accustomed to an increasing amount of light, otherwise the tree can get a sunburn.
Temperature
The air temperature is very important for pahira. Home care involves maintaining a constant temperature in the summer and spring within +25 ° C. In winter and autumn, the temperature is reduced to +16 ° C. Do not place a tree near winter heaters and batteries in winter. Protect the plant from drafts to which the Pachira reacts painfully.
Air humidity
And this indicator is not too important for the Pakhira. Home care is simplified due to the fact that the tree perfectly tolerates the rather dry air of urban apartments. However, spraying with soft, settled water will only benefit the plant.
Watering
Another indicator on which the active growth of pachyra depends. Home care involves regular plentiful watering. Otherwise, the leaves fade in the plant. Pachira should be watered with warm rain or settled water. In winter, the amount of moisture is limited or completely stopped, because the roots can rot. Watering is done only after the topsoil dries.
Transfer
Every year it is necessary to transplant young trees. To do this, use pots with a diameter greater than the previous five centimeters. Adult plants are transplanted as needed. The transplant is carried out in March-April, when the tree is at rest. Since the roots of the plant are not too large, they use shallow pots.
Crown formation
The ratio of the height of the pachira and the diameter of its trunk directly depends on the lighting in the room and watering the tree. More abundant watering and a lack of light cause the plant to stretch, and it turns into an ordinary thin-stem tree. So that it does not stretch up, it is necessary to carry out pruning, starting in spring.
The bottle tree at the cut site branches and the crown becomes very lush. As a rule, they give it the shape of an oval or ball. Experienced gardeners can see pakhira with several trunks intertwined. To form such a tree will take more than one year.
Breeding
Pakhira water is propagated in two ways: apical cuttings and seeds. Before sowing seeds, pots with ordinary garden soil are prepared. It must be warmed up to +25 ° C and evenly moistened. Only fresh seeds are sown. Make a wide groove in the soil and pour seeds into it. Then moisten them with warm water. The pot should be covered with glass or plastic wrap. Seeds germinate after three weeks, but all this time the seeds must be ventilated daily and remove excess moisture.
At the end of summer, you can harvest and plant in a humid environment, which consists of a mixture of sand and peat, cuttings.
Growing problems
Many gardeners are interested in why the leaves of pakhira turn yellow. Home care should be regular. Carefully monitor the condition of the plant. The most common cause of yellowing leaves is pests in the soil. Quite often on the surface of the soil you can see small white insects that look like worms.
To get rid of them, you should treat the tree with a solution of potassium permanganate. In addition, dusting the soil with tobacco powder or ground pepper is effective. Another common cause of yellowing of foliage is a lack of minerals. This problem is easily solved by applying special mineral fertilizers to the soil.
What to look for?
- If the plant does not have enough moisture, it can discard the foliage. With excessive watering in winter, the roots of the plant can rot.
- The tips of the leaves turn dark brown when the plant receives insufficient moisture.
- Leaves curl if there is a large temperature difference between day and night.
- Dry light spots on the leaves indicate a sunburn, the plant must be shaded.
In the article we posted a photo of pakhira. Home care is not too burdensome. Observing all the rules for caring for this exotic plant, you can enjoy the beauty of this decorative tree for a long time.