Question
We received a Pachira Aquatica as a gift about 6 months ago.  It has done very well up until about 3 weeks ago.  Suddenly a few leaves have turned brown and fallen off.  Also, One Stem has become soft like it might be rotting.  It is in a 4" diameter pot with pebbles glued over the top of the soil.  Should we repot it in a larger pot without the pebbles or just remove the pebbles?  What should I do about the on stem that is starting to get soft?  It live on our coffee table about 5 feet from a West facing window.  We live in Montana where it is very arid so I mist it every time I water it ( about every 1-2 weeks) but it is very hard to tell if I'm watering it too much or not enough.  I will send you some pics. Please let me know, I really want to save it!

Answer
Hi Bob,

Thanks for the photos; they are a big help.

Pachiras are very popular right now and retailers are doing all kinds of things to make them decorative items. That includes putting them into lovely ceramic pots and covering the surface with stones and pebbles. All of this makes for a highly attractive plant, but it also creates nearly impossible growing conditions for the plant.

The glued on stones are a popular device that makes it impossible for you or me or anyone to know when the soil is sufficiently dry to require water. You are left to guess and that may work for a while, but eventually it will fail.

Remove the glued on pebbles. I have no idea what you will find under there, but it should be potting soil. If the soil feels quite wet, then you know that the soil has been allowed to dry properly between waterings.

Next, check to see if there is a drainage hole in the bottom of the pot. If there is, then there is no reason to repot. If there is no drainage hole, then you will have to move your Pachira to another pot with drainage holes that is the SAME SIZE - not a larger pot.

The stem that is soft is on its way out. All of its leaves will gradually die and fall off. You can let this happen on its own or you can simply cut and remove the stem now. It makes no difference to the rest of the plant. It is simply a question of how you want it to look.

The light is pretty good, although it might benefit by being a little closer to the west window.

Allow the top inch of soil to dry out in between thorough waterings. Determine this by sticking your finger down into the soil. Let's hope that all of the roots have not rotted and that your plant will recover slowly.

Good luck and 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

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