Pahira is one of the most beautiful home plants that attracts attention with its original crown. How to properly grow a culture at home, and what to pay the most attention to when caring for it, let's figure it out.
Botanical description of the plant
Pakhira is an exotic culture of the Malva family, the Baobab subfamily, the homeland of which is considered by the states of Central and South America. 24 species of plants are counted, however, the most popular for home growing is pahira aquatic or aquatic.
Visually, the plant looks like a tree, however, thanks to its excellent molding, it can be grown like a bonsai. The culture is characterized by slow growth, but if all the rules of care are followed, it can grow up to 3 m in height in just two years. Note that under natural conditions, the height of the pahira is able to equal 20 m.
The home plant is single-stemmed, it begins to form branches when it reaches 2 m, while the crown is 1.5 m in diameter. Palm-complex leaves are formed on the branches, the color of which varies from light to bright green. One of the amazing features of pakhira is its flexibility.
Did you know? In the apartment, Pahira is planted with 3 flowers in one capacity. When the trunks are slightly extended, they are braided into a pigtail, the shape of which hardens and remains so forever.
In the home, pahira does not bloom. But in nature, flowering takes place every year, from July to November. Pachira flowers are quite spectacular, original, 10-12 cm in size, have a pink or yellow color.
After a flowering period, instead of flowers, a rather massive, large fruit is formed that resembles a big nut in shape, and peanuts to taste. Inside the fruit are numerous seeds. Surprisingly, the fruits of the pakhira are edible and can be eaten raw or fried.
| Root system | Stilted Rhizomes |
| Trunk | Smooth, straight, fat |
| Leaf shape | Palmate complex |
| Leaf color | Light green, bright green, dark green |
| Flower | Large, up to 10-12 cm, collected in inflorescences |
| Flower color | Yellow or pink |
| Fetus | Large berry in the middle with seeds, light green, edible |
| The taste of the fruit | Looks like peanuts |
Main types
3 types of pakhira are most adapted to cultivation at home:
- Aquatic (water). It is characterized by a stem height of up to 3 m, a diameter of up to 1.5 m. The plant is distinguished by wrinkled, leathery to the touch, palm-compound leaves of light green color, similar to chestnut leaves. At the bottom of the stem is a thickening, which accumulates water during drought. With housing maintenance, the culture does not bloom, propagates with the help of seed material or cuttings.
- Silvery. It got its name because of the color of the sheet plate, which on a green background has streaks and silver designs. In all other respects, the plant does not differ from water pachira: it is characterized by slow growth, a stem height of up to 2-3 m, and a crown diameter of 1 to 1.5 m.
- Round-leafed. This species is easy to distinguish from the rest, since it has an unconventional structure of the stem, which spreads through the soil, and is not located directly. On the stem are light green leaves of a round shape, which is another hallmark of the round-shaped pachira.
House growing conditions
Pakhira - a flower is not very whimsical, but requires compliance with the temperature regime and competent, timely moisturizing.
Lighting
Money tree is a rather photophilous plant, prefers diffuse lighting, but negatively tolerates direct rays of the sun. The ideal arrangement of the flower would be the western or eastern part of the apartment. The arrangement of a flowerpot with pahira from the south side of the room is allowed, however, in this case, it needs to be shaded.
On the north side, culture, on the contrary, will experience a lack of light, which may negatively affect its full development. To ensure sufficient lighting, it is recommended that additional light sources be installed.
In hot weather, pahira can be taken out into the open air, protecting the culture from direct UV radiation. It should be noted that the flower does not tolerate drafts, therefore it should be located in a well-lit, but quiet place.
Ventilation
Dry, stagnant air in the apartment adversely affects the development of the crown of pachira and the color of its leaves. Experts recommend several times every 7-10 days in the summer to organize the plant airing or take it out to the open air, in particular, on the terrace or balcony.
You should gradually accustom the culture to the street, each time increasing the time the flower stays in the open. At the same time, you need to monitor the absence of drafts that adversely affect the tree and can provoke its death.
Temperature mode
For proper growth and development, indoor temperature indicators in the spring-summer season should vary between +22 ... + 26 ° С. In the cold period, when the plant is at rest, it is enough to maintain the temperature at the level of +15 ... + 18 ° С. With a long stay of the flower at a temperature below +15 ° C, rotting of the root system is possible.
Important! In the heating season, it is not recommended to place pachyra near batteries and other sources of heat, since a lack of moisture can provoke drying of foliage.
Air humidity
Despite the fact that pachira is not very sensitive to humidity and can grow in dry air, it develops more intensively in a humid environment (65–75%). Regrowth spraying of the crown positively affects crop growth.
Carrying out the spraying procedure, it is necessary to ensure that the liquid does not fall on the barrel, since excess moisture can lead to its decay.
How to care at home
Like any ornamental plant, pahira requires high-quality and regular care, the main points of which are watering, top dressing, circumcision and transplantation.
Important! When applying mineral fertilizers to the soil, you should strictly adhere to the required dosage, since excess fertilizing can burn the roots of the tree.
Watering
As you know, the false palm of the pahira has a unique quality to accumulate moisture in the trunk "in reserve". However, this property does not mean that the plant does not need moisture. In the summer, you need to water the flower systematically and quite abundantly, as the soil dries.
At the same time, moisture must not be allowed to stagnate in the pan, as this can cause root decay.
Watering should be carried out very carefully, making sure that the liquid does not fall on the trunk. It is recommended to practice the method of lower watering, in pallets. To moisturize, you need to apply settled, soft water at room temperature.
In the period from November to February, watering should be reduced and carried out only after the top layer of the earth has completely dried.
Top dressing
Money tree should be fed without fail during its active development. In the spring-summer period, top dressing is applied regularly, every 3-4 weeks. As fertilizers, it is recommended to use mineral-based products intended for palm trees and dracaena.
Crown pruning
To create a beautiful bush in the form of a tree or bonsai, it is necessary to systematically trim the pachira. Carry out an event in early spring, until the plant has entered a phase of active growth.
Dry, old branches, as well as those that are stretched and knocked out of the general form, can be cut. At the same time, young, strong shoots appear later on in the places of cuts, allowing you to create a bush of the required shape.
Small root offspring are also removed, which weaken the plant and take away nutrients from it.
Transfer
Every year, from the end of March to mid-April (before the start of the growing season), it is recommended to transplant the young plant into a more spacious pot. It should be remembered that taking too much capacity is not worth it, because in this case the pahira will stop its growth, and will put all its strength into the development of the root system.
New packaging should be 5 cm larger than the previous one.
Specialists advise replanting young cultures under the age of three years every year, after - once every 2-3 years, depending on the growth rate. The capacity for the flower should be wide, but not shallow, because when planted deep, the money tree begins to hurt and stops its development.
Important! When transplanting, special attention should be paid to the drainage layer, it should be ¼ of the height of the pot.
A plant transplant consists of the following stages:
- A layer of drainage is laid at the bottom of the new tank using expanded clay, pebbles or small pebbles.
- Old, rotten and weak roots are removed from the plant.
- Prepare a substrate for planting from turf, deciduous land and fine sand, taken in equal proportions.
- Carefully place the flower in a pot, sprinkle with a layer of earth and well watered.
A week after planting, it is necessary to feed the culture using any mineral product intended for palm trees or dracaena.
Breeding
The process of propagation of pachyra will not cause special difficulties for gardeners. In order to get a new flower, two methods are used: cuttings and propagation by seeds.
Apical cuttings
Propagating the culture by cuttings is easy. The main difficulty in this process is the correct selection of a quality cuttings. The most optimal time for the selection of material is considered the end of summer, when a large number of young shoots suitable for propagation are formed on the plant.
It is recommended to give preference to apical cuttings with a lignified trunk. They must have at least one kidney and one leaflet.
Carefully cut stalks must be rooted in a special mixture, which includes peat and river sand in equal proportions. The container with the material must be covered with polyethylene and the temperature regime must be provided within +25 ... +30 ° С.
Next, you should organize the traditional care for the sprouts: regular moisturizing, airing. Under favorable conditions, the cuttings should form roots a few weeks after planting. When root processes are formed on the cuttings, they can be planted in separate containers.
Did you know? From the fruits of pakhira, the taste of which resembles a traditional peanut, a very tasty and healthy drink, similar to hot chocolate, is prepared in Panama. The leaves and flowers of the plant are also consumed.
Rooting of cuttings in water is also allowed. To do this, they should be lowered into a container of water, placed in a warm place and wait for the formation of roots.
Seeds
Using the seed method for propagation of pakhira, it is necessary to ensure that the material is as fresh as possible, since it quickly loses its germination capacity. Seeds must be sown in a soil mixture consisting of peat and sand or peat and perlite.
At the same time, the seed material is not deepened into the soil, but simply distributed evenly and sprinkled with a small amount of earth on top.
A prerequisite for growing seedlings from seeds is to maintain a fairly high temperature, within + 25 ... + 27 ° С. Immediately after sowing, the container should be covered with plastic wrap or glass to form a greenhouse effect.
Before the first seedlings appear, it is necessary to regularly moisten the soil with a spray gun and ventilate, removing the film for a while. Adhering to such conditions, after 25-30 days you can hope for the emergence of young plants.
Growing difficulties
When cultivating pachyra, flower growers may encounter some difficulties, which are most often associated with illiterate care and non-compliance with established standards for watering, fertilizing or lighting. As a result of such actions, the plant can be exposed to various ailments or be affected by pests.
Pests
One of the advantages of homemade pakhira is that it is quite rarely attacked by pests, only in rare cases it can be affected by a spider mite or scale:
- the presence of sticky fluid on the foliage, yellowing of greenery are evidence of the harmful effects of scabies;
- the presence of a transparent web on the trunk and between the leaves indicates the presence of a spider mite.
To rid the plant of unwanted guests, foliage and trunk should be treated with insecticides.
Disease
You can easily find out about the diseases of culture by simply looking and studying its appearance:
- Soft and sluggish trunk - is evidence of excessive waterlogging of the soil. In order to reanimate a culture, it is necessary to transplant it into another capacity, completely replacing the soil, removing rotten roots and treating the root system with charcoal powder.
- Pahira leaves turn yellow and fall - this situation indicates that the pot was incorrectly selected (its dimensions are too large). In such cases, it is recommended to transplant pahira into a less spacious container.
- Leaves become soft, curl, darken at the tips - this is a consequence of sharp temperature jumps and the effect of drafts. Correction of the temperature regime will help save the plant.
- Leaves brighten, brown spots form on them - The reason is considered to be an excess of light, as well as possible sunburn. The flower pot should be moved to another location or provided with a shade.
Signs and superstitions
It should be noted that a lot of different signs, as well as superstitions, are associated with pakhira. Since ancient times, people believed that the plant is able to bring financial prosperity to the house and is a symbol of wealth, wealth, prosperity. In common people, the original name “pahira” has long been replaced by “money tree”.
However, according to popular beliefs, in order for the flower to bring money, it needs to be planted in a red container and several coins should be placed at the bottom. The more foliage there will be on the tree, the more money will be in the house.
In the countries of the East, pahira is considered to be a symbol of prosperity and good luck, so many people grow this plant in their home.
There is a belief that it is impossible to give pachir to another owner, because after her moving the old owner will lose his luck. If you still need to give the pakhir, then during the transfer you should take a few coins in return, as if selling a flower.
Pahira is a wonderful ornamental plant, which today is very popular because of its original appearance and ability to purify indoor air from harmful substances. In addition, this plant, according to popular beliefs, is able to bring luck and prosperity to the house.
