Try Houseplant and Container Forum for many, many Threads on Pachira aquatica. Pachira like well-draining soil, thorough watering, and lots of light. Mine is still outdoors, although it will be coming in soon....now that nights temps are dropping. Pachira is fairly easy to propagate from healthy cuttings. I just cut, and then stick the cutting in a container of bark-based potting mix. I have also propagated Pachira from the leaves. In fact, my Pachira was started from a leaf. Here she is today. Josh

Turtle, I'm unclear if you're asking whether or not a braided Pachira/Money Tree will continue braiding after it's brought home. If that's what you mean, the answer is no. Braiding is done with soft wood, at a young age..Once it's hard, that's it. Unless someone has discovered a way to continue braiding, I haven't heard how it'd it's done. Josh. Pachiras are strange plants. I have two, one 10-yr old straight trunk, and a 5/6 yr-old braided. Although Pachiras are tropical, wetland plants, I now treat my two as succulents. Their potted in tiny containers, and water is given when soil is completely dry. Especially in winter. Even though they get little water in winter, they're evergreen, foliage is present year round. In the past, I grew Pachira as a tropical..the results were devestating. Death. To keep Pachira alive, 1. infrequent waterings especially in winter, 2. no fertilizer during winter, 3. once new growth appears, a low dose of chemical but preferably organic fertilizer. 4. Summer outdoors. 5. misting/showering foliage. 6. don't overpot. BTW, this is what works best for my Pachiras. I tried growing as a tropical and succulent..the latter works for my two. Experimenting is the only way you'll know which way works for you. Toni Ironically, I bought the straight Pachira in a batch collection coined, Caudex plants. Because it was dormant upon arrival, I didn't know it was a Pachira..so treating as a succulent was done unintentionally. The thing is, it thrived. The following spring when leaves sprouted, I figured it was Pachira.

Hi all! I'd love some help- I adopted this money tree because one of the attorneys in my office got a new office plant & was going to throw this one away. I decided to take her home to try to save her but I don't know how! I just bought some bonsai soil mix, regular potting soil, and a new pot on Amazon (not too big) and I'm planning to repot with a mix when they come in, or possible put the bonsai mix on the bottom as a drainage layer. Am I on the right track here? Thanks!!!

You could be living in the sunniest desert ever, and that wouldn't matter if the plant was plopped down in a room with no windows-light can't penetrate walls the last time I checked :p I would slowly introduce it to the balcony-don't immediately shove it out. The leaves will sunburn and drop, and the plant will have to expend even more energy to grow more leaves. I would leave it out in the morning when the sunlight isn't at its strongest, and leave it there for an hour before bringing it back in. The next day, leave it there for two hours, then the next day for three hours, etc. until it gets used to the sun.