Hmmmm - something related to over-nurturing, perhaps compounded by the increase in pot size? You don't say where you live, and there's nothing on your user page to offer a clue. Generally though, potting up is bad form in winter unless you are skilled at watering. It's very easy to over-water an over-potted plant. Since you almost always water over-potted plants in sips to insure against root rot, you pretty much automatically guarantee a build-up in soluble salts from irrigation water and fertilizer solution. When salts build up, the plant cannot absorb water (or the nutrients dissolved in water), so the plant can easily die of thirst in a sea of plenty.

If there has been no change in light levels, the best bet is that it's a drought response. It will be up to you to figure out if it is from an accumulation of salts, under-watering, or over-watering; any of the three will cause it with under-watering AND an accumulation of salts working in unison to collectively exacerbate the condition.

Al

Al's advice is right-on.

Now, in my experience, Over-watering a money tree in bad soil is *usually* the problem. This time of year - in northern California - I only water every week and a half, or so. I treat my money tree like a flood-plain plant: I water thoroughly, to full saturation, until water drains from the pot. Then, allow a full drain, with no water left sitting in the saucer. I don't water again until the soil has dried out. In the summer, I water every 3 - 5 days, generally.

A small to medium pot is sufficient.

Two views: Winter 2007 and Summer 2008 -
(First pic, old soil before re-potting - thanks to Al's research and experimentation, I was confident removing all the old soil and replacing with a largely inorganic medium. I got rid of the layer of pebbles in the bottom of the pot, and made an homogenous mix of perlite, gravel, cacti & succulent soil, and charcoal instead).
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Greenman, your Pachira is lovely..What's its age?

Epreslar. Pichira aquatica is a tropical, wetland plant. The speicies name (aquatica) is self-explanatory.
In the past, (15+ yrs ago) I killed a few Pachiras, attempting to grow tropical. My biggest mistake was repotting in larger pots as the plant grew taller/fuller.

I came across an excellent article, and photo depicting Parchira grown as a bonsai. The plant was gorgeous.
It was then I found a nursery selling baby Pachiras. The first 5-10 yrs, mine was kept in a 2 or 3" pot. The second time around it went in a 4" pot. It's been in the same pot, at the minimum, two years.

Allowing soil to dry, to extremes, causes some leaf drop. According to the article, it's normal. As days lengthen, plant gets more water, but dry between waterings.

Problems arise when soil is constantly wet/saturated, especially if overpotted. If you're using a well-draining soil, even if container is somewhat large, you should be able to get away with it.

One sign of overwatering is yellowing leaves. The problem is, leaves yellow when underwatered too. :)

For the time being, remove discolored foliage. Test soil. If it's wet, 'for one, don't add more water.' Two, you probably should repot, (though transplant shock is another setback) using well-draining soil, in a container not much larger than its rootball.
It's mandatory pot has drainage holes. If using two pots, set something, (I use styrafoam sheets) to separate inner and outer containers.

You notice the height of Greenman's Pachira, yet the pot looks to be 4". Correct me if I'm wrong, Josh..pics can be deceiving.

I doubt you killed your boss's plant, but for the time being, until you decide whether or not to repot, let soil dry out. Test the soil by inserting your finger as deep as it'll go. If it comes out wet, wait a few days and retest. When soil feels crumbly, give it a drink.

BTW, what size were/are pots? before and after?
What material, plastic, clay, etc? Toni

Hey, thanks, Toni!
My Pachira is about 3 - 4 years old.
It was grown from a single leaf from my brother's plant.

The pot is six inches wide, and five inches deep.

Josh

Josh,

Your tree looks great!

You said "It was grown from a single leaf from my brother's plant"

I'm curious as to how you rooted a single Pachira leaf. Where on the leaf did it root? The leaf? Stem?

I have been hesitant of getting this one because of all the complaints about it over and over again. It just seemed to be very fussy, not a happy plant.

Billy Rae

Hey Billy Rae,

I've never grown this, but admired one my Stepmom had. She told me my sister had sent it to her & w/out knowing much abt it, she put it on her kitchen counter (don't know the exposure, but in Ft. Lauderdale), w/ very good bright, but indirect light & almost no care, it's done very well. I don't think she waters it more than every 10 dys to 2 wks, she said it was doing fine. Looked pretty nice when I'd seen it.

Hi Karen,

I just love Fla weather! It sure sounds easy enough from what you said about your step moms plant! I sure wish we had thar same weather here in freezing NY!

I have read so many complaints about the Pichira that I just walked past them at the stores. Reading about total browning, yellowing and falling off leaves, I didn't want any part of it.
Well, maybe that's just bad care and not really the plants fault.
Being that the leaves are thin, I figured they probably would be a weak indoor plant to try and own, that they would turn to dust inside a heated house in no time flat!

Who knows, I might just get up the courage and get one, or mayne just try a leaf first and see how that goes.

Thanks,
Billy Rae

Hey, Billy Rae!
Go for it! You have nothing to fear!

My only advice, up front, is this:
Don't buy a braided group of plants.

In my opinion, the braided plants are doomed to failure.

Now, onto the story of how I came by my Pachira:
My brother has a Pachira that used to be braided...slowly, all but one of the trunks died. The remaining trunk had been the largest/healthiest from the start, which is why I always suggest that a buyer simply purchase a full, healthy, single-trunked specimen.

Anyhow, my brother is rough on plants. During one of his "moods," he broke several leaves off his Pachira...I can't remember if he bit them off, or if he was swinging his glow-sticks around the room like weapons.

Long story short, he placed one of those leaves in the bottom of a plastic cup, filled with generic peat-based potting soil. The soil was constantly moist/wet because there were no drainage holes in the cup. He handed me the cup, and said here, take it. So I did. I brought the leaf from Sacramento to Auburn, where it sat from February to May on a warm Eastern window-sill. Surprisingly, it grew into a full-sized plant!

Now, I summer my Pachira on the front deck (western exposure), beneath a large maple tree. One year, I put my Pachira out before the maple had leafed-out...big mistake! Nearly every Pachira leaf was sunburned white. New leaves grew when the dead leaves dropped, but now I know to wait until I can offer filtered sunlight. After a period of acclimation, Pachira can handle quite a bit of sun.

Josh

"I can't remember if he bit them off, or if he was swinging his glow-sticks around the room like weapons"

Oh the visual on that, lol. Funny! Hey well, at least you were able to get a nice plant out of one of your brothers "moods." Good deal.

It sounds like you have your Pachira's care down pat, AND a lesson on instant sunburn to boot! Lol.

Ok, So the leaf stem is what rooted then? I would have never known you could propagate them that way.

Thanks Josh!
Billy Rae

My pleasure!
And, believe me, my brother is wild!

I, too, would never have guessed Pachira could be propagated by leaf. I haven't heard much about others propagating this way, but I know it can be done.

If you do try to root a leaf, choose a very healthy leaf to pluck - and make sure you snap it off cleanly from the trunk. I think the leaf should be kept out of direct sun at first, so that the leaf doesn't dry out.

Actually, if I were to try leaf-propagation again, I'd start several leaves....just in case one or two fail.

Josh

Great! I will remember to try your leaf method. Hopefully, I won't have to duck to get one:0)

Thanks,
Billy Rae

Thank you for all of your advice. I live in Charlotte, North Carolina but the plant is indoors. My boss has an office with out any windows but this has never been a problem before. The tree is braided and I moved it from a tiny pot about 3inches deep that had metal wires in the soil holding the plant up that I was afraid would get into the root system and eventually kill the tree. I've moved it to a round pot about 6inches in diameter and 8inches tall. It has a drain hole and I have been watering through the bottom as opposed to pouring water in the top. I also used citruis cactus soil (per the sales person in the stores advice).

I have very little experience with plants so thank you in advance for your continued advice.

Also, since my first post the yellowing has stopped (because those leaves died) and the rest of the leaves are brown on the tips.

Thanks.

No real light?
That won't work in the long run.

Also, no more bottom watering.
Water from the top, and allow the soil to dry out between waterings. Dump any excess water from the drip tray, et cetera, a few minutes after watering.

Josh

I think this citrus cactus soil is a snow job. The two plants require different things, so I think this person just told you what they think you'd like to hear.