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marina_courman

My braided Pachira (money tree) also needs help

Marina Courman
8 years ago

Hi all, our braided Pachira's leaves are also turning yellow or brown and fall eventually. One of the braided stems has dried completely within the last 4 months, and now it is hard and dry to the touch (also if you cut a bit with a knife). It is still very Okay in comparison to other posts where the trees are in a very poor condition, but I want to prevent, as today I collected almost 10 leaves while cleaning the dust from it. Also I have never fertilized since we bought it in June.


I carefully went through some discussions on Pachiras with same symptoms and I suspect it might have been over watered at the beginning or even bought with one of the stems half dead. That is why it has dried almost 4 months ago. Since then the tree was quite okay except when the winter came and we might have slightly over watered it again (I have recently read it needs even less water in winter than in summer).

The most clarifying post for me was "braided money tree dying" and I read from Josh comments it is recommended to isolate the healthy trunks and re-pot. Still the tree is quite okay and the trunks are really thick, I don't see how I can separate without mechanically damaging the tree, also roots separation seems to be damaging.

For now I'm planning to change the compost (even though it's january still), because mine seems very basic and no draining, I don't see any perlite in it and at the same time I want to examine the roots. Could you please help me with some doubts:

1. when changing the compost, sould I remove completely any old soil from between the small roots? I will have the same question if I decide to separate the trunks in future.

2. if yes, I will inevitably mechanically damage some of the small roots. Is it a problem?

3. is it safe to fertilize in winter?

I Hope I can let the dried trunk stay and improve the drainage by changing the compost and make my pachira save the braided and rich look. I will be deeply thankful for any idea, help, hint, reply, wish...: in the end I believe this is a luck tree and I can heal it with a proper attention and care. Some more pictures of the dried trunk (the one in the middle between the two green ones):

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