Hi - I'm new to the forum, and am delighted to find so many knowledgeable individuals willing to share. My husband and I have a Pachira (Money Tree) that we bought at Lowe's well over a year ago and it was about 2 feet tall and healthy-looking. As city-folk in Los Angeles, we put it on our balcony, in an alcove that still faces straight out, but is set back from the edge of balcony. It is partly sunny/partly shady -- seems to be a perfect spot. We named our Pachira (and call it by name) and it has been REMARKABLE -- growing to over 6 feet tall and lush and full. We have never done ANYthing to it, never repotted, etc. just water once a week and talk to it. Maybe it just loves sunny California and having a name, LOL!!! >>> about two weeks ago we had stormy Santa Ana winds, and even back in her alcove, our Pachira was tempest-tossed, and we heard her crash to the ground. NOT a good thing -- we have a table and chairs, and a tiny repotting bench that she managed to hurt herself on, on her way down. Of course, we set her aright, and soothed her, but we weren't sure what else to do. And then, about 2 days later, she began to drop leaves, and turn color--yellowish leaves at first, now turning brown and/or spotty. Not all leaves have turned yet, but a ton of them.We are thinking that we are going to have to be brutal and trim off the damaged parts, but we are also thinking it may be a good time to freshen her soil, since it has never been changed. On hand we only have the following two soils to use. MIRACLE-GRO Potting Mix (Tierra Para Macetas) with MICROMAX. and also MIRACLE-GROW Cactus, Palm & Citrus Potting Mix with a Fast-Draining Formula. We have no idea which -- if either -- of these would be good for her. And so we are "considering" mixing them half-and-half. Does anyone have any suggestions on: 1. SOIL 2. TRIMMING 3. ANYTHING else we can do to lessen her trauma, etc. Many, many thanks in advance. This is URGENT if anyone could possibly reply right away. Thank you so much.

If your sticky substance is honeydew, which is what a lot of the typical "sucking" type pests excrete, you should beable to find the actual insects. You'll usually find them on the bottom side of the leaves, and in the tight joints where the leaf stems join the main stems. Be mindful that plants can excrete sap also, so glops of sticky stuff could be sap, and not honeydew. My Pachira does this, as well as a few other plants. As for your plant's decline, I suspect a light or watering issues. Pachira likes bright light, and will shed leaves if put in low light conditions. Also, overwatering and underwatering are big culprits of leaves that go from yellow to brown to floor. If you're using peat based soil, like Miracle Grow, you must know that after 6 months, it begins to break down, eventually turning into a very poorly draining soupy mess. This leads to a poor root system, which leads to rot. The plant then can't take up enough moisture, giving signs of underwatering. The typical response is to water more, which rots the roots more, until your plant dies. It'd be helpful to know your light situation, watering scheme, type of soil, fertilizing plan, etc. Joe

What kind of soil is it in? How big is the pot vs. the tree? In the picture, the plant looks good; a nice, crisp green. But, if you say the leaves are going brown, the obviously you have a problem. The plant is NOT dead though, but obviously there is a problem. If the leaves are browning, I suspect you have a root issue, where the plant isn't taking up water. The funny thing is, overwatering causes it by rotting the roots away, which, as you describe, is what happened to the other ones. It sounds like you may have cut off the watering before the trunk rotted, but the roots are likely rotted. As you know, having defective roots will not allow the plant to take in water, giving symptoms of underwatering. Most people then apply more water, which aids in the rotting process. So, what to do? I personally think that an emergency repot is in line. Although early to do, it's your last shot I think. You could try the cutting thing, but if you are a newbie, as you say, you'll quickly find that rooting cuttings isn't all THAT easy, especially from a plant that is weak. Rooting cuttings relies on the energy stored in the cutting to pop roots out, and a stressed plant doesn't have much energy to spare. I'd cut off the water, and start looking into getting your pachira into a new pot, if needed, and definately new soil; one with good drainage and aeration for the roots. Miracle Grow doesn't fit this description. Please let us know what you intend to do, so we can help you out. If there's one plant that is special to me, it's my pachira, so I'd like to see yours be saved. Joe

Hey. I just bought a pachira aquatica from a store and im not sure how to raise it. I am thinking along the lines of: water once a week mist once a week 3-5" pot braided indirect sunlight in summer/winter; direct in spring/fall watered from bottom apparently it is native to wetlands so i am going to try more water...i hope it grows for a long time. is it bad to have a few shriveled leaves here and there? Also: it came with a tie to keep it braided; i loosened it and i saw indents in the trunk! will that harm the tree? Just in case i loosened it. Thanks ahead, A.B.