i don't know about your pachira. but, the draceana will grow side shoots. even if the wax were not on top, it wouldn't grow anymore from the top because the top has been cut off. but the side sprouts will grow quite large given the right conditions.

i haven't. mine are growing in soil, from the main stalk. the only reason to remove them would be to make more plants.

sorry it's kinda big.

I wanted to thank you (jiffymouse) for your quick response. It makes me want to buy more plants now that I know this website , at least im confident ill have a lot of references to keep them healthy

Hi Maggie,

That is a very pretty Pachira.

Sometimes when soil dries out too much it loses its ability to absorb and retain moisture (like a dried out old sponge) and the water floats on the surface for a long time before running down the sides of the rootball. Could that have happened to the Pachira? It could be the cause of wilting leaves if water isn't adequately penetrating the rootball.

The solution is to rewet the soil by removing the inner pot and soaking it in a sink of water for about half hour.

I empathize with your desire for rapid growth but repotting to larger pots doesn't make plants grow more quickly and could actually harm them. Aside from genetics, over which you have no control, adequate light is the most important factor in a plant's health and growth rate. A newly repotted plant will grow new roots to fill the larger pot before growing new foliage so it could take a long time before new growth is visible. Most houseplants prefer to be potbound. It is very easy to over water a plant in too large a pot because the soil stays wet too long. Evenutally this leads to root rot. A general rule of thumb is that unless plants require watering more frequently than every third day, better to leave them alone. If repotting is necessary, use a pot only one size larger.

Why don't you first try rewetting the soil to see if that makes a difference? There should be a visible improvement within a few days if that is the problem.

Please let us know how you make out. If rewetting doesn't help, we'll help you explore other avenues.

BTW, tell us more about the light the plant receives. Is it directly in front of or to the side of a curtained or uncurtained window? What direction does the window face? Is the light obstructed by trees, buildings, or a roof overhang?

Im sorry again

I've tried to rewet my Pachira, but no water seems to get in the rootball. I've put my finger half way down and it's all dried. I had it sit in the bowl of water (room Temperature) for 35 min.

Is it normal that it hasn't absorbed the water?
Should I leave it in there longer?

Sorry to bother you and thanks again

Meggie

Alright

Yea my pot had drainage holes in it. I had to leave it in there for an hour. At an 1/2 hour i checked and the inside was still a little buit dried. But now everything is saturated and I could feel the pot being heavier. I put some water through the top and it went down very quick.

Hopefully this will do it

I will keep u posted about both my plants

Thanks

Wow
I can already see a difference. I tried to braid (it;s already braided but it has grown) the trunks and it didn;t work very well. Does anyone know how to braid it (with the 5 trunks) I think im going to have to practice on how to make a 5strands braid.
How do you not break the branches when u braid it?

THank you cricket for your advice. It looks a lot better. even thought i broke some branches

It also has some tiny holes on the leaves and some look eaten at the tip of the leave. Instead of having a nice leaf shape it's a weird shape. Was that cause by the rootball being dry?

Sorry for all the questions but im trying to be better with plants so I can buy lots of them cause they are just so nice!

MEg

if it is that bad, yes. and, if it is drying out that quickly, you won't hurt it by watering it that often if you are checking the dryness before you do.

just check the soil first. make sure it is dry to the first knuckle. (about an inch) sounds like you are doing good!

Just a follow up

I planted my Dracaena (Bamboo) in soil and it's growing a lot, but the tips of the leaves are yellow. Ive never seen it growing like that before. I also cloned it and that's also going very well.

My Pachira (Money tree) is now a monster. I replanted it. Every once in a while i gotta let it sit in water cause it stills doesn't absorb really well. THe leaves are so big and there are a lot of new ones too. I might have to cut them cause there are getting too big. DOes anyone know where to cut them exactly? Also one of the trunk is dead

Thanks to all of you that helped me with my plant. I'm so happy, they are growing a lot faster.

MEg

I have a draceana that has one stem getting yellow from the top down. Can I save this stem, or just take it out to save the other 2? Is there someissue with the plant, i.e. too much water, not enough drainage?
I have another one, that I've had for about 3 years, and it's doing very well.
Thanks for the help.

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"A society will be judged by the way it treats its most vulnerable members-the animals." Gandhi