The pachypodium is a plant that will appeal to both cactus lovers and fans of lush foliage. Due to its dense stem and spreading crown, it resembles a small palm tree, it is no coincidence that pachypodium is translated from Greek as “thick leg”, growers even call it the Madagascar palm tree, although it has absolutely nothing to do with palm trees. There are several varieties of the pachypodium, the most common pachypodium Lamer. How to take care of her will be discussed.
In nature, the pachypodium grows up to 8 meters, and sometimes even more, indoor reaches 1.5 meters. If you took up its cultivation, be patient, it grows very slowly, 5 cm per year. For proper care in 6-7 years, the pachypodium will reward you with its flowering.
In winter, for this variety, 8 degrees is a completely normal temperature regime (other species need a temperature of at least 16 degrees). Therefore, you should not worry, rotting due to low temperature will not happen, unless you fill it, of course. In the summer, you need to water the plant constantly. But how to do it correctly, flower growers cannot decide in any way. Some believe that there should always be moisture in the soil, others advise to water it as soon as the earth dries up.
Practice shows that the most favorable watering regime, when the soil dries up by 1-2 cm, is not difficult to check, it is enough to touch the soil in the pot. This regime should be followed from March to October. In winter, you need to be careful: excessive watering at low temperatures can lead to the death of the plant, at normal temperatures it will lose weight, the trunk will begin to stretch. You need to use only warm and well-settled water. If there is not enough moisture, the pachypodium begins to wither and shed its leaves, but this is not always the case.
In general, shedding leaves in autumn and winter is quite common for vegetation, and the pachypodium is no exception. If in winter the plant has thrown off its leaves and it has only a small "forelock", do not worry. Just stop watering for 5-6 weeks and resume with new leaves. Pachypodium is extremely attached to its corner in the apartment and does not really like changing places. Therefore, he can also drop leaves due to rearrangement to a new place or even a simple turn (!) Of the pot.
But there is no reason to worry about the light, since the "Madagascar palm" easily tolerates a small partial shade and direct sunlight. This also applies to air humidity. He will be comfortable on the windowsill, near the radiator. At the same time, it does not need to be sprayed at all (if only for the purity of the plant and because of your great desire).
Protect the pachypodium from cold drafts! They are destructive for him, the plant itself will tell you about hypothermia: its leaves will begin to fall off and turn black, the trunk becomes stunted and lethargic. Ultimately, the flower may simply rot. In the summer, try to take it outside to fresh air. Often it is not necessary to transplant the pachypodium, young plants are enough once a year, adults - once every 2-3 years. In this case, drainage is required, it fills about a third of the pot so that there is no stagnation of water.
The pachypodium has no particular preferences for soil.The main thing is that the soil always has plenty of moisture and air. The most common garden soil with the addition of sand is also suitable; ready-made soil for cacti is also used. Add some crushed charcoal and red brick chips to it. The crumb will give the soil looseness, porosity, it is not difficult to make it by breaking into small parts the red brick found at the nearest construction site or from garbage containers. Coal is a natural disinfectant, it prevents rotting, but only coal from hardwood trees is suitable. To do this, burn a stick from a regular birch, break the firebrand into small and larger pieces and add a little to the soil.
Pachypodium is fed every two weeks in summer and spring. It is better not to use organics, use mineral fertilizers with a low nitrogen content. Fertilizers are suitable for cacti. The transplanted plant is not fed in the first month. The pachypodium reproduces only by seeds, and at home it is somewhat problematic to grow it from its seeds.
And one more very important note. Dear parents, pachypodium juice is poisonous! In no case do not put it in the nursery, but for greater safety in the house in general. Everyone else is strongly advised to work with the pachypodium only with gloves. The juice will not cause irritation to intact skin. But even if the leaves of the plant were not broken and sap did not stand out, hands should be washed thoroughly. It is also very prickly!
