How to care for the pachypodium: create conditions for the "Madagascar palm"

Pachypodium is a succulent plant of the kutra family. Most of the varieties grow on the island of Madagascar, the rest settle in the arid regions of South America on rocky ground.

Botanical Description

The main feature of the pachypodium is a thickened trunk. The name of the plant is literally translated as "thick leg." The shape and thickness of the barrel vary depending on the type. All known varieties are usually divided into three large groups.

1. Dwarf (short-stemmed). The height of the plants does not exceed 10 cm. The width is usually greater than the height.
2. Shrubs. The barrel of a bottle shape. The height in nature reaches 4 meters. In apartments grow much lower.
3. Cactus-like trees. In nature, small trees no higher than 5 meters. The stalk is cigar-shaped, unbranched or branched.

All pachypodiums are characterized by the presence of long thickened spines. In some species, they cover the entire surface of the stem; in others, they are located nearby leaves. Leaves grow spiral. As they grow, the lower ones die - a bare trunk is formed with a crown of foliage on the top of the head. Leaves sit on short petioles. Their shape is different - obovate or linearly rounded. The surface is dark green, with a pronounced gloss. The middle vein is lighter, distinct. The back side of the sheet is slightly lighter, velvety to the touch.

Flowers sit on short pedicels. The shape is correct, five petals overlap each other. Coloring is different - white, pink, yellow colors and their variations are more common. It is almost impossible to achieve flowering in the apartment. Pachypodium is grown exclusively as a decorative foliage culture.

Popular varieties

In room culture, there are different types of pachypodium. Five varieties are especially popular.

1. Pachypodium Lamera. A large variety of pachypodium. The apartment grows up to two meters, in nature - up to six. The barrel is cigar-shaped, silver-gray. Branching is weak or absent. Young specimens are abundantly covered with long needle-shaped spines, which are localized in the axils of the leaves, three pieces are collected. With age, the plant sheds old leaves, while the thorns remain on the stem. Leaves of oval elongated shape, flowers are small, fragrant, white.
2. Pachypodium Jaya. Pretty large tree. The trunk is thick, abundantly covered with thorns. Lamera differs from pachypodium by narrowed pubescent leaves. The flowers are white, the core is yellow. In apartments does not grow more than 60 cm.
3. Pachypodium Sanders. The main stem is shortened and has the shape of a cylinder.At the top, it begins to branch, forms several twisted shoots. The thorns on the trunks are long, brown. Egg-shaped dark green leaves form small rosettes at the ends of the stems.
4. Pachypodium short-stemmed. Miniature variety. The stem is tuberous, without a definite shape. An adult specimen grows no more than 10 cm, but its width can reach 40 cm. It gives a lot of shoots in the form of small tubercles. On them are rosettes of small leaves. The spikes are soft, conical in shape. Flowers are larger than leaves, a yellow tint.
5. Pachypodium succulent. Shrub quite large for a room crop. The main trunk is repetitive, wide. The branching is intense, concentrated at the top. The shoots are thin, the leaves are slightly pubescent, narrow. The thorns are thin, not very long, grow in two pieces.

Pachypodium care: basic rules for flower growers

A cactus plant is considered relatively easy to grow, but there are some features of caring for the pachypodium (Madagascar palm). First of all, this is the creation of a favorable microclimate - the desired level of lighting, humidity, a balanced regime of fertilizing and watering.

• Lighting. Pachypodium tolerates light partial shade, but in bright ambient light it looks better. She is not afraid of the open sun, but after winter the level of lighting is gradually increased. On the hottest days, it is better to shade a flower with tulle.
• Temperature. He likes heat, reacts neutrally to heat. In summer, moving to fresh air is welcomed - it feels good on the balcony under protection from atmospheric precipitation and strong winds. In winter, do not allow cooling below 16 ° C.
• Watering. In summer it is better to water rarely, but plentifully. Between watering, half the soil is waiting to dry. In winter, watering is minimized - because of the dampness of the soil, the base of the stem rots. You can only water it with warm water!
• Humidity. Pachypodium is neutral in relation to humidity. It does not need artificial increase - spraying is not needed.
• The soil. Light neutral soils are preferred. Sod, coarse sand and sheet soil are mixed in equal proportions. To improve the properties of the soil add finely chopped brick, charcoal. At the bottom, a drainage layer is required. After planting, the soil surface is covered with gravel or decorative stones.
• Top dressing. In spring and summer they use complex fertilizers. It is advisable to choose funds for succulents - they have a more balanced composition. You can feed no more than twice a month. In winter, they do not fertilize, after transplanting fertilizers are applied only after a month.

Milestone: Transplant

Growing pachypodium in a pot at home is complicated by the need to transplant it. Because of the sharp thorns and vulnerable roots, this can be difficult. Slow growth allows transplantation every two to four years.

Transplanted in the spring, immediately after wintering. The capacity is taken a little more than the previous one, a third of the pot is filled with drainage. Expanded clay, pebble, broken brick will do. Some use soil for an aquarium. Before use, the soil mixture is calcined in the oven or in a pan, watered with a potassium permanganate solution.

To protect the hands, tight gloves are used, the trunk of the pachypodium is wrapped in dense fabric. The roots are not free from the old soil - the plant is rearranged in a container along with a lump of earth.

Pachypodium does not like to be disturbed. But if you know how to care for the pachypodium after transplantation, then it normally adapts to the new tank.For a while, the flower should be given rest - do not rearrange, do not touch it unnecessarily. Water very carefully, only to maintain light soil moisture. Feeding the first month is not necessary, but you can use "Epin" for quick recovery.

Top trim

Sooner or later, there is a need to cut the pachypodium (Madagascar palm). In favorable conditions, the plant can stretch almost to the ceiling. If you want to restrain the growth of the pachypodium, carefully trim the crown of it, which can then be rooted. The main stem will give lateral shoots. Trimming is carried out as follows in four stages.

1. The stem of the pachypodium is cut at a selected height with a sharp sterile knife.
2. Slices are immediately treated with carbon powder. You can also sprinkle sulfur on top.
3. They put the flower in moderate light in a room with dry air. Watering is temporarily limited. Lateral sprouts will appear in about a month.
4. The trimmed top is planted in a separate pot for rooting.

Breeding methods

Pachypodium is propagated in two standard ways - seeds and cuttings. Both options are considered difficult - cuttings are poorly rooted, seedlings from seeds grow slowly.

Cuttings

Propagation of the pachypodium by cuttings is carried out in the spring, before the start of active growth. The procedure is combined with pruning - the resulting apical shoot is rooted. From branched plants, you can take several cuttings at once. Rooting takes place in the following sequence.

1. With a sterile knife, carefully trim the crown. The optimal length of the handle is about 15 cm. Immediately sprinkle the cut with charcoal powder.
2. Prepare a container with slightly damp sand. Sand should be calcined before use.
3. Place the apical stalk in the sand. No need to cover!
4. Keep in a well-lit, warm place.

Seeds

It is impossible to get pachypodium seeds at home. They are sold in specialized stores. Seeds lose their germination very quickly, so pay attention to the date of packing. Fresh seeds can germinate in a few days, old ones sit in the ground for up to a month. If the seedlings did not appear after a month and a half, you got old, unseemly seeds. Sow seeds in the spring according to the following scheme in seven stages.

1. Prepare the soil: mix an equal amount of sand and vermiculite.
2. Low wide tanks fill the substrate, level it, slightly watered.
3. Seeds are treated with fungicide, soaked for three hours in warm water. You can add a little growth stimulator.
4. Lay the seeds on the soil surface, the distance between the seeds is 3-4 cm. Sprinkle with a layer of the same substrate with a thickness of about 3-4 cm.
5. The container is covered with a plastic bag, small holes are made around the perimeter so that condensation does not accumulate.
6. They put on diffused sunlight, keep at a temperature of 25-30 ° C. It is watered with a spray gun; they do not allow complete drying of the substrate. The greenhouse is often aired - up to four times a day.
7. After the emergence of seedlings, the shelter is removed, the humidity is reduced, watered as the soil mixes slightly dry.

Growing difficulties and disease

The main disease of the pachypodium is root and stem rot. They develop due to excessive watering, the use of non-sterile soil mix, poor drainage.The treatment of rot consists in the removal of damaged areas, treatment with fungicides and transplantation into sterile soil. If the roots or the base of the stalk of the pachypodium suffered severely, it is better to cut and root the crown.

In addition to rot, other problems arise. Loss of decorativeness is often the result of a violation of the rules of care, inappropriate treatment. For convenience, the most common problems are compiled in a table.

Table - Problems of growing pachypodium

In all these cases, it is sufficient to adjust the conditions of detention. Gradually, the decorativeness of the pachypodium is restored.

Pests and methods of dealing with them

Pests quite often attack the pachypodium. The most common insects are spider mites, mealybugs, scale shield. Signs of defeat and pest control methods are described in the table.

Table - The main pachypodium pests

Knowing how to care for the pachypodium, and understanding what conditions the plant needs, you can grow a "palm" of large sizes. Pachypodium looks good in any room, but do not forget that it is poisonous. You can see more photos on the Internet.