The pachypodium has a fleshy spiny trunk. Leaves thin narrow, located on the tip of the stem. Some pahipodiums are true trees, their height sometimes reaches a three-story house at a height of one and a half meters in diameter. In contrast, there are very inconspicuous species that during the drought period lose their leaves and become like a pile of gray stones. When grown in room conditions pahipodium reaches 1 m in height. Flowers are very beautiful.
Pahipodium has a unique feature to retain moisture in the stem, which helps them survive periods of drought. Another of his advantages is that he does not need a cold winter. Remember that the pachypodium is toxic and has sharp spines. Do not confuse it with milk (synonym: euphorbia). This similarity is due to the fact that both plants secrete milky juice from wounds. Juice of pahipodium is very toxic, but does not leave burns on the skin. The plant is characterized by unpretentiousness. How beautiful the pachypodium will be is dependent on the care for it and the proper selection of conditions for drought and watering. If the pahipodium is too dry, most of the leaves will fall, although the plant itself will not die. In case of excess watering, the stem will acquire an elongated ugly shape. The same picture is observed with a lack of light. In the cold period of the year, the trunk of the pahipodium may be slightly bared due to leaf fall.
Care instructions
Lighting. House plants pahipodium like direct sunlight, do not need shading. The plant can be grown in partial shade, but then it stretches and loses a decorative appearance. Pachipodium well grows on windows oriented to the south, south-west and southeast. In summer, the plant should be taken to the open air, leaving it in a warm, well-lit place. However, it is necessary to accustom it to such a procedure gradually. After winter, when bright days were not enough, you should also carefully accustom it to direct sunlight to avoid burns.
Temperature regime. Pahipodium likes high enough temperatures: in the summer about 30 ° C, in winter about 16 ° C. The sight of pachipodium Lamera in winter can successfully tolerate a decrease in temperature to 8 ° C. The plant grows well near the central heating battery and does not like drafts.
Watering. In the period from March to October, the plant pahipodium should be watered abundantly, making sure that the earth clod is always moist. Watering should be done with caution, since the plant does not tolerate the overmoistening of the substrate. This causes decay of the roots and even the stem. For irrigation it is recommended to use warm, well-kept water. By winter, watering is reduced, especially if the pahipodium refers to the species dropping the foliage. When leaffall, it is recommended to suspend watering for a couple of weeks, to resume it only with the appearance of young foliage.
Humidity. For pahipodium, the humidity level of air does not matter. It tolerates dry air well and does not require obligatory spraying.
Top dressing. To feed these indoor plants need in spring and summer, the frequency of 1 every 2 weeks. To do this, use fertilizer for cacti. Do not feed the plant in the first month after transplantation. Remember that the level of nitrogen in the mineral fertilizer should be reduced in comparison with other elements, otherwise excess nitrogen will cause rotting of the roots. Adhere to the following ratio of micro-elements: phosphorus (P) - 18, nitrogen (N) - 9, potassium (K) - 24. Do not use organic fertilizers.
Transfer. Expanded large plants enough to transplant no more than once in 2-3 years, young plants - every year. At the time of transplantation, the roots should be treated very carefully, as they are very tender and easily damaged. Use a nutrient substrate, which includes peat, sand and a small fraction of sod land. The substrate must be well permeable for water with an acidity of pH 5-7. Despite the fact that in the natural habitat the pahipodiums grow on limestones, moderately acidic substrates are used in the room conditions of cultivation, consisting of equal parts of leaf and sod land with an admixture of coarse-grained sand. Commercial mixtures use a substrate for cacti. It is recommended to add a small amount of brick crumb or charcoal to the soil, do drainage. Pachipodium well grows like a hydroponic culture.
Reproduction. Pahipodium - plants that multiply seeds, but this requires a temperature above 20C. Vegetative method (division of the stem) reproduce poorly, since parts of the stem are difficult to root. But if the lower part of the plant is rotten, try rooting the rest of the top, first dry it and sprinkle with charcoal.
Precautionary measures
If the green parts of the pachypodium are damaged, the milky juice is secreted. Attention, it is toxic, burns wounds and mucous membranes. But it does not cause irritation on the skin. Be sure to wash your hands after working with the pahipodium.
Difficulty of care
If a plant sheds foliage, then it suffers from rare watering. If the pahipodium is grown on a balcony or in a garden, then when it gets cold it should be brought in at night into the house, since it is very sensitive to temperature changes.
If in the winter the plant withers, and then discards the leaves, rotting of the roots and even the stalk is observed, which means that it suffers from excessive watering and low temperature.
If the leaves wrinkle, turn black and fall off, the stalk is rotting, then the plant stands in a draft. Be sure to move it to a warm place with good bright lighting, water only with warm water.
When the pahipodium is rearranged or rotated, the blackening and drying of young leaves may occur.
Pests: spider mite, scab.