We are always told that the Aquatic Pachira is resistant to pests and diseases. But the reality is that more than once you have bought one and after a few months you have to throw it away because it is dead. Do you want to know the diseases of the aquatic pachira?
Next We will tell you about the pests and diseases that usually negatively affect your plant. We’ll tell you what you’ll find and how to try to solve it to save his life. Shall we start?
Common Pests in Aquatic Pachira
We will start with pests as they are one of the aquatic Pachira diseases that affect it the most. Among them, you should be especially careful with the following:
cottony mealybug
The cottony mealybug is one of the pests that You can detect it with the naked eye and it affects many plants. In the case of the aquatic Pachira, you can find it in its leaves. Especially on the reverse. You will see as if I had slightly domed white spots.
When more advanced, scale insects will also appear on the trunk part and even on the leaves on both sides.
What if this happens to you? If your Pachira aquatica is found to have a cottony mealybug, the first thing to do is not to panic. You have to get rid of it and the best thing is that Take a cotton ball and soak it in alcohol. With this, clean each of the leaves and the trunk of the plant. This way you will remove all the plague.
That doesn’t mean you’re done with her. In fact, the best, after cleaning it, is to use some chemical against scale insects in case of leftovers.
As a tip, we also advise you to separate it a little from other plants for two reasons: in case the pest infestation comes from another plant; or in case it is still active in your Aquatic Pachira and affecting other plants you have.
Mites
Another of the pests that your aquatic Pachira can present is that of mites. These are small insects that roam your plant and may or may not be visible. But sooner or later you will see them because they tend to reduce the health of the plant and when you approach to observe it you can see them walking through.
What to do? Again you have to wash the whole plant with a cotton swab soaked in alcohol or potassium soap. Other options are neem oil or natural pyrethrins. Unlike other pests, this does not completely eliminate the mites, instead you must apply a targeted insecticide to the pest and repeat the cleaning process every 5 days to ensure it is truly gone.
aphids
With aphids, you won’t have a problem seeing them either, as they can be seen with the naked eye. You will see them as small insects that cross the plant, the leaves, the trunk… They are not particularly harmful, but they should not be left there either. The best treatment you can do is therefore to apply a insecticide targeted at this pest.
red spider
We arrived at the red spider. And the truth is, of all the plague diseases the Aquatic Pachira can get, this is the most damaging he will have. Really, when you realize it has a red spider mite, it will be when you see the leaves turning yellow and even yellow and brown spots appearing on them. If this happens and there is no reason for it to happen, most likely you have this arachnid in your home. And even if you don’t see it, or if you see cobwebs, it will be there.
What if this happens? The first thing to do is wash the plant, that is, take a cotton with alcohol and wash all the leaves, one by one, as well as branches, trunk, etc. Another option is to use soap, as the spider mite does not tolerate it.
The next is increase misting. That is, try to have a humidity of at least 60% because in this state the red spider mite does not affect it. If you can’t, try spraying it often.
Pachira aquatica: diseases, symptoms and treatments
Now that we have seen the main pests of an aquatic Pachira, diseases are the next thing to worry about. And it is that, yes, it is resistant, but not immortal. And sometimes he can suffer from illnesses which, if not well treated, would affect his resistance and with him he would be closer to death.
Since we don’t want this to happen to you, we leave you here some with their symptoms and the treatment you can give to avoid the problem.
Fungi due to excessive ambient humidity
Before telling you that the Aquatic Pachira likes to be in environments with 60% humidity, this is one of the things they tell you in the care of the Pachira. And that’s how. But when it’s excessive, it’s not good, quite the contrary. The plant begins to suffer as fungus appears. And the problem with these is that they act on the roots and the trunk in such a way that, until it is not very serious, the plant does not present problems.
For this reason, we advise you that the first year you get used to your climate, to the seasons… Normally, if it passes the first year you have it well, we can say that it has adapted to the conditions that you give it to him. In other words, it’s okay to consider their needs, but this particular plant can be adapted to others with care.
If you suffer from fungus due to excessive humidity, try move it to another place with more light and less humidity. This way you give them the tools to fight these fungi.
poorly drained substrate
Every plant needs a nutrient-rich substrate. But if it becomes clumping, the problem you have is that the plant cannot get nutrients or water when watering. Therefore, it can provoke the appearance of fungus. These are responsible for blocking the sap channels and begin to rot the lower stem.
To avoid this, make sure the soil you use is well mixed with perlite or some drainage. It is preferable that it is gradually very oxygenated.
excess water
Within diseases, spending too much water in the Aquatic Pachira is the worst thing you can do. The plant prefers drought to constant watering. And it shows because the leaves fold in on themselves, turn brown and fall off. In other words, it is as if it had dried up.
And when we see that it does that, we water more. With what in the end we killed her.
If you notice that the soil is too wet and the plant has started to rot (trunks whose bark is falling off, they are soft…) then it tells you that the roots are rotting and that the plant is dying.
What to do? The first, change it from pot to soil. As soon as possible. Then, move it to a very bright area (which doesn’t mean direct sun). And you can’t do more. It already depends on when you detected it whether it will survive or not.
Knowing the Pachira Aquatica and its diseases in depth is a good thing because then you can avoid and thwart them in case they affect you. But remember sometimes you can’t save yourself, you can try. Have you ever faced an illness in your Pachira?