Question
Hello Will,

Hope everything is well!

In an email you sent to Stan on 12/27/2005, you mentioned that an oversized pot can be bad for a Pachira.  I got a Pachira about a year ago.  It has been doing pretty well and the size of the plant almost doubled.  About two months ago, I decided to re-pot my Pachira into a bigger pot to provide more space for its rapid growth.  In the past two weeks I noticed some leaves are turning to yellow, and a lot of the leaves have brownish tips.  I am wondering if my new pot is too big for the plant.  If so, what can I do at this point?   Any other general guidances are appreciated as well.

Here are some measurements:  right now the tree is 2ft. 6in. tall (above surface).  The old pot was 5.5in. in diameter and 4in. in height.  The new pot is 9in. in diameter and 8in. in height.  So the new pot is roughly twice as large as the old pot.  

If you want, I can send you a picture of the tree to help you to diagnosis the problem.

Thank you,

Sam


Answer
Hi Sam,

Although there are other possible causes for the symptoms you described, the chances are quite good that the roots are staying moist for too long because of all the extra soil.

Although the lateral dimensions of the new pot may be twice as large, the volume of soil in the new pot is about 5 times greater. That is an enormous change.

Plants do not need larger pots to grow larger. In fact there maximum growth occurs when they are quite potbound.

It is hard to advise you at this point. If you had repotted more recently, I would definitely advise you to undo the repotting. Now however, it may be that substantial root rot has already occurred and there is little that can be done. In addition, the shock of repotting an ailing plants can sometimes put it over the edge.

If you decide to downsize, then remove the excess soil you added around the original rootball. Inspect the roots and look for healthy rots that are firm and white, not soft and dark. Do not replace all of the soil, but leave just enough soil to cover the healthy roots and put it into the smallest pot that it will fit into.

Sometimes a photo allows me to pick up something that has not been described in text. So feel free to send me a photo at my address below. Also let me know how much light it receives and what your watering regimen is.

Please let me know if any of this is unclear or if you have any additional questions.
   
Regards,
Will Creed, Interior Landscaper
Horticultural Help, NYC

You can E-mail me directly at: [email protected]

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