El guinea chestnut It is one of the most ornamental trees that we can find in nurseries. It is usually considered as an indoor plant, since being tropical it does not support frost, and it does not even tolerate a little cold.
But its cultivation within homes often turns out to be very complicated. Lack of light, always having it in the same pot, or overwatering are just some of the mistakes that are commonly made. To avoid it, I will tell you how you should take care of it.
Location - Light, but never direct
The Guinea chestnut, whose scientific name is Pachira aquaticaIt is an evergreen tree that can easily exceed 7 meters in height if the weather is good and if it is planted on the ground. Potted it won't grow that much, but for it to be healthy it is very important that we put it in a room where a lot of natural light enters, better if it is an interior patio, and away from both cold and warm drafts.
Irrigation - Not too much, not too little
Irrigation is essential, but it is also essential to do it well; that is, water the soil (not the leaves) and only when necessary. How do you know when to water? Well, very simple. For this we can do any of these things:
Insert a thin wooden stick to the bottom. If it comes out with a lot of adhering soil when it is extracted, we will not water.
Weigh the pot once watered and again after a few days. As wet soil weighs more than dry soil, we can be guided by this difference in weight to know when it is time to water.
With regard to spraying, I do not recommend doing it except in summer and if the plant is healthy.. If it is any other season of the year and / or if she is sick, spraying alone would harm her. However, it is preferable to increase the humidity around you by placing glasses with water around you or a humidifier, thus preventing fungus.
Subscriber - Throughout the warm season
The Guinea chestnut tree needs "food" to be well. If we take this into account, We will pay it from the beginning of spring to the end of summer with guano liquid following the indications specified on the product packaging. So it will be beautiful no, the following 😉.
Transplant - Every two to three years
When we acquire a plant we usually fall into the error of thinking that it can always be in the same pot, but this is not the case. The substrate has nutrients, but these are depleted as the roots absorb them. If we intend to enjoy our tree for many years, we must change pot every 2-3 years, in spring. We will choose a container with holes so that the roots do not rot.
