Hi, I'm new to this forum and I have a few questions. So I've had my Pachira Aquatica for a couple weeks now and the soil is getting moldy and there are little mushrooms growing around the trunk. I love my little Pachira and want it to be healthy and I need some advice on what i should do to get rid of the problems. Is there any particular potting mix i need? When i re-pot it do i get rid of all of the dirt around the roots? I have no idea about what to do when it comes to repotting.
Well, you can repot it or take out the mushrooms in the existing soil. Some would even say it's ok and normal to have a layer of mold/greenish slime. It isn't really a problem unless it's ugly for you. I personally don't like the aesthetic either so I emphathize. Only repot when the soil is completely dry. Treat tree and plant roots the way you would treat your own hair (on your head). When it is wet, it is more fragile and it snaps and breaks easily. When it is wet it is harder for the soil to fall away. When it is dry the soil is easily scrunched gently in the palm of your hand and it falls away. This is useful if you are repotting and pruning roots. Prune roots only if you wish to keep a tree at its current size. If you feel up for it one day, do the above, get out all the old soil containing mushrooms and slime when it is all dry. Then repot in sterile potting soil (sold in bags) at any garden center/nursery even at large retail departments like walmart. Moisten the soil but do not drench it yet. Leave it to dry out completely again. At the next watering then drench completely. Do not overwater! Water only when pot is significantly lighter because of dry soil, and when it is dry at soil level, 2 or 3 inches deep (deeper if pot larger than 6inch). Do not overwater - it creates all sorts of things like more debilitating forms of mold, disease and rot. Water only when needed and never in sips. Always drench until it drains out from the drainage holes at the bottom. Leave be until nearly bone dry. Repeat cycle.
Thank you so much for your help! :) I haven't repotted it yet cause i'm nervous i'll hurt it. The mushrooms pretty much stopped growing, every once in a while i see a tiny one. It's big and beautiful and healthy and i want to keep it that way. but i don't know if the pot is too small or not. i'll post a pic.
Is the pot I currently have it in too small? http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k273/rocknreptiles16/IMG_0028.jpg
