Propagate a lucky chestnut, also known as Pachira aquatica, is not particularly difficult. Offshoots can be grown from cuttings. Of course, you can also buy seeds and sow new plants. This is how the propagation of the lucky chestnut works.
How to propagate a lucky chestnut?
Lucky chestnuts (Pachira aquatica) can be propagated by cuttings or sowing. Cut cuttings in spring, place in water or substrate with rooting powder. Alternatively, sow seeds in sand and potting soil and let them grow at 23 degrees.
Propagation via cuttings
All you need to propagate a lucky chestnut are:
- a Pachira aquatica
- a sharp knife
- a glass of lime-free tap water
- alternative rooting powder
- a pot with substrate
The best time to take cuttings is early spring. The temperatures should be quite high at 20 degrees.
Simply place the cuttings in a glass of lukewarm, lime-free water and wait until roots have formed. You can also put the cuttings straight into pots with substrate. Then you should first coat the cut ends with rooting powder (€8.00 on Amazon).
Continue caring for cuttings
As soon as sufficient roots have formed, you can transplant the cuttings into individual pots. Make sure that the soil is nice and loose and water-permeable. Cactus soil or potting soil mixed with sand or gravel are sufficient.
Insert the cuttings carefully so that the delicate roots do not break.
Water the plants and pour off any excess water immediately. You are not allowed to fertilize the new lucky chestnuts in the first year. Place the pots in a bright location. However, avoid direct sunlight for the first time.
Sowing lucky chestnuts
You can only get seeds for lucky chestnuts from well-stocked garden shops. Before sowing, let the seeds soak in lukewarm water for several hours.
Sow the seeds in prepared pots. A mixture of sand and potting soil is suitable as a substrate. Place a layer of soil about one centimeter thick over the seeds.
Place the pots as warm as possible at around 23 degrees. Keep the soil moderately moist and definitely avoid waterlogging. The location for the offshoots must be as bright as possible but not too sunny.
Tip
If the trunks of lucky chestnuts have become soft, this is usually due to the substrate being too moist. The plant can then no longer be saved. But you can still cut green shoots as cuttings and grow new offshoots.