Check out the dormancy table thread. The answer you want will probably be listed there.
Mike

Joe,

They're winter-growers. When I grew them in San Diego, I'd stop watering in April and begin again in September. Then the winter rains (the same as their habitat in Baja) would take over.

I saw on the table above that it said winter grower but I have 3 smaller ones and they are all dormant now so
I was confused. I'll have to wait and see what happens this spring. joe

Well, Pachycormus discolor is flowering in July/August and seeds are ripe in October so it's also summer active. Though it is leafing out again only after seeds are ripe.

Jordi

This is just my experience (disclaimer!)...I grow mine indoors at this time of year - judging by your zone, you do too. I find mine to be pretty opportunistic. If they are experiencing cooler temps (60 - 70s day, 50s at night) I water pretty regularly, and mine will stay in leaf. If it is hotter and during the summer (outdoors or in greenhouse), I keep them dry - unless they start budding, then I will water them.

Right now, in my sunroom under HID lights, with temps from 65-72 day, 50 at night - and with me watering them as soon as I notice they are dry, they look like this:

Tom

Agreed with tom, it's opportunistic and will continue in leaf as long as it's watered.

cactusjordi, you are the expert here ... would you recommend a dry period during summer?

Thx,
-R

Hmmm, mine dropped its leaves last summer even though I continued to water. It didn't leaf out again until fall. Next summer I am going to water very infrequently as I've heard that this mimics its natural climate, and produces the fat trunk that these trees are known for.

Though they have their dry period in habitat in summer I would think one should water them occasionally as long as they don't shed their leaves in collections further up north just to take advantage of the summer conditions.

Jordi

Jordi,

When my plant (a field-collected one) shed its leaves in April, I stopped watering. Funny enough, when the person who gave me the plant got it back from me, he said the same as you did.

And I really should have recognized it sooner - these Pachycormus are in the cashew family! My first 2011 succulent lesson.

While opportunistic the growth during spring/summer will be more in the branches and foliage rather than thickness of the trunk creating a more upright tree. During periods of drought the stem increases girth by conserving its energy without putting out any topgrowth. High summer temps and water will cause root/stem rot.

My plants receive water from Nov through March and no moisture at all the rest of the year unless we get some freak rains. I can see the changes in girth every year. Growing medium and container size also plays a role, I currently use a 90% grit mixed with old potting soil in shallow pots. This restricts topgrowth when water is available recreating habitat conditions and fat plants.

thanks for sharing this info caudex. i appreciate it.
pachy plants are new to me so i'm learning as i go. i only have 3 of them in my collection so far but they are all doing good in their first year under my care.

This the most recent acquisition, the pot is 12in wide. Not a leaf was damaged by a 28f evening a few days ago

Sweet, C! Where did you find that one?

Tom

Keith, be assured somebody dug that up in habitat (most likely at Miller's Landing, BCS)

Here is a link that might be useful:

Got it from a guy who had to liquidate his collection. He auctioned off 150 of his nicest specimens. I brought home ten plants and the discolor was one of them.

"150 of his nicest specimens" probably most of them field collected = poached!

Jordi

Your right Jordi, Out of the 150 149 were field collected. I got the only plant that was seed raised in captivity.

CJ,

That place isn't named in honour of our beloved President, is it?

That's a great plant which should stay just where it is, unless a highway's coming through it.

Keith,

You beat the odds. When you stage it like that, do you expect its trunk to increase in girth more so than branch development?

These have been grown with no supplemental water or food, only rain.

5yrs from seed, 3in pot

15yrs from seed, 6in pot

awsome pachycormus im going to show these pics to my seedlings to inspire them

caudex how early did you start that watering ragime on your seedlings was it from the getgo or did you let them grow for a year or 2 before then limiting there water?

C -

Love the 15 year old in the 6 in pot! Do you prune all the branches back hard on a regular basis to get that kind of tight canopy?

Tom

T,
Yes I do prune but the lack of moisture a majority of the time dessicates new growth causing tip die back and increased branching

Hello Tom T, and the rest of the forum members-

Have been lurking, and very busy with Life over the last few years. But now, back to growing fat plants.

Bought me some Pachy discolor seed (always the optimist ) from Mesa Garden. I'll sow them in a gritty mix and grow these seedlings (if, the seeds sprout) throughout the winter months in a plastic storage container, community-pot style, exposed to bright sun, until warmer weather next spring. Then, the seedlings will go outside into full sun, planted into individual pots.

I plan to grow these plants like I grow Cyphostemma juttae, Operculicarya pachypus, Bursera fagaroides, and Fockea edulis, i.e. smallish pots, gritty mix, little water/fertilizers, (water is mostly from rain)....almost no water/misting, during dormancy periods (just enough moisture to prevent root dehydration). These plants begin to go dormant around mid/late October (Zone- 7/New York City).

All these plants are grown hard, in a full sun exposure. Plants seem to be doing well, and the trunks are fattening up from year to year. The Operc. and Bursera are fast growers. I have read that the Pachycormus growth is very slow when grown under the same cultural conditions.

Should I grow the seedlings with more moisture, and fertilize more often, just to force a more upright growth pattern ...then grow harder after plants attain the desired height/size, and, to also fatten up the trunks? When, (at what development stage), should I start thinking about pruning back branches, and nipping back new growth?

The Pachys in the posted photos, look like they have been pruned back, and are sprouting new growth from the dormant buds. Honestly, they look like they are just barely surviving, and hanging on for dear life. Is this the kind of "hard" culture that's needed to produce a fatter/shorter trunk?

Never grew a Pachy d. from seeds...so any cultural suggestions would be very helpful, and very appreciated. Growing fat-plants in New York City ain't easy.

Frank