How to care for a money tree

The money tree is one of the most common green plants in life. Its real name is Guanggua Li, also known as Malabar chestnut. But the name was obviously unattractive, so the product name “Money Tree” was chosen to promote prosperity and wealth.
The shapes of money trees vary. Common ones on the market include single-pole money trees, three-pole money trees, braided money trees, backgammon money trees, etc. The tree has a dignified posture, thick stems, and bright green leaves, giving people a neat and straight feeling.

Some people also think that these money trees look like they have a rich temperament, which is too vulgar! Therefore, in recent years, the natural and flexible native money tree has successfully emerged from the circle! The branches are slender and the posture is graceful, which inadvertently reveals the meaning of “sparse shadows and slanting shadows”. It is elegant and elegant, and the style is more elegant.

Picture: Rocket green plants

Which one do you prefer? What? Afraid of not being able to raise well? Then this hardcore maintenance guide will come in handy! Comprehensive and detailed, you can learn it!

01. Pot soil selection

First of all, let’s emphasize the characteristics of the root system of the money tree. The root system of most potted money trees is not developed, with only a small amount of capillary roots. The absorption capacity is poor and the roots are afraid of water. Therefore, the requirements for potting soil and watering are relatively high.

flowerpot:

It is advisable to choose a small and shallow pot, just one circle larger than the root, with better air permeability, such as a pottery pot, a tile pot, a plastic pot with multiple ventilation holes, etc. If you are looking for something beautiful, you can put a flower pot outside.

soil:

It is required to be loose and fertile, with good drainage, rich in humus, and slightly acidic, such as: leaf humus soil + garden soil + river sand/perlite.

Repot:

Money trees are usually repotted every 2 years, preferably in spring. Do not water the pot within three days before changing the pot. Let the pot soil dry to facilitate removal of the pot.

02. Watering method

As mentioned earlier, the root system of the money tree is short and weak and cannot tolerate water and moisture. Most of the money trees that unfortunately died prematurely died from waterlogging and rotten roots.
Learning to water correctly is the first key to maintaining a money tree.
In fact, it’s not difficult, just remember “don’t water it if it’s dry, water it thoroughly” and “it’s better to be dry than wet”. Generally speaking, it means that the area 2-3 cm below the surface of the pot soil is dry and the leaves are slightly soft and drooping before watering again. If the soil in the pot has not been watered for a long time and is too dry, it is necessary to fully replenish water by soaking the pot and drain out the excess water. Especially the water in the tray must be poured out in time.
If the environment is relatively dry, you need to spray water mist on and around the leaves frequently to increase the air humidity and make the leaves more green and shiny. Pay attention to avoid direct sunlight after spraying water, and strengthen ventilation.
In winter, the money tree’s demand for water decreases, so watering needs to be strictly controlled and the pot soil kept dry.

03. Temperature requirements

Money tree likes warmth, and the suitable growth temperature is 18-30℃. Leaves tend to turn yellow and fall off when the temperature is below 8℃, and may freeze to death when the temperature is below 5℃, so pay attention to cold protection and warmth throughout the winter. Money trees grown in the open should be moved indoors in time when the temperature drops, and the room temperature should be kept at around 15℃. The minimum cannot be lower than 5℃. During the high temperature period in summer, it is also necessary to reduce the ambient temperature through shading and water spraying.

04. Lighting requirements

Don’t think that the money tree is a shade-loving plant if it is often kept indoors. If it is kept in the shade for a long time, it will grow with thin branches and leaves, dull leaves, loose plant shape, and a plummeting appearance. If you want your money tree to grow well and look good, sufficient soft light is necessary. It is recommended to use full sunlight as much as possible when the sunshine is soft in spring, autumn and winter. Even if it is maintained indoors in winter, it needs to be placed in a brightly lit place.
When you move out to bask in the sun in spring, you should pay attention to step by step, first bask in the sun for 2 hours a day, and then gradually increase the duration of the sun until full sun.

05. Fertilization management

When fertilizing the money tree, pay attention to two periods: first, when repotting, mix an appropriate amount of decomposed organic fertilizer into the soil as base fertilizer; second, during the vigorous growth period, it is recommended to topdress with thin liquid fertilizer every half month. Note that water evaporates quickly in summer, so fertilization should be at a lower concentration and more frequently, and avoid periods of high temperature. Stop fertilizing in winter to prevent fertilizer damage.

06. Pruning skills

There are two aspects to pruning a money tree:
First, topping promotes the germination of more branches and can also enlarge the base of the stem, making the plant shape more beautiful;
The second is to prune dead leaves, diseased branches, weak branches, overly dense branches and leaves, and leggy branches and leaves of the plant to reduce unnecessary nutrient consumption and increase the permeability of the plant.

07. Root rot treatment

Root rot is the most common problem encountered in maintaining money trees. The cause is too much watering and the pot soil is too wet for a long time.

How to tell if a plant has root rot? Look for the following symptoms:

First, the leaves continue to turn yellow and fall off in a short period of time, and there are signs of continuous spread;
The second is whether the base of the stem is soft and accompanied by bark falling off.
If there is only slight yellowing of the leaves, you can stop watering immediately, loosen the soil, and increase ventilation.

If the symptoms are severe, the soil needs to be replaced and replanted.

1. Remove the pot and check the root system, remove the root soil, cut off the rotten roots one by one, and cut off all the yellowing branches and leaves;
2. Place the roots in diluted potassium permanganate solution and soak for 30 minutes to sterilize and disinfect; if it is only slightly rotten, you can also apply carbendazim solution directly to the wound and find a cool and ventilated place to dry the wound;
3. Prepare loose and breathable soil and replant the treated plants;
4. If the entire root is completely rotten, cut off the root directly, keep the healthy stem, trim the excess branches and leaves, sterilize and disinfect the root, use vermiculite or river sand to cultivate the roots, and then transplant.

08. Frequently Asked Questions

Frostbite from cold:

If the temperature is too low in winter, the plants will be susceptible to freezing and the leaves will turn yellow and fall off;

Insufficient fertilizer:

The new branches are thin and weak, the new leaves are longer and smaller, and the leaves are yellow;

Iron deficiency in soil:

If the new leaves become thinner and turn yellow, but the veins are still green, pay attention to whether there is iron deficiency. You can pour a thin ferrous sulfate solution twice.

Stem rot:

Serious fungal diseases may occur on any part of the stem and are prone to occur in humid and unventilated environments. When raising money trees, it is important to prevent fungal damage. You can regularly spray fungicides such as carbendazim, chlorothalonil, thiophanate-methyl, etc., and you can also add a little bit of oxalate when watering. After stem rot occurs, cut the diseased parts as much as you can, sterilize them and dry them, then replace them with soil and plant them again.

Leaf spot disease:

It is also a fungal disease. In the early stage of the disease, yellow-brown spots appear on the leaves. If not treated in time, the spots will continue to spread. The prevention method is ventilation and light transmission, and the treatment measure is to cut off the diseased leaves, and then spray the entire plant leaves with carbendazim solution, once every half a month, and spray 2-3 times continuously.

Pest Control:

Common insect pests of money trees are scale insects, red spider mites, etc. If scale insects are found, spray 75% alcohol solution, and in severe cases, use scale-repelling drugs. For red spider mites, first rinse with water, and then spray with drugs such as pyridaben, Jinmanzhi, Ekamite, etc.