Money tree is called an ovoid fatty and some other representatives of its genus, since it is believed that their presence in an apartment or office helps to increase material well-being. This plant is unpretentious, which makes it even more popular. Consider what a money tree is, how to properly plant and care for it.
Money Tree Brief Description
This is a tree-like succulent from the family Crassulaceae, belonging to the family of the same name. Over time, its stem at the bottom becomes stiff, and the plant takes on a shape similar to a small tree. It is covered with oval thick glossy green leaves, which sometimes have a red border. It blooms in the cold season (autumn-winter) with small stellate flowers. Under natural conditions, grows in the south of the African continent.
Planting dates
Roots of the money tree can be rooted year-round, but the best time to plant cuttings is spring-summer. In autumn and winter, they do not start roots so soon - they have to wait several weeks. It is best to take the processes of the crassula after spring pruning.
Important! The process for propagating the money tree should be taken only from healthy mother plants.
Preparation for landing
Before planting a shoot of a money tree, you should stock up on everything you need for this. For a young handle, you should choose a small container made of ceramic with drainage holes. The optimal dimensions for the initial capacity will be a depth of 10 cm and a width of 20 cm. In it, a young fat woman can grow quietly for two years. If you take a larger pot, the plant will throw all its strength into the development of the soil roots to the detriment of the terrestrial part, and will not grow well. You can buy a regular plastic cup and make a drainage hole in it. In it, the appendix can live a whole year before transplanting into a ceramic pot.It is most convenient to use purchased ready-made soil for succulents and cacti as a substrate for rooting cuttings, and if you did not find it, mix universal soil with sand 1: 4. You can make a suitable soil mixture of equal parts of sand, humus, turf and leafy soil. It is good to add crushed coal to such mixtures. It is recommended to pour home-made soil with potassium permanganate or steamed for disinfection. It should also be stocked with drainage (expanded clay, broken brick, pebbles).
Did you know? Following the signs to attract finance to the house, coins are sometimes added to the drainage, and some weigh the tree itself with them. And such processes should be planted on the growing moon.
How to plant a money tree from a shoot
When everything necessary for planting the shoots is prepared, you can directly proceed to the process itself. Before planting, the cuttings should be dried for 1-2 days. The processes without roots are equally well rooted in both water and soil. For rooting in water, a stimulant (“Epin”) or crushed coal is added to it. The process is fixed so as not to sink, and placed in a place where there is no direct sunlight. Many flower growers believe that it is most convenient to plant the shoot immediately in a pot.
To do this, do the following:
- Put drainage in the tank.
- Fill the planting pot with ½ of its total volume.
- Make a recess in the center with a pencil and insert the process into it.
- Gently fill the rest of the earth without ramming it. A distance of 1-2 cm should remain to the end of the pot.
- Carefully moisten the soil gently so that water does not get on the shoot.
- At first, the process to maintain a moist microclimate can be covered with a glass or a glass jar, and aired 2 times a day.
Video: planting a money tree from a shoot
Features of further care
Fat women, like all succulents, are thermophilic, love good diffused lighting and scanty or moderate humidity.
Location
Money tree loves warm rooms with good lighting, but without direct sunlight. A pot with this houseplant is best placed on the southeast side or placed near the window, but not on the windowsill. The south or southwest side is also well suited for a fat woman. If the pot with the money tree is located on the window, then in the hot period it is better to shade the glass so that the leaves do not get sunburn. The air temperature in the selected place should be at the level of + 18 ... + 25 ° С. In order for the money tree to form uniformly, it should be turned in different directions to the sun.
Did you know? According to the rules of Feng Shui, to attract financial well-being to the house, the money tree should be placed in the southeast sector of the house.
Watering and feeding
Money tree is a succulent, therefore it is poorly tolerated by waterlogging. Watering is carried out approximately 3-4 days after the top layer of soil dries well. To avoid stagnation of water, for planting take pots with holes for draining. When organizing a dormant period for a plant, irrigation intensity is reduced, and then completely stopped in cold time.Watering the fat woman should be protected with warm water. Overflows should not be allowed - this can lead to the appearance of fungal diseases. It is necessary to feed in the active period 1 time in 30 days. Special liquid fertilizers for cacti and succulents are well suited. In the resting period, feeding is stopped.
Crown formation
To form a beautiful crown near the money tree, you need to do timely pruning. For this process, use a garden pruner or a sharp knife. Extra branches for shaping are removed on the sides and top, giving a spherical shape to the crown. During the procedure, make sure that the sections are 1-2 cm higher than the sleeping kidney. This will contribute to a more active plant growth.
Did you know? If you have been presented with a sick money tree, and you have reanimated it, then this is considered a good omen, and you will receive profit.
Young specimens of the fat woman do not require trimming. It is enough to pinch off the apex to stimulate the appearance of lateral shoots and stop the growth in height. To do this, at the top find a small kidney, from which leaves grow (growth point). They gently pinch it off, trying not to damage the neighboring leaves. For convenience, you can use manicure scissors.
Wintering period
In winter, for the fat woman, a rest period begins. It is desirable for her to ensure the temperature regime within + 8 ... + 15 degrees. Watering in this case is reduced to 1 time in 30 days, and feeding is stopped altogether. Arranging a resting period is not necessary at all. If the plant remains warm in cold weather, it is important for it to provide good lighting, so the use of artificial light will not be superfluous. In this case, it is not worthwhile to reduce watering and exclude top dressing.
Diseases and pests of a houseplant
Despite the fact that the money tree is quite resistant to many diseases, inappropriate care of it can provoke the appearance of some diseases and pests. Usually, many troubles in this plant are due to improper watering and lighting. Waterlogging of the soil against the background of low temperatures is especially dangerous.
Important! The appearance of spots on the leaves can indicate both a bacterial disease and a fungal one. It is best to use systemic drugs with these symptoms that work well against both groups of pathogens, such as Fitosporin-M. Processing is carried out 2-3 times in 7-10 days. Be sure to also review the conditions of detention of the fat woman and bring them closer to optimal.
Then the plant is easily affected by the following diseases:
- Rot. If the rot hit the stem, then the plant cannot be saved, but you can try to root the cuttings from the intact parts of the plant. If the roots are affected, then the fat girl can be saved by cutting off the diseased roots and washing the remaining potassium permanganate. Then the plant must be dried and powdered with crushed coal. After that, it is transplanted into a disinfected soil and container.
- Powdery Mildew When a characteristic white coating and wilting appear, the affected parts of the plant are removed, the topsoil is changed and sprayed with fungicides (“Topaz”) or garlic infusion.
- Sooty fungus. Appears due to excess moisture and pest activity. The diseased parts are removed, and the healthy ones are first washed with a soapy solution, and then sprayed with Aktara.
- Bacterial diseases. Red spots appear on the leaves. It is best to treat the plant after removing the diseased parts with the Fitosporin-M complex preparation two times with an interval of 10 days.
Crassula may also be susceptible to the following pests:
- Scaffolds. Pests are detected by yellow-brown blotches on the leaves. When they are found, the foliage is cleaned with soapy water and treated with chemical preparations (Fitoverm, Fufanon).
- Spider mite. When it appears on the leaves, light yellow blotches appear, a spider web appears. The foliage and stem are also cleaned and sprayed with chemicals (Aktara, Aktellik).
- Mealybug. It is detected in the form of a white cotton-like plaque in the sinuses of the leaves. Plaque is removed with a sponge dipped in soapy water and insecticides are used (Aktara, Aktofit).
A plant can become ill without the presence of pests or pathogens:
- Withering and falling of leaves. Occurs due to improper watering. Excessive watering causes the leaves to fall and causes the stem to rot. Another factor in leaf fall is lack of moisture in hot weather. Drying of the soil leads to drying out and falling of the leaves, as well as to the appearance of brown spots on them. Irrigation with cold water from the tap without settling can also cause leaves to fall, therefore, use irrigation water at room temperature.
- Redness of the foliage and its further decline. It occurs due to direct sunlight falling on them. The plant should be shaded during solar activity.
- Stretching the stem. The lack of lighting causes the stems to stretch. In this case, the lighting needs to be strengthened, and the plant should be watered less.
Money tree is easily rooted by processes. The main thing is to create all optimal conditions for the development and growth of the cuttings.