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I don’t know what I’m doing wrong with my Money Tree. The tag that… | Foliage Plant Haven | Planta community

Nichole

I don’t know what I’m doing wrong with my Money Tree. The tag that came with it said to put 2 ice cubes per week on top of its soil. I did that for quite some time and it was doing well. When I added it to my Planta app the instructions were different. I was instructed to water it like any other plant , until water runs out the drainage hole. I have sat it closer to the window. I have moved it further away. I read that they don’t like direct light. I repotted it last week I believe. My moisture reader is saying that it is moist currently. I’m pretty sure I watered it at least a week ago so I’m now wondering if the soil is too wet. Any suggestions?

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6 comments

  1. Elin

    These plants can be a real struggle. The smaller ones, that are braided, are often grown very quickly and sold in a bad soil and barely rooted. I recommend: Remove the twine - it will damage the stem in the long run Never water any tropical plants with ice - it’s a myth and can even damage your plants Place it in a really bright spot where it will receive plenty of light. Avoid too much direct sunlight however. If it continues to droop leaves you might have gotten root rot and need to repot it

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  2. Nichole

    Thank you so much for your quick response. I’m going to move him I think. Should I put him in front of filtered sunlight/sheer curtains maybe? I’ve read these were difficult plants. Probably should have read first but I found this guy marked way down and it looked super healthy so I bought it impulsively. It did so well for several months. That’s the most frustrating part. He lost 2 leaves today but I had been thinking the branch part felt loose and the leaves attached had been kinda turning yellow and sort of wrinkling up. I will probably switch the dirt out tomorrow. Thank you!

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  3. Nichole

    I also mist it every 4ish days per Planta suggestions. Is this too much or too little?

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    • Dr. Green

      Invest in a humidifier for this guy and any humidity loving plants you might have you might have. I live in the desert so low on humidity and it seems to do the trick with browning tips. Also be sure to cut dead leaves off so the plant can send its nutrients needed else where.

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  4. Penny L

    I’ve grown a money tree from three inches to five feet, but after I had her repotted at a local garden center, they put clay (????why???) in the pot and my normal watering schedule of 5 cups per two weeks resulted in root rot. I repotted her myself, pruned her way back, put her under a grow light, and I mist her every day. We’re five weeks in and she’s only now getting new shoots. I use a moisture meter to check whether she needs water or not. Until she grows her roots back, my intuition is useless. I’d recommend repotting yours, pruning back the parts that aren’t doing well (but leave some foliage on), and putting her under a grow light. And check the moisture before watering. If the middle and the bottom of the soil are staying wet, she’s probably lost a lot of roots and needs far less water.

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  5. Nichole

    Ok. I’m reporting as we speak. Using a different pot that is not as deep. The bottom half of the soil seemed to be pretty wet. Measured moist on my meter. Adding perlite along with the cactus mix potting soil. The bottom of the plant was bound together with this black plastic stuff. Cut it off. Hope that wasn’t the wrong thing to do but I thought since someone suggested removing the top piece that was holding it together I should do the same thing on the bottom. I also removed as much of that old dirt that was packed around the root ball as it wasn’t dry-but wasn’t totally soaked either. The bottom bark part of the plant doesn’t look great. I’m hoping with some dry soil it will bounce back. Not getting my hopes up too high thou. Do I need to water this guy right after repotting or let the roots recover first?

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