So I have a braided money tree that’s big - like over a metre tall - and 3 out of its 5 trunks are dead… rotted (soft and squishy). I’m REALLY scared to remove them because this tree is bigger than any other plant I’ve worked with before. So my question to you: any tips???
Is there a reason against just leaving them? I would be more concerned that the couple healthy ones will meet the same fate. Thus, I’d consider taking it out of the pot and cutting the end off the rotted stems and only leaving roots attached to the healthy stems then possibly repotting in a size (or two) smaller since the root ball is that of 2 stems and not 5 like it once was, to help prevent root rot on remaining stems.
4 likesThanks! The reason against leaving them… would be the root rot spreading (right?) - so you’re suggesting leaving the trunks but removing everything below the soil from the rotted plants? (Can root rot spread from just the trunks if I leave them behind?)
1 like If the current pot it is in, is the same pot the 3 stems rotted in, then your last two stems are prob suffocating and slowly going to meet the same fate. The root rot won’t spread like a fungus or a disease, but the reason those roots rotted will be the same reason the other roots rot unless some things change. Either it needs to be in a MUCH smaller pot or it needs to be watered less frequently and/or with less water. The roots rotted because they were not able to drink/soak up the amount of water that was given to them before more water was added, so they essentially suffocated. So I’d cut the roots off the dead stems so they are just support sticks (left behind for aesthetic purposes). But now you’ll have 2/5 of the roots trying to suck up the same amount of water it was being given previously. And what it was given previously was enough to suffocate and cause root rot in 3 out of 5 stems. So it’s going to need either a smaller pot with less water, a smaller pot with less frequent waterings, or the same pot with like 1/4 of the water it was being given previously, and that’s just a guess given I don’t know how much water it was being given before. A moisture meter is a great investment, alternatively a chopstick can work great too.
1 likeThanks for the tips! I’ve been using a moisture meter but recently stood the pot up on some little pots I had to give it space between the drainage plate and the saucer… but those three trunks were leafless and already not the firmest when I got the plant, so I’m wondering if it had already started. I’m going to repot and be extra careful with my watering now! :)
0 likes