Features of growing and caring for a money tree
If you have a fat woman in your house, then for its successful maintenance the following conditions must be met:
- The plant should be kept in good light, but without direct sunlight.
- For uniform formation of the crown, the plant must be periodically turned in different directions towards the light source.
- The optimal temperature during the growing season is +20...+25°C, and during the dormant period - +10...+14°C. If it is not possible to create winter dormancy, then you need to move the plant away from heating devices and water less often.
- Watering should be moderate, it depends on various factors - temperature, lighting, growing season. Overwatering is dangerous for fat plants, and limp leaves will indicate a lack of moisture.
- Stagnation of water is unacceptable - neither on the ground nor in the pan.
- It is necessary to feed fertilizer for succulets in the warm period 2 times a month, and in the dormant period - once a month (or stop).
- Crassulas love fresh air, but drafts and temperature changes should be avoided.
- The plant's pot should be shallow and wide, with a diameter approximately equal to the diameter of the crown. Be sure to have drainage holes and drainage.
Soil requirements
Light, loose soils that have good permeability to water and air are optimal for the money tree. The presence of a large amount of organic matter is not welcome, since the money tree, like all succulents, grows rather slowly.
The organic component contains nitrogen, which provokes too rapid growth, which negatively affects the appearance of the fat plant. This indoor plant will need mineral supplements, and not too nutritious soil.
The money tree does not like acidic soils. The optimal soil acidity for fatworts should be in the range of 5.5–6.5 pH.
Too acidic soil is alkalized with chalk and ash; you can simply water it well and spread it out in the fresh air. Periodically, such soil should be moistened, and after a month its acidity will be within normal limits.
It will also be useful for you to learn what and how to properly water a money tree and how to replant a money tree correctly.
Three whales"
You just need to comply with the conditions that we will talk about now, and your fat woman will delight you with her beautiful appearance for many years:
- light, loose structure;
- good aeration;
- excellent drainage.
There's nothing complicated. The soil for the “money tree” simply needs to be porous and light. The availability of nutrients is not so important that we need to focus on it. Separately, we will talk about the PH level. With severe acidification, the fat plant will have a bad time, but the life activity of the plant itself leads to its gradual alkalization.
The “money tree” blooms readily, but only if there is a sufficient amount of mineral fertilizers. At the same time, an excess of organic matter is not at all desirable for it. It is not recommended to add humus to the soil. Succulents grow rather slowly, and excess nitrogen, on the contrary, stimulates rapid cell division. As a result, the outer skin cracks and the plant becomes covered with scars.
What should the soil composition be?
The following basic composition meets all of the above requirements:
- turf soil - 4 parts;
- leaf soil - 4 parts;
- coarse sand or fine pebbles - 20%.
It is recommended to add a little wood ash to this mixture to enrich its mineral composition. Sand or pebbles can be replaced with crushed bricks.
It is also possible to add a small amount (1 part) of humus.
It is not advisable to include moisture-retentive components such as moss, peat or charcoal in the soil for the money tree.
Did you know? There are many folk signs and superstitions associated with the money tree. So, if this indoor plant pleases everyone with its growth and beautiful aesthetic appearance, then there is financial well-being in the house. When it withers, gets sick and dies
—
this speaks of loss of wealth, need.
Selection of ready-made soil
The easiest way is to buy ready-made soil for planting a money tree at a garden store. However, in order not to make a mistake in your choice, you should carefully study the composition on the packaging and its acidity.
As a rule, for the fat plant, soil for succulents is purchased. It is loose, light and quite rich in nutrients that this indoor flower needs. The soil is also quite suitable for palm trees or cacti. You can also opt for a universal soil, but without containing such a component as peat.
This element significantly increases acidity, which is unacceptable for this plant.
All purchased mixtures are always disinfected, but if an unpleasant mushroom smell emanates from the soil, then it must be disinfected. To do this, it is steamed at 80°C for an hour or calcined in the oven.
Choosing a container for planting
The pot for the succulent is chosen taking into account the width of the root system of the money tree. It should not be very deep, but wide. The roots grow closer to the soil surface. As soon as they fill the entire container and completely entwine the lump of earth in the pot, it is necessary to replant the Crassula. The container is selected so that there is a distance of up to two centimeters from the roots to the walls of the vessel.
Select a pot for a succulent carefully, taking into account the age and structure of the root system.
The material from which the pot is made is also important for the normal development of the plant. It is preferable to purchase a clay container. In such a vessel, the roots of the tree can breathe easier; the water in them does not stagnate. And the roots are not in danger of rotting. There must be holes for draining excess liquid from the soil in the pot.
How to make soil for a money tree with your own hands?
You can make the soil for planting or replanting Crassula yourself, because its main components (turf, leaf soil and sand) are available ingredients.
Turf is best prepared by collecting the top fertile layer from pastures or meadows. To do this, use a spatula to collect the top of the soil layer up to 10 cm, permeated with dead and living roots and shoots.
Important! When choosing soil for a succulent, do not forget to purchase material for drainage - pebbles, broken brick, expanded clay or crushed stone.
Leaf soil is collected under trees: as the name suggests, it will consist of rotted leaves. You should not collect soil under coniferous trees and poplars, as they acidify the soil. You should also avoid oaks and ash trees - the soil under them is too saturated with tannins.
If it is not possible to find coarse sand and small pebbles, then it is better to replace them with crushed bricks. Large pieces of brick can be used for drainage, and small pieces can replace sand in the substrate.
Large brick fragments may be found in the soil mixture - they not only loosen the soil well, but also perfectly absorb excess water, which the money tree cannot tolerate.
For better nutritional value, the resulting soil should be enriched with a small amount of ash. Then it should be disinfected by keeping it in the oven. When the prepared soil mixture has cooled, it can be used for planting or replanting Crassula.
How to replant a plant correctly
After the soil needed for the money tree (crassula) has been prepared, you can plant young seedlings or replant an adult tree:
- At the bottom of the selected pot, which should be wide, not very deep and quite heavy, it is necessary to pour drainage in a layer of at least 2 - 3 cm. Next, when transplanting an adult plant onto the drainage, you should pour the prepared soil into about a quarter of the total capacity of the pot;
- Then you need to carefully remove the plant along with the earthen lump, lightly shaking off the loose soil from the roots and removing the remnants of the old drainage;
- Place the tree in the center of a new , larger pot. You need to add fresh soil in a circle, compacting it, but not compacting it. In the future, as the soil subsides, it will need to be added;
- After transplanting, the fat plant needs to be watered a little, avoiding waterlogging of the earthen ball and roots.
It is important to remember that after this procedure the plant is weakened, and therefore there is no need to place it in direct sunlight.
If young cuttings are planted, then the pots should be selected of the appropriate size and filled completely with soil, making a depression in the middle to accommodate the cutting or seedling. It is also important to observe the timing of transplantation.
As a rule, young plants need to be replanted every year, and adults every 2 to 3 years.
After purchasing, the fat plant must be transplanted into a new pot, but this should not be done right away. It is recommended to wait about 2 weeks, giving the plant the opportunity to get used to the new living conditions.
Signs of incorrectly selected land
If a money tree is often overwatered, its leaves begin to turn yellow and then fall off. This means that the roots of the plant have begun to rot. This phenomenon often occurs due to unsuitable soil for growing this indoor plant.
Too dense and poorly permeable soil mixture does not allow water to pass through, and it stagnates on the surface even with scanty watering.
A succulent planted in heavy soil that does not allow air to pass through well slows down its growth and development and loses its aesthetic appearance.
When planted in soil with a high acidity content, the money tree sheds its leaves and dies.
Did you know? Money tree leaves help with wounds, herpes, calluses, warts, and ingrown nails: for these problems, a cut of the leaf is applied to them. In the last three cases, the sheet, cleared of film, is fixed to the problem area with adhesive tape.
The choice of soil for a money tree must be taken seriously, since, despite the succulent’s resistance to many diseases, incorrect selection of soil can lead to loss of its aesthetic appearance and death.
What is needed for planting?
To plant a plant, you need good drainage. Its functions are performed by the following materials:
- Ceramic shards, brick chips, gravel and crushed stone. These are natural materials.
- Agroperlite, expanded clay, vermiculite. These are special products sold in flower shops.
- Styrofoam. It is suitable for drainage and protects the ground from the cold.
You should know not only the rules for choosing soil for a money tree, but also the nuances of purchasing a pot. To ensure that the container is suitable, you must follow the following recommendations from experts:
- Since the plant is a perennial, it is advisable to choose a large ceramic or clay pot. The container will balance the heavy flower, so the structure will be stable.
- Healers advise choosing a pot of red, golden, brown, silver and black colors.
- Surface placement of roots requires choosing a low but wide flowerpot. It is important that its diameter matches the crown of the plant.
- There should be drainage holes at the bottom of the container.
Choosing a suitable pot and soil for the Crassula will allow the plant to develop properly. At the same time, it is important not to forget about regular care.
