The Money Tree Plant 101: How to Plant It and Growing Tips

1 money tree plants

Have you ever heard of the money tree plant? While it may not make you richer, the money tree plant will definitely enrich your garden or home. Also called “Malabar Chestnut” or “Saba Nut”, this houseplant is easy to spot due to its braided trunk and beautiful green leaves. It’s mostly grown in containers inside, but you can also plant it outdoors if you wish. Today, we’re going to provide you with a couple of tips on planting and taking care of the money tree plant.

The Money Tree Plant Growing Guide: Everything You Need to Know

How to Plant the Money Tree Plant

Fortunately, the money tree plant doesn’t need a lot of things for a great head start. It only requires a relatively warm and steady temperature and a bit of humidity. With these growing conditions, you’ll notice the plant sprouting in just a couple of days.

Temperature is extremely important for a money tree plant. If you’re thinking of planting it outside, you should wait until the temperature at night goes over 45 degrees Fahrenheit. The perfect temperature for a money tree plant is between 65 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit. If these are not temperatures that you can expect in your garden, your safest bet is to plant the money tree indoors.

When it comes to the options you have for planting, you can choose between cuttings and seeds. If you’re going to plant cuttings, you can do it both in water and in soil. Growing it in water means you’ll have to choose a healthy branch that you cut above a node. Remember that it should contain at least three nodes. That’s where the leaves will come from. Fill a glass, a bottle, or a jar with water and put the cutting in, making sure at least one of its nodes is under water.

When planting the cutting in soil, choose a pot that is medium sized. Also, make sure it has holes in the bottom. This provides good drainage. The soil you choose is also important, so choose a free-draining one. Place the cutting in a hole in the soil, the same way you would place it in water. Once you notice the roots start to form, water the plant thoroughly. This will help it grow faster. Just make sure you don’t overwater it because it will make the roots rot. If you notice the leaves starting to turn yellow, it means you should tone down the watering.

Depending on where you want to plant your money tree plant, you’re going to have to think about how to provide it with the perfect growing conditions. If you’re going to grow it in a container garden, consider the size of the pot, as well as the humidity. Indirect sunlight is another requirement. If you want to grow the tree outside, you’re going to have to try and mimic its natural growing environment as much as possible. It enjoys swampy areas, so a place where it can get a lot of water but also some drier periods would be great. During the day, it would be best for your plant to get both sunlight and shade.

Money Tree Plant Growing Tips

1. Watering

For optimum growing conditions, you should water the money tree plant once a week. It also enjoys quite a bit of water, so don’t be afraid to allow the water to seep deep into the soil. The best way to know when to water it next is to look at the top three inches of soil. If they’re dry, feel free to provide them with water. Don’t forget good drainage since the roots will rot if they swim in too much water.

However, the money tree plant does enjoy humidity. In order to ensure that, you could place it on a dish that you fill with water and pebbles. When you repot the plant or change its environment, this can cause the leaves to fall. At that time, you might be tempted to water it even more, but this wouldn’t be a solution. Allow it some time to adjust to the new environment instead. Furthermore, during winter, you’ll have to water it even less, since its growth slows down.

2. Sun Exposure

As we’ve already mentioned, the money tree plant enjoys indirect sunlight. This means a relatively shaded area or a windowsill is perfect for placing your plant. Not enough sunlight might cause the leaves to yellow, in which case you should move the plant to a sunnier place. Still, be aware of the fact that full sunlight might cause the opposite reaction, which is burning the leaves. You need to find a balance between not enough sun and too much of it if you want your plant to be healthy.

money tree plant

When keeping it indoors, you might have to change its location every now and then. If you notice its health start to deteriorate, that’s a sign you need to move it to another place. Even turning it can make a difference.

3. Fertilizing

Whether you have to fertilize your money tree plant or not depends on how you want to grow it. If you’re going to grow it inside in a container, it will be pretty much as a bonsai tree. Bonsai trees don’t generally need fertilizer, so feel free to skip this step, or fertilize it once a year.

If you’re going to grow it outside, it will be a full-fledged tree, which means it will also need quite a bit of fertilizer. Every other time you water it, make sure to also add liquid fertilizer, especially during warmer months. In winter, there’s no need for you to fertilize your money tree plant.

4. Pruning

Fortunately, growing this plant as a tree means you won’t have to prune it. The only thing you should do is cut some of its lower leaves about once a month, but this is an activity that you can do quickly and without that much of an effort.

This plant as a bonsai has other requirements when it comes to pruning. Since you’re growing it in a container, and you want to make sure it won’t grow larger than it should, you have to constantly trim it and pinch back growths. Just remember that you shouldn’t eliminate all new growths since this might mess with your plant’s health. Still, you have to keep a close eye on it and keep most of the growths in check.

5. Repotting

Another important aspect of the care routine for the money tree plant is repotting it. This should be done every few years, using a peat mixture. In some cases, you might need a larger pot as well. Repotting is important because it provides the plant with fresh soil and a stimulating drainage. While repotting the money tree plant, you have to pay a lot of attention to its roots. You should move them as little as possible, so as not to damage them.

As we’ve mentioned earlier in this guide, repotting this plant might lead to it losing a couple of leaves. That’s because it doesn’t enjoy being moved around. This is not something you should be worried about. As long as you remember our suggestions, your potted plant will go back to normal in no time.

6. Harvesting

You might wonder what is there to harvest from a money tree plant. Well, unfortunately, the answer is not money. This plant grows seed pods. The way to know when to harvest them is to wait for them to pop. This happens when the seeds inside grow to their full size. You can harvest the seeds and eat them raw, or you can roast or fry them. You can also grind them and turn them into flour that you can use to make bread. Of course, ultimately, you can plant the seeds and get more money trees.

seed pod of a money tree plant, money tree plant

7. Pest and Disease Control

The money tree plant is quite resistant, so not many pests or diseases affect it. Still, as in the case of any other plant, there are a few that you should be aware of. In terms of pests, the most common ones are aphids and mealy bugs. The aphids can be eliminated with insecticidal soap, while the mealy bugs will disappear if you use a solution of isopropyl alcohol and sodium dodecyl sulfate.

When it comes to diseases, the most common one is anthracnose, which is caused by fungi, and which can lead to blight, leaf spot, and other such issues. In order to prevent this disease, make sure you don’t water the leaves and you eliminate any diseased ones. In extreme cases, you can use a fungicidal spray. There are also more eco-friendly bug killers that you can try.

Summing Everything Up

The money tree plant is an interesting and versatile plant and one which doesn’t require a lot of care in order to thrive. If you’re thinking of planting one, the guide above will help you care for it each step of the way. The money tree plant is a symbol of good fortune and good luck, so having one in your home or garden will provide you with positive vibes. You can find a money tree plant for sale right here.

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