braided money tree dying
sunderwunder
16 years ago
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greenman28 NorCal 7b/8a
6 years agothereciaj
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agoRelated Discussions
Braided Money Tree Problem
Comments (12)I've had a Pachira (Money tree) for many years now. Mine has a single trunk, that is about 3" in diameter now. It grows 6 to 7 feet per year, and obviously I have to cut it back every year. It is in a 10" pot, which is plenty big. You would be amazed at how small a rootball can support a big money tree. Mine sits in front of a southwest window, getting a lot of sun. Last year I moved it into a corner with little direct sun to try & curb the growth, but it still took off, but had slightly smaller leaves. As for watering, I treat mine as a tropical, NOT a semi-succulent. These trees grow in marshes and wetlands, so they like moisture. Just like any other plant though, they do NOT like to be wet, so a well drained mix is essential. If you let it dry up too much, you'll end up with browning leaves, which eventually drop. Basically I'll let mine dry up an inch or two on the top, then water. If you're using bagged peat based soil, you are prone to rotting issues, because odds are, the bottom and middle of the rootball will still be wet, while the top is dry. I have gotten a great response by using the 5-1-1 mix with my pachira, and a maintenance dose of foliage pro 9-3-6 every time I water. Sarina, can you describe your plant a bit more? Is it one of those cute little bonsai ones, in a pot with no drain holes?? Also, are you sure about the potting mix? Usually they fill the pot with peat mix, then top it off with gravel for looks. It can't be growing in all gravel, because it would either get NO water, or it is sitting in water filled gravel, which will rot it for sure. Garden Girl, I would advise against any misting. It actually does more harm than good by promoting fungus on the leaves, and if you are using tap water, the water evaporates, leaving behind all the minerals that are in the water. If you use softened water, there is salt that will stay on the leaves. If you have rot issues, and want to save the plant, now is the perfect time to act. Take the thing out of it's pot, and wash all the soil off of the roots. Cut any roots out that are brown and rotted. Look at the size of the rootball. Like Toni said, put it in a pot that is 2" bigger in diameter. The goal is to have an inch of free soil around the rootball. I would advise you to search up "5-1-1 mix", as this is ideal for money trees. Gritty mix would work too, but the watering is tricky, so I'd go with 5-1-1 to start. You'll also need to have a fertilizer program, if you don't already, because they'll fade away due to lack of nutrients. Good luck! Joe...See MoreBraided Money Tree - One Trunk Wrinkled and Soft - HELP!
Comments (4)Hi, Danielle. Neat pot! Why Petrie? The first thing I thought of was a Petri dish. Some people get confused about the difference between repotting and potting up or just changing pots. Unless you live in the southern hemisphere, now isn't a good time to repot, the reason being that repotting includes root pruning and a change of soil, and doing it now will significantly stress the plant and leave it much weaker than it is now. With winter just around the corner, that wouldn't be advisable. If your pot doesn't have a drain hole, you should temporarily remove the plant and drill one, or change pots. If you need direction on how to drill the hole, I can help with that - not a big deal. After the hole is drilled, you simply let it drain at the sink & then set it on/in a collection saucer. If repotting IS in the plan you have for the plant, the best time to do that is very late spring - like around Father's Day. If you live in the deep south, a week or two earlier wouldn't be unreasonable. I would remove the dead plant. Reason: eventually all the trunks are going to fuse together via a process called inosculation. The dead trunk will force the living trunks to grow around it, which will interfere with the fusing process AND make for some unsightly lumps and bumps. You need a drain hole in the pot for 2 reasons. 1) to allow some of the excess water that is limiting your plant's root function to drain from the pot. A healthy plant isn't possible w/o a healthy root system. 2) So when you water, you're flushing the salts from tap water and fertilizer solutions from the pot. This is important because high salt levels create conditions that limit growth, health, and appearance, all occurring as a result of the plant's reduced ability to absorb water. If you think about how curing salt literally PULLS water from the cells of meat during the curing process, you are envisioning what an excess of salt(s) does to the cells of plants. If you like the rocks on top, there is no reason you can't keep them. They do slow evaporative water loss a little, but there are ways to make the excess water leave the pot w/o you having to nix the rocks. We can talk more about that if you like. In fact, if you're interested in a Basic Overview that will help you avoid all the common issues most new gardeners are forced to deal with at one time or another, just follow the link. Al...See MoreNew Braided Money Tree Possibly Struggling
Comments (2)Hi, thank you for your response! I will flush it as you have advised. I do have fertilizer, but I have never used it for any plant, so I don't know how good it is. It is called "MiricleGro water soluble all purpose plant food". Should I use that? I haven't done anything right away since it is still so cold and I was thinking that it's not yet in growing period, but I am new to this plant so I am not really sure! The window in my apartment is east facing, and it is right up to the edge, so with the trees outside being bare of leaves, it's getting a good amount of morning light. It is not quite direct, but quite bright. We have experienced a whiplash of temperatures lately (60 degrees a few days ago, to the teens within 48 hours), so I don't know if that contributes to any of what I'm seeing. Also with being next to the radiator, but perhaps it doesn't matter....See MoreMoney Tree Help
Comments (2)Hi, While I don't grow these & can't advise you on their care, I can share their botanical name & allow you to start searching yourself until someone comes along w/ suggestions. Pachira is its botanical name. Money tree can also refer to another type of plant, so it's preferable to use botanical names once one learns them....See Moregreenman28 NorCal 7b/8a
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greenman28 NorCal 7b/8a