Hi all! I'd love some help- I adopted this money tree because one of the attorneys in my office got a new office plant & was going to throw this one away. I decided to take her home to try to save her but I don't know how! I just bought some bonsai soil mix, regular potting soil, and a new pot on Amazon (not too big) and I'm planning to repot with a mix when they come in, or possible put the bonsai mix on the bottom as a drainage layer. Am I on the right track here? Thanks!!!

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

Is that where it normally sits? In an office with no light? First, it needs light. If you can't put it in outdoor shade, put it as close to a window as possible. Secondly, remove all of those dead trunks. They most certainly will not grow back. They are decomposing in the pot and creating rotten conditions. That's fine in a south American wetland, but not in a container. When you remove the dead trunks, you'll want to re-pot the live trunk in a mix that is porous and free-draining - a mix that can be thoroughly flooded and then drained well. This will help avoid root-rot during the Winter. Two weeks after the re-pot and re-location, you'll want to begin fertilizing the plant. Josh

You could be living in the sunniest desert ever, and that wouldn't matter if the plant was plopped down in a room with no windows-light can't penetrate walls the last time I checked :p I would slowly introduce it to the balcony-don't immediately shove it out. The leaves will sunburn and drop, and the plant will have to expend even more energy to grow more leaves. I would leave it out in the morning when the sunlight isn't at its strongest, and leave it there for an hour before bringing it back in. The next day, leave it there for two hours, then the next day for three hours, etc. until it gets used to the sun.