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

Hey Josh and Susan.. Will, aside from the questions Josh asked, did you recently place your tree outside? Find a decent pot, '1-2" larger than the rootball,' use a well-draining soil, water thoroughly, then let be. Do not re-water until soil is crumbly dry. Insert a stick/stake deep in the soil to check. If the stick comes out wet, wait a few days, and retest. In other words, don't keep soil constantly wet. Your Pachira has quite a bit of green, so it's alive. For the time being, refrain from fertliziling. If your tree is outdoors, place in a semi-shady spot. 'especially, if it was recently brought out. MG is fine, but should be amended with Perlite. I use MG, but add coarse sand, and tiny stones, 'smaller than Pea Gravel,' for better drainage. Your Money Tree needs a chance to adapt. If it's being repotted in larger, smaller, more water, less water, more and less fertilizer, there's going to be problems. That's the reason I said, let it be. Toni

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.

Hi - Hoping I can get a some help to save my tree... I took some pictures which are below. Only one of my four stems seems to be healthy and growing new leaves. The other three are in various levels of sick. Help! I usually only water when the soil is dry. Lately I've let it dry out a lot because I thought maybe I was over watering it. The tree means a lot to me and I really don't want it to die! Any advice or help would be greatly appreciated.This is the only healthy branch. This is the one that's the most sick. You can see that it's started to change color and wrinkle/twist. This one's leaves shriveled up. This is the only healthy branch. and here's the whole tree... looking sad. After reading a lot of these threads, I've stopped watering it. I think I over watered it this winter. I'm not sure if the wrinkled branch is dead or not. Is it possible to cut the tip of it off? Will it regrow? What about the one with the wrinkled leaves? Hoping someone has some advice! Thanks! Carlos