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Is it too late in the season to repot my Money Tree/Pachira Aquatica?

4 years ago

Hi All,

I purchased this little money tree almost 2 weeks ago and I'm starting to think it need to be repotted. It came in 3in plastic pot leaning quite a bit, I potted up to a 4.5in painted terra cotta pot, staked it with a chopstick in hopes of providing support, and watered. Yesterday I noticed it has dropped some yellowed leaves and was back to leaning significantly, with some of the green leaves up to looking wrinkled and the bottom of the trunks looking suspiciously damp but not soft. There is some new growth happening at various spots. I did not inspect the roots thoroughly first time around so I would like to re-pot completely to get a good look at the roots, provide more stability in a larger pot, and also to set it in a better-draining soil mix (suggestions would be welcome).

I've read that early June is the best time to re-pot these plants, can I still do so now in early July or should I scrap this plan and wait until the spring? Right now I have it sitting on a shelf near a Western-facing window.

Thanks all for your help!

After initial potting up

Leaning significantly!

It's hard to get a clear photo of the base of the trunks, but they seem very damp. The tree came potted in a sort of peat-y mix which doesn't seem ideal and I don't have anything on hand that I could mix up for better drainage...

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Comments (3)

Photo Synthesis
4 years ago
last modified: 4 years ago
They don't mind having their roots disturbed, so feel free to repot it whenever necessary. I grow mine outside and a very turbulent thunderstorm rolled through last week knocking it over and spilling its soil all over the place. So I had to repot it all over again and it didn't phase it one bit.

As for the soil mix, I use the Miracle Gro brand soil for cacti and succulents. I don't even add anything to it, either, and my money tree grows like a weed.
Niko N thanked Photo Synthesis
dirtygardener
4 years ago
This is a tropical tree that normally grows to be about 60 feet tall, so it will likely get rootbound very quickly as it tries to reach its natural height. I've never grown one in a pot, much less tried to bonsai one, but my friend had one in her yard that she planted from a seed, and it grew 10 feet a year. I'm thinking it's going to take a LOT of root pruning to keep this one small.
Niko N thanked dirtygardener
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@greenman28 NorCal 7b/8a thank you for the reply! I think the mix it's in is pretty fast draining. It could probably have more perlite, but it's not bad. That's' why I was wondering if it's the size of the pot that's' the problem. The roots were basically non-existent when I was repotting the tree, so I was wondering if it's too large for it. As I only need to water it every 3-4 weeks or so before the soil is dry after on a finger length. Otherwise, if it's maybe some kind of fungus or something like that. I've attached photos of the leaves and the pot below. The odd texture spots seem to be attacking more and more leaves and are getting bigger and discoloured. Do you think repotting as well as cutting down all of the branches apart from trunks might be a good idea for it to regrow healthy foliage? I tried cutting down the unhealthy leaves, but it's not disappeared.
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Hi All, We purchased a money tree a year ago. It was doing great: fast growing, green, lush, and lots of enjoyment. Then, it seemed to be outgrowing its pot, and about two months ago I re-potted it. Now, I am getting yellow leaves (about 1 leaf turns yellow per day). The new growth (top canopy) after the re-pot is also very lime green and droopy. But, there was fast growth at first. I am so worried, I love this plant. I want to care for it before the poor leaves/whatever is wrong spreads. Any advice? Based on the literature, I think the roots are holding too much water. But, I am worried to re-pot into more porous soil, since I just re-potted. I've attached a few pictures to aid in our discussion.
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Melissa, yes it's worth it to get your mix ready, even if this particular plant doesn't survive. You can always re-use the mix because the mix is very durable. Money Trees do root very readily, so definitely give it a try as Al suggested. I encourage you to get another plant, though, and you can apply everything you've learned, and enjoy a great experience from day one. Pick up a small, inexpensive Money Tree, plop it into your durable, free-draining mix, water and fertilize, and you will be amazed at how rewarding and easy these trees can be. On a side-note, I don't suggest you take the advice that Anthony is giving. Now is the best time of year to do heavy pruning and re-potting with your Money Trees. In fact, I just chopped my Pachira about a week ago. Notice how it is located in bright shade, just to the edge of where the full sun hits. For transitioning an indoor acclimated plant to the outdoors, this is an optimal location on my property.
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To give a more detailed story, I originally had this plant in a pot that was about half the size, maybe 10 in diameter which was flourishing quickly and almost too fast for what the main shoots were able to support. But then it started portraying these pictured features of wilting, weak leaves and unsupportive tall shoots. I went to the local store I originally bought the plant from and the lady seemed a bit uninformed but suggested I try transplanting it to a bigger pot with organic soil mixed with sand to help retain moisture. So now it is in a much bigger "self watering" pot (which I never use the reservoir because I don't necessarily trust it, I just feel into the soil to try to judge how much water to give it), with a soil/sand mixture. And ever since I transplanted it with these recommendations about 6+ months ago, it has never seemed to get better....
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greenman28 NorCal 7b/8a
4 years ago
Go ahead and repot it. Keep the roots wet while working, though. Pruning roots is not a problem, but don't let them dry out.

Josh
Niko N thanked greenman28 NorCal 7b/8a

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