I doubt very much that the suckers are having any effect on the top growth. That's a tiny pot. And have you fed it at all? In the spring I'd reporting new mix and feed regularly. The only problem with the suckers imo is that they alter the appearance of the 'trunk'. You could remove them and root them to make new plants.

Thanks floral_uk. Good point. I don’t like the appearance of the “suckers” so on that account I will remove them and try to root them. I’m plant newbie so I haven’t done anything with the plant except water every 2 weeks.

Ok. So you need to research repotting and feeding. Your plant has been in the same soil for two years. The nutrition in the mix will be well and truly exhausted. It actually looks remarkably healthy under the circumstances.

Thanks for the advice. Will research how to repot!

it's an amazingly healthy plant even in a small pot. Obviously your conditions are good for it. they are grown as bonsai to maintain the small size. So it is quite possible to keep growing it in a small pot.

if you put it in a larger pot prepare to accommodate more growth: it'll shoot to the ceiling likely and will need to be pruned. It is possible to repot it in the pot just 1 size larger (1" larger on the side), but you will need to prune the roots, otherwise they won't fit even in a larger pot.

that said it needs to be fed: you can use time-release granules sprinkled on top of soil: every time your water it'll get a little feed.

just so you are prepared: when you repot and prune/damage roots it will loose some foliage from shock, so might not be as full. if you have never repotted plants before I would suggest trying to repot a small plant before you tackle your Pachira glabra (most plants are sold as P. aquatica, but they are actually P. glabra).

What great comments and advice - thank you everyone, on behalf of my money plant! I will practice repotting on some other smaller plant and wait for May/June to attempt a repot with my money tree. Meanwhile is there anything else I can do (besides fertilize) to save that browning trunk that had the offshoot (which I have snapped off)? Thanks!

Let me backtrack a bit. I might have been hasty when I said a trunk/branch going from green to brown is a normal part of the plants morphology, but that wouldn't hold true if the plant (single stem) was actually dying. Do you have a sense that's what's happening?

If the stem is in fact dying or suffering badly while viability of the others persists, it would almost undoubtedly be related to the condition of the roots on that stem. If you're curious and the shape of the pot allows you to lift the plant from the pot easily, you might take a look at the roots and see if you can see a difference in roots attached to the stem turning brown.

I'll leave you a link to something I wrote. It's an Overview of Basic Growing Practices that, if followed, will help you avoid all the pitfalls that all growers face at one time or another on their journey toward a green thumb. Hopefully, it will get you thinking and you'll have questions about anything that needs more clarity.

Al

I'd just like to say that those basal sprouts are the Holy Grail of Money Trees. It is very difficult to achieve low branching on such an apically dominant tree.

Josh