Are you interested in learning how to propagate money trees? If so, this article is for you!
If you’ve ever had the pleasure of growing your tree from seed, then you know that it can be an exciting and rewarding experience.
However, if you are new to growing lovely Jade trees or have never grown one before, then you may not realize just how easy it is to propagate them once you get started!
What Is A Money Tree?
Pachira Aquatica (otherwise known as a Money Tree) was once difficult to find commercially. But as it was so easy to pass on,
it became known by several different names, including the Jade tree, the Friendship plant, or the Pass-It-On Plant!
This article will teach you everything you need to know about growing Chinese Money Plants, so you can multiply them quickly.
These jade plants are native to South America and Central America. They have glossy green leaves and thick stems. It’s tough, but easy to grow, and, unlike most plants, it’s extremely drought-tolerant.
It has an alternative common name of “money plant” (or sometimes “money tree”) because it is believed to bring wealth and prosperity.
The theory is that these vibrant green leaves are symbolic of growth and renewal, and they look similar to jade coins, which represent wealth and prosperity.
As a result, these are often given as house-welcoming gifts, or even wedding presents.
A Money Tree can be used to brighten any environment. It’s a beautiful, fast-growing tree that thrives in tropical climates.
If you want to test your green fingers by propagating and repotting a Money Tree, it can be fun and highly rewarding. Some techniques work better for some people than others.
If you have a “money tree” in your home, according to the principles of Chinese gemonacy, or Feng Shui as it’s more commonly known, this little tree can help bring good fortune your way!
Why not add another decorative element to your home by adding a Money Tree? New money trees can be easily propagated from healthy ones.
We’ve researched the most effective ways, and now we’re going to pass on what we know about growing money trees to you.
Where Do They Grow Naturally?
If you saw a Pachira tree in its native habitat of Central and South American swamps, you probably would not recognize it.
A tree can grow up to six feet tall (as opposed to three to six feet indoors) and its ubiquitous braid trunk isn’t a natural characteristic.
When grown in a greenhouse, the soft, young, green trunks of trees are slowly bent into shape by gardeners before they harden and become woody.
It has become one of the most successful houseplants because of its ability to grow quickly and produce lots of leaves.
It is easy to care for and grow, with its beautiful dark green leaves sprouting from a single stem and ultimately forming a thick canopy.
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Where To Grow Your Money Tree
Money trees prefer bright light, but they don’t mind a bit of decent humidity. Direct sunlight can cause leaves to scorch, but the plants can grow just fine in medium to low light with the option to have bright light around the room.
Exposing plants to too many drafts may cause them to lose leaves. Heaters and hot, dry air should also be avoided.
If you live in a particularly arid climate, you can invest in a humidifier to keep the air nice and moist. Alternatively, you could buy a fine mist spray bottle and mist the place up manually.
Its ideal location is by a north-facing window! As for light exposure, I’ve tried different combinations of light and I have to say this plant loves a lot when it’s exposed to bright light, but it doesn’t like direct sunlight.
The Chinese Money Plant requires bright, indirect light. Every week or whenever you water your Chinese Money Plant, rotate its position so that all sides of it are exposed to the same level of sunlight.
If you want to grow healthy plants, you need to keep them straight and balanced, not leaning towards one direction.
Plant Care
uncovered overnight to allow excess moisture to drain away.
Fertilizing: Feed once every two weeks with a liquid fertilizer diluted 1 part fish emulsion to 2 parts water. Use only fertilizers labeled for use on Money Trees. Try not to use other types of fertilizer on Money Trees as they have quite specific needs in terms of nutrients.
Lighting: Money Trees require a little less than full sun, as you don’t want to burn the leaves, but they will do well if given partial shade. You can move the Money Tree to a brighter, warmer area of the greenhouse during the winter months.
Humidity: Keep the humidity between 50% and 70%. The best way to do this is to mist the Money Tree every few days. During summer, the humidity inside the greenhouse should be higher than outside.
Disease: The most common diseases affecting indoor Money Trees are fungal diseases like powdery molds and anthracnose, as well as root rots. To prevent these diseases from occurring, keep the tree’s pot free of debris, keep the foliage dry, and water it thoroughly but infrequently. Get rid of the infected areas. Scale insects and spider mites affect Money Trees. You can treat your tree by washing it thoroughly with a bar of insecticidal soap, or by mixing water, soap, and rubbing alcohol.
To prevent these diseases from occurring, keep the tree’s pot free of debris, keep the foliage dry, and water it thoroughly but infrequently. Get rid of the infected areas. Scale insects and spider mites affect Money Trees.
You can treat your tree by washing it thoroughly with a bar of insecticidal soap, or by mixing water, soap, and rubbing alcohol.
Propagating Your Money Tree
Now you have your happy healthy Money Tree, you can propagate it and gift to your friends and family the joys of raising their very own money tree to welcome nature, wealth, and good vibes into their life!
There are a few ways you can propagate your money tree. Here are some methods we recommend:
From Seed
The Money Plant is well known for its delicious nuts. It’s also known as the Guiana chestnut, Malabar chestnut, or water chestnut.
When seed pods are ready to be planted, they’re best cultivated when the pod is cracked open and beginning to dry out.
However, you may never be able to get a Money plant seed at home because when grown for ornamental purposes such as houseplants or bonsai, Money Plants don’t usually flower to produce seeds.
If you do have seeds, this is the way to try to grow and propagate them.
Step 1: Prepare a container, one for each seed, and fill it with a rooting medium.
Step 2: After saturating the rooting medium, let all excess water drain out of the pot.
Step 3: Plant seeds 1/4 to 1 inch deep into the soil.
Step 4: Keep your rooting medium warm and moist for best results. When you notice new growth, give it lots of indirect sunlight.
Step 5: Transfer your seedling into a permanent container.
Wild plants have been observed sprouting when they’re submerged in water. However, we recommend growing your jade plant seeds indoors with a rooting medium for favorable root development.
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From Cutting
Money trees have a relatively high success rate when propagated from cuttings. You’ll want to take a fresh leaf budding cutting from a healthy tree and plant it.
It’s the easiest way to grow a money tree, and that’s the method we’d recommend using. It involves a few steps and a bit of know-how, but you should be able to get on pretty easily once you get a good grasp of the basics.
How to Take a Cutting:
Step 1: Clean your pruning scissors well to prevent any transfer of bacteria.
Step 2: Choose a good-looking, healthy branch of your tree to cut- approximately 3-4 inches in length. Make sure it has healthy leaves on it, a petiole, and the beginnings of a bud forming.
Step 3: Cut the branch by slicing a small semi-circle just under the branch in the tree stem/trunk. Make sure this cut is below the base of the auxiliary bud.
Step 4: Plant immediately.
How to Plant a Cutting:
Step 1: Get a medium-sized plant pot ready. Fill it with a rooting medium suitable for Jade plants.
Step 2: Apply a rooting hormone to the cut.
Step 3: Place your cutting in the pot, making sure to completely cover up the little bud you’ve just chopped completely with your soil, leaving all the leaves exposed.
Step 4: Give it a good watering on its first go, but make sure you’ve put it in a pot with an adequate drainage hole so the new root system doesn’t get swamped!
Final Thoughts
If you have successfully propagated your money tree, you should make more cuttings and gift them to your loved ones!
Feng Shui beliefs encourage giving these lucky jade plants to friends and family and placing them by your door, bringing forth wealth, prosperity, and good fortune to the home!
With a few goes, you should be a dab hand at cutting off a happy, healthy sprout, which you can plant immediately and share your good fortune around!
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