Mini money tree -- 911!!!

[nataliejoyy]

Hi! So, I don't know much about the life of this money tree -- I just know it's important that it lives. I've read a ton about how to take care of them, replace the soil, etc etc -- but it's gotten so confusing and there are so many options that I figured I would make this its own post

What I do know:

- this is the small, desk sized version
- its brown up to maybe the last 2 inches of the stalk
- the 4 leaves (5 before i moved it) are yellow with some green and a little bit of pinkish tinge to it
- there is nothing growing from the stalk, just the leaves from the top of it
- i cant currently see the roots and i don't want to disturb the soil until someone tells me to lol

Thank you!

 

[Java Guy]

A few questions then I will approach this with what I would do if it were my plant.

Is that the original soil the plant was purchased in? What condition has it been growing in? You mention you moved it. When you moved it did you change the environment it was in? How much water has it been getting?

With what I do know and can see, the first thing I would do is replace that soil. It looks pretty old and gnarly. I always repot new plants. I would try not to disturb the roots too much. Just knock loose what soil you can get loose. Money trees like soil that is well draining and slightly dry...kind of like what succulents like. Either a soil with a 30%-40% perlite or a medium succulent mix. You want to make sure you do not over water it. Yellowing leaves are a sure sign of over watering money trees. Also, it looks like the bottom of one of the trunks has some rot going on...which would be the result of over watering. I would place this plant on a humidity tray filled with gravel and water. Money trees come from central / south america so they like humidity. I wouldn't put it in direct sunlight. They are used to growing in the shade so less light is better.

This is what I would do. Will be able to give you better advice with the requested information above. Don't give up

 

[nataliejoyy]

A's for your Q's --
Judging by how the soil looks, I'm assuming this is the same soil it has been in forever, unfortunately.
To be honest, I don't think it has been growing, but it was just plopped onto my desk this morning with a note to save it so I'm not 100% on that.
It was moved from a desk a few yards behind me up to my desk. It wasn't in direct sunlight but it wasn't in darkness and the studio really isn't too dark, too hot or too cold. Now at my desk, it's in a much more lit area and is closer to direct sunlight from a skylight.
I'm not sure how often its been watered, but I have a feeling someone watered it before they gave it to me. The top of the soil is dry, but the bottom is still damp.

A couple questions from me to you based on what I've read elsewhere lol -- 1. should i be keeping the roots damp when exchanging the soil? 2. should the pot that its in be of a larger size so that the roots can grow or is it better for them to stay compact? 3. should the plant be in a pot type thing with holes and be set into a larger pot that doesnt have holes?

P.S. can you attach a picture example of a humidity tray? I'm scared to do the wrong thing!!!! lol

Thank you <333333333333333

 

[Java Guy]

For humidity trays, go to this thread https://www.gardening-forums.com/threads/gardenia-yellowing-leaves.6457/

At the bottom you will see what I use for humidity trays. Anything will work really as long as it holds water and something for the pot to sit in above the water.

For the pot in this case, I would use a terracotta pot that is slightly larger than the pot it is in. I know plastic pots are cheaper and everyone swears by them but they are only cheaper by a few cents and you are only buying one, not twenty. I say use a terracotta pot because terracotta pots are porous and your soil will dry out faster in one. Just buy a plain unglazed one. You are not going for looks right now but survival.

Moving the plant from a darker environment to a lighter one is stressing the plant. It just happens. If the plant were healthier it would handle it better. I would back it away from the direct light for a time until it gets healthier.

I know what you are getting at with the question about keeping the soil damp when repotting because I have read that before. I think that is suggested when you want to keep more of the soil when repotting. It is much easier to repot with drier soil when you want to remove the old soil. Wet soil sticks to the roots and is a pain to remove. I would not water that plant until you repot it...preferably today.

I have no idea why that pot was inside another pot. Just use the one terracotta pot on top of a humidity tray.

Get a pot that is only slightly larger than the current pot. Over potting results in soil staying wet longer because there is not enough root to use up the soil. This also causes problems with roots getting oxygen.

I would stay away from any miracle gro products for soil in this case. They tend to have wetting agents to help hold moisture in the soil. That is not what you want for this type of plant. Also, they usually have food in them which you don't want right now. Money trees are not heavy feeders.

I would buy a small bag of Perlite or Pumice and add 20% to this mix.

 

[Pat]

Good luck with the money tree! It does look like it needs more light and humidity. Misting the plant can also help to increase the humidity the plant needs.

 

[nataliejoyy]

Thank you for the advice! Ok, so, yay or nay on these so I can attempt to bring this back to life:

http://www.amazon.com/Pumice-Small-...7753&sr=8-1&keywords=small+bag+of+pumice+soil

http://www.amazon.com/Exotic-PMS051...ZHFU/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1447785933&sr=8-3

http://www.amazon.com/Pounds-Natura...7Q/ref=sr_1_14?ie=UTF8&qid=1447785933&sr=8-14

http://www.amazon.com/DEROMA-2Q150F...pebp=1447788502795&perid=0ZNH41X2YQJKXRZNW4GP

http://www.amazon.com/deroma-0d110f...5?s=lawn-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1447786936&sr=1-5

Does it matter whether the gravel is polished or unpolished?
Is it better for it to have a plastic tray or a terracotta tray?
Can you tell this is going to give me a heart attack?

 

[Java Guy]

Nataliejoyy, I was gone for some time. What has happened with this plant?