How to Care for Money Trees in Winter
As a widely popular ornamental foliage plant, money trees face severe challenges during winter maintenance. When there is no heating system indoors, how to help this tropical plant survive the winter safely becomes crucial. This article will analyze the secrets of surviving the winter from multiple dimensions such as light management, temperature control, and water management, to help you create a microenvironment suitable for money tree growth.
Winter Light Control Strategies
Full Sunlight Utilization Plan
The change in the angle of the sun in winter reduces light intensity by 40%-60%, it is recommended to move the plant to a south-facing window and expose it to 6-8 hours of direct sunlight per day. Rotate the pot to ensure even light distribution on the leaves and avoid crown bias.
Guide to Using Supplemental Lighting Devices
In continuous cloudy and rainy days, full-spectrum grow lights should be used for supplemental lighting. Maintain a distance of 30-50cm from the lights, provide 4 hours of supplemental lighting daily, and control the light intensity between 8000-10000 lux to significantly increase the thickness of the leaf wax layer.
Temperature Management in Unheated Environments
Triple Physical Insulation Protection
Bagging Method: Use transparent PE film to create a mini greenhouse, leaving 2-3 ventilation holes, and ventilate for 2 hours daily. Pot Wrapping: Wrap the pot with bubble wrap to insulate from cold ground sources. Matrix Improvement: Mix in 20% perlite to enhance the thermal retention of the matrix.
Heat Storage Techniques
Place a heat storage stone plate under the pot at night, which can continuously release heat for 6-8 hours after absorbing heat during the day. Combined with hanging thermal insulation curtains, the temperature of the small environment can be increased by 3-5℃.
Precise Control of Water and Nutrition
Smart Watering Plan
Use the bamboo stake method: insert it 2/3 into the matrix and observe for 5 minutes before removing it. If the wet area of the bamboo stake is less than 30%, water thoroughly with 25℃ warm water along the edge of the pot. Combine with a humidity meter to maintain the matrix humidity between 35%-40%.
Nutrition Management Tips
Stop fertilizing completely from November to February of the following year, focusing on root care. Apply slow-release fertilizer at the beginning of March, combined with EM bacteria agents to promote fertilizer decomposition and absorption. In special cases, foliar spray 0.1% potassium dihydrogen phosphate to enhance stress resistance.
Through scientific light, water, and temperature management, even in unheated environments, money trees can maintain their leaves upright and green. Mastering these core technical points, combined with regular checks, can ensure the safe wintering of the plants and store energy for the spring growth.