How to cultivate the Money Tree to make it flourish?
Today's focus is on how to cultivate the Money Tree to make it flourish and master these five points to ensure better fortune in pet care at home. Below, the editor will provide a detailed explanation for you.
There is a tropical plant with a small tree shape, highly branched, commonly over a meter tall; the bark is dark grayish-white and relatively smooth.
The leaves are round, lanceolate, or spotted, among which the round leaves resemble the old rural winnowing baskets, slightly sunken in the middle; the petioles are thin and high in water content, appearing brownish when exposed to sufficient light. This is the Fortune Tree, a tropical evergreen shrub of the Araliaceae family, also known as the Money Tree.
The Money Tree is famous for its high颜值, with an aged trunk and young, oily leaves like little spoons, showing a stark contrast between the stem and leaves, making it the "youthful old" of the plant world.
Common flowers of the same family include the Schefflera, Ivy, and several legendary herbs like Ginseng. As the Money Tree is a tropical plant, it is sensitive to temperature and humidity in northern cities, showing some signs of maladjustment, such as shedding leaves, withering tips, or even rotting roots and seedlings in severe cases.
1. Characteristics of the Money Tree
The Money Tree prefers loose, breathable, slightly acidic humus soil; it likes high temperature and humidity but is afraid of waterlogging, with a suitable growth temperature of 18-32 degrees Celsius, stopping growth at 15-18 degrees, and feeling very uncomfortable below 15 degrees; it is not cold-resistant, slightly drought-tolerant; it tolerates barrenness but enjoys fertile water; it likes sunlight and ventilation but can also tolerate some shade.
Considering these characteristics, it is evident that the Money Tree is very sensitive to temperature, while other aspects are neutral. Therefore, we need to find a balance when caring for it during the winter.
Viewpoint: Accurately grasp the physiological properties of the Money Tree and provide targeted care measures to correct factors that are not conducive to its growth and development to showcase its tropical charm.
How to cultivate the Money Tree to make it flourish?
2. Potting Soil Type
Many Money Trees sold in the market are mass-produced through cutting and layering methods. Their roots are orderly but sparse and weak, with some only having a few fragile small roots before being potted and sold. Such Money Trees would have a hard time surviving without a very good stable substrate.
For newly purchased Money Trees with heavy, non-porous substrates, it is recommended to make your own humus soil and repot them. Use a mixture of sandy garden soil or fine river silt (4 parts), mature organic fertilizer (3 parts), and clean fine river sand (3 parts).
You can also add some fine珍珠岩 (perlite), vermiculite, and lay a 3-5cm thick layer of coarse sand at the bottom of the pot, followed by a 3cm layer of fine sand. This humus soil will not accumulate water and has above-average fertility.
Viewpoint: When choosing a potted Money Tree at the flower market, it is essential to understand the type of potting soil. You can pinch a few inches of humus soil below the surface with your thumb and index finger to see if it's sticky or loose. Sticky soil sticks to your fingerprints, while loose sandy soil floats on your fingers.
3. Winter Temperature
Temperature is the primary factor for the Money Tree's survival, and without humus soil and temperature, fertilizing and watering become meaningless. There is no problem with the temperature in northern winters, but the time when heating is stopped or not yet started is a concern, as temperature fluctuations can be significant.
Especially at night, the temperature should not be too low, preferably not below 18 degrees. You can wrap the pot in a small blanket at night to maintain a constant temperature. In summer, indoor cultivation does not require shading; direct sunlight is fine, as the leaves become thicker, storing more dry matter, and have stronger immunity.
Viewpoint: Temperature is the lifeblood of the Money Tree. Master the temperature, and the tender buds and branches will grow uncontrollably.