Money plant

Appearance:

Money plant is the most popular houseplant. It is native to Central and South America. It is grown for their leaves' beauty. It is a good air purifier. It does not require any special care. This is a common house plant. Well cared for money plant can grow up to 12 feet. Money plant is a climber so it needs any support for growing. Money plants have roots and a leaf at every node point and the leaf gets nutrition from these roots. These roots are called secondary roots. If those roots are healthy the leaf is also healthy and if the roots are not getting proper nutrition the leaves will turn the colour and fall off. Hence to grow a money plant healthily it is necessary to provide a support to the money plant from which it gets some nutrition’s.

The best option for this is moss sticks. Just insert the moss into the soil and tie the money plants around it. Make sure at the time of tying the money plant around the moss stick the secondary roots gets touch to the moss stick. Always keep the moss stick moist. The secondary roots take nutrition from the moss stick. If the money plant grows with mass stick support the leaves size also increases.

Potting Mix and planting:

Money plants can grow in soil as well as in water.

To grow Money plant in soil: -

It requires well drained soil. To make potting mix for money plants take 60 percent of any garden soil, 20 percent cocopeat and 10 percent compost. Take any pot of size 6-10 inch, make 3-4 drainage holes at the bottom. Cover those holes with some stones and fill that pot half with potting mix. Now insert the moss steak at the center of the pot and press it to make it fix. Now put the plant in the center of the pot near the moss stick and add more potting mix around it, press gently by hand. Water it thoroughly and keep it away from the direct sunlight for 3-4 days. Keep the moss stick always moist with spray.

To grow Money plant in water: -

Money plants can grow very well in plain water also. Take any container and fill water into that container. Just remove the last 1-2 leaves of the money plant and put that cutting into the water, make sure the last roots are completely deep into the water. Add some stone at the bottom of the pot so the cutting will not chrome out from the container. Put that container anywhere where it gets enough bright light. Change the water once every 6-7 days. According to me, money plants grow faster in soil than water.

Money plants can grow in coco peat also, just take 80 percent coco peat and 20 percent compost. Use this mixture as a potting mix for a money plant.

Sunlight:

Ideal sunlight required to grow a Money plant is indirect sunlight or bright light. Morning direct sunlight of 3 hours and evening direct sunlight is also good for it. Do not expose the money plant to harsh sunlight on summer days. Money plants also do very well in very low light also but in very low light conditions the leaves distance will increase. This is one of the best low light plants.

Water:

Money plants like moist soil but not soggy, so just keep the soil moist. Before watering the money plant, check the soil if the upper 1-inch layer is dry then water it. According to me, on summer days watering it every alternate day is ok, in rainy water it once in 3-4 days and in winter water it only once in week.

Like other plant money plants also have root rot problems with overwatering. It will change the colour of the leaves from green to yellow and start to fall off. So, avoid overwatering it.

Like overwatering, underwatering also does harm to money plants. The edges of the leaves start to dry and slowly the whole leaf turns brown as it gets dry. This completely lost the beauty of the money plant. Do not overwater but one thing to keep in mind is whenever you water the money plant water it thoroughly so each and every root gets the water. The water should come out through the drainage holes.

So, to grow a healthy and beautiful money plant it is very necessary to keep an eye on watering.

Fertilizer:

Compost is the best fertilizer for the money plant. If you want to use chemical fertilizer for money, just use light fertilizer or any fertilizer with very low quantity. DAP as well as Urea are also good for plants like money plants which are generally grown for their foliage, but be careful while using chemical fertilizer. Just take 1-2 pinch of urea and dissolve in 1 litre water and spray it on the whole plant. While doing foliar spray on a moss stick also, make it completely wet.

Fertilize money plants once every 2 weeks. Do not fertilize it in winter, because in winter money plants grow very slowly so it does not require much quantity of food in winter.

Repotting:

When the roots start to come upward from the soil means the plants need to be repot in a bigger pot. Rainy is the best time to repot any plant.

So, choose any 2-3- inch bigger pot to repot the money plant. Make 3-4 drainage holes at the bottom and cover those holes with some stones. Fill the ¼ th pot with a potting mix. Remove the money plant gently from the old pot by tapping slowly on its sides. Now put the plant in the center of the new pot and add more potting mix around it, press it gently. Water it thoroughly and keep it away from direct sunlight for 4-5 days.

You can use the same pot also but for this you have to trim the roots. Remove the plant from the pot, remove all the soil slowly from the roots and just trim the ¼ part of the roots with sterilized sharp tools. Now fill ¼ the part of the pot with soil and put the money plant in the center and add more soil around it and press gently. Water it thoroughly and put it in shade for 4-5 days.

If you are going to trim the roots, do this only in the rainy season.

Propagation:

Propagation of money plants is very easy. It can be propagated in soil as well as in water also.

Propagate money plant in soil: -

- Take any 4-inch pot.

- Make 2-3 drainage holes at the bottom of the pot.

- Cover those holes with some stone.

- Fill the half pot with any light potting mix.

- Take 4–5-inch cuttings and remove the last leaf from the cutting.

- Now put the cutting in the soil and add more potting mix around it.

- Make sure while inserting the cutting in the soil at least one secondary root should be under the soil.

- After 2-3 weeks or a month you can report in a big pot and insert a moss stitch into it.

- Wrap the money plant around the moss stick tightly so the secondary roots can go inside the moss stick.

- If you use a bigger pot to propagate the cutting there is no need to repot it after a month.

Propagate money plant in water: -

- Take any container to propagate money plants in water. According to me, take a glass jar which looks more beautiful.

- Take 4 - 5 cuttings of size 5 inch.

- Remove the last leaf of each cutting.

- Fill the half jar with water and put that cutting in the jar and add some colourful stones also the cutting will not move from its place.

- Put the jar anywhere it will get bright light.

- Change the water once every 6-7 days.

Diseases:

I have had a Money plant for 4 years. I see only the powdery mildew on my money plant. TO treat the powdery mildew, wash the money plants affected area with spray and remove all the mildew and spray all the money plants with any fungicides. Repeat the procedure after 2-3 days till the money plants get free from the fungus.

Root rot is also seen in money plants, this happens due to overwatering, so avoid overwatering it. First check the soil before watering it. Watering it every alternate day in summer is the best and keeps the moss stick always wet. On rainy days check the soil before watering it. If the upper 2-inch layer of soil is dry then water it. In winter water it only once or twice a week.

Leaf edges dry and browning problems. This is also the common problem with the money plants and this will happen due to underwatering. So, when you water it, water thoroughly and make sure the money plant is tightly tied on the moss stick and the moss stick should get wet.

Common problems:

Common Problem with money plant:

In winter the leaves turn yellow and fall off. This is the common problem with the money plants. This will happen due to overwatering and overfertilizing in winter. In winter money plants grow very slowly so it does not require much water and fertilizer. So just water it a little bit in winter to keep it alive.

Toxicity:

The money plant is poisonous to pets and kids

if it gets ingested. It can produce mouth, tongue, and throat swallowing, sometimes vomiting. So, keep away pets and kids from this plant.