Money tree (Crassula, Crassula) - a potted plant, popular all over the world, native to the African continent. There is a belief that this tree with round, coin-like leaves attracts prosperity and prosperity. If you do not know how to grow Crassula at home, this article will help to understand this issue.
What size do you need a pot
The issue of selecting a container for growing a fat woman needs to be approached responsibly and not to plant planting material immediately in a large pot. In a deep vessel, the rhizome will develop too actively, and the aerial part will weaken. As a result, Crassula will not be able to form a magnificent crown. In addition, the plant risks growing one-sided. The ideal option is a wide low pot, the depth of which does not exceed 10 cm, and a diameter of 20 cm.
As for the material, the container can be made of both ceramic and plastic. The presence of drain holes is a must. About 2 years after planting the money tree, its root system will completely fill the tank, and the roots will begin to feel a lack of nutrients. It is then that the plant will need to be transplanted into a larger flowerpot.
How to choose land for planting a fat woman
In the natural environment, Crassulaceae grows on loose and loose soils with a high sand content. To plant a plant at home, you can buy a ready-made substrate (preferably a substrate for cacti), or you can prepare an earthen mixture yourself.
Important! Crassula does not tolerate the soil of a dense structure, where water stagnates for a long time.
To this end, pour about 2 cm of drainage onto the bottom of the pot (small stones, expanded clay, moss, small twigs), then fill the pot with the following composition:
- peat - 1 part;
- deciduous humus - 1 part;
- coarse sand - 1 part;
- soddy humus - 3 parts.
When can I plant a money tree
When growing a money tree, the time of year does not have a significant impact on the success of planting. However, with a spring landing, the chances of active growth are greater. During the reproduction of the Crassula in the spring, as a rule, the roots will appear much faster.
How to plant a shoot
Like most succulents, money tree is one of the easiest plants to propagate by cuttings. To get started, choose a healthy, strong 10-centimeter shoot with several glossy leaves. Using a sharp knife, cut these cuttings from the parent plant. Use a clean tool to avoid infection and plant disease. Further, the processes can be immediately rooted in containers with a substrate, or first put the cuttings in water.
The process of rooting in the soil:
- Treat the prepared shoot with charcoal. Before planting, let the cuttings lie down in the open air for about a day.
- Fill the pot with substrate, in the center, dig a small groove (1-2 cm) and plant the shoot there. The soil does not need to be compacted, it must remain fluffy.
- Moisten the soil with a spray gun. Keep water out of the stem. The stalk will take root in 10-15 days.
Instructions for rooting in water:
- From the cutaway shoot, cut off all the lower leaves.
- Half fill a small jar or glass with clean water, add a root system growth stimulator (Kornevin).
- Place the shoot in the resulting fluid, fixing it in a vertical position.
- Place the can in partial shade. The roots should appear after about 15 days. At this stage, the shoot is ready to land in the soil.
How to grow a money tree from a leaf
For this method, cut a healthy bottom leaf from the parent plant (it should be intact), then leave it in fresh air for a day. After this, the propagation of the leaf from the leaf is carried out in the same way as with the cuttings, by rooting in water or in the soil.
Rooting a leaf in water:
- Fill a small container with water mixed with a root growth stimulator.
- Dip the sheet with the cut edge about 5 mm into the resulting solution and keep it in a place protected from bright sunlight.
- After the formation of the first roots, plant the plant first in a small container, and then transplant into a container with a diameter of about 7-8 cm.
Did you know? The juice of the leaves of the Crassula contains arsenic.
Rooting in the soil:
- Pour the prepared substrate for the rosula into a small bowl. Pour in water with a stimulant to form the roots. The result should be a fairly wet mixture.
- Place the sheet in moist ground so that 2/3 of it remains on the surface.
- Cover the glass with a sheet. In such a greenhouse it should be kept for at least 24 hours. Do not forget to ventilate the mini-greenhouse several times a day, while spraying the leaf with warm water. The first roots are formed after 3-4 weeks.
How to care for a fat woman
Next, we consider the basic rules for caring for an unpretentious rossula. The recommendations of specialists will help to achieve a good development of the money tree.
Watering
Since the leaves and stems of the herb are able to accumulate water, there is no need to moisten the soil under the tree too often. The plant should be watered no more than 1-2 times a week. In summer, completely limit yourself to 1 procedure per week. The main rule is that between watering the soil should completely dry. If you suddenly forget to water the tree, it's okay - it will tolerate a short period of drought.
Important! Pouring a fat woman is much more dangerous than not adding enough. Overmoistening can provoke wrinkling and falling of leaves. In addition, excessive watering will lead to decay of the roots, and then to the death of the entire plant.
Pot placement
Despite the fact that Crassula grows well in the sun, direct sunlight can cause burns on its leaves. Therefore, in the daytime the plant needs shading. A flowerpot with a money tree is best placed on a window on the east and west sides, or slightly further south.
Crown formation and wintering
The pinching method is used to stimulate the formation of a lush crown. It should be done when a young tree forms a bud over 4 pairs of leaves. Gradually, 2 shoots will form at the site of the removed kidney, which in the future will also need to be pinched in the same way.
Crassula has periods of rest, when the plant stops growing. These periods are not particularly pronounced, but they usually occur in the winter. From October to March, it is better to keep the money tree in a cooler room, where temperature indicators are within +15 ... + 20 ° С. At this stage, watering should be reduced to 1 time per month.
Possible problems with money tree care
Illiterate care of a fat woman can result in plant diseases or attacks of various parasites on it.
Disease
The most common ailment that affects the crassula is rotting of the roots. Not knowing that these plants can accumulate water in their tissues, their owners often overmoisten the soil, which leads to the development of rot.
The manifestations of this disease are:
Having recognized the disease at an early stage, when the leaves are just starting to lose turgor, immediately reduce watering. If this measure fails and the plant continues to wither, an urgent transplant is required. Remove the tree from the flowerpot, carefully remove the earth from the rhizome, then rinse it under warm running water. After the roots are completely dry, inspect them for rotten areas. Using a sharp knife, get rid of the affected roots.
Do not forget to treat the places of cuts with crushed charcoal. Transplant the plant into a new container with fresh substrate. After the transplant, do not rush with watering, put it off for the second day. Fungal infections are much less common in the fatty, the obvious signs of which are white, brown, or brown spots on the leaves.
Did you know? Crassula is able to filter indoor air, absorbing unpleasant odors. Therefore, it is often placed in the kitchen, where it fights odors arising from cooking.
For treatment, use special systemic drugs (for example, “Topsin-M”, “Ordan”, “Fundazol”, “Quadris SK”, “Benlat”, “Bravo”). Treat the fat woman with any of the listed fungicides, strictly following the directions on the package. But the black circles on the leaves indicate sunburn. To prevent their formation, the tree needs only to be protected from the bright sun.
Pests
As for parasitic insects, the most dangerous intruder is a spider mite. White plaque (cobweb) on leaf blades, branches and trunk speaks of his presence. Soap dissolved in water will help get rid of the pest. Moisten a sponge in the resulting solution and wipe the entire aerial part of the tree. If the plant is severely affected, treat it with the Fufanon insecticide.
Dark red or rusty formations on leaf blades are signs of infection with scabies. The affected areas should be wiped with a brush dipped in alcohol. Then dip a small sponge in soapy water and gently treat the whole tree. Of the chemicals, Fitoverm and Fufanon are effective.
White flakes in the axils of the leaves indicate the harmful activity of mealybugs. In this case, the growth of the tree is inhibited, the shoots are bent and the foliage falls. If small areas are affected, then foreign spots should be brushed off. If the tree is significantly damaged, then use the Actellic insecticide to rehabilitate it.
So, the process of cultivating Crassula at home should not cause you much difficulty. This elegant plant is often called the tree of happiness - it has a beneficial effect on the well-being of households and for many years delights them with its appearance.
