How to grow a money tree from a leaf and cuttings at home, how to breed and grow a bonsai with a thick trunk

How to grow a money tree correctly

To grow a decorative tree, it is advisable to plant the cuttings in the warm season - in spring or early summer. At this time, the tree grows best and gains green mass. It is also important to choose the right soil for the fat plant and a flower pot.

Crassula grows best in clay pots.

This breathable material is capable of allowing moisture and air to pass through. The soil in the pot dries evenly, not just on top. This is very important for succulents. You need to choose a clay pot for the money tree. It is the easiest to grow a healthy plant in. Crassulas grow worse in plastic pots and often rot from overwatering.

It is recommended to plant Crassula in soil for succulents.

It is loose, allows water and air to pass through well, and dries quickly. You can also grow Crassula in universal soil for indoor plants, mixing it with sand in a 2:1 ratio. You can grow crassula: from a leaf blade and cuttings. Each of these methods has its own characteristics.

From a leaf

This is a very long process of obtaining a beautiful and large plant. It is possible to grow a money tree from a leaf, but it will take several years.

The leaves of the tree take root easily, but it takes more than 1 month to wait for a shoot coming from the bottom of the leaf. For rooting, large green leaves without damage are required.

To grow a beautiful money tree from a leaf , you cannot take very young leaf blades that have already begun to turn yellow. The leaves are separated from the shoot and buried in the ground with the base down 1/3 of the length.

When rooting, the most important thing is proper soil moisture. It should not be wet, but only slightly damp. The top soil should dry out between waterings. Crassula leaves quickly rot in wet soil.

From a cutting

The most popular way is to grow crassula at home from cuttings. In order to grow a tree, you need to take good planting material with thick and not twisted shoots. Freshly cut cuttings can be either without roots or with already grown aerial roots.

It is best to take a cutting with roots, as it takes root and begins to grow much faster.

Cuttings are rooted in spring and summer, since they take root most quickly in the warm season. But you can plant a tree from a cutting in the fall. In winter, it is not advisable to breed Crassula.

During the dormant period, cuttings take root reluctantly and may rot and disappear.

But some specimens can still take root, although this will take more than 1 month. Root cuttings in soil and water. To root in the ground, you need to dig in the cuttings and systematically lightly moisten the soil. If the cuttings are rooted in water, use boiled water, which is cooled to room temperature.

How to root Crassula in the ground?

Let's figure out how to plant a leaf in a pot with soil. A leaf prepared for propagation can be immediately planted in a pot, bypassing the germination stage in water. This method may take a little longer, but is a little less labor intensive. Both a ceramic pot and a plastic one are suitable for planting. The sequence of actions for rooting Crassula is as follows :

it is necessary to prepare a container for planting;
cut a leaf;
fill the container with soil (it is best to use special soil for cacti and succulents) and make a small depression in it;
the sheet is placed about a third into the recess and sprinkled with earth;
if necessary, you can organize support;
Moistening is best done by spraying, trying not to get on the sprout itself.

If universal soil was used instead of special soil for cacti and succulents, it makes sense to dilute it with sand in a 3:1 ratio.

also prepare the soil for planting a money tree yourself , for this you need to mix thoroughly:

3 parts of turf land;
1 part leaf soil;
1 part humus;
1 part sand.

Features of caring for a fat woman

Crassula is a very unpretentious plant. It is quite easy to grow and care does not take much time. Like most succulents, the Crassula does not tolerate waterlogged soil, so watering plays a vital role in its life.

However, you should also pay attention to other components of caring for this plant:

Feeding;
Temperature;
Humidity;
Lighting;
Trimming;
Transfer.

Watering rules

Watering the money tree is not the same in different seasons. In winter, during the dormant period, the plant is kept at low temperatures and dry. Watering is carried out no more than once every 3-4 weeks. In this case, the earth should be slightly damp only in the center of the earthen clod.

In early spring, when the dormant period ends, the plant is gradually removed from dormancy by increasing watering. In late autumn, watering is reduced, preparing the fat plant for wintering. During the growing season, the fat plant is watered depending on the air temperature.

In hot weather, water generously once a week. Between waterings, the top layer of soil should dry out by 3-4 cm. If the weather is rainy and cool, watering is significantly reduced. Water approximately once every 2 weeks. Always check the soil moisture before watering. Do not water until the top layer of soil in the pot is dry.

Plant nutrition

Crassula is fed only during the growing season - from May to October. In winter, when the plant is at rest, fertilizing is not carried out. If the tree was transplanted into new soil in early spring, then it begins to be fed 3-4 months after transplantation.

Fertilizing is carried out with fertilizers for succulents and cacti.

If it is not possible to purchase such fertilizers, use liquid formulations for decorative leafy indoor plants. But the concentration is 2 times less than indicated in the instructions for this product.

Liquid formulations are easiest to use. They are diluted with water and watered the plant. But this should be done only after the main watering, when the soil is well moistened. This is done so as not to damage the roots of the plant with a large amount of fertilizer.

Lighting and temperature conditions

A comfortable temperature range for the fat woman is 20-25ºС. The exception is the dormant period in winter, when the temperature drops. In winter, the fat plant is kept at a temperature of 13-17ºС.

Sudden temperature changes should not be allowed, which could cause the money tree to shed its leaves.

For a beautiful appearance, the money tree needs bright but diffused light. Direct sun exposure to the plant's leaves can cause them to turn red and wilt. Crassula requires intense lighting all year round, especially in winter.

To grow a money tree, high air humidity is not required.

It grows well in normal humidity in a city apartment. The plant can be washed with warm water in the shower, but this is not done often. Usually this procedure is carried out as a hygienic procedure no more than once a month.

Place the plant on windowsills oriented to the southeast. Here the sun is only in the morning. Large fat plants can be placed on the floor or table near a south window so that direct sunlight does not fall on the leaves.

Trimming and pinching

Very often, the cuttings of the Crassula grow upward and do not produce lateral shoots. In order for a young plant to look like a tree, its top needs to be pinched. This will give impetus to the development of side branches.

The money tree is pruned annually in early spring.

There are the following types of Crassula trimmings:

Hygienic pruning is carried out regularly and consists of removing dry, old and non-viable branches. In addition to drying and already dry branches, cut out all damaged and elongated shoots. All shoots that grow inside the crown are also cut out;
Formative pruning is carried out as necessary. Sometimes it coincides with hygienic pruning. When forming the crown, shoots that are too long are shortened. They can be shortened by half or even 2/3. The main thing is that shortening the branches makes it possible to grow the tree crown of the desired shape. And long and unbranched shoots are pinched so that they branch.

Crassula transplant

To grow a beautiful money tree, you should not forget about replanting it. It is replanted in early spring, when it has not yet begun to actively grow. Young specimens actively grow their root system. They are replanted annually.

Trees over 4 years old can be replanted much less frequently - every 2-3 years.

When replanting, the plant is removed from the pot and transplanted into another using the transshipment method. This means that you need to try to replant the plant along with a lump of earth. In this case, the roots are practically not affected.

The pot for the tree is chosen to be ceramic. The easiest way to grow a tree is in a pot made of baked clay. Its diameter should exceed the diameter of the old pot by 1 cm. A drainage layer with a thickness of at least 3 cm is poured onto the bottom.

Frequent problems when growing Crassula

Crassula rarely gets sick. The most common fungal diseases of this type are:

Root rot;
Stem rot;
Fungal infection of leaves.

These infections develop and spread quickly in moist environments. A plant can only get sick if the soil is over-moistened and the air humidity is high.

Leaf damage also occurs from moisture getting on the leaves and shoots of the plant.

The leaves of the money tree are a kind of indicator that will quickly respond to improper care of this plant. Here are the most common leaf problems:

Droopy leaves – the plant lacks moisture or nutrients due to a cramped pot and lack of replanting;
Leaves fall - a stressful situation, most likely hypothermia, a sharp drop in air temperature;
The leaves turn red - too bright lighting together with insufficient watering, sometimes this is how a disease of the root system begins;
The leaves become covered with dry spots - burns due to direct sunlight.

Sometimes the tree is attacked by pests. This happens extremely rarely. The only species you can see on the Crassula are mealybugs, scale insects and thrips. If insects are detected, it is recommended to immediately treat the plant with an insecticide. If necessary, the treatment is repeated after 7-10 days.

How to Grow a Money Tree Bonsai

It is very easy to grow a bonsai from Crassula - a miniature plant in the shape of a tree. Special methods are used for this:

Pot of appropriate size;
Regular formative pruning;
Topping.

Money tree bonsai does not need to be large. It needs to be grown in a small flower pot or in a special bonsai container.

A small pot will allow the tree to grow roots and quickly begin to form a trunk and crown.

The trunk or trunk of the tree also needs to be formed. All leaves and side shoots to a height of up to 20 cm are removed from the lower part of the rooted cutting. A lush crown is created from the upper part. Growing a beautiful crown is not difficult. But it does not form quickly.

The main thing here is to create branching shoots. Therefore, they are pinched, removing the upper bud with tweezers. In its place 2 shoots should appear. If only one appears, it is removed again. Regularly in the spring it is necessary to carry out formative pruning. Branches that are too long are shortened, creating a specific shape for the tree crown.

How to grow a money tree with a thick trunk

How to properly grow a fat plant with a thick trunk? It takes time, skills and certain knowledge. You can only grow a beautiful fat woman alone. You cannot plant 2 or 3 cuttings in a pot at once. They will not have enough nutrients, they will shade each other and stretch out. There can be no talk of any thick trunk under these conditions.

To make the Crassula trunk thicker, it needs to be planted in a small pot.

When transplanting, there should be no more than 1 cm from the roots to the walls of the pot. In this case, the root system quickly grows to the walls and begins to cover the earthen ball without growing much. At the same time, the plant begins to grow a trunk and shoots.

You can grow a beautiful money tree only in bright, diffused light.

Lack of light will affect the shape of the crown and the thickness of the trunk. Even during the dormant period, the tree should be placed in the most illuminated place. If there is a lack of lighting in winter, phytolamps should be used.

How big does a money tree grow? Crassulas reach impressive sizes indoors. They often grow up to 1.5 m in height, and their crown diameter is up to 2 m.

Features of Crassula propagation using leaves

Unlike propagation using a money tree cutting, which is essentially a ready-made plant, growing a plant from a leaf requires a little more time, but if you follow simple rules, success is guaranteed.

In order to propagate the plant, almost any healthy leaf will do; it can be cut or carefully broken off from an adult tree, or even just pick up a leaf that has just fallen. It often happens that fallen leaves take root on their own in a pot next to an adult plant and produce new shoots.

There are 2 main methods of propagating a money tree using a leaf.:

The first option is more preferable, since the preliminary development of new roots in water guarantees a greater chance that the seedling will take root.

How to grow a money tree at home

Growing a money tree at home is not at all difficult. Having one large plant, you can prepare planting material that will be enough to grow many young specimens. Crassula reproduces vegetatively and by sowing seeds. For propagation, the following vegetative methods are used: leaf rooting and cuttings.

Seeds

It will take a long time to grow crassula from seeds. This is one of the reasons why it is not popular in indoor culture. It is also difficult to obtain money tree seeds, since in apartment conditions it blooms very rarely. But if you buy seeds at a garden center or online store, you can try it.

For sowing, use low containers filled with moistened soil mixture for fat plants.

Seeds are sown on the surface of the soil and lightly pressed into the surface. You can pour a very thin layer of coarse sand on top. Then the container is covered with glass and the seeds are germinated at a temperature of 18-25ºC. The shoots dive twice. First, a month after germination, and then, when the sprouts reach a height of 5 cm. The second time they dive into separate pots.

Rooting a leaf

Crassula leaves take root very quickly - from 1 to 2 weeks. Sometimes you can find a leaf with already formed aerial roots. But the young plant begins to grow from a baby - a shoot from the base of the leaf.

Such a shoot can grow only after 1-2 months.

For rooting, you will need a container with moistened soil, into which the leaves are dropped, base down. The temperature for rooting should be the same as for seed germination. The soil in the container is periodically moistened; the container is not covered. After the babies appear on the leaves, they can be transplanted into separate pots. They are cared for like mature trees. There can be 2-3 babies on one leaf, which will then form into fatty plants.

Cuttings

Cuttings are cut from a large overgrown specimen. It is easier to grow a tree from apical cuttings at least 10 cm long, but stem cuttings from the middle of the shoot can also take root. After cutting, the tree cuttings must be dried for 3-4 hours.

If the cuttings are rooted in the ground, then they are buried immediately in separate pots. They are placed in partial shade, the soil is periodically moistened.

If the cuttings begin to grow, it means they have taken root. If cuttings are rooted in water, they are placed in a container with boiled water at room temperature and kept there until roots form.

As soon as the cutting has taken root at least 5 cm long, it is planted in a separate pot and cared for like an adult fat plant. For the first month, it is advisable to keep the young plant in partial shade.

Is it possible to attract wealth using a money tree?

According to Feng Shui, a money tree growing in a house increases the family’s income with each new leaf. But for this rule to work, you need to follow certain rituals:

You definitely need to grow the tree yourself; purchased plants do not have such power.
A sprout of a money tree should be taken from a specimen growing in a rich house; it is advisable to do this discreetly, without asking the owners.
If you don’t visit such houses, you can borrow a shoot or leaf of a crassula from the office of a successful bank or any prosperous company.
You need to grow a money tree in a red pot.
Before planting, bury a coin of the currency in which you plan to receive income in the ground.
You need to grow the tree only on an eastern, southern or southeastern windowsill and take proper care of it so that it develops well and actively grows new leaves.

You can believe Feng Shui or not, but there is no doubt that the positive emotions that the plant will bring will have a good effect on your health and performance, which means that income growth will not be long in coming.