Flower growers grow many interesting plant species at home. Such flowers can decorate almost any interior. A plant that looks he althy and well-groomed blends in harmoniously with different design styles. At the same time, the room looks cozy, at home. One of the most popular plants is the money tree. It requires some care. How often to water the money tree will be discussed later.
Description of the plant
Money tree, otherwise Crassula, Crassula, Zhiryanka, is very popular with flower growers due to its unpretentiousness and decorative properties. This plant is native to South Africa. In nature, there are more than three hundred varieties of crassula.
At home, the most commonfat woman ovoid or oval. This is a perennial tree plant that belongs to the category of evergreen species. There are crassulas with a rounded shape of leaves of a grayish-green color. They have a bluish wax coating. It is also popularly called "monkey tree", "tree of love" or "tree of happiness".
Crassula has the ability to accumulate moisture reserves in its fleshy leaves, therefore it belongs to a group of plants called succulents. Proper watering plays a huge role in the life of such plants, since an excess of moisture can destroy a tree. However, the lack of moisture can adversely affect the condition of the plant. Therefore, it is necessary to consider in detail the recommendations of experienced flower growers. This will allow you to get a beautiful, he althy, full of strength plant. It will brighten up any room.
About the benefits of the plant
Krassula not only decorates the interior, but also has many useful properties. It purifies the air in the room. Its leaves contain juice that can fight pathogens. It is used to treat many inflammatory conditions, as well as bruises, sprains and swelling.
In addition, according to the ancient Chinese teachings of Feng Shui, the money tree brings we alth and good luck to the house, attracting financial income to its inhabitants. It is believed that the thicker its leaves, the better the financial situation of the family. And the appearance of any plant depends on how well it is looked after. No wonder they say that a fat woman will attract we alth and prosperity only to the house where she will be provided.proper care. Therefore, when planning to grow a money tree at home, how to care for it should be considered in more detail.
Rules of care
Crassula is an unpretentious plant. However, she also has her own requirements and preferences. Does the money tree like sunlight? Loves very much. For good he alth, the plant should be settled on the southern or southeastern windows. It is not afraid of direct sunlight on the leaves. In summer, the air temperature comfortable for Crassula is about 22 degrees. In winter, during the dormant period, the required temperature is 12-15 degrees, its gradual decrease to +6 degrees is allowed.
Flower growers who planted a money tree know how to take care of it easily. Feed it with special additives for succulents purchased at the store. Fertilizers are applied after watering in spring and summer once a month. In winter, top dressing is carried out every three months.
Plant propagation
The simplest and most commonly used method of propagating Crassula is cuttings. They are rooted in water or immediately planted in the soil. The choice of propagation method depends on the preferences of the grower. Many owners of this plant like rooting in water.
Which pot to choose for the money tree? The main requirement is that it must be stable. The aerial part of the plant is quite massive, so the flowerpot should be wide and not too high. A small shoot should not be planted immediatelyinto a large container. A small pot is enough, which, as the flower grows, needs to be changed to a larger one.
How to plant a shoot of a money tree? The selected container is filled by a third with a drainage layer, on top of which the soil is poured. The shoot is planted to a depth of about five centimeters. There is a belief that you need to put any coin on the bottom of the pot, and tie the branches of the plant with red ribbons. And then the fat woman will attract money into the house like a magnet.
Soil and planting dates
Experienced flower growers believe that the main condition for the flowering of the money tree is its planting in March-April. Cuttings planted in mid-summer are much less likely to bloom. However, this is far from the only requirement. You need to pay attention to the right choice of soil.
What soil is suitable for a money tree? Crassula shoots should be planted in special soil for succulents, purchased at the store. Turf land is the best option for a fat woman. However, it does well in both cactus growing mix and general purpose soil. The soil must be sufficiently nutritious. In this case, the plant will be strong.
For all its unpretentiousness, the fat woman makes very high demands on watering. Everything is important here - the quality of water, and its quantity, and the frequency of the procedure.
Water requirements
Like most indoor plants, Crassula loves soft, pre-settled water. It should be at room temperature, notno way cold. It is good to use melted water for irrigation. To prepare it, draw liquid from the tap into a plastic bottle and freeze it in the freezer. When the liquid is half frozen, its unfrozen part must be drained, since it is precisely in it that all harmful impurities are contained. The rest is thawed and used for irrigation.
For these purposes, you can use filtered or rainwater. To soften water, wood ash is used at the rate of half a teaspoon per liter of liquid. It is defended for 12 hours and used for irrigation.
Irrigation Methods
Crassula can be watered in two ways - from above or through the pan. The choice depends on the preferences of the grower. For top watering, you will need a watering can with a narrow neck and a diffuser. The advantage of watering from above is that maximum nutrients are delivered to the roots with water.
The fat woman is not afraid of getting moisture on the stem or leaves. On the contrary, it is recommended to spray the plant with warm water from a spray bottle. In summer, this should be done once a week. In winter, it is better to replace the shower with wiping the leaves with a damp cloth about once a month.
After top watering or spraying, moisture settles in the pan - it must be drained after about an hour.
Water from below
This method is used when the plant has not been watered for a long time and the soil in the pot is completely dry. It is also used in the opposite case - to combat waterlogging of the root system andprevention of fungal diseases. With this method of watering, the prepared liquid is poured into a pan, a flowerpot with a plant is placed in it and they wait until the moisture is absorbed into the soil. After half an hour, the remaining water is drained.
The disadvantage of this method is that nutrients rise from the bottom up with water, so the roots will receive much less of them than with top watering. A whitish lime scale on the surface of the soil in a pot indicates a nutrient deficiency. It should be removed along with the top layer of soil to prevent the development of pathogenic bacteria in it.
Experienced flower growers are advised to alternate top and bottom watering. This allows you to maintain the necessary balance of moisture and nutrients in the soil.
Irrigation Rules
Because the plant tolerates drought much more easily than moisture, it is especially important to know how often to water the money tree. Abundant soil moisture leads to the development of root rot and subsequent death of the plant. A signal of excessive moisture is the lethargy and pallor of the leaves, the appearance of brown spots on them, and the falling of branches. With a lack of moisture, the leaves darken, become soft and fall off.
To determine how often to water the money tree, you need to monitor the condition of the soil in the pot, as well as adhere to seasonal recommendations. The dryness of the soil is checked not on the surface, but at a depth of about two finger phalanges, otherwise the plant can be flooded. A flooded plant can only be saved by transplanting into fresh soil.or in the old, but well dried.
Seasonal watering
How often watering depends on the time of year. In summer, it is recommended to irrigate the plant up to two times a week. If the weather is hot, the soil dries out faster and needs to be watered more often.
In autumn, one watering per week is enough for Crassula. The soil should be almost dry because during this period the plant is preparing for the winter dormancy period.
If the fat woman hibernates in a warm room, it is watered up to two times a month. In a cool room, it is not watered throughout the winter.
How to water a money tree in the spring, when the plant wakes up and begins to actively develop? Watering is resumed up to two times in seven days, depending on soil moisture, which, in turn, depends on the conditions in which the fat woman is kept. Young, fast growing trees should be watered more frequently.
Containment conditions
To determine how often to water a money tree, you need to consider the conditions in which it grows. The rate of drying of the soil depends on the temperature and humidity level in the room, on the amount of sunlight in it, on how close the plant is to the window or to the heating radiator. For example, if the plant is on the balcony in summer, it will need to be watered more often as the soil will dry out faster.
Proper watering of Crassula, taking into account all external factors and seasonal rules, will allow you to get a beautiful he althy plant that can decorate any interior. And of course,enrich the one who cares for him, in gratitude for the good care.
