How to prune a money tree? Master the correct pruning method

The money tree is a plant of the order Urticales and the family Ulmaceae. Because its leaflets are elliptical and look like pairs of neatly arranged copper coins, it is named the money tree. So what is the pruning method for the money tree?

1. Growth habits of the money tree

The money tree is a plant of the family Ulmaceae and the genus Pteroceltis. It likes light, tolerates partial shade, and is cold-resistant. It has a deep root system and a strong ability to produce suckers. It is drought-tolerant and barren-tolerant, can withstand short-term waterlogging, and has strong resistance to smoke and dust.

The money tree is mainly propagated by sowing, and can also be propagated by tillering or root cuttings. The fruit is harvested when it ripens in autumn and dried in time to remove the shell. Because the seed coat is hard and not easily permeable to water, if untreated, spring sowing the following year often does not germinate. Therefore, sow in autumn after removing the shell, or stratify with wet sand and then sow in spring.

2. Pruning method for the money tree

The money tree has strong apical dominance, and lateral buds generally do not sprout easily. If it is not shaped, it is very likely to grow straight upward, forming an upright shape.

When it grows too tall, it is inconvenient to place indoors, and branches sprouting from the rootstock make the shape messy. Therefore, pinching and heading back are generally used for pruning.

Pinching means removing the terminal bud of a branch or cutting off the top of the branch to encourage lateral branches to sprout.

Heading back means cutting off part of a one-year-old branch to encourage the main trunk to sprout lateral branches.

1. The pruning methods for the money tree also differ at different stages: during the budding stage, pinching is needed, removing the overly vigorous terminal buds to prevent the plant from growing leggy;

2. During the growth period, excess branches need to be cut off to ensure that the plant's overall nutrients are concentrated;

3. During the dormant period, dead branches and diseased branches of the money tree also need to be cut off.