Fertilizing a Money Tree in Summer: Care Needed, Improper Practice Easily Causes Root Rot and Yellow Leaves

The money tree (Pachira aquatica) likes a growing environment with high temperature, high humidity and good ventilation, and as summer arrives, the temperature naturally keeps rising, so watering needs to keep up from the start, but do not overwater, and after watering you also need to strengthen ventilation. Generally this can be done together with misting, which can lower the temperature and retain moisture, making the environment more suitable for the money tree's growth. And the money tree also sprouts and grows leaves in early summer, so nutrients cannot be lacking.

However, fertilizing the money tree in summer is full of risks, and you need to keep track of temperature changes in real time. Because when the temperature is too high, the money tree will enter a dormant or semi-dormant state, so its growth becomes very slow; if you do not stop fertilizing at this time, it will inevitably cause fertilizer burn and make its roots rot and leaves turn yellow. So fertilizing the money tree in summer especially needs attention, and you should fertilize cautiously, stopping fertilizer promptly when it is time to stop, otherwise improper practice will cause root rot and yellow leaves.

Just after summer begins, the money tree usually still grows fairly vigorously, continuously sprouting, pushing out branches and unfolding leaves, so it still consumes a relatively large amount of nutrients. Therefore at this stage you should fertilize it, but it is best to apply a top dressing of decomposed organic liquid fertilizer or an all-purpose nutrient solution, applying it once every 15-20 days. This can well meet the money tree's nutrient needs for rapid growth.

However, as summer temperatures keep rising, when the ambient temperature reaches as high as 35°C, we should stop fertilizing it promptly. Because at this temperature the plant has basically entered a dormant or semi-dormant state, its growth becomes very slow, it no longer pushes out branches or unfolds leaves, so nutrient consumption is also very low. Even if we apply fertilizer, it cannot absorb it quickly; instead, since the temperature is relatively high, water transpires faster, and the applied fertilizer will burn the plant's root system due to too high a concentration, causing the branches and leaves to turn yellow and drop.

And at this time it is generally the height of summer, and the money tree is in a state of rest and recuperation, becoming very fragile; it is not only prone to root rot from too much watering, but if you continue to fertilize, it is also very easy to cause root rot, so at this time you need to stop fertilizing promptly. We can wait until after autumn begins and the weather turns cool before resuming fertilizing it, and after the plant absorbs nutrients, it may soon resume rapid growth and become even more lush with branches and green leaves.

But for fertilizing after autumn begins, it is recommended to use fermented, fully decomposed organic liquid fertilizers such as rice-washing water and cake fertilizer water, applying a diluted fertilizer solution to it once every 10 days to half a month. In this way, the money tree, after its summer dormancy, will quickly recover a vigorous growth state after fully absorbing nutrients. And in summer it is generally only suitable to fertilize during the early summer period; once the height of summer arrives and the plant begins to go dormant, you should stop fertilizing promptly.