How to Grow Money Tree (Zamioculcas) Well? A Detailed Guide to the Latest Cultivation Methods

The money tree is a fine indoor foliage plant that has become popular in recent years, also known as cloud wood, golden cheng wood, coin tree, Zamioculcas zamiifolia, dragon-phoenix wood, etc. It is a perennial evergreen herb of the genus Zamioculcas in the family Araceae, named for its thick, fleshy leaves arranged neatly like copper coins, with rather beautiful leaf shape and color and a certain ornamental value. Now let us take a look together at how to grow the money tree well!

Growth Habits of the Money Tree

The money tree likes a sunny, warm and dry environment, is drought-tolerant, and dislikes damp shade, cold, and waterlogged potting soil. Although it can also grow normally under semi-shade and scattered light conditions, the leaf color will fade and the distance between stem nodes will lengthen, making the money tree's leaves loose and not compact, which affects its ornamental value. It is sensitive to high temperatures; when the summer temperature is too high, watering should be reduced, or it may cause leaf shrinkage and leaf drop. In addition, pay attention to keeping it warm in winter, trying to keep it above 10°C, otherwise it is very easy to freeze to death. It is suitable for growing at 20°C to 32°C. During the growing season, watering should follow the rule of “do not water until dry, and water thoroughly when you do.”

Propagation Methods of the Money Tree

1. Division: In April, when the outdoor temperature reaches above 18°C, take the large money tree plant out of its pot, shake off most of the old soil, pull it apart at the weak point of the tuber junction, apply sulfur powder or plant ash to the wound, and pot it separately. Note that when planting, do not bury it too deep; burying the top of its tuber 1.5-2 cm below the soil surface is sufficient.

2. Cuttings: The cuttings can use a single small leaf, a section of leaf rachis with 2 leaves, or a separate section of leaf rachis. In terms of rooting results, cuttings made from a leaf rachis with leaves root faster, have a higher sprouting rate, and more easily form larger tubers. Insert a single leaf into a mixed substrate of river sand and vermiculite. After 10-14 days, a small rooted bulbous stem will form at the leaf base. After 2-3 months of cultivation, it can grow into a small plant, but under normal circumstances the seedling formation rate is not high.

How to Grow the Money Tree Well?

1. Soil: The basic requirement of the money tree for the growing medium is good permeability. The growing medium is mostly made by mixing peat, coarse sand or washed coal cinders with a small amount of garden soil, and adjusting its pH to between 6 and 6.5, in a slightly acidic state.

2. Temperature: When the summer temperature reaches above 35°C, the money tree grows poorly, and measures such as adding a black shade net and spraying water around the surrounding environment should be used to cool it down. In winter, it is best to maintain a greenhouse temperature above 10°C. If the room temperature is below 5°C, the plant is prone to cold damage and its survival is severely endangered. In late autumn and early winter, when the temperature drops below 8°C, it should be moved promptly to a well-lit indoor location, and throughout the overwintering period the temperature should be kept between 8-10°C.

3. Light: The money tree likes light and also has strong shade tolerance, so it should be given an environment with fairly good sunlight but also a certain degree of shade. Avoid direct strong light, especially avoiding the scorching sun after long rain and sudden clearing in late spring and early summer, and the 5-6 hours of unobstructed strong light baking around noon in summer, otherwise the newly sprouted tender leaves are very easily burned.

4. Water: For commercial cultivation of potted money trees, for plants placed in a greenhouse, when the room temperature reaches above 33°C, the plant should be sprayed with water once a day. Because this plant has strong drought tolerance, it is better to keep the potting soil slightly moist and on the dry side, but occasionally watering or fertilizing excessively will not necessarily cause root rot. In winter, pay attention to spraying water on the leaf surface and the surrounding environment so that the relative air humidity reaches above 50%.

5. Fertilizer: The money tree relatively likes fertilizer. Besides adding an appropriate amount of decomposed cake fertilizer or multi-element slow-release compound fertilizer to the growing medium, during the growing season it can be watered monthly with 2-3 applications of a mixed solution of 0.2% urea plus 0.1% monopotassium phosphate, or watered with a balanced fertilizer 20-10-20 at a concentration of 200-250 ppm combined with calcium nitrate. After the temperature drops below 15°C, all forms of topdressing should be stopped to avoid fertilizer damage to the roots under low-temperature conditions.

6. Repotting: The money tree should be repotted once every two years, carried out in late spring and early summer. The potting soil should be a well-drained, breathable, slightly acidic soil, and can use peat, coarse sand or perlite, furnace slag plus a small amount of garden soil and slow-release fertilizer. Because its tuber is large and its root system is well developed, it is suitable for planting in a deeper flower pot. Place more stones, tile pieces and other objects at the bottom of the pot to facilitate drainage. When planting, part of the tuber can be exposed above the soil surface, and a layer of ceramsite or small stones can be spread on the pot surface to increase the ornamental effect.

Disease and Pest Control of the Money Tree

1. Freezing injury

[Harm] When the winter temperature drops below 5°C, plus damp potting soil, the plant's tender leaves are prone to freezing damage and collapse, and in severe cases it can cause the tuber to rot, making it very difficult to recover.

[Control] In commercial cultivation, during the overwintering period the greenhouse temperature should be maintained no lower than 10°C, and the potting soil should be kept in a slightly dry state.

2. Sunscald

[Harm] In the hot summer, or in clear weather after long rain and sudden clearing, or for potted plants that have been kept indoors for a long time and have just been moved outdoors for restorative care, direct exposure to sunlight can easily burn their plump tender leaves, causing part of the leaf to lose green and turn white, or the entire leaf to be scorched, with the necrotic part later turning brown and black.

[Control] Avoid direct strong light, especially avoiding the scorching sun after long rain and sudden clearing in late spring and early summer, and the 5-6 hours of unobstructed strong light baking around noon in summer.

3. Brown spot disease

[Harm] Brown spot disease mostly occurs on the leaves. The spots are nearly round, grayish brown to yellowish brown, with a slightly darker edge. This disease easily occurs under conditions of high temperature and high humidity and poor ventilation. Control method: when a small number of diseased leaves are found, remove and destroy them promptly. In the early stage of the disease, use a 600-fold dilution of 50% carbendazim wettable powder or a 500-fold dilution of 40% chlorothalonil suspension, spraying the leaves once every 10 days for 3-4 consecutive times, and the control effect is fairly good.

[Control] After summer begins, move the plant promptly to a semi-shaded environment. In late spring and early summer after long rain and sudden clearing, shade the potted plant as early as possible.

4. Scale insects

[Harm] In an environment with poor ventilation and insufficient light, the leaves of the money tree are easily harmed by the piercing and sucking of scale insects.

[Control] In commercial cultivation, during the peak hatching period of the nymphs, spray a 1000-fold dilution of 20% buprofezin wettable powder, and the insecticidal effect is good.