How to prune a money tree bonsai? Practical pruning knowledge shared

The money tree likes warm, humid environments with full sun or slight partial shade, and its optimum growth temperature is 20°C to 30°C. The hot, humid summer season is very favorable for the growth of the money tree and is its fastest growing period, so at this stage you should strengthen fertilizer and water management to make it grow robustly.

In winter, the temperature must not drop below 5°C, and it is best kept at 18°C to 20°C. It dislikes cold and damp conditions; in a humid environment, the leaves very easily develop ulcer-like frost spots, which detracts from their ornamental value.

The money tree is not strict about light

It can adapt to both strong sunlight and low-light indoor conditions. However, full sun can make the stem nodes shorter and the plant shape compact and full, and in particular it thickens the swollen trunk, which is the main ornamental part. With insufficient light, the cultivated tree grows more slowly. Young planted seedlings should be placed in a shady spot, but not in light that is too dim, otherwise the plant will grow thin and tall, causing it to reach the height for braiding prematurely and affecting its shape. No matter what environment it is grown in, the place where it is kept should not be changed suddenly; changing position should be a gradual process of adaptation. If the plant is suddenly moved from shade to strong light, the leaf surface will be scorched and the edges will burn, affecting its appearance.

Normally keep the potting soil moist

In winter keep the potting soil on the dry side and avoid wetness; otherwise the leaf tips easily become scorched and the leaves may even drop. Prune and repot once every 1 to 2 years, and each year move it to a slightly larger pot, while also adding base fertilizer and replacing it with fresh nutrient soil so that it grows vigorously. For the nutrient soil, use 5 parts garden soil plus 2 parts sawdust and 2 parts sand and a little peanut cake powder, then add 1 part sieved garbage and coal cinder and mix well. Generally apply a light fertilizer once about every 20 days. For flowering plants, apply more phosphorus fertilizer to promote thickening of the stem base and improve ornamental value. During the peak growing season, apply less nitrogen fertilizer to prevent leggy growth; frequently spray water on the leaves to keep them moist, and it will grow robustly.

Pruning the money tree

Because indoor space is small, the plant shape should not be too tall. If it grows tall and affects its ornamental value, you can cut the branches short to dwarf it. Propagation method: during the spring, summer and autumn growing season, take the branches cut off during pruning, about 10 cm to 15 cm long, and insert them in a sand pot, keeping it shady and moist. They take root and survive in about 30 days, but a money tree propagated from cuttings has no swollen shape at the base of the stem, whereas a money tree propagated from seed can retain this swollen characteristic of the mother plant.