After a buzz cut, the copper coin plant's new leaves grow in perfectly even, and when measured they turn out to be bigger than lotus leaves
Copper coin plant with 8 cm leaves - why prune it?
The copper coin plant is practically on par with an invasive species - as long as the environment is moist, toss it in and a whole patch will grow. Gardening enthusiasts who like it don't even need to buy it; just keep an eye out when you go out, and if you come across some, pick a few stems and take them home to grow.
A copper coin plant grown with turtle tank water filled up a plastic box in less than half a year, with every leaf glossy green - it looks absolutely spectacular.
Grab a ruler and measure - wow, the leaves are basically all 8 cm wide. So... why still prune?
Copper coin plants tend to get leggy in summer, with some long and some short, not very neat, and when too densely packed, some unhealthy leaves tucked inside are hard to spot. If not now, when?
Copper coin plant buzz cut diary
1. Cut when you say cut. Prepare a pair of sharp scissors, and it's best to first burn the blades with a lighter or roast them over a stove flame to sterilize at high temperature (let them cool before use).
2. Grab a handful and cut a handful. You can cut aggressively, leaving only about 2 cm above the water surface. Look - this one handful contains many dead leaves that could easily cause pests and diseases. You really wouldn't know without cutting.
3. The look after cutting - it seems a bit messy and dirty. Good thing it was pruned; this is a perfect chance to clean it up!
4. After the buzz cut, first avoid direct sunlight and place the copper coin plant in a shady spot to recover. Within three to five days, new little "copper coins" will sprout again, and in perfectly even rows too!
5. After the leaves sprout, it can get a bit of indirect light, which prevents leggy growth and makes the leaves sturdy and green. It can be sunned in the morning and afternoon, but the midday sun is too strong and requires shading.
6. After about 2 weeks, the buzz-cut copper coin plant will grow steadily, and the leaves will be a full size bigger than before!
Grow copper coin plant this way, and the "money" multiplies
After a buzz cut, the copper coin plant itself gets a growth boost and the risk of pests and diseases is reduced. Besides this method for growing copper coin plant well, you can also learn a few more tricks to make the "money" bigger and more plentiful!
1. Hydroponic in a pot - full sun; soil-grown - shade
If growing hydroponically, the water supply is already sufficient, so it needs more sun to develop thick, glossy green leaves and avoid leggy growth and disease. If the copper coin plant is soil-grown, it should be kept in a shady spot, because strong sun makes water evaporate quickly, and too much sun will dry it out and kill it.
2. Serve rice-washing water once a month
The oft-repeated rice-washing water must be fully fermented before use. Compared with other homemade fertilizers, rice-washing water has less odor and greater effect. Leave it in a plastic bottle in the sun for 1 week and it's ready. It can be used for both soil-grown and hydroponic plants. Pouring 5-10 ml at a time is enough.
3. Add nutrient solution or compound fertilizer
The copper coin plant is also quite greedy for "food." Ambitious gardening enthusiasts, go ahead and fertilize boldly - adding 10 granules of compound fertilizer or 3-5 ml of nutrient solution each month can grow copper coin plants as big as lotus leaves!
4. Prevent and control pests and diseases
Hydroponic copper coin plants easily breed small insects. You can add some minced garlic, crushed mosquito coils, or a few strands of cigarette tobacco to the water - all can kill the small insects in the water. If it's scale insects on the leaves, just spray some alcohol or a dedicated scale insect treatment.