Cultivation Points and Pest and Disease Control for Money Tree in Cangzhou, Hebei
How do you grow a money tree? The money tree, also known as Malabar chestnut, originated in Central America. The money tree likes warm, humid, sunny or slightly shaded environments. Many households grow it now, and the money tree has great ornamental value. If you want to grow one, take a look. This money tree growing guide uses Cangzhou, Hebei as an example.
1 Cultivation Points
1.1 Temperature
The most suitable temperature for money tree growth is 20 °C to 30 °C. In winter, the minimum temperature should be kept between 18 °C and 20 °C. Below 10 °C, the money tree will suffer cold damage, so the money tree needs to be kept warm in winter.
1.2 Light
The money tree is a strongly sun-loving plant and likes sunlight, but it should be protected from scorching exposure. The money tree also has fairly strong shade tolerance; in an indoor environment with weak light, it can be kept for up to 4 weeks.
1.3 Water
The money tree likes humid environments, especially during the high-temperature growing period in summer, when it needs sufficient water and should be watered every day, but waterlogging in the pot must be avoided. To create a microclimate with higher air humidity, you can often spray water on the leaves and surrounding environment. However, it has fairly strong drought tolerance. In winter, when temperatures are low, watering should be reduced; watering once a week is enough.
1.4 Soil and Fertilizer Management
The money tree is a fertilizer-loving plant and requires sufficient base fertilizer. Replace the potting soil once a year, gradually increase the diameter of the pot, and add base fertilizer at the same time. The nutrient soil can be made by mixing garden soil, sawdust, river sand and sieved coal cinders in a ratio of 5:2:2:1, plus a small amount of peanut cake powder, soybean cake residue or dried sesame paste. At the same time, during its growing season, fertilizer should be applied twice a month. To improve ornamental value and prevent the plant from growing leggy, apply less nitrogen fertilizer during the peak growing season.
1.5 Pruning
Pruning the money tree mainly involves removing leggy branches. For vigorous branches, leave only 3 to 4 buds at the base. You can also prune for shaping according to your own preferences. Very weak branches should be cut off from the base, and yellow leaves and leaves with dry, withered edges should also be removed. To prevent rot, do not let pruned branches get rained on or sprayed with water, and place them in a darker place or under tree shade, while controlling watering.
2 Propagation Methods
The money tree has four propagation methods: cutting propagation, seed propagation, grafting propagation and tissue culture propagation, but in home care, cutting propagation and seed propagation are the two commonly used methods.
2.1 Cutting Propagation
In spring and autumn, take vigorous old branches about 20 cm long from the money tree plant, keep only the two leaves at the upper part of the branch, remove all the lower leaves, then insert the branch into vermiculite to a depth of about 15 cm. Place the newly cut money tree in a ventilated, shady place, and new roots will grow after 2 to 3 months.
2.2 Seed Propagation
Money tree seeds cannot be stored for long. After the fruit forms from September to October, take out the seeds and sow them immediately. When sowing, first water the potting soil thoroughly, scatter the seeds, spray lightly with a spray bottle, then cover with 3 to 4 cm of vermiculite with a moisture content of about 80%. Place the flowerpot in a shaded place. Keep the potting soil moist; under normal conditions, they will sprout after 7 d.
3 Pest and Disease Control
3.1 Diseases
Common diseases of the money tree include root rot and leaf blight. A generally damp, shady environment easily causes root rot; after symptoms appear, it can be treated by spraying with Previcur or zinc manganese metalaxyl. Leaf blight mainly occurs at the edges of the leaves; after symptoms appear, spraying with agents such as carbendazim or chlorothalonil is enough.
3.2 Insect Pests
The main pest is the sugarcane borer moth. Control is generally carried out at the beginning of winter. The method is to spray 3% carbofuran once every 10 d, for 2 to 3 times in a row, which can kill the overwintering sugarcane borer moth larvae.
The above are the cultivation techniques for the money tree. Those who grow a money tree at home can take a good look and see what shortcomings they usually have!
Money Tree Pest and Disease Control Knowledge: Common Pests and Diseases and Control Methods
Money Tree Pest and Disease Control Knowledge
Yellow Leaves
First, water-yellowing: caused by overly frequent watering. Its characteristic is that old leaves show no obvious change while young leaves turn yellow. In this case, watering should be controlled immediately.
Second, drought-yellowing: caused by lack of water and drought. Its characteristic is that old leaves turn yellow first from the bottom upward. If the water shortage lasts a little longer, the whole plant's leaves will turn yellow, or it may even die, so it should be watered in time.
Third, fertilizer-yellowing: caused by overly frequent fertilization or too high a concentration; its characteristic is that young leaves are thick and glossy, and uneven; fertilization should be controlled, and intertillage and watering should be carried out.
Fourth, starvation-yellowing: caused by insufficient fertilizer, too low a fertilization concentration, and too long an interval between fertilizations; its characteristic is that yellowing starts first at the young leaves and tender stems. If no timely fertilization is given after this phenomenon is seen, it can also cause the whole plant's leaves to turn yellow or even die; for flowers lacking fertilizer, never apply a large amount of concentrated fertilizer at one time, so as to avoid burning the roots.
Fifth, iron-deficiency yellow leaves: in greenhouses, woody flowers and others often show yellow leaves due to large changes in soil fertility conditions. The characteristics are that young leaves are obviously affected, old leaves are less affected, the leaf mesophyll is yellow, the leaf veins are green, and a typical network forms; this can be solved by applying ferrous sulfate aqueous solution. The method is: mix 7 parts cake fertilizer, 5 parts ferrous sulfate, and 200 parts water into a diluted solution and water with it.
Root Rot
Root rot is a common disease that seriously harms the money tree, also known as rot disease.
Control Methods
(1) Keep the cultivation environment dry and fresh, and pay attention to the disinfection of the growing medium and site;
(2) After semi-finished products are taken out of the cabinet and unloaded to the operating shed, spray the heads of the money trees with Sumilex to prevent damage from gray mold spores;
(3) Before planting, use a sharp knife to cut off the bruised and rotten tissue at the top of the main root, then spray the wound with Sumilex, let it dry, and plant immediately;
(4) One week after planting, when the medium in the pot gradually dries, healing tissue has formed, and new roots have begun to grow, spray the bare stems of the money tree with Previcur, Anke or zinc manganese metalaxyl (Ridomil-MZ). It is best for the liquid to flow along the stem into the potting soil. After that, use fungicides such as Anke, hymexazol, Ridomil or ethylicin in rotation once a week;
(5) If Pythium is active, spray with Previcur, hymexazol, Ridomil or ethylicin. The effect generally lasts about two weeks. If the weather is still unfavorable, different agents must be sprayed again to prevent resistance. If any rotting plant is found during this period, it should be discarded immediately.
Leaf Blight
Control Methods
(1) Remove diseased leaves promptly when found and destroy them;
(2) During the cultivation of the money tree, maintenance and management should be strengthened, with timely watering and fertilization. In each growing season, foliar fertilizer can be applied 2-3 times, such as 0.5% potassium dihydrogen phosphate with nitrogen or a 200-fold solution of double-effect micro-fertilizer;
(3) Before seedlings are transported from the south to the north, spray protective fungicides on the leaves, such as 70% chlorothalonil 800-fold solution, or 18% copper carbonate wettable powder 200-fold solution, or 50% Tuzet 600-fold solution. After arriving in the north, plant them promptly, strengthen fertilizer and water management, and prevent dehydration and fertilizer depletion. When cultivating money trees in southern regions, starting from the rainy season, spray 50% carbendazim 800-fold solution, or 70% chlorothalonil 800-fold solution, or 75% thiophanate-methyl 1500-fold solution every 10-15 days.
Insect Pests
The main insect pest of the money tree is the sugarcane borer moth. This insect is a new record in China. It is mainly the larvae that harm the money tree, and they can also harm poinsettia, Aralia, Schefflera and Hawaiian palm.
Money Tree Pest and Disease Control
Common diseases of the money tree include root (stem) rot and leaf blight.
I. Root (stem) rot. This is a common disease that seriously harms the money tree, also known as rot disease.
Control methods: (1) Keep the cultivation environment dry and fresh, and pay attention to the disinfection of the growing medium and site; (2) After semi-finished products are taken out of the cabinet and unloaded to the operating shed, spray the heads of the money trees with Sumilex to prevent damage from gray mold spores; (3) Before planting, use a sharp knife to cut off the bruised and rotten tissue at the top of the main root, then spray the wound with Sumilex, let it dry, and plant immediately; (4) One week after planting, when the medium in the pot gradually dries, healing tissue has formed, and new roots have begun to grow, spray the bare stems of the money tree with Previcur, Anke or zinc manganese metalaxyl (Ridomil-MZ). It is best for the liquid to flow along the stem into the potting soil. After that, use fungicides such as Anke, hymexazol, Ridomil or ethylicin in rotation once a week; (5) If Pythium is active, spray with Previcur, hymexazol, Ridomil or ethylicin. The effect generally lasts about two weeks. If the weather is still unfavorable, different agents must be sprayed again to prevent resistance. If any rotting plant is found during this period, it should be discarded immediately.
II. Leaf blight. Control methods:
(1) Remove diseased leaves promptly when found and destroy them; (2) During the cultivation of the money tree, maintenance and management should be strengthened, with timely watering and fertilization. In each growing season, foliar fertilizer can be applied 2-3 times, such as 0.5% potassium dihydrogen phosphate with nitrogen or a 200-fold solution of double-effect micro-fertilizer; (3) Before seedlings are transported from the south to the north, spray protective fungicides on the leaves, such as 70% chlorothalonil 800-fold solution, or 18% copper carbonate wettable powder 200-fold solution, or 50% Tuzet 600-fold solution. After arriving in the north, plant them promptly, strengthen fertilizer and water management, and prevent dehydration and fertilizer depletion. When cultivating money trees in southern regions, starting from the rainy season, spray 50% carbendazim 800-fold solution, or 70% chlorothalonil 800-fold solution, or 75% thiophanate-methyl 1500-fold solution every 10-15 days. In addition, the main insect pest is the sugarcane borer moth. This insect is a new record in China. It is mainly the larvae that harm the money tree, and they can also harm poinsettia, Aralia, Schefflera and Hawaiian palm.