How to care for the money plant

The money plant, also called the dollar plant, is a decorative element that is not usually missing in any home. Due to its small size and hanging branches, it is perfect to have in pots wide with a depth not exceeding 20cm.

But to look good you need specific care, which although they are not very complicated, they are necessary for you to be well. That is why we are going to explain to you how to care for a money plant.

Characteristics of the money plant

Our protagonist is known by the scientific name of Plectranthus verticillatus. It belongs to the Lamiaceae family and is native to Southeast Africa.

This it is a perennial shrub whose height does not exceed one meter (in fact, in cultivation it stays below 40cm), with a lot of leaves of about 15x15mm, rounded, and hairy.

How is the flower of the money plant?

Its flowers appear grouped in inflorescences, as you can see in the image above, during the summer. They are small, about 1 centimeter. The fruit is a 1mm nut, brown in colour.

It has a rapid growth rate as long as the weather is pleasant. Unfortunately can't stand cold or frost, so it is recommended to grow it indoors so that its leaves are not damaged. Now, if you live in a warm climate, with minimum temperatures above 5ºC, you can have it in your garden, in a corner where it is not exposed to direct sunlight.

Why is it known as a money plant?

The name is funny, right? Well, as with many other common plant names, This comes from a belief, that if a cutting was cut and it took root, it would be lucky in life to the point that a lot of money would be made.

This ended up becoming a tradition, and although today we know that the fact of making more or less money and / or being more or less lucky does not depend on whether a branch takes root or not, it is still something interesting in our cultural history.

Money plant care

The money plant is not very difficult to care for. In fact, if it is grown indoors it will not give us many problems, since it adapts well to living in these conditions. But to prevent you from getting sick, below we will see how you take care of yourself:

Is it indoor or outdoor?

If the weather is warm and there are no frosts, it is a plant that can be grown outdoors throughout the year. Otherwise, it is best to keep it inside at least during the winter. Let's see where to put it in each case:

• Interior: we have to place it in a room where there is (natural) light. It is also important that it is not exposed to drafts, so avoid putting it near windows and doors.
• Body exterior:: it has to be in the shade. A good place can be under a shade screen, or under plants that protect you.

Irrigation

It is a plant that withstands drought quite well, being necessary to water very occasionally: every 3 or 4 days in summer, and weekly during the rest of the year. A too humid substrate would favor the appearance of Botrytis, which would cause gray spots to appear on its leaves, and would force you to remove all the damaged parts and treat it with a broad spectrum fungicide.

Use water without lime, or rain. Another option is the tap if it is suitable for human consumption. Every time it is watered you have to moisten the soil, never the plant.

Humidity

Humidity is a sensitive issue. Plants that live in tropical and subtropical regions, as is the case with our protagonist, need to live in humid environments. But yes, it does not necessarily have to rain frequently for said humidity to be high: if for example you live like me on an island, or you are near the coast, then it is high and therefore, if you wanted to have it outside the home you would not have to do anything.

But things change if the environment is dry and / or you want to keep indoors. In these conditions, what can be done is to spray its leaves once a day in summer, and once a week the rest of the year with distilled or rain water. Now, it is much better to put other plants nearby, or containers with water, since the money plant is very vulnerable to fungal infections, that is, those transmitted by fungi.

Earth

• Flower pot: I recommend that you use a very porous and light substrate, such as black peat with perlite in equal parts (for sale here) for instance.
• GardenLikewise, the land must have good drainage. It is also important that you be fertile.

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Fertilize every 15 days throughout the growing season (from spring to late summer) with a universal liquid fertilizer with an organic one (also liquid, such as guano that you can buy here), and you will have a healthy money plant and, above all, beautiful.

Transplant

The money plant transplanted in spring, once this has been established and the cold of winter has been left behind. This usually happens in the month of April in the northern hemisphere, but it may take a little longer. The steps to follow are:

Pot change

1. First, you have to see if the plant needs more space. Therefore, if the roots come out through the drainage holes, or if it has been cultivated for more than 3 years in it, it must be changed.
2. Next, a pot is chosen that is about 7-10 centimeters wider and taller than the one you are using now, and that has holes in its base.
3. Next, it will be filled in approximately half with universal substrate.
4. The plant is then removed from its old pot and placed in the new one.
5. Finally, more substrate is added, finishing filling the pot, and it is watered.

In the garden

1. The first thing is to make a hole of about 40 x 40 centimeters.
2. Afterwards, it must be filled in more or less half with universal substrate.
3. Then it is carefully removed from the pot and into the hole. If it was too high or too low with respect to the ground level, it would have to be removed or ground.
4. Finally, it is finished filling and watered.

Pests

It is a very resistant plant to pests, but when the environment is dry and warm you have to watch out for mealybugs. These will be found on the underside of the leaves and on the stems. Although there are many types, the one that affects the Plectranthus the most is the cottony, which is removed with water and neutral soap, diatomaceous earth (for sale here), or even simply cleaning the plant with water.

Management

They can have basically three:

• Botrytis: A grayish powder will appear on the leaves and stems, and these will become soft. It also affects the flowers and fruits, if you have them. More information.
• Roya: we will see red spots on the leaves. More information.
• Powdery mildew: this only affects the leaves where whitish spots will appear. More information.

All of them are treated with fungicides (for sale here). But it will also be necessary to reduce the risks, since they appear when you water excessively.

Money plant problems

When it comes to cultivating it, sometimes problems can arise, for example:

Yellow sheets

The yellowing of the leaves is due to multiple causes:

• Have reached the end of their life- If the rest of the plant is fine, there is nothing to worry about.
• Excess irrigation: When overwatered, the lower leaves turn yellow quickly. In this case, the irrigation must be temporarily suspended.
• Lack of irrigation: on the contrary, if it is watered little, we will see the newer leaves turn yellow. To correct it we have to water more.

Red sheets

If you see red spots with »dust» on the leaves it is due to rust, a fungal disease that is eliminated with a specific fungicide so that it does not go to more.

However, it may also be that it is exposed to low temperatures, and that it is experiencing cold. If so, you will need to protect it at home or in a greenhouse.

White sheets

The white spots on the leaves too are due to the presence of different fungi, like powdery mildew. If running your finger over them leaves you with a whitish "dust", you should certainly treat it with fungicides that contain sulfur.

Another possible reason is that you are spraying the leaves with lime water, and what you see is really that: lime. How do you know? Well, you can easily tell it apart: if it is fungus, it will have "dust", but if it has lime, it will be a kind of "grit". In the latter case, it is important to start watering with better water, either rain or bottled.

Soft leaves, with little force

If you see your plant with a sad appearance, with soft leaves, and if the soil is dry, water it. See if the soil absorbs the water, otherwise you would have to take the pot and put it in a bucket of water for about 30 minutes.

In case it is planted in the garden, make a tree grate and pour until the soil is soaked.

Small yellow leaves

If your plant grows smaller and smaller leaves and they are yellowish, then it is that lacks nitrogen. To correct it, you just have to pay it with a fertilizer that is rich in this nutrient.

sheets with holes

Do you have a money plant with holes in the leaves? Then We recommend you look first to see if you have any pests, because it would not be strange that some snail, larva or caterpillar was the one who had pierced them. In this situation, what you have to do is apply a universal insecticide (for sale here), and if you suspect that there is a snail nearby, use some repellent.

But if there is no trace of them and if you have also had them away from home during the winter, you should know that can end up with holes after a frost. To prevent it from getting worse, it should be protected indoors.

Does not bloom

For the money plant to flourish it is necessary to place it in an area with light, but not direct. Indoors we sometimes make the mistake of putting it in a room with much more darkness than it needs, and of course, it does not bloom.

To correct it, in addition to changing its location, it will be highly recommended to fertilize it with a fertilizer that stimulates flowering, following the instructions.

withered money plant

If it's musty, it may be a problem with the irrigation. It is very important to let the soil dry out a bit before watering again, otherwise its roots will die. To avoid this, it is also important that it is planted in a pot with holes, and that if you are going to put a plate under it, it should be drained after each watering.

Multiplication

It can be multiplied by cuttings or by seeds. Let's see how:

Money plant cuttings

The fastest way to multiply the money plant is to do it by cuttings in spring. For it, proceed as follows:

1. We will cut a piece of about 20 centimeters more or less.
2. Then we impregnate the base with rooting hormones (for sale here).
3. Next, we plant it in a pot with vermiculite (for sale here) that we will have previously watered.
4. Finally, we add powdered copper or sulfur to prevent fungus, and we place the pot in an area with light but not direct.

Seeds

Seeds lose viability very soon, so as soon as you have them you have to sow them, in spring. You have to sow them in a pot with substrate for seedlings, or coconut fiber, and cover them with a thin layer of substrate. Then, it is watered and the pot is put in the shade.

Of course, it is important not to pile them up; in fact, in a pot of about 10 centimeters in diameter there should not be more than 4 so that they can all grow well.

Prune the money plant

Pruning it takes place in spring. It is also possible to do it in autumn if there are no frosts in our area. We will use scissors, such as kitchen scissors for example; no need to use others. After washing them with water and dishwasher soap, we will proceed to cut the stems and / or leaves that are broken, dry, or diseased.

Likewise, we can trim a little those stems that are growing a lot, to keep it with a more or less rounded and compact shape.

Rusticity

It is very sensitive to cold. It does not have to be exposed to temperatures below 5ºC.

Where to buy money plant?

If you want to have a dollar plant, you can buy it from here.

We hope you liked everything we have told you about this magnificent plant.