If your money tree is dying, it is because the plant is undergoing stress caused by a sudden change in its living conditions or because of an environmental factor out of its control.
Saving the plant starts with correctly identifying the reason it is dying in the first place. If you are able to narrow down the possible causes of its declining health, treatment will be much easier.
The most common causes of a dying money tree are underwatering, overwatering, disease, acclimatization, pests and drafts.
In this article, we will discuss the different causes of a dying money tree and how to save it.
Why is my money tree dying?
Underwatering
When a money tree is not given enough water, its leaves will dry out, turn brown, droop and curl up. This is because the plant is trying to conserve its limited water and would rather sacrifice the leaves than the other parts of the plant.
Fortunately, it is quite easy to save an underwatered money tree. Just give it a good, deep soak. Make sure you water the soil until the excess flows out of the drainage holes at the bottom of the pot. This will ensure that all of the roots have been reached by the water and they can all recover.
You can avoid underwatering your plant by knowing when it needs water. The best way to ascertain this is to touch the top inch of the soil. If the top inch of soil is dry, water the plant, but if the soil is still quite moist, wait one or two days before checking the soil again.
There is no set time to wait between watering, because there are several factors that can affect the rate at which the soil in the plant’s pot dries out, such as the season, the weather and the humidity.
The plant will recover much more slowly if it has been underwatered for a longer period of time. If it has lost a lot of leaves, you cannot be sure of its recovery unless sufficient new foliage grows out.
Overwatering
If you overwater your money tree, its leaves will become limp, soft, mushy, and will eventually drop off. The soil becomes soggy from overwatering, which can cause the roots or the plant to die and rot. Because the plant’s roots are dead, they can no longer properly absorb the plant’s required nutrients and minerals. The plant will sacrifice its leaves, which is why they fall off. Plants need their soil to be sufficiently airy for oxygen to reach the roots. If the soil never dries out, the roots become oxygen-starved and will suffocate.
Overwatering is the most likely diagnosis if the leaves have become yellow and wilted. One cause of overwatering is poorly-draining soil. Another cause is a pot that is too small for the plant, in which case the roots may have compacted, and will not allow excess water to drain out fast enough. If the pot has no drainage holes at the bottom, the excess water will also be unable to escape. If there is a drip tray below the pot that is not being emptied regularly, this can also lead to overwatering.
You can save an overwatered plant by only watering it when the top inch of soil is dry to the touch. Do not water the plant if the soil is still quite moist.
If the plant gets enough light, this can help the soil dry out faster than if it is in the shade.
Make sure the soil you are using is well-draining, and the pot has sufficient drainage holes at the bottom. The pot should also be big enough to give the roots space to grow into.
If you are using a drip tray, empty it after letting the pot drip for a few minutes. Do not let the plant stand in a tray full of water.
Drafts
If you are taking good care of your plant and cannot figure out why it is drying out and drooping, it may be because of drafts. Both cold and hot drafts can have a negative effect on your money tree.
If your money plant is kept indoors, check if there is an air conditioning or heating vent near the plant. Also check for drafty doors or windows that may be letting cold air flow directly toward your plant.
Acclimatization
When you have just brought your new plant home from the store, chances are it will exhibit signs of stress such as yellowing and drooping. Do not panic; this is completely normal. Remember that store-bought plants are usually grown in nurseries where they are provided with near-perfect living conditions. When the plant is taken out of the nursery and brought to your home, almost all aspects of its living conditions change, including temperature, humidity, light and watering schedule.
The best thing you can do for the plant is to try to replicate the living conditions they might have in their natural habitat.
Over the next couple of weeks, the plant will adjust to the conditions in your home and it should recover nicely.
Pests
The most common insects that attack money trees are aphids, scale insects, spider mites, gnats and mealybugs. It can be tricky to catch an infestation in its early stages, so the best thing to avoid pests is to inspect the underside of the leaves each time you water the plant. Getting rid of these pests is imperative since they can do a lot of damage when they feed on the plant.
You can try to remove the bugs one by one manually, or spray the plant with a steady stream of water from your garden hose to knock them off. You can also wipe neem oil on the leaves to kill the insects.
Make sure you keep infested plants quarantined while treating them, to prevent the spread of the pests to your health plants.
Diseases
Most fungal and bacterial diseases in money trees are present because the plant is already compromised due to root rot.
Leaf spot disease is one of the most common diseases in money trees that grow in poorly-ventilated, humid and wet conditions. If you grow the plant in a place that is well-ventilated and do not overwater the plant, you can more easily avoid these diseases.
Bacterial leaf spot presents as brown or black, wet-looking spots on the plant’s foliage. Leaf spots caused by fungi are smaller but more plentiful.
Pruning off the affected leaves is the first step when the plant has leaf spot. Remove the foliage carefully, using sterile shears, and make sure to clean the shears after each cut so that the disease does not spread.
Conclusion
Your money tree is dying because an environmental factor is causing the plant stress. Identifying the cause of its declining health is the most important step, so that treatment can be specific and quick.
The most common causes of a dying money tree are underwatering, overwatering, disease, acclimatization, pests and drafts.
Image: istockphoto.com / Robi_J