How to form a money tree at home
Content:
The money tree is a beautiful houseplant that is famous for its branched fluffy crown. Many of its owners are wondering how to shape a jerk into a beautiful tree. To achieve the ideal shape of the upper part of the bush, it is necessary to periodically pinch and trim.
Why do you need to form the crown of the money tree
Crassula, money tree or crassula is a fairly tall bush compared to other indoor plants grown at home. It reaches about a meter in height and has a lush branched crown. The crown of the fat woman needs pruning and periodic pinching for several reasons:
- to make the tree more decorative;
- to increase the vitality and stability of the aerial part of the plant;
- in order to strengthen the trunk and make it more powerful, since it holds the whole mass with foliage and long branches;
- to facilitate the transplantation of Crassula into a new container, since long branches make this process difficult.
Money tree, or fat woman
Trimming and pinching are carried out not only in order to increase decorativeness. These procedures are vital for the fat woman, because they increase the life of the flower.
How to do it right
In order not to harm Crassula, you need to know how to form a money tree correctly. Pruning must be carried out strictly after the restoration of the crassula from the previous formation. If the bush is still young, remove the lower branches and leaves, and adult fat women need deep pruning of the crown.
If a highly branched and curved shoot is cut, it is formed into a regular straight segment. The lower branches are most often used to propagate the money tree. Places of cuts must be treated with special disinfecting and strengthening solutions.
Crassula crown formation scheme step by step
In the spring, the first pruning is carried out, which is considered the most important. In the summer, periodic corrective procedures are possible to keep the tree in perfect shape.
There are many different schemes for forming the crown of the money tree:
- growing trees in the bonsai style. To do this, the main trunk is strengthened, constantly pinching and cutting off the lower branching branches and leaves. It is important to regularly apply fertilizers with the removal of unnecessary shoots so that the bush constantly gains growth. The main full pruning is carried out in early spring, immediately after the awakening of Crassula;
- obtaining a tall bush with a long bare trunk. Such a tree cannot be obtained with an adult bush, since it is necessary to strengthen the main trunk from the very planting.It is necessary to form a bush of this type constantly, so that in the future, heavy branches and fleshy leaf plates do not exert strong pressure with their weight on a not very thick trunk. In the first years, traditional pruning is carried out, removing the lower shoots and leaves, then only the upper branches are left;
- the formation of a compact and low bush with a beautiful lush crown. To do this, it is enough to remove excess leaf plates on the trunk in time and regularly take care of the bush;
- getting a spreading bush. To create this type of tree, you need to regularly pinch the upper parts of the shoots. Then shoots from the buds begin to form, which remained under the cut.
Correctly taken care measures contribute to the branching of the crown of the tree.
What to do for branching so that there is a fluffy and beautiful crown
In order for Crassula to always have a lush and dense crown, it is necessary to properly care for it:
- trim excess leaves and shoots in time;
- water regularly;
- feed with nitrogen-containing fertilizers, which help to build up green mass;
- fight diseases and pests in time;
- create the necessary conditions in the room where the crassula is kept: proper lighting, the required humidity level and temperature regime.
The money tree is planted in loose soil. For planting, you need a container with special holes for additional drainage. In the early years, it is imperative that the bush is transplanted into a larger pot in early spring. The plant grows quickly, and the old pot becomes cramped for the grown tree.
It is imperative to water the bush regularly, but avoid stagnation of water in the ground. Waterlogging leads to a halt in the growth of the bush, then the foliage begins to fade and turn white, and the trunk becomes covered with black spots and rot. Watering is carried out twice a week in the summer and once a week in the winter.
To obtain lush foliage, it is important to spray with water during dry periods. This will refresh the plant, get rid of accumulated dirt on the leaf plates and increase the humidity in the room.
The fat woman needs good lighting, so the bush is placed on the south and west sides of the house. Rotate the pot periodically so that each side of the tree receives its own dose of natural light. The optimal temperature regime for keeping a flower is 15-18 ° C, higher temperatures provoke yellowing of the leaf plates and their subsidence.
To give the bush the desired shape, pinching should be carried out regularly
How to pinch a fat woman
During each tree trimming, it is necessary to pinch or, in ordinary language, pinch. Pinching is the removal of the upper parts of new shoots. To pinch a tree, you do not need special tools; you can carry out the procedure manually, pinching off the tops of the shoots with your fingers.
The purpose of pinching is to prevent the tree from pulling up, but, on the contrary, to expand it in breadth. This scheme helps the money tree grow, turning into a branched bush. You can use a pinch to form a hanging bush or give it a creeping look, leaving only the lower shoots. But most often the lower branches are removed and the upper shoots are pinched, in connection with which the tree takes the form of a bonsai.
When to first pinch
The very first pinching is recommended after the appearance of the fourth pair of leaves on the shoot.If you leave more pairs, then as the branches grow and lengthen, it will be difficult for the bush to hold the dense foliage. The bush is pinched until the required and desired shape is achieved. The main thing is not to leave extra leaves, otherwise, when they grow, they will ruin the whole appearance.
How and when to do preventative pinching
Pinching is especially often carried out in the early years of the active growth of the money tree. A plant that is not yet fully formed does not need deep pruning. Therefore, during this period, the frequency of pinching is much higher than in older years.
The process must be pinched off with a fingernail or disinfected tweezers in a circular motion of the hand. After removing the sprout, no extra parts should remain, otherwise the tip will grow back again.
Pruning a young bush differs from the same procedure for an adult flower.
When and how to trim correctly
In order for an attractive fat woman to grow at home, not all flower growers know how to form a crown of an ideal shape and not damage its trunk. It is important to carry out correct pruning and you need to start when you are young, then in an older period the procedure will be easier.
By a young tree
If you want to get a tree that will bush, pruning can be skipped in the first years.
A step-by-step scheme by which you can form a young bush of the required shape at home:
- Break off the lower small shoots.
- Single shoots are removed, and long lateral shoots are pinched.
- On long lignified shoots, the growth point is removed.
- The upper long branches are completely removed.
- Sections are treated with a solution of potassium permanganate.
By the old tree
Old trees especially need pruning, otherwise they can break under the weight of branches and overgrow with excess foliage.
How to prune a money tree of impressive age and size:
- One central trunk is chosen, it should be the most stable, thick and healthy.
- Shoots are removed from the bottom of the trunk.
- All thick branches (except for the main trunk) are removed, leaving at least 2 viable buds.
- Cut off large leaves and small shoots at the top of the tree.
- Sections are disinfected and treated with garden varnish.
It will take more than one year to form a bonsai-shaped bush.
Bonsai-type succulent crown formation
In order for the tree to grow in the shape of a bonsai, it must be trimmed, leaving a central, thick trunk. The upper branches should hang down. To arrange the money tree in this form, multi-level pruning and pinching is carried out.
Formation is carried out already at a young age of the fat woman. First, the central trunk is strengthened. Regularly cut off excess lower shoots and pinch the upper part so that the bush does not build up too heavy leaf mass. Water and fertilize the flower well so that the trunk becomes wider. Within 3 years, separate a couple of thick branches are grown, then the central trunk will also become wider. After that, these branches are cut.
After the formation of the trunk, they begin to form the upper crown. To do this, cut off the upper shoots, and remove the ends from the lateral ones. Pinch all the upper and extreme buds and leaves so that the shoot begins to grow only in the lower side. Periodically, it is necessary to cut off excess processes and leaves at the bottom of the trunk near the bush.
Without proper care, it will not be possible to grow a beautiful and spectacular flower.
Further care after pruning
After pruning, the flower must be properly cared for.It is especially important to monitor the humidity and temperature conditions of the room.
What you need to do so that the money tree does not weaken after pruning:
- regularly treat the cut sites with special solutions;
- put the flower in a well-lit place;
- do not allow the temperature to rise above 18 ° C and drop below 6 ° C;
- feed with potassium-phosphorus-nitrogen fertilizers;
- spray and wipe sheet plates;
- water the bush 2 times a week.
Crassula will decorate any home
The fat woman is a beautiful ornamental plant that will decorate any interior. But in order to achieve decorativeness and grow a healthy money tree, regular pruning is required. The advantage of this procedure is the ability to create a tree of the desired shape.
