How to prune the fortune tree

Pruning time

The pruning of money trees is usually carried out in spring, specifically from April to May. In early May, the weather is warm, the branches and leaves of the plant are sprouting, and the metabolism is vigorous. Pruning at this time can make new branches sprout faster and grow healthier.

Preparation

Prepare tools: Gardening shears, specially for cutting thick branches. Try not to use ordinary scissors at home. Not only will it irritate your hands, but it will also cause the incision to be too large, affecting subsequent recovery. Gloves are also necessary. When pruning branches and leaves, it is best to wear work gloves to protect your hands to avoid being punctured by stems and branches.

Plant preparation: One month before pruning, place the money tree in its favorite environment and apply a thin layer of nitrogen-based liquid fertilizer. This way, after pruning, the money tree will have enough nutrients to sprout branches.

Pruning steps

Take the money tree as an example. The money tree below is growing quite nicely, with braided stems and lush branches and leaves, but it has a thick hat on top, and the branches and leaves are a bit messy.

Without thinking too much, just cut off all the branches and leaves. Keep the small tender buds on the branches and leaves, which are the green parts in the picture, about 10 cm. All weak branches should be cut off because they have weak germination ability and will compete with other branches for nutrients, so they should not be kept.

There is no need to apply any paint after pruning, as the money tree is not easily infected. After pruning, place it in a place with slightly dim light for maintenance. This is what it looks like after 22 days. Many new buds have grown, and sporadic leaves have emerged.

Ding ding ding, after one and a half months of pruning, it looks much smaller and more delicate than before.

Differences in pruning between large and small fortune trees

Fortune Tree: The pruning principle for the Fortune Tree is to shorten it, remove overgrown branches, and retain strong branches. All branches can be cut off and weak branches can be removed appropriately.

Small Money Tree: A tree with a height of less than 30 cm can be considered a small variety. This type of money tree is not suitable for pruning. During the growth process, you must allow it to continue to grow thicker and taller, and remove the side buds in time.

Post-pruning maintenance management

No contact with water

After pruning the money tree, do not spray water or let it get wet in the rain to prevent the cut ends from rotting. Place the plant in a shaded or brightly lit area and reduce watering. The amount of watering should be reduced by half compared to normal, because the water demand is also reduced due to the lack of transpiration from the leaves. If you water too much, it will cause root rot and affect the recovery of the money tree after pruning.

Supplement nutrients

Before the branches sprout, apply liquid fertilizer mainly composed of nitrogen. And during this period, water with fungicide once to prevent root rot. After a month, the branches will grow small leaves and gradually elongate, and can begin normal maintenance.

modeling

Single upright plant

This is a relatively common plant with only a bare upright stem. The leaves at the top are gathered into an umbrella shape, which can be large or small.

Braid type

Artistic shapes with strong ornamental value need to be shaped with the help of wire. The pruning method is the same as that of the ordinary money tree.