When to Repot a Money Tree?

Today I'm going over all things related to Money Tree repotting. I'll cover when to repot Money Trees. Why you might want to repot Money Trees. What you need to repot a Money Tree. And finally, some tips for after you have repotted your Money Tree to avoid repotting shock. My Money Tree is pretty large so it adds an extra layer of difficulty with repotting, but nonetheless a good example for a walk-through.

When to Repot Money Tree?

That question can be answered in several ways. Generally speaking, it's best to repot any plant during the dormant season. That being said, winter is a good time to repot. However, if you need to repot your Money Tree during another season it's totally fine and should not be an issue. It's just not the most optimal.

Another thing people want to know is how often to repot? Money trees can go a few seasons between reporting provided that the soil is being replenished with nutrients via fertilization. Their roots are not very aggressive so they don't constantly need a larger pot like some other plants. In addition, things like pruning can increase the amount of time your Money Tree can go between repotting.

Reasons to Repot Your Money Tree

You Can See Your Money Tree Roots

If you can see the roots coming out of the top of the soil line or out of the bottom of the pot, then that's a good sign that your Money Tree needs to be repotted. In this case, your plant is telling you it needs more room. Repotting will give it more room and soil to grow into. The new soil will also supply more nutrients and the ability to hold more moisture. In my case, I could see the roots beginning to peak out of the bottom of my pot. And when I pulled it out of the pot I could see that the Money Tree roots had really begun to crowd around all edges of the pot. I probably could have repotted this one sooner if I were paying better attention.

Your Money Tree is Growing Slower

Another reason you may want to repot your Money Tree is if it isn't growing as well as it used to. If it's growing slower or the new growth doesn't look as healthy, then you may need to repot. However, I want to note that all plants slow their growth in the winter when the days are shorter, so keep that in mind.

If it's not winter, the next thing you might want to check would be the soil's nutrients and ph. If you haven't been fertilizing much, you might want to start there. An all-purpose balanced fertilizer will work fine for Money Trees. You don't need some specialized formula. If you have been fertilizing, slow growth can actually be caused by over-fertilizing. Check to make sure you have been following the instructions on your fertilizer with regard to frequency, amount, and dilution. The best way to determine whether you have a nutrient problem is to use soil rapitests. They test the level of nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium, and pH. If you have low levels of nutrients, begin fertilizing. On the other hand, if you have over-fertilized, you can try to flush the soil with water.

If the slow growth isn't dues to winter or nutrient issues, then you should try repotting as your next solution. Once you have ruled out these situations, it's most likely that your Money Tree needs more room in a new pot.

Because You Want to Put it in a New Pot

Your reason for repotting can be purely aesthetic. If you found a cool new pot, it's totally fine to repot your Money Tree. Or maybe you just brought it home, but don't want to keep it in the black nursery pot. That's okay too.

How to Repot a Money Tree

When repotting a Money Tree, one key thing you need is the right pot. If you're repotting because it's been a long time, you see roots, or you have slow growth, then you want to make sure that you have a pot that is one to two inches in diameter larger than your old pot. It's also extremely important that your pot has drainage holes. The fastest way to damage your plants is to use a pot with no holes. You can add holes to any pot with a drill and the right drill bits. Check out my tutorial on adding drainage to ceramic and glass pots for more information.

Money Trees will do fine in your run-of-the-mill potting soil. I do like to add a little extra perlite to my Money Tree soil mix. I like to do a 3:1 ratio of potting soil to perlite. Perlite is super cheap and it's a great way to add bulk to your soil which improves drainage.

To begin repotting, remove your Money Tree from its old pot. Do this carefully especially if it's rootbound. Once it is out of the pot, check out the roots. The roots of my Money Tree were really filling out the bottom of the old pot as you saw earlier. Healthy Money Tree roots should be white or light brownish and firm. If they are dark brown or mushy, follow up with my blog on overwatering for steps to address that.

After you have inspected the roots you can loosen the root ball a bit. Next, fill the new pot with your soil mix to the height you want to place the bottom of your root ball. Backfill soil around the root ball and a bit over the top of the root ball. Not too high, piling soil up around the trunk can cause issues. Money Tree repotting is pretty easy, you can see the final results below.

Avoid Repotting Shock

Repotting a plant is a shocking incident itself. So the main thing you want to do is to avoid additional shocks. To avoid additional shocks you should wait a day or two to water your Money Tree after repotting. In addition, you should return it to the same spot you had it. This will ensure environmental factors like light and humidity remain constant for the plant. Avoid fertilizing for at least a month. You new soil should have enough nutrients for your newly repotted tree, so no need to supplement.

I hope this guide helps you successfully repot your Money Tree. Post your questions below.