With their incredible leaf shapes, the Money Tree is a great stand-alone plant that can become the centrepiece for any space. In this article, we’ll outline the steps for successful Money Tree propagation to help you expand your urban jungle.
There are a couple of methods you can use for Money Tree propagation, growing cuttings in water or air layering the stems. Successful propagation requires the right stem material and the correct temperature, soil moisture, humidity, and light so it’s important you know all the right steps before making any cuts.
The different propagation methods for Money Trees
Though they aren’t the easiest plants to grow from stem cuttings, this is the most common and practical method of Money Tree propagation.
Unfortunately, as Money Trees have a single-stemmed growth pattern this isn’t conducive to division and although seed cultivation is possible, it’s tricky and takes a very long time.
Air layering is the other method we will cover in this Money Tree propagation guide. It’s not as common as stem cuttings as doesn’t work on a lot of plants, but can be a great method for Money Trees.
The benefits of propagating a Money Tree
There are several reasons that you might choose to or need to propagate your Money Tree. Firstly, it’s a cheap and easy way to get more houseplants, it’s as simple as that! Whether you are looking to keep the cuttings for yourself or gift them to friends, it won’t cost you a thing!
Propagating stem cuttings is also a great way to utilise any cuttings left from pruning your plant so never let them go to waste.
You might also need to propagate your Money Tree if it is starting to die. Propagating a healthy part of the stem helps to keep at least some of your beloved plant alive.
How to propagate a Money Tree through stem cuttings
This is a great method for any maturity of plant as you only need to take a very small stem cutting for it to grow into a nice new plant.
Use a sharp clean tool to slice off a part of the stem.
There are two types of cuttings; a top cutting and a stem cutting. The only difference is that the top cutting is the first one you take, and the stem cuttings are any that follow. Ensure that the part of the plant you are using is pest and disease-free. It’s important that all of your stem cuttings include at least 3-4 leaves. This ensures that there are several nodes in the stem cutting.
Trim off one or two of the bottom leaves as these will start to rot when placed in water.
Place in water immediately.
You don’t want the cutting to dry out as this harms your chances of a successful propagation. Find a container and fill it with temperate water. Then place your cutting into it so that one third is submerged in water.
Place your cutting in bright but indirect light and ensure it has enough warmth.
You can also use a heat pad to help aid root growth. Refresh the water so that it doesn’t stagnate. This can cause the cutting to rot.
The cutting should start to develop roots in about a month.
Once the roots are a few inches long, you can pot them into soil.
Continue usual care.
Keep a particularly close eye on your cutting for the next few weeks as this is when issues are most likely to arise. But otherwise, you can begin to care for it as you would your mother Money Tree.
How to propagate a Money Tree through air layering
This method isn’t as common so you might not have tried it before, but as long as you follow the right steps, you shouldn’t have any issues at all.
Locate a gap in the leaves on the stem of your Money Tree with leaves both above and below.
Make a vertical cut about halfway through the stem. Place a cocktail stick in the hole to keep it a little bit open.
Wrap the area in damp sphagnum moss and cover in plastic wrap.
Every now and again mist the moss to keep the area somewhat damp.
Then all there is left to do is wait.
In a few months, roots should appear from the cut.
Remove the warp and moss and slice off the stem cutting. Now you have an already rooted cutting ready to be transferred into soil.
How to grow a Money Tree from seed cultivation
We usually recommend that this is left to the professionals, but if you do want to give this a go, then below you’ll find the steps to grow your Money Tree from seeds. Ensure that you buy the seeds from a reputable supplier and monitor the environment they are growing in constantly.
Prepare a germination tray using potting soil.
It’s important that you use a mix designed for this sort of seed cultivation.
Moisten the seeds and place each seed into the potting mix.
Make sure it is covered by the soil but is not pushed too far into the pot.
Lightly moisten the soil.
You want to ensure it is moist but never soggy or wet. Then you want to place your germination tray in a spot that gets ample warmth and light. Stay away from direct light though as this can be too strong for your young seeds.
Be patient.
This is where things can get a little bit boring but as long as you are regularly moistening the soil and monitoring the warmth then within a few months you should start to see something happening above the soil. Refrain from removing the seeds or moving the soil to see what is going on as this can disturb growth.
Transplant each of your new plants into individual pots once the seedlings reach a few inches tall.
How to care for your Money Tree after propagation
Once the hard and scary part of actually taking cuttings from your Money Tree is over, you might be left wondering how to care for your young plants. Whilst the care requirements are largely the same as for your mother plant, there are a few distinct differences to note.
Firstly, your new Money Tree plants will benefit from higher humidity levels to begin with. Misting your plants, using pebble trays or even just as easy as buying a humidifier will solve this.
When it comes to light requirements, your young plants will need plenty of bright but indirect light to aid root and stem growth. They require warm temperatures above 60ºF and it’s important that the soil dries out between waterings. This is because their roots are very delicate at the beginning so are extremely sensitive to waterlogged soil and root rot. Too much water can very quickly lead to yellow sickly leaves so be cautious of that.
Money Plant Propagation FAQs
How mature does the mother plant need to be?
Stem cuttings can be trimmed from any healthy size plant which is why that method is great!
What time of year should I propagate my Money Tree?
The best time to take a stem cutting is in the spring or early summer. This gives your cutting time to root and establish itself during the warm season. It also makes it easier for the parent plant to recover as propagation can be a little stressful.
Will the propagated Money Trees be the same as the parent plant?
Stem cutting propagation, as well as air layering, will both produce genetically identical plants to the parent.
How long will it take for roots to grow on my cuttings?
It will take several weeks for roots to form on a new cutting and this process is very unpredictable so be prepared to wait a while. As long as the environment is right, and the cutting is healthy, roots will grow.
We hope this guide to Money Tree propagation has been useful and you now know all of the important steps to successfully growing more plants. Although propagation will never have a 100% success rate, ensuring your plant is healthy and your cutting is growing in the right conditions will set you up for success.
To learn more about how to care for your cuttings once they have matured, check out our Money Tree care guide.
