Can You Braid A Money Tree Safely

Did you know that the braided Coin Trees we all know and love are actually multiple Money Copse? These beautifully designed houseplants are, in fact, two to six private Money Copse (Pachira Aquatica) twisted together, each of which would survive on its own in nature.

Money Tree lovers often wonder how to braid their Money Tree – and the answer is that it'south easier than yous think. By gently weaving together immature Coin Tree trunks, binding the braid, and maintaining it equally the plant matures, yous can create cute braided styles that will final for years.

Wondering if yous could learn to braid a Money Tree? With the correct techniques and plants, of course y'all could! Keep reading for a complete overview of Money Tree braiding and some tips to keep your braided tree healthy and beautiful.

What Makes Money Trees Unique?

A Money Tree, also known as Pachira Aquatica, Guiana Chestnut, or Saba Nut, is a relatively hardy institute native to Central and Due south America. Fifty-fifty though it is a tropical plant, it tin be a bit sensitive to overwatering. Merely bated from that status, most found lovers find it easy to abound.

Coin Trees can tolerate artificial and indirect sunlight, likewise as most indoor temperatures. They are able to abound every bit a modest desk found or as an indoor tree, which can accomplish heights of six feet tall.

A tidy establish, Money Trees tin can also be pop because, when in good health, they rarely shed leaves and do non require continual repotting. Bated from its long life and ease of intendance, these plants are also special considering of their frequently braided stems. This gives the tree a unique, artistic advent and adds elegance and exotic charm to the institute while maximizing its leaf awning'south dazzler.

Practise Money Trees Braid Themselves?

The lovely intertwined stems of a Coin Tree tin expect so perfect that it's piece of cake to presume that the tree is shaped that way naturally. Still, this isn't and then. The braiding of plant stems is a do that tin be introduced to indoor or outdoor plants to enhance their natural beauty, provide structural support, and add together cultural meaning.

Most any trees or plants with soft, pliable stems can be braided, and it is common to come across Hibiscus, Ficus, Azalea, and Bay Leaf plants with braided stems. And for some plants, like Lucky Bamboo and Money Trees, the braiding is so pop, it is rare to meet these plants without their famous braids.

Keep in mind that when most people think of braids, they remember of a specific, three-strand design, only stalk braiding can accept a variety of forms. The definition of a complect is basically any decorative, interlacing of strands, and isn't express to a particular style of braid.

Some braided plants characteristic only two trunks, twisted together to form a spiral shape. This tin can be particularly bonny for plants with densely packed leaves that form a "leafage ball" at the summit of the construction. Nevertheless, some braided plants may contain upward to six strands. Fifty-fifty more intricate styles tin include interwoven strands that are so molded into vase or trellis shapes, or fifty-fifty coils.

Since Coin Tree stems are thicker at the base and more gristly than plants like Lucky Bamboo, it is rare to encounter them braided into intricate shapes. Notwithstanding, information technology is common to see a Money Tree with several interwoven strands.

These pop styles can be beautiful additions to homes or offices and can add sentimental values to plants given as gifts.

Why Are Money Copse Braided?

There are several reasons that a Coin Tree's stems might be braided as it grows. These reasons may include:

A Fuller Advent

In the wild, Pachira Aquatica can grow up to 60 feet alpine. They are thick-trunked, full of dark, sleeky leaves, and even bear "fruit" in large pods that incorporate edible nuts. Notwithstanding, many domestic Coin Trees grown indoors don't exceed 3′ tall, with some grown equally bonsai plants, 16″ or smaller.

Since these plants are tropical in origin and are part of the foliage canopy of rain wood areas, they tend to have minimal foliage at the constitute'southward bottom. Instead, most of the leaves of the tree are found toward the elevation.

As a result, solitary Money Copse tend to look alpine and wispy, with slender trunks. And while Money Trees accept beautiful leaves, they are also long and thin, contributing to a skinnier looking institute.

Just when several Money Trees are added to a single pot, the trunks and the spread of leaves appear fuller and lusher, offering a healthy, attention-grabbing appearance.

Stability

Since Money Copse tend to be tall and thin, with a cluster of leaves at the top, they can exist fragile on their ain. While this may increase the likelihood of a stalk snapping during pruning, repotting, or relocation, information technology can likewise increase the likelihood that the plant will bend under its own weight.

If you are intending to grow a larger Coin Tree, betwixt 3′ and 6′ tall, braiding stems together tin can provide increased stability for the plant, decreasing the likelihood of broken stems or trunks.

Adding increased stability can make information technology safer to handle the constitute without risking harm to its sensitive stems, or causing "plant shock," with the impact of the movement.

Aesthetics

As previously mentioned, an elaborately braided Money Tree tin can be a sight to see! Twisted or woven using two or more stems, a braided Money Tree tin can make a beautiful, exotic addition to any space.

Additionally, the complication of the braided stem can give the Money Tree an unusual, high-stop quality that makes these plants an splendid choice for souvenir-giving, elevating it above a more bones potted plant.

Symbolism

The popular legend of the Money Tree dates back several centuries to a poor farmer who discovered the Pachira Aquatica growing in his field. He was captivated by its beauty and hoped that selling the plant could assistance him provide for his family. In this story, the sale of the plants was then successful that he became wealthy, and named the establish the Money Tree.

While this is a beautiful fable, the truth is very dissimilar. Money Copse became popularized in the 1980s, gaining momentum due to the appearance of its braided stems. But just considering information technology doesn't have an ancient history, doesn't hateful information technology isn't filled with symbolism.

Money Trees are genuinely believed past many to bring proficient luck and prosperity. Money Copse typically possess clusters of v leaves, and five is an important number in Chinese civilization. Therefore, these plants are often associated with the five elements, Earth, Wind, Fire, Water, and Infinite.

The braids are likewise said to "lock-in" prosperity and success, to keep them from escaping the dwelling house. For this reason, information technology is also common to see them braided with five stems, calculation to the symbolic power.

This symbolism has helped make Money Trees popular as graduation and hymeneals gifts, as a way of wishing good fortune on those embarking on a new get-go. These beliefs accept also made Money Trees a beloved staple of Feng Shui practitioners, bringing harmony and success into the home environs.

Does a Coin Tree Have to Be Braided?

What if you lot prefer the more natural expect of a Money Tree? Does the institute actually demand to be braided? Absolutely not! Braiding a Money Tree is a matter of personal choice, and an emerging trend in gardening is "naturalistic gardening," sometimes called "extreme naturalism."

Don't allow the term "extreme" fool y'all – in this case, it is nothing shocking. The gardening naturalism movement is based on the idea of assuasive the beauty of nature to stand on its own – allowing plants to abound exactly as they are and making choices that are advisable for that habitat.

In keeping with that gardening style, a Coin Tree would likely not be braided and would grow to its own natural meridian and thickness. Merely what about those who want to acquire the braiding technique?

Coin Tree Braiding 101

Considered an art by some, braiding the stems of plants and sapling trees can exist a fun mode to level up your skills as an amateur gardener. And while it can await incredibly elegant, information technology'southward really much easier to accomplish than you think.

Merely starting time, a discussion of circumspection. Pachira Aquatica plants don't easily tolerate changes to their environments, such every bit beingness repotted into a new planter or moving to a new location. These types of changes can effect in "shock."

This is because, while plants cannot recall or respond to changes in their environments the way nosotros tin, they tin can sense changes, such equally dissimilar lighting conditions. Since a found cannot tell if a alter may threaten its health, it will often cease growing, go limp, and maybe drop leaves as a result.

These signs mean that the establish is focusing attention on the health of its roots, which are the almost essential office of its trunk. This is important to know considering if you are going to be transplanting Money Copse into a new container to braid them, or if they get a bit too jostled in the braiding procedure, they may appear sickly for a couple of weeks. This is perfectly normal. Don't brand the mistake of overwatering or using excessive fertilizer – that will only brand the plant'due south health worse.

If the yellowing or limpness continues for an extended time, notwithstanding, you may demand to check for other explanations, similar overwatering. For more than information on watering Money Copse, you tin can read this article.

But, if no other issues are present, with patience and proper care, your Money Tree should starting time to wait salubrious over again in no time.

Braiding a Growing Money Tree

To braid the stem of several Money Trees together, you'll demand to showtime with immature saplings. Unless all of your Coin Tree stems are already in the same pot, yous will have to repot them into the aforementioned container. The container and soil choices y'all brand will assist ensure that your growing Money Tree stays healthy.

First, brand sure to cull a large enough planter to suit all your stems, but do not choose an excessively large pot. Sometimes found owners assume that a Money Tree will "grow into" a larger planter, but too much space in the planter volition allow water to accumulate. As a consequence, your plant may endure root rot, and ane or more of the stems may dice.

Likewise, exist sure that the container has at least 1 unplugged drainage hole. Without adequate drainage, your plant will likely endure from overwatering as water collects at the lesser of the pot.

The soil yous choose will also be an important factor. Using a soil that is designed to improve plant hydration tin can be harmful to a Money Tree since they are sensitive to backlog water. Instead, consider sandier, well-draining soils, like succulent blends, or soil with perlite and peat moss.

If y'all are uncertain of the alloy to use, read this commodity for more than information most brands to purchase in-store and how to make your own DIY mixture.

Ideally, you will be repotting sapling Money Trees that are about 7″ to 10″ loftier, and less than 1/2″ in diameter. They should accept a bit of mature coloration at the very bottom, but still, be flexible enough to move.

Yous tin can test this past gently bending them sideways, as you would while making a braid. If they bend easily, then they volition be like shooting fish in a barrel to weave together without breaking.

If there are stems lower on the trunks that would interfere with the braid, cutting them off close to the trunk with abrupt, disinfected pruning shears. Using muddy shears tin transfer disease to your institute, so ensure that your cut edges are clean. Set aside any leaf and stem "cuttings" from the sides of the constitute for later propagation.

Do not cut off leaves and stems that won't interfere with your braid, such as those toward the pinnacle of the plants. Leaves are essential for the wellness of your Money Tree, and they will aid your plants obtain the energy they will demand to keep growing.

When you are ready to start your complect, exist careful to proceed the weaving loose. As the trunks thicken and mature, they will abound closer together, creating the tighter advent of the braided plants you meet in stores. However, if you pull the braid as well tightly at this stage, you may injure the plants.

Gently braid your way up about 2/iii of the style up the trunks and carefully let go of the stems. If they stay in place, you can leave them as they are. But if they begin to come unbraided, use a bit of garden record or thick yarn to keep the formation. Don't tie them together too tight, though – it is of import not to harm the trunks or cut into their pare.

If the newly braided found appears to lean, you may consider a plant support (like these from Amazon). This will assistance keep your Money Tree direct as its trunks thicken and mature. If side stems grow on the braided sections, you may prune them away to maintain the advent.

In about four to 6 weeks, you lot should be able to gently cut and remove whatever gardening tape or yarn that held the complect in identify. The complect should stay, and at that place should be no impairment to the trunks or skin.

How To Keep a Money Tree Braided?

Although y'all accept successfully started your Money Tree braid, your work isn't done yet. As your Money Tree grows, you lot will need to maintain the braid.

In platonic conditions, which are warm and boiling, with enough of indirect light, Money Trees can grow very quickly. However, most household weather aren't quite that perfect. But be patient, if your Money Trees leaves continue to look greenish and healthy, and the stems wait green and firm, your plant is healthy and growing.

With average Money Tree growth, it may take a few months before yous tin continue the braid. But once you see about half dozen to 8″ of new growth, you lot should gently continue your braid, as you did before. Once more, do not pull the braid too tight and, if needed, gently demark the braid in identify with gardening record or yarn.

Equally your Coin Tree grows, you may need to repot the establish. Information technology is safe to do so while the plants are still growing but be careful not to pull on the trunks or impairment the root system.

Eventually, your Money Tree will stop growing, typically between 3′ and six′ in top. Once information technology is done growing, your braiding work is done, and your tree will remain braided for the rest of its life. Want to encourage your Money Tree to grow to its maximum height? Check out our article here.

Tin You Braid a Mature Money Tree?

Equally a Coin Tree matures, its torso will get medium brownish or beige and grow firm and a little rough to the touch.

In fact, if yous look at braided Money Trees in stores or greenhouses, yous may notice that the trunks at the bottom are darker and more mature than those at the top. This is considering the found was braided equally a sapling, and the braids were continued as the plant grew.

Mature, unbraided trunks are normally resistant to bending and movement. At this point, it is non advisable to try to braid the torso of the tree. If the trunks practice not bend properly, they may snap, leaving you with an injured institute.

If this happens, your tree may slowly recover, growing new stems and leaves. You can propagate the section of the plant that broke. However, it'due south ameliorate to purposely propagate your plant than to be forced to do so because of accidental damage.

The one exception to the rule about braiding mature Money Trees might be constitute in the example of a purchased Coin Tree that is growing past its original braid. If you buy a braided Money tree from a greenhouse and find that it has started to grow greenish, unbraided trunk higher up the braid, there is potential for boosted braiding.

If this is the example, you may follow the instructions in a higher place and keep to weave the braid once the new growth is long enough to do so.

How to Braid a New Money Tree

What happens if yous accept waited too long to complect your Money Tree? The trunks of your tree are already as well firm to complect without danger of harming the plant. Can anything be washed?

Yep! Recall the cuttings nosotros mentioned earlier? Propagation can be a great way to add new plants to your collection, assuasive you Money Trees from saplings and experimenting with braiding techniques every bit they historic period.

I of the easiest ways to propagate a Coin Tree is to use cuttings of stems and leaves. Some of the best cuttings to employ are stems with a few leaves already on them, such as those removed from the base of a Money Tree braid. Ideally, these cuttings should exist fresh, and not more than several hours one-time, to be most successful.

Lightly dipping the lesser of your cutting in root hormone (like this 1 from Amazon) tin can assist increment the growth charge per unit of the new plant, merely don't place the hormone mixture above the portion of the stem that y'all will plant in the soil.

Information technology is possible to establish two or iii of the cuttings in the same pot. Nonetheless, exercise non institute them closer than a couple of inches apart, or the roots may become likewise crowded. Once you institute your cuttings, pat downwardly the potting mix effectually the base of operations of the stalk, or stems.

Lightly water the cuttings, and before long your new Money Tree should brainstorm taking root. Just, resist the temptation to uproot your plants to continually check on growth, which tin can damage their newly forming roots.

Even with platonic weather of warmth, indirect light, humidity, and water, it may accept several weeks before the roots begin to course. And it may take several months before you have the required 7″ to ten″ trunks to begin braiding.

This may seem time-consuming, merely this process will allow you to have a continual supply of Money Trees to grow – braiding them, and propagating them on your own schedule, and improving your gardening skills along the way.

What if One Trunk Appears to Die?

It sometimes happens that one body in the Coin Tree braid will appear to sicken or die. While information technology can be sad to see ane of the trees in the braid first to get sick, it does not mean that the whole Money Tree will die. You might wonder why only one tree in a braid would begin to die.This is considering plants, even those propagated from the aforementioned source, take different levels of heartiness.

In fact, y'all can visit bloom shops and stores and notice that some plants grow more successfully than others, even nether the same conditions. You may have accidentally overwatered the constitute, or information technology may have started to develop bane.

If the torso is only slightly soft, it is possible to salve the deteriorating institute by adjusting your handling conditions. Simply if it starts to plough night brown or blackness at the base, or if it seeps liquid when gently squeezed, it will not recover.

By taking healthy cuttings from the dying tree and repotting the rest of the braid, you may be able to protect your plant and grow a new Coin Tree.

However, the one thing you cannot do is leave the dying trunk in place. In one case a Money Tree trunk begins to rot, it volition expose the rest of the plant to mold, bacteria, insects, and dangers that could kill your entire Coin Tree.

If yous've found a trunk in sad shape, it is time to take activity. Get some sharp, disinfected scissors and well-draining potting mix. Yous will need to propagate what you lot tin and replant the healthy portions of the plant.

If your Money Tree is heavy, you may want to lay the planter on its side, running your finger effectually the pot's inner rim and gently moving the planter back and forth to loosen it.

Once the plant is free, look at the roots and trunks. If one of the stems is squishy and discolored, the roots volition be clearly rotted and will be squishy, slimy, and unpleasant smelling. Trim away the dying roots and very advisedly cutting free the dying constitute, so as to not impairment the salubrious roots. Then, y'all should exist able to gently pull information technology from the complect.

If the dead institute does not come out of the complect neatly, you can cut through the mushy trunk to carve up it. But be conscientious not to cut or nick the other trunks in the process, or they may develop rot, also. When you are done, there should only exist healthy trunks and roots remaining.

If you plant that the other trunks had root rot too, yous should also consider pruning the summit of the establish, cutting away about 2/3 of the leaves and branches. While it may be frustrating to see your plant lose so many pretty leaves, reducing the size of the plant allows information technology to conserve energy for healing.

If you want to reuse your previous planter, wash and dry out information technology carefully with a diluted bleach mixture. Any leftover mold or bacteria at the bottom of the planter can re-infect your healthy plants.

If healthy leaves and stems remain on the dying trunk, gear up them aside for propagation. Then replant the healthy trunks from y'all Money Tree in a pot with acceptable drainage holes and well-draining potting mix.

After this feel, your Money Tree will probable go into daze and await unhealthy for a few weeks. Be careful not to overwater or fertilize at this time and be especially careful near direct sunlight.

While you will not be able to replace the lost trunk with a new section of braid, your other braided trunks may survive, and any gap left behind may close in time. In a few weeks, you may begin to run across signs of new foliage growth, which will tell you that the rest of your braided Coin Tree is on the road to recovery.

Tips to Keep Your Money Tree Trunks Healthy

I've written a large commodity almost Money Tree Body issues. If yous're seeing any problems with your tree and take questions, consult this commodity for answers. Merely some quick tips for Money Tree care are equally follows:

Don't water on autopilot! Instead of automatically watering your institute on a particular 24-hour interval, y'all should e'er make sure to check the soil first.

This is considering the season, indoor humidity, and other issues can impact the amount of water needed. This can lead to overwatering, if you only add water on a gear up routine.

To check the moisture, insert your finger into the soil and feel for dampness. If the soil feels moist, practise non water the establish until the soil feels dry 1-2″ downwardly. You can too consider using a moisture meter.

Additionally, avoid pouring water directly on the body of the Money Tree. H2o sitting on the torso tin can invite the growth of mold and leaner. This is also true when misting the tree with water. Instead of allowing the water to stand on the torso and leaves, mist the air around the found to increase humidity.

Also, always remember to remove dead leaves from the planter. These leaves can trap moisture and mold in the pot, causing bacteria to grow close to the trunk of your found.

While it seems like a lot to remember, Coin Copse are forgiving plants.

With patience and healthy plant intendance habits, your Coin Tree can grow for years, bringing exotic beauty to your habitation or office, and making cute gifts for those you dearest.