Money plant, also known as pothos or Epipremnum aureum, is a popular houseplant that is believed to bring good luck and prosperity. This vine plant is easy to grow and care for, making it a favorite among both novice and experienced gardeners. In this article, we will explore the different types of money plants, how to propagate them, and the best ways to care for them in both soil and water.
Key Takeaways:
- Money plant, also known as pothos, is a popular houseplant that is believed to bring good luck and prosperity.
- There are several types of money plants, including golden pothos, split leaf money plant, marble queen money plant, and silver pothos.
- Money plant can be propagated from cuttings using soil layering or rooting in water.
- To care for money plant in soil, it needs well-draining soil, indirect sunlight, and regular watering. To care for it in water, it needs a clean container, indirect sunlight, and regular water changes.
Types or Species of Money Plants
Money plants, also known as pothos or Epipremnum aureum, are a popular choice for indoor and outdoor gardening. They are believed to bring prosperity and good fortune to their owners, and they are also recommended by NASA as air-purifying plants. Money plants come in various types and species, including:
- Golden Money Plant or Golden Pothos: This variety has bright green leaves with golden or yellow splashes.
- Split Leaf Money Plant or Monstera Deliciosa: This low-light indoor plant has beautiful notches within the leaf.
- Marble Queen Money Plant: The creamy-white leaves of this variety require more exposure to sunlight for proper photosynthesis.
- Marble Prince Money Plant: This variety has distinct white and green colors on the leaves.
- Silver Money Plant or Satin Pothos
- Swiss Cheese Money Plant or Monstera obliqua
- Chinese Money Plant
- Jade Money Plant (Dark green heart-shaped leaves)
- Neon Money Plant
- Other similar plants from different families, including English ivy (plain and variegated) and various types of philodendrons.
Money plants are commonly propagated from cuttings. One simple method is soil layering, where one or two nodes of a branch are inserted into the soil. Within two weeks, roots should start to form, and the cutting can be separated from the mother plant and grown independently in water or soil. It is important to plant the node into the soil and not just the stem without a node.
To care for money plants grown in soil, it is important to provide them with loose, well-draining soil that includes some compost. Money plants require plenty of water, but they are drought-tolerant and can survive without water for several days. Watering every day or every other day is sufficient, but it is important to water deeply and thoroughly to avoid root rot. Money plants require very little fertilizer, and a handful of nitrogen-rich fertilizer like decomposed cow dung or vermicompost once every three months is sufficient. To get larger leaves, foliar spray with Epsom salt solution once every 10 days can be helpful.
To encourage a money plant to grow larger leaves and become bushier, two simple tricks can be applied. First, use a climber stick like a moss stick or a DIY gunny bag pole to anchor the aerial roots. Second, when the plant grows one round to the top of the pole, take it downwards and then when it reaches the soil, do soil layering or take a dip of one or two nodes into the same container and then take it upwards. These tricks can help to develop multiple stems and larger leaves.
Propagation of Money Plants
Money plants, also known as pothos or Epipremnum aureum, are vines commonly found in home gardens and grown indoors in water containers. They are believed to bring prosperity and good fortune, and are also recommended by NASA as air purifying plants. There are various types of money plants, including the golden pothos, split leaf money plant, marble queen money plant, and silver money plant, among others.
Propagation of money plants is usually done by rooting cuttings. One simple and guaranteed method is soil layering, where one or two nodes of a branch are inserted into the soil and allowed to grow roots. Another method is to plant the node into the soil, not just the stem without a node. A quarter or half tablet of Aspirin 350 mg dispersible tablet can be used to speed up rooting, especially when rooting in water.
When growing money plants in soil, it is important to provide them with loose, well-draining soil that contains some compost. They require a lot of water, but can also tolerate drought and should be watered deeply and thoroughly. They can grow in direct or indirect sunlight, but too much direct sunlight can burn the leaf edges. The best place to keep them is under a 50% shade net. They require very little fertilizer, and a handful of nitrogen-rich fertilizer like decomposed cow dung or vermicompost once every three months is sufficient. To get large-sized leaves, you can foliar spray the plant with Epsom salt solution once every 10 days.
Money plants have aerial roots that are designed for clinging and climbing on to a surface like trees, rocks, and other structures. To get big-sized leaves and a bushy plant, it is recommended to use a climber stick like a moss stick or DIY gunny bag pole to anchor the aerial roots. Liquid fertilizer like compost tea poured onto the moss stick can also give great results. When the plant grows one round to the top of the pole, it should be taken downwards and then when it reaches the soil, soil layering or a dip of one or two nodes into the same container can be done before taking it upwards again.
Care of Money Plant in Soil
Season
Money Plant can be grown in any season or any time of the year.
Sunlight Requirement
Money plant can grow in direct sunlight as well as indirect sunlight and even indoors in your home lighting. Though, too much direct sunlight can burn the leaf edges, you need to remember this simple concept for any plant. The green color is imparted to the leaf by a pigment called chlorophyll which is essential for photosynthesis or plant food preparation in simple terms, for proper growth of the plant. If there is lesser green pigment on the leaves like in marble queen varieties or any variegated varieties, then more amount of exposure to sunlight is needed and vice versa. The best place to keep them is under a 50% shade net. They grow faster and healthier under these sun conditions. If you grow them indoors in containers, make sure you keep at the brightest spots like near entrances or near windows to get the bright light.
Water Requirement
Money plant likes a lot of water, but at the same time it’s a drought tolerant plant and can live without water for many days. Watering Daily or Alternate days is sufficient. Make sure you water deeply and thoroughly and also check patency of drainage holes in containers to avoid water stagnation and root rot. Less frequent watering can result in burning or browning of tips and edges. Over watering can result in leaf yellowing and stunted growth.
Soil Mix
If you provide a loose well-draining soil to money plant, the roots grow faster and hence the plant grows faster and healthy. You can mix some stuff like cocopeat or peat moss, sand, perlite, vermiculite or whatever you can, along with some 20% compost like cowdung or vermicompost to about 50% garden soil. This forms the best potting mix for money plant.
Repotting Money Plant
This is only required when you have chosen a small container to grow money plant and the plant roots have bound to the container. If there is stunted growth and leaf yellowing, its time to repot in a larger container.
Fertilizers
Money plants require very less amount of fertilizers and most of the nutrients are already found in the potting mix and they should be sufficient for 3 to 6 months. Because we grow money plant for its leaves, a handful of nitrogen rich fertilizer like decomposed cow dung or vermicompost, once every 3 months is more than sufficient for one standard container of money plant. Avoid using chemical fertilizers like urea or NPK as they can cause fertilizer burns. To get lush and large sized leaves, You can additionally foliar spray it with Epsom salt solution – like 1 teaspoon of Epsom salt in 1 litre of water and spray over the leaves once in about 10 days.
Pests and Disease
Money plant is one of the top 5 pest resistance plants. So spraying a pesticide is optional. You can spray neem oil monthly once in a low dose of about 5ml per litre of water. But some diseases like fungal root rot can rarely kill the money plant. This happens mainly due to over watering.
Getting Big Sized Leaves
Money plants have aerial roots which are adventitious roots which are many designed for clinging and climbing on to a surface like trees, rocks and other structure we artificially provide like the moss sticks, coir sticks, trellis and so on. The concept is, these aerial roots also absorb some moisture and nutrients as well. So, taking this advantage, we have to follow these two simple tricks and hacks to get big sized leaves and lush bushy fast growing money plant. No doubt the size of the leaves also depends on the type of money plants and its genetic make up.
First Trick to Apply is: Use a Climber stick like coco coir stick, a moss stick or your own DIY gunny bag pole to anchor the aerial roots. The best one is a moss stick which is made of sphagnum moss. You can easily anchor the aerial roots into the moss and tie it up to hold in place. Make sure whenever you water your money plant, you water the moss stick as well. Liquid fertilizer like compost tea poured on to the moss stick also gives great results.
The Second Trick is: When it grows one round to the top of the pole, you take it downwards and then when it reaches the soil, you do soil layering or take a dip of one or two nodes into the same container and then take it upwards. This helps development of multiple branches and hence more leaves.