By Audrey Tan
As someone always looking to expand my family of indoor plants, the money plant, also known as the Jade plant, was an easy choice. It's a popular houseplant admired for its aesthetic value and air-purifying capabilities. Not to mention, the practice of Feng Shui believes that strategically placing a money plant or two in the home attracts or enhances the energy of prosperity and wealth.
I don't know about you, but I'll take all the good fortune I can get! Although I have yet to see any significant changes in my bank account, I love how the money plant adds character to my home. That is until I noticed its leaves shedding continuously. Whether you're superstitious or not, watching your money plant shed one leaf after another is an uneasy sight.
But what causes it to shed more leaves than usual? Keep reading to learn more about your money plant and learn helpful plant care tips to help them thrive.
Things To Look Out For When Your Money Plant Is Shedding
Money plants need optimum water, sunlight, and temperature to be happy. If these become imbalanced (too much or too little), you'll start noticing signs of distress, such as leaf shedding.
Overwatering
Excessive watering leads to waterlogged soil, which stresses the roots, resulting in decay and death. And since there aren't any roots to absorb water and nutrients to support the plant, leaves begin to shed.
Overwatering isn't always a result of watering too frequently; it could also be due to the type of soil and/or drainage used that's causing poor aeration. To diagnose the problem, the first thing you should do is monitor water movement in the clay after watering by feeling the wetness/dryness of the soil.
If the water collects and stays above the soil for a long time and you don't see any trickling out of the drainage holes, you probably have an overwatered plant.
Fixing An Overwatered Money Plant
- Regularly monitor your plant and only water it when you feel that the top part of the soil is dry
- If you have waterlogged soil, it's time to rehome your plant in a well-draining potting mix
- Make sure your pot has enough drainage holes for excess water to flow out
Under-watering
If underwatering is the problem, it should be easy to identify and mediate. Signs of underwatering include dry, curling leaves and an overall sad-looking, droopy plant with bone-dry soil.
To fix this, give your plant a good soak and skip watering for the next few days until you feel that the soil on the top layer is dry again. Keep doing this until you see new leaves sprouting, which means your plant will be A-Okay. Luckily, the money plant is one that can bounce back even from severe underwatering!
Too Much Direct Sunlight
This plant enjoys basking in the sun but can't handle direct sunlight. Therefore, where you place it is a significant factor to consider. For instance, rather than putting it in front of a window where it may look good, put it just a few feet away. Wherever you decide to place your money plant, ensure it receives plenty of indirect light all day.
The next thing to remember is rotation, rotation, rotation! Rotate your money plant every once in a while to ensure all its leaves receive adequate sunlight.
Not Enough Indirect Sunlight
Insufficient light can also lead to leaf shedding as the money plant can't support as much foliage. To support its leaves, it needs as much light as possible. If it is looking sparse, try placing it in indirect sunlight and wait and see if new leaves begin to sprout.
Temperature Stress
Money plants prefer room temperature and are sensitive towards drastic changes. Therefore, be mindful of where you place it, and steer clear of air-conditioned rooms, windows, and heating vents. To be precise, these plants enjoy warm and stable temperatures of between 65 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
One rule of thumb you need to remember is that the money plant enjoys stability. Once you've found a suitable spot for it, somewhere that's bright but not too exposed to direct sunlight, and has a constant warm temperature, avoid moving it around as it might protest by shedding its leaves.
Shedding leaves is a common symptom of an unhappy plant. Although there's no surefire way to pinpoint the exact problem, going through and assessing the above mentioned parameters will help you zero in on the root cause (pun intended!).
After identifying the problem and making the necessary adjustments, it may take some time for your plant to stabilise and grow new leaves. Luckily, money plants are amazingly resilient and can bounce back from quite literally anything!
Let me know in the comments if your money plant is thriving and your bank account has improved!
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