The money tree (Pachira Aquatica) requires infrequent but thorough watering. Being a tropical plant, the money tree often receives rain showers in its natural environment, so it can tolerate thorough watering.
However, overwatering is a common problem seen in the money tree. The plant owners make the mistake of giving it too much water or not taking care of the drainage, leading to overwatering and other diseases. So, in this article, we will learn how often should money tree be watered and how much?
As a general rule, you should water your money tree once every one to two weeks. Always check the soil and water the plant thoroughly if the soil feels dry. The water requirement of your money tree will vary depending upon the weather, light, and humidity of the space you keep them in.
Understanding the water requirements of any plant is not easy. It takes time, and you need to consider other external factors that can affect the plant’s water requirement.
Once you understand how much water your money tree needs, you can develop a regime and water the plant accordingly.
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How often should a money tree be watered?
On average, you should water your money tree once a week or two weeks. But avoid watering it if the soil is not dry yet.
You should make sure the soil dries at least two to four inches from the top before you water the money tree. Beginners can use a moisture meter to check this. You can also put your finger inside the soil to understand its moisture level.
Although money tree enjoys thorough watering, you should not let it sit on the water. If the money tree sits on the water for too long, it will have soggy roots that might even lead to root rot.
You should not allow the soil to get bone dry as that can cause soil shrinkage. Soil shrinkage doesn’t allow the water to reach the roots of the plant.
The water requirement of the money tree will also vary depending upon the size of your plant.
| Money Tree Size | Water Needs |
|---|---|
| 1-4 Feet | Every 5-7 Days |
| 5-10 Feet | Every 7-14 Days |
If you have an underwatered money tree, the plant’s leaves will curl, whereas an overwatered plant will have yellow and droopy leaves.
If you follow a watering schedule based on your money tree’s water requirements, you will be able to avoid overwatering and underwatering the plant.
Also read: How Long Can House Plants Go Without Water? (With 25 Examples)
Things to keep in mind:
Few things to keep in mind before watering your money tree:
Check the moisture
It can get detrimental to the health of your money tree if you don’t check the soil moisture before watering it.
If you check the soil by inserting your finger in it and find that it is still wet, you should leave it to dry instead of watering.
In case you notice that the soil is that for a prolonged period, the reason might be poor drainage or lack of light. You might need to repot your money tree if required.
Watering the plant is fine as long as the soil is dry.
Proper drainage
The pot containing the money tree should have proper working drainage holes and let the excess water drain out.
The money tree requires thorough watering, but the water should get drained out quickly, or else the plant will need to sit on water for longer than needed.
Water retention in the soil will damage the roots and cause root rot in your money tree. To avoid this, you need to ensure proper drainage for your money tree.
Also read: Do Indoor Plants Need Drainage Holes?
Determining money tree water requirements
Various external factors can affect the water requirement of the money tree. It will help if you consider some of these factors while watering your money tree.
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Light
| Lighting | Water Needs |
|---|---|
| Low lighting | Every 7-14 Days |
| Medium-Bright Lighting | Every 5-7 Days |
Light is significant in determining how much water your money tree might need.
The money tree loves bright and indirect sunlight, and if it gets enough of that, it will need more water along with that. When we say more water, it means regular watering, but you should check the soil before watering the plant.
However, if your money tree is placed in an area where it does not get sufficient light, the soil will take more time to get dry, which means that the plant will require less water.
If you have placed your money tree in a low light area, consider giving it less water. You can increase the watering after fixing the lighting conditions.
Also Read: How Much Light Does A Money Tree Need? (Money Tree Light Requirements)
Humidity
| Humidity level | Water Needs |
|---|---|
| Low humidity | Every 5-7 Days |
| High humidity | Every 7-14 Days |
The money tree belongs to the tropical wetlands and swamps where they are exposed to high humidity levels.
The money tree thrives in a high humidity area, so if you live in a region where the humidity levels remain high, you will have a happy and healthy money tree.
However, if your money tree is not getting enough humidity, there are many methods to increase the humidity levels in your home. You can use a pebble tray, or a humidifier or relocate the plant to a room with a higher humidity level than the room where the money tree is placed.
In case of low humidity, you should consider watering the money tree only when the soil is completely dry.
Temperature
| Temperature | Water Needs |
|---|---|
| More than 65°F | Every 5-7 Days |
| Less than 65°F | Every 7-14 Days |
The temperature remains high during the summer months. The soil dries out quickly when the temperature remains high. So the money tree will need more water during the summer months.
However, the temperature drops down in the winter season, and so does the water requirement of the money tree. The soil takes time to dry out if the temperature is low.
Season
| Season | Water needs |
|---|---|
| Spring and Summer | Every 5-7 Days |
| Fall and Winter | Every 7-14 Days |
The summer and spring months are the growing seasons for all plants. The plant remains active and uses a lot of energy in growth, requiring more water during these seasons.
The plant becomes dormant in the winter season due to the low temperatures. It does not grow much and remains in a rest state, so it requires much less watering.
Drainage
A poor drainage system can cause overwatering, root rot, and even invite pests. Therefore, a sound drainage system is essential to keep the plant healthy.
A good drainage system requires working drainage holes in the pot and fast-draining soil that does not retain too much water. It will allow the water to drain out quickly after every watering session.
Using a good pot can also determine the effectiveness of the drainage system. Instead of using plastic or glass pots, you should use terracotta pots that allow the soil to dry out faster.
Pot size
| Pot size | Water need |
|---|---|
| Smaller pot | Every 5-7 Days |
| Larger Pot | Every 7-14 Days |
If you are not using the correct size pot, your money tree can have problems.
If you use a larger pot to avoid repotting once the plant grows big, it will need more soil that will hold more water than required. It will keep the roots of your money tree wet for long, contributing to root rot.
Therefore you should use the correct sized pot, which is neither too big nor too small.
Health
The health of your money tree can also determine the water requirements.
If your money tree is suffering from problems such as root rot, you should give it some time to recover and slow down the watering.
How much water does a money tree need?
The amount of light your money tree is receiving and the humidity it gets will determine the amount of water it will need.
The money tree loves a bright and sunny environment. If you have placed your money tree in an area where it gets sufficient indirect light, it will need a good watering session every one to two weeks.
If the money tree does not get enough light, it will require less water as the soil will take time to dry. However, if you are not careful about it, you will end up overwatering the money tree.
If you live in a location with low humidity, you will need to increase the amount of water and the frequency to keep your money tree healthy.
After considering all these factors, try to develop a watering regime and follow that for few weeks. Then, check how your money tree reacts.
If your money tree shows signs of overwatering, you should cut down the watering and place it under bright light so that it can recover. If you see signs of underwatering, increase the watering gradually.
What happens if you overwater a money tree?
Overwatering is not uncommon in money trees, but you should treat it on time if you don’t want anything wrong to happen to your plant.
If you neglect the signs and continue to overwater the money tree, it will develop root rot, due to which the plant will start wilting.
Signs of overwatered money tree:
Brown tips on leaves: When you overwater the money tree, the roots remain wet for a longer period and fail to absorb water and nutrients from the soil. It makes the plant dry, due to which the leaves develop brown spots.
Discoloration of leaves: If the leaves of your money tree are changing color, it might be due to overwatering. The leaves can become yellow or brown as these are signs of root rot.
Mushy roots: If you get the plant out of its pot and check the roots, you will notice that the roots are mushy and brown. It means that your money tree is suffering from root rot.
How do you fix an overwatered money tree?
If you want to fix overwatering, you can follow the below-mentioned steps.
- Avoid watering the money tree if the soil feels wet. Let the soil dry out before you consider watering the plant.
- Look for brown spots on the money tree leaves, as these are signs of root rot.
- Check the roots if you get any foul odor from the soil. Ensure that the pot doesn’t retain too much water, or else the plant can have a fungal infection that will invite pests.
- Check for drainage holes in the pot. If the pot doesn’t have proper drainage holes, excess water will not drain out.
- If you notice that the roots of your money tree are mushy then its a root rot, report the plant using fresh soil and a new pot.
- Place your money tree in a bright area where it receives enough light for the soil to dry out.
- It is ideal for you to water the money tree once a week or two weeks. However, it can depend on the temperature, humidity, light, etc.
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What happens if you underwater a money tree?
It is easier to deal with under watering than overwatering as you need to give more water to the plant and take care of it, and it will get well in no time.
Signs:
Wrinkled leaves: If you notice wrinkled or called leaves on your money tree, it means that your plant needs more water.
Brown tips: Brown tips are seen on the money tree leaves in both overwatering and underwatering. If the texture of the leaves is dry, your plant requires more water.
Drooping leaves: If your money tree is not getting enough water, the leaves will become droopy.
How to fix an underwatered money tree?
You can do the following if you have an underwatered money tree.
- If your plant is growing smaller leaves, you should understand that it is not getting enough water. So, you will need to increase the water supply.
- If you have droopy leaves, that is another sign that your plant is not getting sufficient water. It can also happen due to low humidity, so keep the money tree away from cold drafts.
- You can bottom water the money tree to revive it some underwatering.
- If you see brown tips or edges on the leaves, it means that the plant has dried up due to a lack of water. You need to increase the amount and frequency of watering.
- Showering your plant is an excellent way to increase the humidity and save the plant from curling leaves.
Final words
To sum it up, your money tree will generally require water once in a week or two weeks. You need to keep external factors in mind, such as light, temperature, humidity, season, etc., before watering the plant.
If you forget to check the soil’s moisture before watering, you might end up having an overwatered plant. So, don’t excuse to check the soil’s moisture.
You can start by giving less water to your money tree if you are a beginner. Then, check the plant’s reaction and adjust the watering accordingly.
Once you understand the water requirements of your money tree, you can fix a watering schedule and water the plant as per that.
Never let your money tree sit on the water as that will bring all the problems and diseases to the plant.
Reference: NYBG, WIKIPEDIA, CABI, Missouri Botanical Garden, Effect of light intensity on plant growth.
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