How To Care For Your Chinese Money Plant: Everything You Need To Know

Table of Contents

The Chinese money plant, also known as pilea peperomioides or pancake plant is a popular houseplant native to southern China that possesses attractive coin-shaped leaves. It produces small, white flowers in the spring though it doesn’t often flower indoors.

To know more about how to properly care for and maintain the beauty of this plant, then keep scrolling down as we will walk you through the processes as well as the requirements.

Best Ways To Care For Your Chinese Money Plant

To care for and maintain your Chinese money plant, there are some essential things that you must put in place as we will discuss everything below. They include the following:

1. Soil Mix

The first essential step is choosing the right soil mix that can aid its growth as not all soil is good enough for the plant.

The best-recommended soil type is a rich and well-draining soil mix with a pH level between 6.0-7.0 that can hold moisture and not dry off totally to avoid diseases or root rot.

However, the soil mix must contain natural water-retentive materials such as coco coir or vermiculite. You can create your soil mix by combining the 4 parts of good-quality potting soil with 1 part of perlite or pumice. The perlite added to the soil will help to increase soil drainage and prevent waterlogging.

2. Light Requirement

Light is one of the most essential needs of every plant either grown indoors or outdoors. The chinese money plant tends to thrive in a place where there is a bright indirect light. So it is important that you avoid keeping this plant at a place where there is direct light as it will cause some damage to the leaves such as burns, and leggy, grow fewer offshoots and its leaves will reduce in size.

When placing your plant, ensure that you rotate it regularly to look symmetrical for overall growth and also provide full shade if planted outdoors.

Furthermore, indoors medium light levels will encourage larger leaves while the brighter settings however can increase leaf production and the overall plant size.

3. Watering

The Chinese money plant requires medium watering. Overwatering of the plant can result in plant problems such as root rot while also while underwatering of the plant can diminish the colour of the leaves.

Before watering this plant, allow it to dry off but not completely between watering. You can purchase a moisture meter if you regularly overwater your plant as it will help to estimate the right amount needed.

4. Temperature & Humidity Levels

The ideal temperature for your Chinese money plant must be between 55°F-86°F. Though, they can tolerate the cold for a very short period as it helps them to bloom. It is still advisable not to place the plant in a room with a low temperature below 50°F. Preferably hot weather is more tolerable for this plant.

Furthermore, the humidity level of the room must be at a minimum. If your home is drier than normal or you notice any brown crispy edges, then you can try increasing the humidity level.

To increase the humidity level of your room, you can place the pot on a pebble tray with water, must it weekly or place a humidifier in the location of the plant.

5. Fertilizer

It is important that you fertilize your plant monthly especially during spring or summer as of when due as it helps to stimulate the growth of the plant. The most suitable plant is a general or all-purpose houseplant, either as a liquid or slow-release granules.

The amount to be used must be according to the manufacturer’s instructions stated on the product label.

Furthermore, avoid fertilizing your Chinese money plant during the fall and the winter months as the plant will be dormant during the period. You can also opt for organic fertilizer which is the composting tea or fish emulsion. You can try it monthly while you use the granules once per season.

6. Pruning

Pruning of your Chinese money plant isn’t necessary but it is essential especially if you have dead leaves or roots to cut off separating them from the healthy leaves.

There’s no real reason to prune your Chinese money plant as a regular part of their care unless you’re removing dead or damaged leaves. You can cut them from the base off with a sharp, sterile pruner from the main stem.

7. Repotting

The repotting of your Chinese money plant isn’t necessary as the plant doesn’t have large roots to remove the offsets rather they love to be snug in their pots. So to repot the plant, it must be for other reasons such as if the roots are coming out of the drainage holes or the soil doesn’t absorb water as it should or the growth of the plant is slow.

To repot the plant, you need to follow these steps which include choosing a new container which must be one size larger with well-drainage holes. However, the plant mostly adapts better when it is planted in a plastic, ceramic, or terracotta pot. Please note that repotting to a terracotta pot requires more frequent watering as it absorbs water from the soil.

8. Propagation

This is one of the easiest plants to propagate as it grows offshoots. These offshoots grow from the root system and the nodes along with the mother plant usually in a place where old leaves have fallen off.

However, once the offshoots are some inches tall, it is safe to separate them from the mother plant. This can be done through propagation. The steps are as follows:

A. Separate the offshoot from the roots of the mother plant and gently dig around the soil to expose the roots of the offshoot, using a clean knife or pruning shears.

B. Cut the main root an inch or two below the soil.

C. Move the cutting into some moist soil in a separate container.

D. Do well to keep the soil moist but not waterlogged until the new plant has established a root system in the new pot.

E. Water the plant regularly and schedule a fertilization timetable.

9. Pests & Diseases

The Chinese money plant isn’t prone to any particular pests and diseases but if you are growing your plant indoors, it is susceptible to some common Houseplant pests and diseases such as mealybugs, scale, fungus gnats and spider mites. These pests can damage your plant if not treated immediately or when noticed on your plant.

However, you can use organic treatment methods such as neem oil spray or Insecticide soaps to remove the pests. You can still prepare your treatment by mixing a teaspoon of mild liquid soap with 1 litre of water.

Common Problems With Chinese Money Plant

Apart from the infestations of pests and diseases on your Chinese money plant, some other problems that might manifest in your plant include the curling of the plant leaves, yellowing of the leaves, dropping of the leaves and brown spots.

These can be remedied by ensuring that you expose your plant to bright indirect sunlight, suitable temperature and humidity level, avoid underwatering the plant and feed the plant with the right amount of fertilizer.

FAQs

1. How Do You Know If Your Chinese Money Plant Is Healthy?

These signs indicate that your plant is healthy and the leaves are a rich green with a crisp texture. The petioles or the leaf stems of this plant are naturally long, but if the plant is receiving ample sunlight, it will not be elongated or pale in colour.

2. How Often Do You Water Chinese Money Plants?

The plant loves being watered weekly and during the winter months feel free to only water fortnightly. However, ensure that you allow the plant to dry out completely before watering again to avoid overwatering and root rot.

3. How Long Do Chinese Money Plants Last?

If the appropriate care and maintenance is given to the plant, it will live up to 10 years or more.

4. Can I Put My Chinese Money Plant Outside?

These plants are totally fine to be grown indoors or outdoors. However, if you choose to grow it outdoors. Then, I will recommend that you keep the plant away from rainfall or feed the plant with too much water.

5. Can I Cut The Top of My Chinese Money Plant Off?

You can trim off a lot of the stem and see vigorous new growth very quickly. Just make sure you cut above at least a few leaves to ensure its survival. That top can be rooted to start a whole new Chinese money plant too.

Conclusion

Caring for your chinese money plant is very easy if you know the basic requirements and how best to apply those care to the plant.

However, constantly examine your plant to know its progress and close watch for pests or diseases. It is a setback in the growth of the plant. Tackle the infestations with the appropriate treatments.

If this article was helpful, we look forward to your feedback on your experiences, questions and recommendations in the comment section below. Subscribe to our blog for more gardening tips.

Subscribe to Updates

What's Hot