The fat girl is credited with the property of attracting money to the house. People call it that - a money tree. And her leaves are like coins. Therefore, there are many people who want to grow such a plant at home. Caring for it is simple. One of the standard procedures is cropping.
Why and when can you cut a fat girl
Pruning of a fat or crassula is carried out for several purposes:
- The formation of a beautiful crown, including a bonsai style.
- Removing old, damaged branches.
- Stimulating the development of young shoots.
- Prevention of the development of diseases and pests.
If you do not cut the branches, the plant will look messy, too long and heavy branches can lead to a fall of the trunk, break themselves. A thickened crown can cause the development of diseases and pest attacks.Only adult specimens are trimmed. Young people do not need this procedure, their branches only need to be pinched. The recommended term for performing sanitary pruning is the beginning of spring, before the period of active vegetation. Corrective pruning and pinching in order to form a crown is carried out in summer.
How to correctly form the crown of a money tree at home
In order not to harm the plant, its pruning must be done according to a certain technology. To do this, you need a sharp secateurs or scissors. Before starting work and after the tool must be disinfected.
Did you know? To protect against animals in the leaves of the Crassula, growing in the wild, contains a large amount of arsenic. Eating it causes acute poisoning or death.
Pruning
Trimming can be done in several ways:
- The formation of a tree with one central trunk. In young specimens, branched shoots and lower leaves are removed. In adults, all shoots are cut off and fertilizers are applied. In the fall, pinching the shoots is done.
- The formation of a tree with one central trunk and dangling apical branches. Produce traditional pruning, which allows you to strengthen the trunk. Subsequently, all shoots are removed, leaving only well-branched apical branches.
- The formation of a compact tree. Leaves are removed from the trunk. In the future, the plant is rarely watered.
- The formation of a sprawling plant. Pinch the tops of the branches.
Video: cropping a fat girl
Topping
Pinching is necessary to slow the growth of the flower in height and to stimulate the formation of lateral shoots. So the plant will form a lush crown and a thick stem.
This procedure is performed as follows:
- Inspect the plant and find the first growth point over four pairs of leaves. It is located at the top of the main trunk and looks like a small kidney. Young leaves grow from it.
- Pinch off the kidney with nail scissors or fingers.
Cropping Features
The formation of the crown and tree in the bonsai style begin to produce from a young age. Adult specimens, which have grown greatly, are cut to give the plant a well-groomed appearance. In any period, the fat woman responds well to this procedure and is quickly restored.
Adult plants
When trimming adult specimens, it is important not to allow the branches that need to be cut to be lignified. Otherwise, after they are cut, ugly stumps will remain.
Pruning should be done at right angles to the plant. This will prevent the formation of pits and scars. The basic rule is to leave 4 pairs of leaves on each shoot. When the trunk of the plant reaches a height of 25-30 cm, the apical shoot is cut off. This will give an incentive to the development of side shoots. In the future, cut off excess shoots.
Important! Sections should not be treated with garden varieties. This can trigger the development of rot. They must independently heal and tighten.
To form the crown of the desired shape, first you need to inspect the plant and outline which branches need to be removed. The cut should be made above the "sleeping" kidney by 1.5–2 cm. All excess branches and large leaves are cut off until the crown shape becomes as it should.Strong pruning should be done gradually for 2-3 times. The formation of the crown will need to be done regularly, cutting branches 2–2.5 cm below the place where the leaves are supposed to grow. Pinch new shoots.
In the future, annually in adult specimens they remove too long, heavy, old, weak and damaged branches that have changed color and incorrectly growing leaves.
Cropped branches can not be thrown away, but used as cuttings for new plants.
Bonsai trimming
Since the crassula grows slowly, it is great for forming a bonsai tree from it. However, this process is not simple. It needs to spend several years.
Important! It will not be possible to achieve a strong bend of the Crassula; its stem is not too strong.
To form a bonsai, you will need to trim about 75% of the young plant.
To carry out such trimming, the following manipulations are performed:
- The container is selected according to the size of the plant.
- Cut the copper wire.
- The ends of the wire are threaded into the drainage holes.
- The mesh is laid at the bottom, attaching it with wire.
- Plant a flower in the soil of fine gravel and sand in equal proportions or purchased for succulents and cacti.
- Cut shoots that have grown longer than 10 cm, leaving 4 pairs of leaves on them.
- The trunk is curved in shape using wire and clothespins. The shoot is fixed in a position in which it should grow. The form is attached gradually, slightly bending the wire.
The addiction of the stem and branches to be in a certain position occurs within 3-4 weeks. After that, the wire can be removed. The dents left after it should soon disappear. When forming a bonsai, it is necessary to cover the flower from direct sunlight, regularly moisten the soil, preventing its overdrying or bay.
Video: Money Tree Bonsai
For bonsai, Crassula ovata and Crassula arborescens are best suited.
Further care
Caring for a fat woman is simple, includes standard procedures in the form of regular watering, top dressing, transplants. Also, the plant should be placed in favorable conditions for it. The flower grows best in good light. It must be put on the southern windowsill and pritenit from direct sunlight.
In spring and summer, the optimum temperature is + 18 ... + 23 ° С. During the rest period, the temperature must be significantly reduced - up to + 13 ° С.
For Crassulla, fresh air is important. Therefore, the room where it grows, it is necessary to ventilate more often, protecting it from drafts. It is advisable to place the fat girl in a room where you can maintain air humidity above 50%.The optimal amount of moisture is 2 times a week, at a temperature of + 18 ... + 23 ° C - 1 time per week. Water the plant when the topsoil dries up. It does not like spraying. You only need to periodically wipe the sheets with a damp cloth.
From spring to autumn, it is recommended to feed a fat girl 2 times a month, in winter - 1 time a month. Fertilizers designed for succulents and cacti are suitable for this indoor crop. The dosage should be calculated based on the one indicated in the instructions. Since the flower is characterized by a slow growth rate, the transplant is done once every 3-4 years.Important! Humidification is carried out with settled, filtered, rain or melt water, warmed up to room temperature.
Possible difficulties
Crassula can be called a hardy plant. It is rarely affected by disease and resistant to pests. However, if the owner does not comply with the recommended conditions and ignores the care tips, the plant begins to hurt. Here are the most common difficulties that can arise when growing a rosula:
Description of the problem | Causes | Remedies |
Leaves turn red or purple |
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Leaves are yellowed and fall | High temperature indoors. |
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Leaves fall |
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Stunt |
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Leaf softening | Waterlogging. | Reduce the frequency and volume of hydration. |
Yellow and brown spots | Direct sunlight |
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Root rot |
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The presence of pests |
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Did you know? Many plants from the group of succulents are able to disguise themselves as the environment - stones, sand, soil, animals. For example, faucaria has spiked leaves that look like an open mouth with teeth.
So, pruning is part of a set of mandatory measures to care for the money tree. It allows you to form a beautiful shape, achieve a well-groomed appearance of the plant, get an interesting bonsai tree.