Money trees thrive on well-draining, nutrient-rich, and porous soil. It prefers a neutral pH level of 6.5 to 7 but can still live in slightly acidic or alkaline soils.
In order to help you select the best soil for your money trees, we’ve outlined the factors to consider and the components to search for.
By the end of this article, you won’t only be able to pick the right soil, you’ll also be able to make your own soil mix.
Things to Consider When Choosing Soil for Money Tree
Draining Capability
Money trees don’t like wet soils, as they’re used to growing in tropical environments. It’s easy for them to suffer root rot if the soil is too moist.
Hence, it’s crucial to choose soil mixes that are well-draining or use ingredients that improve the soil’s draining ability. As such, you would want to use coco coir and perlite.
It’s also important that the pot has drainage holes to allow excess water to escape. You should also only water your money tree when the first 2 inches of the soil are dry.
pH Level
Money trees are not picky when it comes to pH levels. They can survive even in alkaline and acidic soil, so pH levels shouldn’t be a big problem.
That said, they thrive best in soils that have a neutral pH range, preferably 6 to 7.5. This pH range provides an optimal environment for nutrient availability and uptake by the money tree’s roots.
In most cases, commercially manufactured potting mixes for money trees have a neutral pH. If you’re making your own mix, you can buy pH testing kits to ensure that you’re providing the best soil mix for your plant.
If the soil is too acidic, you can add lime to raise the pH, and if it’s too alkaline, you can use sulfur or other acidic amendments to lower the pH.
Nutrient Availability
Nutrients are essential in the growth and overall health of your money tree. This is why it’s important that you only use nutrient-rich soil for your plant.
It’s best to avoid soils that have chemical fertilizers, as they can cause an imbalance in the nutrient levels in the soil and affect your money tree’s growth.
Choose soil mixes that have organic fertilizers or use materials like vermicompost. Fertilizers with a balanced mix of phosphorus, potassium, and nitrogen are also best for optimal growth.
Moisture Retention
Money trees are not fans of wet soil, but they also don’t like extremely dry soil. Hence, it’s still essential for the soil to be able to retain moisture to a certain degree.
While clay has excellent moisture retention abilities, it’s not well-draining and may only damage the plant in the long run. Instead of this, it’s best to use loam and coco coir since they’re well-draining and can hold moisture at the same time.
Perlite and vermiculite are also great ingredients for your soil, as they improve the soil’s aeration while retaining some moisture.
Porosity
Porous soils are excellent in preventing overwatering. They can regulate moisture levels by allowing excess water to escape, thus reducing the chances of overwatering.
They also allow better aeration, meaning there is more space for air to circulate within the soil. This prevents the root from suffocating and helps them to grow healthier.
When choosing your soil, choose those bags with a “porous mix” label. You can also use perlite and organic matter when creating your own mix.
It’s also advised to plow the soil once in a while to loosen it and make it more porous.
Components of a Money Tree Soil
Perlite
Perlite is a lightweight, porous, and highly absorbent material. It’s widely used in gardening as a soil amendment to improve soil aeration and drainage.
It’s an excellent ingredient for a money tree soil mix because of its porous nature and moisture retention abilities. It’s also lightweight, so moving plants that use this material is easy.
Coco Coir
Coco coir is extracted from coconut husk and is popular for its moisture-retaining capacity. It provides a consistent supply of water to plants without making the soil soggy.
It has a near-neutral pH level of 5.5 to 6.8, so adjustments are not that necessary unless the pH level falls on the lower end of the range.
Although most commercially manufactured soil mixes are peat-based, coco coir is a good alternative when you’re making your own mix. It’s more environmentally friendly and has better draining capacity.
Vermiculite
Vermiculite is a lightweight and absorbent material that’s commonly used as an additive to potting mixes because it helps promote healthy root growth.
Vermiculite is a lightweight material that’s highly porous. This helps prevent waterlogging, which can be detrimental to the money tree’s roots.
Vermiculite retains some moisture despite its outstanding drainage properties. Although money trees do better in well-drained soil, they still need moisture to thrive.
It also prevents soil compaction, which can restrict air and water movement in the soil. This is crucial, as the roots of money trees can better take in oxygen and nutrients from the soil that has not been compacted.
Vermicompost
Vermicompost is a nutrient-rich organic material that’s often used as a soil conditioner and fertilizer for plants, including money trees.
It contains essential plant nutrients, including nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, which are essential for the growth of money trees. It releases the nutrients gradually over time, so there are lower chances of nutrient imbalances.
Moreover, it’s generally close to neutral on the pH scale, which is ideal for money trees.
Succulent Soil
Succulent soil is a special type of potting mix designed to meet succulent plants’ unique needs. Although it’s designed for succulent plants, it’s also used for plants that are sensitive to overwatering, like money trees.
It has excellent drainage and aeration, making it perfect for money trees. It also retains moisture to a certain degree, as succulents still need moisture to survive.
Mixing it with other components like coco coir, perlite, and vermicompost can create a great soil mix for money trees.
Soil Mix Recipes for Money Tree
Recipe #1
- 1 part coco coir
- 1 part vermicompost
- 1 part perlite or vermiculite
This nutrient-rich, well-draining soil mix is ideal for money trees that are grown in offices and homes, where the HVAC system significantly lowers indoor humidity.
The perlite component helps enhance the soil’s draining capacity, while the coco coir retains a certain amount of moisture, which the money tree will need later on.
Vermicompost helps compensate for the soil’s lack of nutrients by providing it with potassium, nitrogen, and phosphorus. It also helps avoid leaching, which usually happens when you use synthetic fertilizers.
Recipe #2
- 1 part succulent soil
- 1 part coco coir
- 1 part perlite
- ¼ part vermicompost
This is a soil mix that’s best for those who are anxious about overwatering their money tree. This particular mix is fast-draining, reducing the risk of overwatering and root rot.
Both perlite and succulent soil is naturally designed to be well-draining, so the water drains quickly in this mixture. Coco coir holds a bit of moisture and releases it slowly to the roots, so it still won’t be too dry before your next watering schedule.
That said, you’ll have to water the plant more frequently with this mix, so ensure that you don’t forget about your watering schedules.
Signs That Money Tree Is in the Wrong Soil
Yellowing Leaves
Yellowing leaves can be caused by various reasons, but it’s primarily because of wrong soil usage.
When the soil doesn’t provide enough drainage, it can be easy for the money tree to be overwatered, leading to waterlogging. When this happens, certain leaves will die, causing discoloration.
It can also be a sign that your soil doesn’t have enough moisture-holding capacity, so the money tree is forced to allocate the small amount of moisture it has to all of its leaves.
Stunted Growth
Wrong soil composition also leads to stunted growth, as the money tree is likely not receiving enough nutrients.
The solution to this is not just adding more fertilizers to the soil mix because no matter how much you add, if the tree is unable to absorb these nutrients, it won’t thrive.
You have to check if the pH level is too acidic or alkaline, as it can affect your money tree’s ability to absorb nutrients. You also need to check if it’s receiving enough moisture and oxygen.
Soil Compaction
If the soil becomes tightly compacted over time, that means it’s not the best soil mix for your money tree.
Compacted soil restricts root growth and prevents water from reaching the root zone. It also limits the amount of oxygen the roots receive, which can lead to suffocation.
It can also make it hard for the money tree to receive nutrients, which can lead to the plant’s death.
Once you notice the soil getting compacted, immediately repot the plant and use a better mix to avoid further damage to the plant.
Growth of Pests
When the soil you’re using doesn’t have good draining capacity, it will retain a lot of moisture and keep the soil soggy. When this happens, there is a high chance that pests like fungus gnats will grow on the money tree.
These pests can cause stress to your plants and lead to drooping leaves. It can also affect their growth, so it’s best to address them immediately.
