How to prune a money tree: forming the crown of a Crassula at home, how to do the procedure correctly for an adult plant when a young Crassula is needed?

Let's figure out why it is needed?

"Money tree" (crassula or crassula) is a succulent plant belonging to the Crassula family. A very undemanding indoor flower that adapts well to various conditions. The adult plant itself grows an awkward shape that you want to correct. Therefore, minimal care includes a process such as pruning. It contributes to:

Formation of a beautiful crown of the plant.
The appearance of new shoots and shoots.
Rejuvenation of an adult flower.
Thickening of the trunk.
Uniform growth, without breaking branches.

If necessary?

Many owners of a money tree assume that it does not need any procedures to form a lush crown and a thick trunk, that it has this appearance by nature.

But in fact, at home, the Crassula branches very weakly, grows long and thin, and the branches do not have time to form a hard bark before the formation of thick leaves. This causes the tree to bend and sometimes break in half.

To prevent such a course of events, the crown of the tree needs special shaping, which can be done independently.

How to do it right?

All crown formation processes should be carried out during active plant growth. This is spring and summer - the beginning and peak of the growing season. So that the fat woman has time to release leaves from new buds.

These processes are divided into two types of operations. Pinching - stimulating fresh buds and creating framed foliage on a young plant. And pruning of elongated and straightened branches with the subsequent formation of the crown of an adult plant.

IMPORTANT! There is a belief: if the Crassula is characterized by healthy growth and a lush crown, then the financial well-being of the family will increase.

Its leaves look like coins. To enhance the effect, gardeners place a coin at the bottom of the pot.

How and why to prune a money tree?

With careful annual pruning, it is easy to maintain Crassula at the required size so that they remain compact, the plant is beautiful and does not become very tall.

To activate new growth, it is recommended to cut no more than one third of the trunk, and the cutting angle should be approximately 45.
To form the crown and improve the health of the tree, dry or damaged branches are removed completely or to the point where there are live areas.
The removal of the upper stems is done so that the growth of the fat plant stops after it reaches the required height.
Young shoots are cut off if they have sprouted near the ground.

There are several reasons why fat plant pruning may be necessary.:

make the appearance attractive and decorative;
remove shoots that have become diseased and infected with fungi;
to stimulate growth;
restrain the growth of the plant.

Pruning excess shoots is necessary if the plant has become too tall or wide and has filled all the space allocated for it.

Branches that have escaped from the upper crown look sloppy, and the shape becomes uneven. Pruning such branches changes the shape of the flower. In addition, after pruning during a properly selected growing season, the growth of young shoots is stimulated.

When should you form a crown?

The process of forming a money tree is simple. Regular pruning is done in the spring. This period is most suitable for the formation of the trunk and top, which will help the tree maintain its shape. Time from March to May. In the summer, corrective pinching is done, asymmetrically growing branches are removed, and growth is stimulated where necessary.

How to form at home?

To avoid causing harm to the fat plant, it is necessary to form the plant correctly . It is necessary to trim only after it has recovered from previous manipulations. In a young bush, only the lower branches and leaves are removed, while in an adult bush, the crown is cut deeply. When cutting a highly branched and crooked trunk, it is formed with a straight cut.

How to pinch correctly?

The best period for pinching Crassula is when the plant is rooted and the cuttings begin to grow. Usually, the fat woman does not send out side shoots during this period and tries not to form them. Pinching is preferable to trimming.

The pinching process is carried out when the young plant reaches a height of 15-20 cm. Experts recommend carrying out the procedure after 4 pairs of leaves have formed on the flower.

The top bud is pinched; this is where the tree’s growth point is located. It is carefully removed using tweezers or manually. This must be done carefully so as not to damage the leaves nearby.

Clothes pinning is carried out regardless of the time of year. Although it is not recommended in winter, since at this time of year the tree is dormant, the growth of the plant practically stops and will not grow shoots enough to be pinched. In other seasons, pinching is carried out if the need arises.

How to trim?

Before you start pruning, the Crassula is examined from all sides to understand approximately in what places it is necessary to eliminate excess shoots. The procedure does not require changing the plant's pot. When cutting stems, a white liquid leaks from the cuts - this is a protective reaction to the formation of a wound.
A good place for pruning is at the junction of two branches in a V-shape. The trunk should be removed a few centimeters above this joint, making sure that the cut shape is clean and there are no other unnecessary shoots.

Particular attention should be paid to the presence of shoots at the top and sides of the plant. Leaves must be removed carefully, as excessive removal can lead to the death of the Crassula.

Treatment of damaged areas

Cutting areas must be treated with special disinfectants and strengthening agents. Basically, the cut itself overgrows and dries out without intervention .

Attention ! Having removed most of the crown during deep pruning, you need to leave a few leaves on thick shoots to allow photosynthesis to continue. The next pruning can remove these leaves.

Procedure Tips

If the tree is grown on the basis of a central powerful trunk, then pruning is done while the plant is still young. To do this, all branching branches and leaves growing below must be removed. In order for an adult tree to have a thick trunk, it is necessary to simultaneously trim all the shoots and apply fertilizer; such pruning is done in the spring, just when the rapid growth of the deciduous mass of the tree begins. In autumn (around the beginning of November), the tops of the branches are pinched.
You can trim the tree so that there is a central thick trunk, and the shoots at the tops of the plant hang down. This way you can form a crown only if you immediately take measures and strengthen the trunk so that the plant does not break under the weight of the branches. First, traditional pruning is done in order to grow a strong trunk, then branchy shoots are left at the top of the tree.
You can get a compact, low bush if you water it rarely and remove the leaves from the trunk in time.
To make the crown look like a spreading shrub, the tops of the shoots are pinched. Thus, branched shoots from the bud located under the cut begin to grow. You can, of course, place not one plant, but several, in one pot, but then they will not allow each other to develop.

Working with an adult plant

If you have to work with an already mature plant, you will need pruning shears, since simply pinching it will not help.
Need to remove :

long branches, the optimal length is selected based on the preferences and capabilities of the location of the plant;
extra shoots that hang down;
shoots growing towards the inside;
diseased and dried branches;
branches growing parallel to each other, leave the healthiest and strongest ones.

Attention ! In order not to leave unattractive stumps, you need to cut along the “ring” or daughter branch.

This video shows how to prune a mature Crassula tree:

Working with a young plant

Working with the design of a small money tree is much easier, because it has just begun to grow. It is easier to give such a plant the desired shape.

First you need to determine what form the fat plant should be, what height it should be. The money tree is given time to grow upward and when the shoot reaches the required length. All side branches are pinched off.

When the crassula reaches the required height, the top is pinched . After this, new branches will begin to appear, and they will be the basis for a luxurious crown.

Each new branch is pinched at an equal distance from the place of growth. For example, every 6 pairs of leaves. The more often you pinch, the thicker the crown will be. But very often you shouldn’t pinch too, since too much of a pile will block sunlight. Long branches will make the crown sparse.

How to grow a bonsai - Crassula with a thick trunk?

With an adult plant, not all ideas can be realized, since you will have to take the original size of the plant. If you start with a sprout, you can end up with a bonsai of the most interesting shape.

To make the trunk powerful, tops are grown. To begin with, let long shoots grow. When the branches become the desired thickness, the excess length is cut off.
At the cut site, over time, a thick top with new shoots is allowed to form. While the top is growing, the branch is not cut, and the main branches need to be pruned annually.
Leaves that are too large are removed and the leaves at the bottom of the crown are also removed. This will allow access to sunlight to the depth of the trunk.

Attention ! Long branches are cut regularly, which fills the trunk with more energy and thickens it.

Step-by-step instructions for pinching a young plant

It is recommended to start forming the crown of a young seedling.

Selection of capacity. To grow a beautiful, neat tree, only one Crassula cutting should be planted in a pot.
The bowl should be shallow, but wide enough, since the root system of the plant is superficial and branched. A shallow container slows down the growth of roots, and all efforts are spent on the formation of a powerful trunk, which will become woody faster. Then, as it develops, the “money tree” is transferred to a pot of larger diameter, but the depth increases slightly.
First pinching. It is produced when four pairs of leaves appear on a small seedling, and a bud, the future fifth pair, has formed between them.
You need to remove it by taking it with two fingers and turning it around its axis. Or pinch off using nail scissors, making two cuts towards each other. In this case, you must not damage the leaves. Two or three fresh buds will appear in place of the removed bud. They will be the main branches on the future tree, which form a lush crown. If only one new kidney appears, it should be removed again. Next, as the foliage develops, we also pinch off each embryo of the fifth pair of leaves on each branch. Thanks to such actions, the foliage of the crassula will take shape, the branches will not stretch out and will not be overloaded with fleshy leaves, which, in large quantities, lead to fractures of the branches.

REFERENCE ! In winter and autumn, the pruning procedure cannot be carried out, since during this period the plant is in a dormant stage. Cuts can cause rotting, which can result in wilting of the plant itself.

Pinching Crassula

Pinching is an alternative to pruning the money tree. This is an operation in which the buds are removed at the growing points of the shoots. After this, usually 2 young shoots grow instead of the removed bud, and intensive branching begins.

This is a more gentle operation than pruning, since the tree branches are less damaged.

Pinching is carried out with tweezers or nail scissors , carefully removing the bud without damaging adjacent leaves. You can remove such a bud with your fingers. At the same time, it is not torn off, but twisted.

Pinching is carried out at the moment when the shoot reaches the required length . It should not overgrow, since the overgrown shoot will have to be cut off. Therefore, pinching is carried out at any time of the year as necessary, except for the winter dormant period, when the fat plant does not grow.

Adult succulent

An adult awkward tree can also be given a neat look.

Selection of capacity

The grown plant is transplanted by transferring it into a larger pot. Let us reveal the secret: the diameter of the bowl should correspond to the diameter of the future crown of the “money tree”.

In this case, the flower will stand steadily on the windowsill.

Preparatory

You need to examine the foliage and understand for yourself what shape you want to give it.
Make a mental note of which shoots need to be trimmed and which ones should not be touched. You also need to prepare inventory. While nail scissors are suitable for young seedlings, pruning shears are used when pruning adult Crassula. Its blades must be sterilized with alcohol to prevent the development of diseases.

The process itself

It is recommended to adhere to the following scheme: cut a branch or shoot a few millimeters above the fourth pair of leaves, after a dormant bud. This rule will allow you to get rid of unsightly stumps and control branching, creating rounded forms of foliage, and also stimulate the growth of the fat plant after pruning.

There is no need to be afraid to remove large branches, as this encourages the tree to send out new shoots and grow vigorously. Renewal and rejuvenation are important for the plant.

ATTENTION! You should not combine pruning the “money tree” with replanting it. A weakened plant will take a long time to recover.

Treatment of wounds

The cut must be sprinkled with activated or charcoal, or ground cinnamon to prevent rotting.

New shoots will appear near the cut, which will need to be pinched in the same way, giving it a framed shape.

Methods for creating a beautiful and fluffy crown

There are the following methods for forming a beautiful and fluffy crown of a money tree:

Trimming . The fat plant should be trimmed as needed, but only once a year - in early spring. This method involves shortening already grown tree branches to a certain length depending on the shape of the crown. Excess branches that make the crown too thick must be cut off completely. The operation is carried out with a sharp knife or garden pruning shears;
Pinching is a method of removing excess growth points. They are pinched without waiting for the shoot to greatly elongate. After this, the branches of the Crassula begin to branch intensively. Pinching is a process that does not have a clear execution time. It is carried out as necessary;
Complex method. The crown of the Crassula is formed most quickly using a complex method. The plant should be pruned in early spring. During the growing season, monitor the growth of shoots and pinch them as necessary.

How to form the crown of a Crassula?

By pinching and pruning, the crown of the plant is formed. And the condition of Crassula foliage depends on lighting and watering.

If you place an indoor flower on a south window, where there is the most sunlight, it will respond with abundant growth.

We must remember to turn it in order to avoid one-sided stretching of the branches and to obtain a symmetrical, uniform appearance of leaves.

But it should be remembered that direct rays of the sun can harm the “money tree”, reddened leaves will tell about this.

The fat plant will respond to moderate and frequent watering with lush, healthy growth. Overwatering will lead to stagnation of water in the pot, followed by rotting of the roots. One of the reasons for waterlogging will be falling leaves.

Where to start forming a tree?

Selection of pot

The diameter of the pot is selected according to the size of the crown: slightly larger than its diameter. As the plant grows, the width of the container needs to be increased. A tree with a voluminous, fleshy crown will become more stable. Ideally, a money tree pot should be wide, heavy and flat. A drainage layer is laid out at the bottom.

Not every pot is suitable for a fat plant. Its root grows close to the soil surface. Therefore, a shallow pot for rooting is suitable. The tap root of a crassula in a deep pot tends downward, and the stem tends upward, while thinning and weakening.

The soil

The soil for Crassula is light, loose, and porous. The money tree does not like fertilized and fertile soil. The substrate for Crassula should include humus, sand, leaf and turf soil.

Home care

When forming the crown and growing the crassula, much attention is paid to lighting. Crassula prefers bright light, but direct sunlight will cause the leaves of the flower to turn red. If there is not enough light, the stem will stretch, the branches will bend, and the crown will lose its symmetry. For this reason, it is recommended to rotate the flower periodically. At the same time, do not forget about the fragility of the branches. Careless handling of the plant will lead to breaking off of the fleshy, heavy branches.

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The tree-like fatty plant does not need frequent and abundant watering. The thick and fleshy leaves of the flower are able to accumulate moisture. Crassula is one of those plants that is better to underwater than overwater. It is more demanding when it comes to wiping leaves and general spraying. Clean leaves are saturated with oxygen and become elastic.
When grown in an apartment, Crassulas branch weakly and grow long and thin. Therefore, the crown and trunk of the money tree are formed.

Making a lush crown in bonsai style

“Money tree” is suitable for creating miniatures in the bonsai style. Some difficulties may arise, but practice shows that Crassula copes well with the main role in this art.

The fragility of the stems and the heaviness of the leaves of the Crassula complicates the task. Facilitates the existence of bonsai, its tenacity and ease of emergence of new shoots.

The first step will, of course, be to select a container, which should be small and shallow, with holes in the bottom. Also, as the plant develops, it should be replanted by transferring it to a wider but shallow container. The purpose of such a container is to stop the growth of the tap root, thereby slowing down the stretching of the cutting.

Further, the creation of the crown is carried out by the same actions: pinching and pruning, giving the future bonsai tree an elongated or rounded shape.

If you follow the recommendations, the bonsai-style “money tree” will have a thick, beautiful crown that can be decorated with coins.

Such a symbol of lush and growing financial well-being will decorate any interior.

REFERENCE! Popular belief says that the “money tree” will work for the benefit of the house only if its sprout was stolen and not given as a gift or bought in a store.

Read more about superstitions and omens in a separate article on the website.

Types of formation

Crassula can be grown as a tree, forming a trunk and crown. The trunk must be strong and thick so that the tree does not fall and the branches do not break. The crown is formed from branches of the first, second and even third order, but it is not advisable to thicken it.

You can grow Crassula with two or three trunks. I am now in the process of shaping a young plant into four trunks. Moreover, you can branch one trunk into two or three, both at the base and at any height: each node contains 2-4 buds, which awaken after pruning. The cut should be made 1-1.5 cm above the node from which you expect to get new shoots. The remaining stump will eventually dry out, die and fall off.

Plant care after the procedure

The plant should receive at least four hours of sunlight every day. A favorable daytime temperature for the fat woman will be 18-23 degrees, and the nighttime thermometer readings should not fall below 10 degrees. Another condition for healthy growth is the absence of drafts. Watering in spring and summer should be frequent, but not abundant. And in autumn and winter, during the dormant period, the lump of earth must dry out between irrigations.

An important point for the development of Crassula will be feeding , which should be done from late spring to mid-summer, at intervals of once a month.

The advantage of growing a “money tree” and giving it an extraordinary shape is its ease of propagation. If something doesn't work out, you can start over. After all, you don’t have to wait decades for results. And the formation of the crown and the creation of a neat looking Crassula can develop not only into a hobby, but also into something more...

Crown formation options

Usually, when growing a money tree, you choose one of the 2 most common options for crown formation:

Bush. The bush form of Crassula requires minimal intervention. It does not need to be trimmed often. However, it should not be left to grow without forming at all. A rooted cutting can grow upward without branching and then break under its own weight. Therefore, the top of the plant from which the bush is formed also needs to be cut off or the top bud pinched. All side shoots at the bottom of the plant are not removed. At the same time, a lush bush is formed. If the lower part of the plant is exposed, you need to cut the lower shoots by half or ¾ so that they send out young shoots;

Standard They begin to trim the standard form in the same way as the bush form. But shoots are left only in its upper part. As it grows, all lower branches are removed, forming a bare trunk. The upper part is cut off and the buds are pinched, creating a rounded crown. The standard forms of the tree-like crassula have a thick bare trunk 15-25 cm high, depending on the size of the plant. The crown can be round or elongated, green and lush.

Possible difficulties when growing Crassula

Crassula is a very unpretentious plant. It is not capricious; difficulties with its cultivation rarely arise.

Crassula is usually affected only by fungal infections. These diseases occur due to improper watering regime and high air humidity. Most often, the tree suffers due to the following infections:

Root rot is manifested by massive yellowing and falling of leaves. The tree stops growing because most of the roots are no longer functioning. The reason for this is a gross violation of the watering regime. In order to save a tree, it needs to be removed from the pot, rotten roots removed and replanted in new soil;
Stem rot develops as a consequence of root rot or is a consequence of waterlogging of the top layer of soil. The disease progresses very quickly, the tree trunk becomes soft, and the plant falls. In this case, it is no longer possible to save the tree. Cuttings are taken from healthy branches for rooting.

Sometimes the fat woman is attacked by harmful insects. Most often these are: spider mites, scale insects and mealybugs. On Crassula, pests rarely reproduce in large numbers. It is enough to treat the plant against pests with pesticides once to destroy all insects.

Reproduction by leaves and shoot fragments

As for plant residues after pruning, there is no need to throw them away. Place the cut leaves or a piece of shoot flat on moist soil in a flowerpot with any flower. After a while they will take root, and you can plant them in a permanent place.

Types of cordyline (names and photos)

The more young plants you have, the more opportunities you will have not to experiment with them. If you like experiments, then the money tree will give you the opportunity to realize all your fantasies.

Go ahead and share your achievements with us.

All the best.

Optimal time for pruning

It is recommended to prune indoor plants strictly after a period of dormancy or flowering. The money tree “sleeps” from September to February. The optimal time for pruning is at the beginning of spring (March). But the procedure can be carried out in other months of spring and early summer. Emergency pruning of a sick fat plant is carried out regardless of the time of year.

You cannot combine several traumatic procedures, such as transplanting and pruning. You must maintain an interval of at least 30 days.