Fat womanshe Crassula or Money Tree, refers to succulentsthat grow in nature in arid areas of Africa, Madagascar and Arabia.
Characteristic for this plant are also thick barrel and massive crownconsisting of voluminous twigs with dense shiny green leaves.
Requirements for the conditions of planting and transplantation are determined by the characteristics of the "habits" and the structure of the fatty.
Pot
The Krassula landing capacity should:
- Provide good drainage: have one or more wide openings in the bottom.
- Be shallowbecause the money tree does not have a strong root system; it develops predominantly horizontally.
- Fit to plant size - the roots of podyanka grow slowly and an excess of land not “mastered” by the plant will create prerequisites for the decay of its roots. Podroshchennye cuttings and seedlings are planted in pots with a diameter of 7 cm, and then the general condition is observed: the volume of the pot does not exceed the volume of the crown.
- Have enough massivenessso that the plant remains stable when it develops a magnificent crown.
- Pot material may be plastic, but more preferred porous thick ceramics without a solid glaze.
The composition of the earth mixture
The soil for planting a succulent money tree should be loose, light, sufficiently nutritious, well drained.
Such parameters correspond to the finished soil mix for succulents and cacti.
Can also prepare the substrate of the following composition: turfy ground with sand, leaf earth and humus in the proportion of 4: 1: 1: 1.
If we take universal soil for fatty, it is necessary to add it washed river sand: one part of sand to four parts of the finished soil.
Landing
The main tasks when planting Krassula: to ensure a good outflow of water, not to injure the vulnerable succulent root system, not to damage easily break off stems and leaves.
Thus, first and foremost, at the bottom of the container, a layer one-fifth the thickness of the pot, fit drainage - expanded clay or small pebbles.
Pebbles even more preferable - they are heavier than claydite and will give the pot additional stability.
A small layer of soil is poured on the drainage, the root system of the fatty meat is placed on top.
The best option - planting plants, the roots of which are already inside earthy coma.
The plant is placed in the middle of the pot, and the soil is gradually poured to the level of the root collar and gently compacted without reinforced "tamping".
If the roots are freed from the soil, they are carefully examined. In the presence of roots with signs of decay, they must be removed and the root system is dried in the air, without falling asleep with its soil during the day.
Then the final planting is carried out and the plant is carefully watered with soft, settled or rain water.
How to transplant at home
The growth of the fatty meat is usually not too intense, and it will take her every 2-3 or even 4 years.
The best time of transplanting bastard at home - Spring, the beginning of active growth and summer - the period of increased vegetation.
However, the resilient succulent can, if necessary, be transplanted practically in any season - including autumn and winter.
When a newly acquired plant is transplanted, it should be given time to pre-acclimatize to the conditions of your apartment: put the money tree in the place where it will grow constantly, wait a few weeks with a transplant.
In order not to damage sensitive roots, the plant is better. reload together with the old earthen clod.
If you need improve soil and root system, shake off the old ground, remove the rotted areas, dry the roots in the air for a day, and then plant according to the standard scheme: a drainage layer - a small layer of soil - plant location in the center of the pot, which should be slightly larger than the old one - gradually filling it with soil compaction - moderate watering (depending on the time of year at which the transplant occurred).
After transplant, while the money tree is being mastered in a new capacity, it is necessary to protect it from too intense direct sunlight and excessive watering. The soil surface needs to be loosened regularly - not too deep, remembering the superficial root system of Crassula.
Seating
The fat woman, like almost all succulents, easy to breed vegetatively - cuttings and even individual leaves, and these parts of the plant are placed immediately to the ground, bypassing the preliminary water rooting, as it stimulates the rotting of planting material. It can be convenient to root cuttings in the same container where the parent money tree grows.
Dutch Crassulas are often sold with several plants in one pot: mother tree and tall, rooted there, cuttings.
If there are damages, the roots are dried in air, and then they are seated in separate “apartments” in accordance with their size, watered moderately in accordance with the transplanting season and the surface of the soil is loosened but regularly loosened.
The fat woman, widely used by Feng Shui masters for harmonizing and enhancing cash flow (especially in the southeast windows), is deservedly popular with gardeners. Indeed, the plant is very unpretentious, and if it is properly and timely transplanted, it grows well, it forms into spectacular trees that some lucky people even bloom.
A photo
Next you can see a photo of the landing of the Money Tree: