The Chinese money plant, also known as Pilea Peperomioides, is a popular indoor plant that is relatively easy to care for. These stunning plants are known for their round, pancake-shaped leaves and their ability to thrive in a variety of conditions. If you’re thinking about adding a money plant to your indoor jungle, read on for everything you need to know about how to grow and care for one!
A plant of many names!
Originally found in Southwest China, this plant has many different names:
- Pancake Plant
- Missionary plant
- Coin Plant
- Lefse plant
- UFO plant
- Pilea
No matter what you call it, the unique foliage and jade green leaves make a stunning addition to any household.
Where can you get your hands on a Chinese Money Plant?
Money plants can be grown from seed, but you can also purchase an established plant from your local nursery or garden center. They can be difficult to find as nurseries don’t tend to stock them.
But don’t let that stop you from adding one of these beauts to your plant collection. Pilea’s are very easy to propagate, so if you know someone with a money plant, ask for some cuttings! Once you have this plant, it is super easy to grow and propagate so you will never have to beg for or buy another one.
How to Plant a Chinese Money Plant
Now you have purchased (or clipped) your Chinese money plant, it is time to get planting!
The first thing you need to do is find a spot in your home that receives indirect medium to bright light. Money plants do not like direct sun and quickly start to wilt if they are placed in a sunny spot.
When you have found the perfect spot in your home, it’s time to pot your money plant.
Step One: Choose the Right Potting Mix
The first step in growing a healthy Chinese money plant is to choose the right potting mix. Look for a rich mix that is well-draining with a peat or coir base. Adding perlite to boost drainage helps to ensure your plant does not get waterlogged. And if you want to get super technical, they love a soil with a pH of 6.0-7.0.
If you’re not sure what type of potting mix to purchase, ask a nursery employee or another gardening expert for help. Alternatively, check out this review of a potting mix that we highly recommend.
Step Two: Fill Your Pot With the Potting Mix
Once you have your potting mix, it’s time to fill your pot about three-quarters of the way full with it. Then, gently tap the sides of the pot until the potting mix settles. This ensures that there are no air pockets and fills your pot evenly.
Step Three: Add Water
After you’ve filled your pot with potting mix, it’s time to add water. Slowly add water until the potting mix is moistened but not soggy.
Step Four: Place Your Plant in the Pot
Now it’s time to place your plant in the pot. Gently remove it from its current container and place it in the center of the new pot. Once your plant is in position, fill in any empty space around its roots with more of the moistened potting mix. Once you’ve done that, give your plant one last drink of water and then let it drain before placing it in its final location.
How to propagate pilea peperomioides
One of the best things about pilea plants is that they are very easy to propagate. All you need is a sharp knife, a pot, and some well-draining potting mix. Glass jars are perfect to help form roots and grow money plant in water before transplanting into a pot.
To propagate your money plant, follow these simple steps:
Step One: Choose a healthy stem
To get started, choose a healthy stem from your money plant that has at least two leaves. Cut the stem about two inches below a leaf node—this is the point on the stem where new leaves and roots will grow.
Step Two: Place the stem in the jar with water
Fill a glass or jar with water and place the cut end of the stem in it. Make sure that the leaves are above the waterline and that the jar is in a spot where it will receive indirect light.
Step Three: Wait for roots to form
After a few weeks, you should start to see roots forming on the cut end of the stem. Once the roots are about an inch long, they are ready to be transplanted.
Step Four: Transplant the Rooted Stem
Fill a small pot with a well-draining potting mix and transplant the rooted stem into it. Water your plant and place it in a spot where it will receive indirect light.
And that’s all there is to it! With just a little bit of care, you can easily grow a Chinese money plant of your own.
How to Grow a Chinese Money Plant Faster
If you’re looking for a fast-growing option, here are a few tips on how to grow a money plant faster.
Choose the Right Potting Mix
When it comes to growing any plant faster, the quality of your potting mix is important. For the Chinese money plant, look for a mix that is light and airy with good drainage. This will help to prevent root rot, which can be a problem.
Give It Plenty of Light
The Chinese money plant does best in bright, indirect light. If you’re growing your plant indoors, choose a spot near a north facing window. When growing outdoors, place it in an area where it will get filtered sunlight throughout the day and is sheltered from wind.
Fertilize Regularly
To keep your Chinese money plant growing strong and fast, use an all-purpose indoor fertilizer every month during the growing season (spring and summer).
Choose the Right Pot
Use a pot that is 2-5 cm larger than the plant and has good drainage holes and your Pinea will thrive and grow rapidly!
Caring for Your Money Plant
As long as you provide your money plant with the right conditions, it should be fairly low-maintenance and easy to care for.
Be sure to keep an eye on the soil moisture level and only water when the top few inches of soil are dry. As a rule of thumb, leave the soil to almost completely dry out or when you notice the leaves start to droop, before watering. Make sure the pot you choose to plant your Chinese money plant in has drainage holes to avoid waterlogged roots.
As mentioned above, regularly fertilizing during the growing season is a great way to keep your Chinese money plant healthy and blooming. A great way to grow beautifully shaped and symmetrical Pileas is to regularly rotate the pot to ensure all leaves receive some sunlight.
It is recommended (but not necessary) to report your plant at the start of each growing season. This is more to refresh the soil and to remove offshoots for propagation than anything else.
The leaves tend to collect dust when inside, so be sure to regularly wipe clean with a microfibre cloth, dampened cloth or feather duster.
Common Problems When Growing Money Plants
Chinese Money Plants generally don’t suffer from pests or diseases, especially when grown outside.
However, if grown inside you do need to be mindful of several potential problems, pests and diseases.
Leaves are drooping.
Looks like: limp, droopy leaves.
Problem: Overwatering, underwatering, shock.
Solutions: Check the soil to see how moist it is and you can adjust your watering schedule accordingly. If it is shocked from being moved or transplanted, simply time and TLC will help.
Leaves are curling.
Looks like: an inward or outward curling of the leaves.
Problem: overwatering, too much fertilizer or light, too cold.
Solutions: There are so many causes of curling leaves in a Chinese money plant, and it can be hard to pinpoint which one is creating the problem. The best way to treat leaf curling is to go through the list of causes and treat accordingly.
So if you suspect overwatering is the issue, let the soil dry out and stop watering your plant so much. Give it a few weeks to see if this helps. If not, move on to the next thing on your list.
Do you need to move your pinea to a different location to reduce the amount of light it is getting?
Maybe you need to cut back on the fertilizer or move it away from your AC.
Losing Leaves
Looks like: leaves are dropping off
Problem: Deficient in nutrients, overwatering or it could be normal.
Solutions: This can be quite normal, especially during the cooler months. However, if leaf loss is more than growth or your plant also looks unhealthy it could be due to insufficient nutrients or overwatering. Consider repotting with fresh, high-quality well fertilized soil and watering your plant less!
Brown Spots on leaves
Looks like: leaves have brown splotches.
Problem: Too cold, sunburn or too much fertilizer.
Solutions: Move your Pinea away from the AC, draughty windows or bright sunlight and stop fertilizing.
Infestations
Looks like: leaf curl, fuzzy white dots, discoloured leaves.
Problem: mealybugs, aphids, spider mites.
Solutions: You can use an insecticidal soap or spray, then repot your plant with new soil.
Chinese money plants are an easy-to-grow and stunning plant for any home
Chinese money plants are beautiful, unique houseplants that make a great addition to any indoor jungle. As long as you provide them with bright indirect light and well-drained soil, they will thrive with little care needed from you. Brighten up your home with a Chinese money plant and make your indoor space come alive!
