Good afternoon, my reader. The fat woman, she is also a "money tree" (named because of the shape of its leaves that resemble coins), she is Crassula - a common culture for indoor growing. And in order for the fat woman to grow correctly, she needs to form a crown. Fortunately, pruning is not always necessary - it is enough to pinch it on time and correctly.
Please put your likes and subscribe to the channel "About Fasenda". This will allow us to publish more interesting garden articles.
How to pinch
Pinching begins from the cutting age. When the shoot of a young fat woman reaches 20 cm, and 4 pairs of real leaves have formed on it, you can start the procedure.
First of all, the upper kidney must be removed. It is located at the very top of the shoot, and it is pinched off with tweezers or a finger (if they are sensitive enough). The main thing is not to touch the leaves.
The pinching is carried out at any time, except for winter: the money tree enters into rest, and it is better not to touch it. In other seasons, pinch as needed and imagination.
Why exactly the 4th pair of leaves?
It is at this stage that the buds are sufficient for crown formation. There used to be too few of them, and removal can weaken the fat woman.
If you work later, the main barrel will be too long. If a large crown grows on it, it will break under its weight.
If the moment was missed, one should not pinch it, but cut it off. But this is a different technology.
What to do after pinching?
Even a gentle treatment takes time to recover. The damaged areas are sprinkled with activated carbon powder, and the pot is taken to the shade for 2-3 weeks.
When new points of growth appear, the fat woman can be brought into the light.
IMPORTANT: The irrigation mode is not changed, feeding is also carried out in the same mode.
Additional activities
In addition to pinching, the following are used to form the crown:
- correct feeding;
- pruning;
- selection of containers for growing plants (they feel best in clay containers, wide and shallow);
- selection of soil. For a fat woman, a drainage layer of 3 cm and a porous light soil is needed. If you cannot prepare a full-fledged soil, buy one intended for cacti;
- temperature - from 20 to 25 degrees Celsius. Below is possible only in the winter period of rest;
- regular moderate watering;
- transplant - carried out every year;
- top dressing - once a year, with compositions for cacti or decorative flowers.
The difference in crown formation between young and mature flowers
Pruning of young fat women is not carried out until branches of the second order are formed. Pinching is carried out for them.
For mature plants, pinching is also shown, but if they are neglected, you first need to cut out the excess growth.
First of all, you need to cut dry, leafless and too long shoots, as well as those that go deep into the crown. It is necessary to cut the shoots either completely ("on the ring") - if they are dry and damaged, or by a third or half - if they are simply overgrown.
Possible problems
Growth can be impaired by:
- Stagnant water in the ground. Drainage needs to be improved. For this, the plant is transplanted into a new pot with newly collected soil.
- Drought. If the plant is poorly watered, it will grow poorly. We must remember that the fat woman is not a cactus, and does not like drought. Restore the rhythm of watering.
- Lack of food. Feed the money tree and it will delight you with abundant growth and fresh greenery on its branches. The main thing is to observe the feeding norms so that the tree does not start to outgrow its capacity and lose its crown shape.
Do you know how to form a crown without pruning?
Original articleand many other materials, you can find on ourwebsite.
Read about how to take care of a fat woman in the following article:How to properly care for a fat woman so that she grows well and pleases with a spectacular look