Many people have heard about this and are asking if it is true that you can chop the top off your Pilea. Absolutely! Plants that are in good health radiate energy in all directions (up, out, and into new pups). When you cut off the top of your Pilea, the energy that was previously spent on climbing will be directed toward new growth and filling up your plant.
You can pick and choose where you want to cut your primary stem. If fresh sprouts appear at the bottom of the stem, cut just above them for the greatest results. Plants need their leaves to gather light for photosynthesis, therefore leave at least one leaf on the bottom stem when cutting.
To remove the Pilea’s top, cut the Pilea in half at the desired spot on its stem using your sharp and clean scissors or knife. Your Pilea’s bottom half should start sprouting new growth soon.
Always save the top piece of your cut Pilea since you can root it and plant it in soil to grow another Pilea. Simply place the cutting’s base in a tiny bottle of water to root it. Roots will develop from the base of the stem in a short period of time. Plant your new Pilea in its own container once the roots are an inch or two long, and enjoy your second plant!
How do you trim a Pilea plant?
When I first started researching about Pilea Peperomioides online, I quickly saw that individuals were beheading or hacking their Pileas in half. The prospect of chopping my cherished plant seemed daunting at first. After doing some research, I discovered that cutting a mature Pilea in half has a lot of advantages.
How should a Pilea plant be split in half? Use a sharp, clean pair of scissors or a knife to cut a green patch on the stem about halfway up your plant in half. Turn your one Pilea into two by rooting the top section of the plant in water and repotting it in soil.
Beheading your prized Pilea may appear extreme, but just as deadheading flowers promotes the plant to produce more and more blossoms, slicing a Pilea encourages new growth. The main reasons for cutting your Pilea in half are listed here, along with step-by-step instructions for beheading a Pilea. Let’s get this party started!
Should I trim my Pilea?
Remove any green, healthy leaves from your plant as soon as possible. Trimming them off isn’t necessary, and it could harm your plant’s overall capacity to develop. Trim away only dead or dying leaves, such as brown leaves, discolored leaves, or leaves that have begun to wilt. If you discover a brown edge on an otherwise healthy leaf, trim just the edge; make careful to follow the natural leaf line as you trim so the leaf looks visually nice when you’re done.
How do you prune a Chinese money plant?
The Chinese Money Plant (Pilea Peperomioides) has quickly become one of the most popular home plants, and with good reason! It has gorgeous dark green leaves that grow from a single stem and eventually form a thick canopy, making it easy to grow and care for.
Pilea prefers a bright and light environment, but not direct sunlight, as this might scorch the plant’s leaves. It’s also preferable to be away from any drafts. They want good drainage so that their roots don’t sit in water; a pot with holes is ideal, but if you don’t have one, fill it with gravel or clay. Allow time for the soil to dry between waterings, and water less in the winter.
They’re not the easiest plant to come by, but once you do, stem cuttings make them incredibly easy to grow, allowing you to expand your collection. They will occasionally grow their own miniatures, which will have their own roots and be easy to transplant. Our propagation methods are shown below!
We have teamed up with The Botanical Workshop to develop Pilea tote bags, which are now available at both our East Dulwich and Deptford locations. It has all of the instructions for caring for these gorgeous plants, so you can keep a useful reminder with you at all times!
Early spring is the best time to propagate. Make sure your plant is watered the day before you take the cuttings so the stems aren’t too dry when you cut them.
Use a multipurpose compost with an excellent rooting medium to make a rooting container (shallow plastic or metal base with drainage holes but sealed at the top – you can improvise and use plastic bottles or buy these from a DIY store). Spray the soil with water to moisten it slightly, then place it in a bright yet indirect light source.
Choose a mature stem and cut at least 5cm away from the leaf to take a cutting from your plant. The stem can then be inserted into your rooting container, which should be deep enough to hold its weight while still allowing enough for it to root. Mist the cuttings and shut the container with enough water to keep the soil moist but not soggy.
After around 3 weeks, you can begin testing your cuttings by gently tugging on them to feel for resistance. Your plant should have grown roots and be about 4cm long before transplanting into a new container if there is any. Allow your new plant to acclimate for a few days before introducing it to its new home environment!
You won’t need a rooting container because these have been rooted.
Make sure the plant grows big enough to grow on its own without the parent plant’s help – the bigger, the better.
Follow the stem of your small plant about 1/2cm under the earth with a sharp knife or pair of scissors and make a sharp, clean cut. The cutting can then be placed in a pre-prepared pot with slightly wet multipurpose compost.
The plant will take a few weeks to settle into its new pot, but once it does, it should begin to produce new leaves on its own.
How do you shape pilea Peperomioides?
Pilea Peperomioides are widely known for their distinctive spherical shape. This form is achieved in the same way as a straighter Pilea is achieved: by turning it every few days to maintain it growing towards the sun.
Every two to three days, I rotate my Pileas. If you wait any longer, your stem will begin to curve towards the nearest window. You’ll need to be careful and consistent with spinning to get the precise round, orb-like shape you want.
It’s worth noting that rotating your Pilea will actually slow down its growth. When Pileas are rotated frequently, they are continually hunting for light, and much of their energy is expended in this effort. While spinning is the only way to get a straight, spherical Pilea, it will slow down the growth of your plant.
How do you keep Pilea bushy?
To force the plant to branch out, pinch the terminal stem (the uppermost one) between two fingernails. Simply nip immature stems off after a bud if you want the plant to have a bushy bearing and grow as many branches as possible.
How do you get rid of Pilea pups?
The plant develops rapidly and then produces kids, allowing you to share it with others! I can’t help but smile every time I see mine. Their peculiar shape sets them apart from other plants.
People gradually spread the plant by distributing it “pups,” and it’s only been a few years since it arrived in the United States. I enjoy studying about and reading about the history of this plant. You can trace it all the way back to the person who brought it and shared it with you.
Knowing the plant’s history and journey to being one of the most popular houseplants makes it all the more special.
It’s not only a beautiful plant, but it’s also quite easy to care for and quite resilient! Here are some pointers on how to look after your Pilea:
These drill bits are perfect for drilling a hole in the bottom of an earthenware pot if you have a favorite pot that doesn’t have one.
Because they are utilitarian and straightforward, I appreciate the reliable terra cotta pot (they are very cute). The terra cotta is ideal since it is made of natural clay and, unlike a synthetic pot, allows the soil to breathe.
Don’t get me wrong, you can use a plastic pot or a thickly glazed pot (with a drainage hole), but terra cotta is more forgiving and dries out faster if you unintentionally overwater your Pilea.
If you have a decorative pot that you like (I have a couple in the photos), simply place your terra cotta pot inside it.
For watering, I’ll remove the terra cotta pot from the decorative pot, drain it fully, and then replace it in the decorative pot.
This should be available in your local greenhouse, or you can buy some up at your local hardware shop. My mixture contains a small amount of fine sand.
Because we have some very humid months where I live (in southern Missouri), the sand aids in the drying of the plant.
The Pilea prefers to dry out between waterings and dislikes being wet. I dig my finger into the soil and raise the pot to see if it’s still heavy from the last watering.
I water it again if it feels dry to the touch. Allow it to dry out between waterings, but not to the point of being bone dry (although it is quite hardy and can handle it). I water my plants once a week.
If the plant still feels moist after a few of days, I’ll wait a few more days and check again. A friend texted me a picture of her Pilea the other day, which was drooping quite a bit. It was determined that it needed to be watered. It had gotten a little too dry!
Just keep an eye on the plant to see what it need and when it requires it. When I inquired about the Pilea and watering, I was told that overwatering is one of the only ways to destroy it.
Never let your Pilea sit in water when watering it. Make sure you dump the extra water that collects in your bottom dish after you’ve irrigated it.
If the soil remains wet/soggy for an extended period of time, the roots rot, resulting in the plant’s demise. I’m prone to overwatering, and it’s taken me a long time to learn to control it “The plant will be “nurtured” (i.e., overwatered).
The Pilea is a light-loving creature! It requires bright, indirect sunshine. What exactly does that imply? If you place your Pilea on your front porch with the sun shining down on it, it will burn due to direct light.
My mother had a Pilea on her dining room table that had grown big and lanky because to the limited light (a very long middle stem with just a few branches).
It was attempting to reach the light, but it didn’t appear to have much time. She moved it outside to her covered porch, where it receives plenty of indirect light, and it is now flourishing once more. It isn’t as long and leggy as it once was! It’s incredible how quickly they adjust once you figure out what they require.
I’ve moved several of my Pileas outside under a covered porch because I’ve ran out of window space in the house. They appear to enjoy the warm weather and are flourishing! I’ll bring them back in as soon as the temperature begins to decrease.
Another lighting suggestion is that the Pilea will follow the light and begin to lean in its direction. It’s amusing to see them groping towards the window as though they’re attempting to escape!
Every time I water them, I rotate them to maintain them straight and balanced. Keeping the leaves brushed also allows them to get more light. To keep the leaves healthy and lustrous, lightly rub off any dust with a moist cloth.
When the pups begin to grow, you may either cut them off from the mother plant or leave them to develop on their own. Allowing them to mature results in a full mother plant (which is stunning)!
I have a larger Pilea that I’m attempting to let grow as much as possible without cutting any babies off.
With a single stem and shoots/branches sprouting out, it’s more of a typical Pilea look.
Before I cut the puppy, I like to wait until it is at least 3 inches tall. An X-Acto knife is my favorite tool to use (any sharp utensil should work though).
Before cutting into your Pilea, give your cutting utensil a good rinse. I once read that pruning or propagating your plant should be treated as actual surgery, and that you should always wash your instruments before doing so. When you’re preparing to cut off a pup’s head, keep in mind that the root system is extremely fragile.
It’s not necessary to pull or tug on the puppy. Cut the pup gently where it meets the earth, and it should come up easily. After you’ve cut it off, you can either immerse the puppy in water or place it in a pot of earth.
Because I enjoy seeing the roots grow through the glass, I prefer the water approach. Place your little glass or vase in indirect yet bright sunlight for optimal effects. You can pot it after you see some roots sprouting.
Fertilizing: Fertilize your plant throughout the spring and summer months if you want to give it a boost in growth. Fertilizer is a contentious topic, but I prefer to employ a straightforward 10-10-10 formula.
This fertilizer is one of my favorites. I put a little liquid fertilizer in the watering can when I water. Check the back of your fertilizer and follow the directions on the label.
If you live in Springfield, Missouri, Schaffitzel’s Flowers has the largest selection of Pilea plants.
If you like podcasts, this one called Bloom and Grow Radio is both useful and entertaining! It’s fun to pick out special planters for your new babies (these terrazo and speckled ones are my favorites), and this hoodie will let the world know you’re a plant lady.
If you have any favorite ideas or suggestions for caring for your Pilea, please leave a comment, and you can read more of our plant and garden advice here! Janae.
Can you trim money plant?
Pruning a money tree is best done in the winter when the plant is dormant. It’s fine to do little pruning to remove new growth as it emerges, but it’s not necessary. Trimming the plant all at once is easier.
If you want a stem to grow in a certain direction, pay attention to how you prune it. Because new growth forms along prune cuts, the angle of the 45-degree angled cut is critical. Place the angled cut on top of the stem to make a new stem grow up. You can also make the stem grow at an angle, such as to the side.
How do you keep Pilea small?
Because Pilea grows towards the sun, rotate it at least 2-3 times a week to keep it from becoming unbalanced. Lower light conditions will cause the leaves to turn a darker green and the plant to spread out further.
Why is my Pilea so tall?
Because it has been given good growing conditions, your Pilea Peperomioides is tall you could even say it is enjoying life! It’s found the perfect combination of light, temperature, nutrients, and water to provide it with more than enough resources to grow rapidly.
Another thing to consider is that you’ve given it enough room to grow tall. In my instance, I’ve always repotted the plant when it was in need.
You might have gone as far as I did and experimented with grow lights throughout the winter. It completely works in terms of speeding up the growth of your Pilea by extending the growing season, but I wouldn’t recommend it unless you’re experimenting. It doesn’t require it – recall, Pilea Peperomioides grows wild in the mountains and will only flower if exposed to the cold.
How do you make a Chinese money plant bushy?
Pruning Makes Your Money Plant Look Bushier: Pruning will make your Money Plant look bushier. If you don’t, the stems will continue to trail and appear thinner. Money plants can grow in low-light environments, resulting in sparse leaves and a non-sculpted appearance. Pruning shears are needed to prune the Money Plant’s leaves and stems.
– If you desire a fuller Money Plant from the top, prune the outward-growing leaves and stems.