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Posted 3w ago by @PiousWaterfern

Why did my #ChineseMoneyPlant just chuck off its own leaf...

So I got this baby #Pilea from my grandparents over Christmas as another chance to grow these beauties.

Why did it do thissss? The leaf was fully attached last night, and this morning it just popped off (I didn’t touch it)

A couple of the leaves came off from where I was handling it a bit too much (I forget how delicate these things are), but this last one came off all on its own.

I know it’s very close to the window, but I’ve moved house recently so I’m struggling to find the right spots for all my plants, and it’s winter right now which is why she’s so close to the window, but she’s shaded by a couple other plants to try and mitigate that.

Any thoughts?

#PlantsMakePeopleHappy #help #PlantAddict #PlantTherapy
12ft to light, indirect
2” pot with drainage
Last watered 1 week ago
I would start with double checking the roots to make sure there’s no rot. The soil looks compacted. You may need to break that up a bit. It could be holding onto too much water underneath and not enough oxygen. Could also be under watering? Can’t really tell until you check under the soil
@ForeverClusia59 potentially under watering yeah. But it could also just be the soil - this is my granddad’s soil/compost mix and the last money plant thy also had that mix did the same thing, even when she was healthy
@PiousWaterfern Here are a few reasons why it might be dropping its leaves. A Chinese Money Plant drops its leaves most commonly due to overwatering, which leads to soggy roots and leaf fall; other potential causes include underwatering, poor drainage, inadequate light, pest infestations, nutrient deficiencies, and low humidity levels. They also generally do better in terracotta pots, they are porous and let the soil dry out faster thus avoiding overwatering. Happy Growing!
@Ms.Persnickety thanks for the help! I’ll double check the roots and maybe repot in just coir until she’s big enough to go into a small terracotta pot?
Agreed, even if the roots are sort of ok-looking, I would repot because that soil looks like it could potentially be hydrophobic and your baby will appreciate a refresh!
@WelsomeRhodotus thanks! Should I pop her in normal straight soil or a coir mix or what? Whatever Greg says I always like to double check just in case πŸ˜‚
@PiousWaterfern I personally don’t get too fancy with these gals - just your fav potting soil with around 20% of perlite to help aeration. I find that’s usually sufficient but you can experiment and get more specific recipes. Just make sure you chuck out the existing soil, I would t bother trying to reuse it