Money Tree Leaves Curling: Causes & Solutions

Have you noticed any signs of leaves curling in your Money Tree? If yes, I can help you as I also went through it two months ago.

I noticed that my plant had wavy edges with yellow tips. So to save the wealth and luck it brought into my house, I had to do some work. 

Generally, leaf curling of Money Tree can occur due to improper watering, overwatering or underwatering, unbalanced sunlight frequency, low humidity, fluctuations in temperature, root rot, and improper fertilization.

Finding the causes distressed me initially, but I did not lose hope and tried every means to treat the curled leaves.

So let me share the solutions to Money Tree leaves curling through this article.

Is It Normal for Money Tree Leaves to Curl?

Famous for bringing prosperity, luck, and wealth, the Money Tree can be an excellent decorative houseplant for you.

But sometimes, they also get sick and try to tell us through signs like the curling of leaves. So, leaves curling is the reaction to lack of care.

Leaf curling in Money Tree is an early stage when the leaf has wavy edges, but once they start getting yellow tips, you need to take it seriously.

Initially, mature leaves start curling up, causing brown tips in new leaves as a sign of unhealthiness, triggered by different factors. 

So get ready to know the other reason for Doming (outward curling) and Cupping (inward curling).

Money Tree Leaves Curling: Causes & Solutions

As a tropical plant, the Money Tree demands wet and swampy soil but not with too much or too little moisture, which is a significant reason for curling. 

Unfortunately, leaf curling is not limited to one or two causes but has an entire list leading to it.

But with the causes comes its remedies that I tried and were adequate to the most extent in saving my Money Tree.

So first, let’s begin with what caused the beautiful Money Tree to lose its charm.

1. Watering Issues

At first, I was unaware of the water requirement for the Money Tree and watered them when I thought they needed it.

But that backfired on me as later I knew that you should only water the plant when it asks for and not when you think they need it, or else your plant leaves will face curling.

Improper watering led to different situations, as mentioned below.

Underwatering

My Money Tree used to stay unwatered for weeks when I had no time to tend to it. Later I noticed the leaves with some wavy edges on them.

Here, I learned that my plant lacks water and is hungry as the water was helping them in nutrient intake. 

Also, the dry soil became so compact that it ceased any aeration for the roots, leading the Money Tree to remain dehydrated and leaves folded.

So to my surprise, one problem led to another, making my Money Tree suffer from dryness and ceasing further growth of the plant.

How to Treat and Prevent Underwatering

• Avoid negligence and keep checking on your in every two to three days.
• Remember to water your plant as soon as your soil seems dry. But do check the moisture 2 inches deep from the ground before watering.
• Avoid direct sunlight to preserve the water for the roots to absorb, or it can lead to dryness of the core soil.
• Maintain a routine for watering in the morning.
• Remember to provide about 6-8 ounces of water weekly to the money tree in its growing stage and decrease the quantity in winter. 

Overwatering

Overwatering, a common cause of leaf curl, occurs when you give excess water to plants beyond its requirement.

It is the same for Money Tree too.

When you shower the Money Tree with extra water, it starts showing curls on its leaves with an environment for bacterial growth.

Also, your plant root will lack oxygen due to the blockage of soil pores because water on the pores leaves no space for air.

But before all, remove your confusion about the situation that you are facing. The leaves curl outward in overwatering and inward during underwatering.

How to Treat and Prevent Overwatering

• Try to keep the watering limited to a daily dose of 1 ice cube in summer and once a week in winter.
• Do not water the plant if you see any standing water on the pot. That is not mandatory.
• If your plant faces overwatering, then take the plant out and let a newspaper soak the excess water overnight.
• Never let the ground soil affect the moisture requirement as there might be moisture in deep. So, remember to check 2 inches from the ground for any water.

Poor Water Quality

Money Tree does not leave any chance to show its dissatisfaction in the case of water.

Only providing enough water will not suffice the need for Money Tree as its quality also matters.

Tap water and municipal pipeline contain hard minerals like chlorine, fluorine, and sodium, accumulating in the soil over time.

Thus, these salts affect the water and nutrient intake and hamper healthy roots’ growth if provided regularly, leading to curling and browning of leaves. 

 Solutions

• Do not use the tap water directly; if possible, try to use mineral or distilled water.
• Avoid municipal pipeline water as its chemical composition does contain chlorine and fluorine.
• Boil the water or fill the watering container and let it stand overnight before watering, as it helps to reduce chlorine content.
• For the fluorine, try to mix limestone in your soil as it makes the available fluorine non-absorbable for the roots.

Tips to Water Properly

• Do not let the soil dry to such an extent that it leads to the death of the Money Tree.
• Check for drainage holes as it allows excess water to drain out, and see if the drainage holes are open or not.
• Always check on the tray kept below your plant pot for the presence of any stagnant water.
•  If you have a tight schedule for your plant, then water the plant once in 15 days in summer till the water reaches the deep roots but not in the long run.
• Run-off and rainwater are suitable for your plant as they do not have harmful chemicals.

2. Wrong Choice of Soil

Never let your Money Tree grow in sandy soil, a huge mistake I made because of unawareness earlier.

The wrong soil mix led to the percolation creating underwater condition as the sandy soils can not hold water and quickly drains out, causing leaves to curl.

Later, curling led to drooping and yellowing of the leaves, which did not indicate any promising signs.

How to Treat Improper Soil Condition

• Keep the pH level at 6.o-7.5 as the soil becomes acidic after a particular time.
• The soil should have enough space among the particles to allow the movement of water.
• The soil mix used for the Money Tree should have an equal ratio of 1:1:1 of coarse sand, peat moss, and perlite.
• Other mixes that you can use with the same ratio as above can be coconut coir with compost and perlite.
• If your soil is compact, try adding peat moss or sand in a small amount to relieve the compactness.

How to Prevent Soil From Losing Health

Even after maintaining a good soil mix, your plant might demand more out of the soil as it is the only base for its growth.

So it would help if you considered certain things for maintaining the health of the soil and preventing Money Tree leaves from curling.

• Apply mulch over the soil mix used for the plant as it will prevent excess water loss outdoors.
• Allow leaching in the plant if insoluble salts are present, hampering the root growth.
• Remember to give only the required amount of herbicides as it contains minerals that might not be healthy for plants.
• Supply your plant with organic materials like egg shells, banana peels, and green tea from time to time.

3. Light Issues

How foolish of me! I kept my Money Tree in the reach of direct sunlight for entire days when it asked for the opposite, causing the water deficiency.

Money Tree demands light but indirectly. When kept under direct sunlight, scorching occurs, inviting the curling.

But remember that too little light also affects plant growth as it will not be able to conduct photosynthesis, leading to curling.

So whatever you do, do it in the right amount and time, or else one problem leads to another.

How to Treat Improper Light

• Keep your plant beside a bright window that allows indirect light to fall upon your plant.
• If you wish, keep your Money Tree outside at the time of morning and evening sunlight but not for the entire day.

Leaves of Money Tree may turn yellow and fall in autumn, when days become short and light becomes lower. 

• In the absence of enough light, consider installing a grow light and keep the plant under it for at least 12 hours, as it works wonders for artificial light.
• Your money tree demands partial shades, so try to keep the plant under the shade for at least 1 to 2 hrs. 

How to Provide Ideal Light

• Provide your Money Tree with enough water if you wish to keep it outdoors as it performs continuous photosynthesis.
• Try putting your Money Tree by facing a window in the Southern direction to avoid improper light from the start.
• Install fluorescent bulbs if your room is dark and has no signs of any reflection of sunlight.
• Money Tree requires 6-8 hours of bright indirect light and the rest of the time in darkness. 

 4. Variation in Temperature

Being a tropical plant, Money Tree loves the temperature ranging between 18ºC to 27ºC with warm surroundings.

Once the room temperature drops, their leaves start shrinking and curling, mainly in winters.

But that does not mean your plant flourishes in the hot summers because extreme heat also leads to dry air and low humidity, which supports the curling.

How to Treat Improper Temperature

• Take your plant away from a furnace or fireplace as it increases the temperature beyond its requirement.
• If the curling occurs due to a temperature drop, try to maintain temperature with the help of artificial gadgets like a heater and programmable thermostat.
• Apply curtains over your windows if the room temperature reaches an extreme level during summers.
• Provide the Money Tree pot with a heating pad to avoid frost conditions.
• If the curling occurs in winter, remove your money tree from the side of the windows as it will help recover temperature stress.

How to Provide Optimum Temperature

• Do not keep your plants in a fully dark room as there will be low temperature than average room temperature.
• As for summer days, try to avoid direct exposure to the harsh sunlight and try to give the plant enough water.
• Misting your plant can undoubtedly help in maintaining coolness during the summertime.
• Keep your Money Tree away from the vents, any door that allows cool air to enter the room, or near a refrigerator.
• Do not keep the plant outdoors during winter as it loves humid and warm surroundings.

5. Low Humidity

Money Tree loves growing in a high humidity environment because of its native being in the tropical rainforest of Mexico and Northern South America.

The level should be above 50%, which was the only condition I could maintain during my initial unaware stage.

Subsequently, I found that a low humidity level can cause stress in the plant and lead to curling, and if left unattended, the situation worsens.

Dryness in the air affects the moisture intake for the leaves and increases the rate of transpiration, causing dehydration. 

How to Treat Low Humidity

• Mist the plants regularly in the morning during the summer seasons to avoid dryness in the air.
• If you have a persistent condition of low humidity, try installing humidifiers, as they are the best source of instant moisture.
• If your room cannot provide enough humidity, try to move your plant to the bathrooms or kitchen as they have a high humidity level but should have a reach of indirect light.

How to Maintain Optimum Humidity

• Try to keep the Money Tree in a close group as it also maintains a required humidity level.
• Put pebbles below the pot with some water on it to let those water evaporate and provide the plant with the required humidity.

If you keep Money Tree on a tray of wet pebbles that leak moisture into the leafy canopy, your plant need to avoid crispy leaves in the dry winter.

• To check your room’s humidity level, try investing in a digital hygrometer, which will alert you every time you look at it.

6. Improper Fertilization

Money Tree needs food to adopt a reasonable growth rate, but you should ensure not to provide them with too much or little.

When you forget to give the optimum dose of 20:20:20 of N: P: K in the diluted form, your plant starts to act up by showing you the signs of curling and wrinkly.

But do not overdo fertilizer application as that leads to the accumulation of insoluble salts that affect the Money Tree’s water and nutrient intake, causing the plant to stunt growth and browning of leaves. 

How to Treat Improper Fertilization

• In case of overfertilization, wash away the salts with the water pressure, draining out through the drainage hole.
• Provide the recommended fertilizer dose if your plant leaves start to fall off.
• If the fertilizer is unavailable now, consider adding coffee grounds to the soil, as that also provides nutrients to your Money Tree.

How to Fertilize the Plant Properly

• You should give fertilizer once a month from summer to early fall.
• Avoid fertilizing the plant in winter since they enter into dormancy to prevent damage to the roots and leaves.
• Try repotting after six months to one year of planting as the soil nutrients start depleting, leading to nutrient deficiency.

7. Pests Infestation

Well, pests are just like a bonus, the only bonus that will make you unhappy as they are the enemies of your Money Tree.

The money Tree being the best houseplant attracts the best pests like mealy bugs, mites, and aphids who survive by feeding on the sap.

Sucking of the sap, filled with nutrients, leads the Tree towards deficiency, causing curling of leaves. 

Pest infestations mainly occur when you have not maintained appropriate conditions or when the plants are unhealthy.

I thought you would need some help to understand the most common pests with their symptoms which I tried to include in the table below.

Type of common pests	Symptoms of Infestation
Mealy Bugs	Leaf fall, Defoliation, Yellow leaves, Wilting, and Stunted growth.
Spider Mites	Curled leaves, Spots on surface, Dry leaves, Falling of leaves, and Weak stems.
Scales	Deformed leaves, Pale leaves, Brown spots, Leaf fall, and Stunted growth.
Gnats	Wilting, Yellowing of leaves, Stunted growth, Browning of roots.
White Flies	Curling of leaves, Stunted growth, Yellow spots on leaf, and Powdery mold.
Aphids	Deformation, Leaf drop, Stunted growth, Sticky residue on leaf and stem, and Yellow leaves.

How to Remove the Pests from the Plant

• Try to isolate the Money Tree that has infestation if it is in a group.
• Apply Neem Oil with a rate of two spoons for a gallon of water continuously for over two months.
• You can also use other horticultural oil like rosemary oil for their pungent smell, repelling the pests to some extent.
• You can wash off the plant under running water to remove the bugs or spray rubbing alcohol mixed in water with a 1:1 ratio and later wash with clean water.
• It is better to avoid chemical pesticides as they can be harmful to your plant, and try using insecticidal soap.
• Prune the damaged leaf or the branches that have an infestation of pests.

How to Prevent Pests from Attacking the Plant

• Do not overwater your plant as that is the main attraction for the pests.
• Provide the optimum temperature of 70ºF to 85ºF and humidity above 50% from the beginning to prevent pests from growing. 
• If you have dry leaves on the soil, remove them as soon as you notice as it invites the pests.
• Check the pots and soil before bringing your new Money Tree home for any attached pests.

8. Root Rot 

Another significant cause leading to leaves curling is root rot which will not do any good to your Money Tree.

Even if I did not face this problem since the primary reason for root rot is overwatering, and mine was underwatering, I found that microorganisms grow in overwater conditions, affecting the root’s health.

Since roots are responsible for water and nutrient intake, they cannot transport them during root rot, causing deficiency in the Money Tree and inviting leaf curl.

Not to blame the poor drainage system, root rot evokes yellowing of leaves and drooping.

How to Treat Root Rot

• Check on your drainage hole and allow excess water to drain out it.
• When you notice discoloration in roots, repot the entire plant in freshly prepared soil.
• Trim out the damaged roots if only a tiny portion has signs of rotting.
• If the whole plant has discolored or become mushy, apply fungicides with the recommended dose in the bottle.
• Keep your Money Tree’s root in direct sunlight for one to two days until the water evaporates. 

How to Prevent Root Rot

• Better keep a watering schedule so you do not overwater the Money Tree.
• Check 2 inches deep from the ground for any leftover moisture, and then only water the plant.
• Use the soil containing large particles with a mix of compost to allow proper drainage.

9. Repotting stress

Money Tree needs a comfortable pot for its growth, but if it does not match its requirements, you will face a lot of trouble.

Firstly, if the pot is not according to the recommended size, your Money Tree will face overwatering conditions as the depth might confuse you, making you water more and causing root rot. 

Secondly, if the pot is too small, your plant will start emerging out of the vessel in search of space for further growth, making your Money Tree suffer drought.

And when you try to solve the pot size issue by repotting, it adds to the factor because they might suffer from the stress of continuous adaptation.

Money trees don’t like to be moved from one place to another, therefore when they are disturbed too much at the roots, they frequently drop their leaves in shock.

Nevertheless, all situations favor Money Tree leaf curling, drooping, and yellowing of leaves. So be careful.

How to Treat Repotting stress

• Let your plant enjoy its surrounding by maintaining the optimum temperature and light intensity with a watering schedule.
• Try to drill one or two more drainage holes instead of repotting if the plant is at the berk of death to avoid unnecessary stress to the plant.
• Prune the damaged leaf of the Money Tree to provide enough space for the plant to relieve its stress by focusing on growth.
• Try to increase the pot size by 2 inches in every repotting.

How to Prevent Repotting  stress

• Try repotting at the time of spring when they can easily take up a good growth pace.
• Do not practice repotting too frequently. Let the plant enjoy its growing pot for at least two years.
• In the upcoming two years, keep your Money Tree size in mind and choose the best pot that will not make it root-bound. 

Conclusion

Money Tree makes a great houseplant, which emits positivity in your house and enriches your home with prosperity, luck, wealth, and air purification.

But to leverage all these benefits, you must check on it daily to maintain health and prevent leaves from curling.

I have enlisted all symptoms with a solution to leaf curling of Money Tree, ensuring that you can save your plant now and in the future. 

Wait! Are you curious about lucky plants, you may need to read Money Tree Meaning.