Chinese Money Plant Care Guide

Medium to bright indirect light. Never direct sunlight.

Let the soil dry between waterings.

No extra humidity required.

Keep this plant consistently in warm temperatures inside with nighttime temperatures decreasing to only 60°F-70°F.

Outside: Grow in dappled shade in morning sun where nights are above 50°F.

Indoors: The Chinese Money Plant enjoys medium to bright, indirect light.

Water the Chinese Money Plant one day prior to fertilizing. Fertilize once a month by diluting a liquid fertilizer by half strength. Let the plant rest in the fall and winter.

When receiving the plant, do not repot immediately but wait at least 6-12 months or if the roots are beginning to get crowded and growing through the drainage holes.

Repot in the spring, using a 2" bigger pot to keep the roots drier. (Too big of a pot could cause the soil to dry slower, which is not helpful.) Use a well-draining indoor potting mix with perlite to help with drainage or a cacti and succulent mix. 

Water your plant in the old pot before transferring over and let them sit an hour. Place a piece of screening at the bottom of the container over the drainage hole to secure the soil and allow it to drain. Add soil to the bottom to elevate the root ball. Lift the plant and release the roots against the existing planter. Use a clean knife or garden trowel to wedge between the pot and the soil to loosen. 

Inspect the root ball. Notice if there are any dead or rotting roots and trim off with sterile pruners. If the plant is rootbound, cut through the roots to alleviate continued encircling. 

Ensure the plant is sitting about 1" below the edge of the pot to avoid water spillage. Add more soil and backfill around the sides by tamping down. Fill up to the soil line but not over. 

Water thoroughly, leaving the soil damp but not soggy. If settling occurs, add more soil.

To clean the leaves and alleviate dust particles, give it a shower from above. Fill a watering can with filtered, distilled or tap water that has been sitting for 24 hours. Place the plant in a sink and lightly wash the leaves with a shower spray end watering can.

In early spring, take a pilea cutting, use a sharp knife to cut off pinkish red baby offshoots from the main stem.  Remove at least an inch of stalk under the soil leading to the main stem. Be careful not to catch the knife of the healthy leaves on the mother plant. 

If there is no root ball, remove all the soil and place in a vase with water to root. Change the water each week with filtered, bottled or tap water that has been sitting at least 24 hours. 

If there is a root ball, then separate the mother plant from the babies and pot up. Follow the instructions below.*

After 3-4 weeks, check to make sure the stem has well formed roots. If so, it's time to plant. 

*Fill a small container with drainage holes (too large of a container for the cutting will make it difficult to regulate watering needs) using indoor well-draining potting mix such as cacti and succulent mix. 

Mix a little rooting hormone into the soil. Poke a hole in the soil with a pencil. Then, place the cutting in the hole and tamp the soil down around it. 

Water the plant and keep them in medium to bright indirect sunlight. After 4-6 weeks, the roots should be established.