Chinese money plants have become exceptionally popular houseplants in recent years. Many people keep them around because they’re said to bring good fortune.
Whether you believe in the idea of good luck or not, it’s nice to have an aesthetically appealing plant like this in your home. These plants have pretty round leaves that stand out among many other common houseplants.
It’s actually pretty normal for these plants to have their leaves pointed down. Since the leaves naturally curve downwards, it’s hard to tell if the plant is experiencing drooping sometimes.
If you think that your plant looks as if it is drooping more than normal, it’s good to pay attention. Read on to learn some of the reasons why this happens so that you can determine the appropriate steps to take.
1 – Not Getting Enough Water
The most common cause of drooping in these plants is not getting enough water. If you believe that the drooping that you’ve noticed isn’t natural, it could very well be that you haven’t watered it enough.
This plant doesn’t do very well if you forget to water it once or twice. If you don’t water it thoroughly enough, it might also experience some issues.
When the soil starts to dry out, the stalks of the leaves will begin to droop and look a bit sad. If you keep underwatering the plant, you might even see some of the leaves fall out.
Thankfully, you can turn this around by recognizing the issue before it’s too late. Watering the plant normally should help it to perk up and look normal again.
Feel the soil each time that you go to water it. The soil should be slightly dry when you check it.
You don’t want to water these plants too much. Overwatering Chinese money plants can cause issues with root rot, and that’s substantially worse than a bit of drooping.
2 – Watering Too Much
As mentioned above, watering these plant too much can cause issues. It should be known that too much water can make them start drooping.
It’s more serious to water your plant too much than it is to underwater it, though. You’re most likely not going to kill it if you underwater it since it’s easy to catch it on time.
Watering too much can put the plant in a dire situation. Root rot has the potential to kill it, and you likely won’t be able to easily save a plant that’s experiencing root rot.
For this reason, you should be very careful about how you approach watering your plants. Always check the condition of the soil before you water it so that you don’t make a mistake.
It’s also good to remember to use soil that drains properly. This ensures that the plant can dry out a bit before you go to water it the next time.
3 – Repotting
Sometimes these plants will start drooping after you’ve repotted them. Putting a plant in a new pot can cause it to experience a bit of stress.
Transplant stress will sometimes cause plants to lose leaves. This isn’t unusual, and things will probably be just fine so long as you take care of the plant properly.
This is more likely to happen with Chinese money plants if the roots are disturbed during the transplanting process. If you handle the roots roughly, it might not do as well for a little while immediately after transplanting it.
Do your best to handle the roots with care so that you can avoid transplant stress issues. If you’re trying to loosen the roots due to the plant having rootbound issues, just try to be gentle while doing so.
It actually might not be necessary to loosen the roots either. Simply getting the plant a bigger pot and backfilling it with soil should solve the issue.
4 – Pest Issues
As you might expect, pest issues can cause Chinese money plants to start drooping. There are many pests that can become problematic for these plants.
Spider mites, fungus gnats, mealybugs, thrips, and scale bugs all seem to love these plants. The pests will suck the sap out of the plant which damages the foliage.
Eventually, the plant will start to become dehydrated. This leads to wilting issues, which is when you’ll notice the drooping.
Pest infestations can be dealt with, and it’s best to try to catch these situations as early as possible. Keep a close eye on your plants so that you can keep them safe.
When checking your plant, make sure that you look along the stems, under the leaves, and even around the soil. If you notice any pests, you’ll want to treat the plant to get rid of them.
Using insecticides might be a good option, but you could try natural solutions such as neem oil. Just do your best to eliminate the pests based on which type of pest you’re dealing with.
5 – Light Issues
If the plant isn’t getting as much light as it should, that could easily cause it to start drooping. Placing a Chinese money plant in a low light environment isn’t going to do it any favors.
This is actually another common reason why a plant such as this will start drooping. It’s right up there with watering mistakes as a likely candidate for why your plant is drooping.
When these plants are placed in low light environments, they’re going to grow much slower than usual. They won’t use as much water and the water won’t evaporate as fast either.
It’s actually harder to avoid root rot when the plant is in a low light room. It keeps the plant from being able to dry out properly.
Ideally, you should keep one of these houseplants in a room where it can get bright indirect sunlight. Direct sunlight doesn’t work well because it will scorch the leaves and ruin the aesthetic appeal of the plant.
6 – Sudden Temperature Changes
Do you have your Chinese money plant near a heating vent or an air conditioner? Sometimes these plants will start to droop due to experiencing sudden temperature changes.
It could be due to something as simple as being too close to a drafty window. You want to keep your plant somewhere that has a stable temperature.
Temperatures that fluctuate up and down can be very tough for plants to deal with. This is something that can cause issues with many different types of houseplants.
Do your best to keep the plant away from drafty doors and windows. Ensure that you aren’t putting it too close to vents, air conditioners, and heating units too.
This can happen if you bring your plants outside during the summer as well. Cool nights might cause the plant to start drooping.
Simply change the position of it or keep it inside where the temperature is stable. You should be able to keep it from experiencing significant drooping issues so long as you’re proactive.
Final Thoughts
Now you have learned about the various reasons why Chinese money plants experience drooping issues. Hopefully, this will help you to make good choices so that you can protect your plants.
Do your best to water the plant properly so that you can avoid major issues. It’s especially important not to water it too much since you could wind up killing it if you’re not careful.
These plants need to have enough sunlight to grow properly, too. It’s harder for plants to dry out between watering sessions if they aren’t receiving the proper amount of sunlight.
Pests might cause them to droop and so will fluctuating temperatures. Be aware of these potential issues so that you can put your plant in a position to grow strong and remain healthy.
Growing up with a mom who filled her home (inside and out) with all sorts of plants, Lisa got her start in gardening at a young age. Living now on her own with a home and yard full of plants (including an indoor greenhouse), she shares all the gardening tips she’s gained over the years.