Question
I think I might of given my 35 year old money plant to much baby bio. All the leaves have dropped off and the main stem has rot. Can I save it or can I take a cutting of good stem and how would I get this to root. Please help. Annette. Manchester.

Answer
Annette,

You can try to take a cutting and get it to root but the chances of it rooting are very small. This is the best time of year to do it. If I was going to try I would use rooting hormone and dip the cutting in it and insert it in a fresh pot of soil then cover it loosly with a plastic bag forming a miniature greenhouse.

Now, about why your old plant is dying to begin with,  I doubt that it is too much Baby Bio. It is more likely too much water. All plants need to dry out well between waterings or their roots will rot. An hour after watering you need to empty the drain tray under the plant. You can do this with a turkey baster if it is too large to pick up and empty it. No plant should ever be in a pot that doesn't have a drain hole in the bottom of the pot and a drain tray under the pot.

If you doubt my diagnosis of overwatering I suggest that you unpot the tree and examine the roots. If the tree has a lot of firm wiry looking roots I am wrong and the tree has not been overwatered. You can repot it and there is a good chance that if you put it in a very sunny location it will sprout new leaves.

If the roots are mushy in spots cut away the mushy roots and leave any wiry roots. If you have caught it in time and there are some wiry roots left you can repot it with fresh dryer soil in a smaller pot that is not much larger than the remaining rootball. Then prune the top back by approximately the same amount of roots that were pruned off. At that point set the plant in the brightest sunniest location possible and wait for new growth. Be patient. This plant is strong and stubborn and wants to grow so give it a chance. If you have more questions feel free to write again. Good luck!

Darlene