5 Possible Causes of Curling Chinese Money Plant Leaves

Chinese Money plants are scientifically known as Pilea Pepermoides. Moneyplant has captured attention all around the globe because of its broad and unique round leaves. Along with their unique construct, these plants are known as symbols of wisdom and happiness.

They are grown using seeds or via the vegetative stem as they thrive well in pots, placed anywhere, even though the spot has scattered sunlight. This property makes them easy-growing plants that survive dry temperatures. Yet, many people complain about Chinese money plant leaves curling. Many reasons cause the curling of leaves. Analysing them at the early stage is curable, or you will lose your favourite plant.

Reasons Leading to Chinese Money Plant Leaves Curling

1. Watering

Money plants love water, but some of us water them too much or too little, affecting and hindering their growth. Below are mentioned the symptoms and problems that occur when Money Plant is not watered properly.

Overwatering can rot the roots, which affects the plant’s ability to absorb water efficiently. When roots absorb water above their capacity, it causes stress, which leads to Chinese money plant leaves curling.

Underwatering, on the other hand, leads to dehydration. In this condition, plants try to store as much water as possible. By curling the leaves, they try to decrease the surface area, and as a result, the loss of water through transpiration also decreases.

To ensure proper watering do a finger test between the water sessions. Water the plant again when 2-3 inches of the soil dry out, and to avoid over-watering, use the pots with holes so the excess water can drain out of the soil.

2. Environmental Factors

The money plant is an easy-growing plant and survives in dry conditions, yet, there are some necessary factors that are needed by every plant for better growth and development. If the plant is exposed to unfavourable conditions, then many factors can contribute to the Chinese money plant leaves curling. Below are the common environmental factors resulting in Chinese money plant leaves curling.

Sunlight

The first and most common reason is sunlight; when the plant is exposed to inadequate lighting, then bends towards the only source available to them, like near the window, which results in weak and curled leaves. Excessive exposure to direct sunlight can scorch the leaves. Thus, Chinese money plant leaves curling is a common symptom.

To resolve this issue, ensure that the money plant is kept in a spot where bright, indirect sunlight is available. You can even use the photo-electric light if you are placing the money plant inside.

Temperature

Chinese money plants need a stable temperature; fluctuation in temperature can damage the money plant. Chinese money plant is very sensitive to frost and cold temperatures, which are common in the UK. To protect the plants from freezing temperatures and fluctuations, place them indoors. You can even use the drapes to cover the money plant and protect it from the cold temperature outside.

Humidity

Low humidity or dry air can be part of the climate, but this condition affects the plant. Low humidity can cause dehydration which results in Chinese money plant leaves curling. Whatever the weather condition is, use misting or humidifier to maintain the humidity around the money plant and avoid the curling of the leaves.

3. Nutritional Deficiencies

Chinese money plant leaves curling is a common and early symptom of nutrition deficiency. Plants require micro and macronutrients in the soil to maintain their growth and development. If any one of the nutrients is more or less, that can result in Chinese money plant leaves curling. The most common nutrient deficiencies include nitrogen, potassium, and magnesium. Insufficient nitrogen causes the Chinese money plant leaves to curl. Potassium and magnesium lead to curling and yellowing or browning of the leaf margins.

To balance the nutrients in the soil, use the water-soluble fertiliser specifically manufactured for the houseplant. Don’t forget to read the precautions and the user manual before applying them to the soil. You can even use organic manure like worm castings, vermicompost, or kitchen waste manure to upgrade the soil and maintain its fertility using natural means.

If your soil has the nutrients for plant ten, it will help you avoid the curling of the Chinese money plant leaves and maintain their growth for years. If your plants increase in size, then make sure to change the pot to a bigger size which ensures better nutrients and water transported within the plant.

4. Pests and Diseases

Pests can destroy your healthy plant and rot them to death. When pests attack the Chinese Money plant, it makes it easy for the fungus and bacteria to invade the cell membrane and suck the nutrients out of the plant, which in turn shows the Chinese money plant leaves curling as a symptom. Here is the list of the common pests and diseases which is found in the Chinese Money Plant.

Scale

Scale is observed as the white spots on the leaf. You won’t be able to determine them as pests. But, they are micro pests and are closely attached to the leaves to suck the nutrients. Normally, you will observe white spots on the leaves and conclude it is a deficiency. To peel off the Scale from the leaves is tough yet, manageable. You can observe the holes or yellowing of leaves as other symptoms.

Spider Mites

Spider mites can’t crawl or walk yet; they are the common cause of destroying houseplants. They manage to invade the crop with the help of wind and water and even pass it on from one affected plant to another.

When you see the spider mites using the microscope, you will observe a spider with eight appendages. They build a web on the base of the leaves, early infestation of spiderworts is not visible but is visible when the plant condition becomes severe.

Thrips

Thrips are small pests and have wings; you can mark their presence by disturbing the plant. To confirm their presence, you can use a white sheet at the base of the plant. On disturbing, if you observe brown insects or flies flying or jumping, some may fall on the sheet, which helps identify the pest. It mainly affects the plant planted outdoors, but if the affected plant is carried indoors, it also infects the other houseplant.

Powdery Mildew

Powdery mildew affects the Chinese money plant when the plant is not watered properly and not draped at night. Temperature fluctuations and underwatering make the leaves’ upper layer a perfect place for the growth of fungus.

Your plant will be green one day; the other day, you will see a white powdery substance over the leaves. Although leaf removal is the only method of recovery, as a precaution, it decreases the watering of plants so the powdery mildew growth can be controlled.

Leaf Spot Disease

Scale and Leaf Spot diseases are usually confused with each other. In Leaf spot diseases, Yellow and brown spots are accompanied by Chinese money plant leaves curling because of vascular bundles, which leads to water deficiency in plants. Therefore, the stomata of leaves shrunken, and a decrease in the size of leaves is noticed.

For the detection of this disease, you can do a plastic bag test. Cover the leave with a plastic bag at night, and in the morning, observe the transpiration rate. You will see a significant decrease in transpiration if your plant is affected by Leaf spot disease. This disease is not curable at home, but better care and a spray of neem oil can help you avoid this disease.

Fungus Gnats

Tiny green pests are not that threatening but annoying. If they infest the indoor plant, they don’t affect the plant but fly into the house, which irritates them.

The plants’ soil is the best house for these Fungus Gnats as they love moist and damp places. The physical method is one method to remove these pests, but the watering technique also helps in eliminating these pests from the plant. If they are large in number, they suck the nutrition out of the plant, which causes the brown spots and curling of leaves as symptoms.

5. Plant Hormones

Hormones are the chemical components produced in living organisms to stimulate growth. Same in plants, Auxin, Cytokinin, and Ethlene are the major hormones that help in the growth and development of the plant. It is not always that your Chinese money plant leaves curling is caused because of any deficiency or disease. Sometimes new levees are formed, curled, and later grow into broad leaves.

When new leaves are coming from the nodes and inter-nodes, then Auxin is the hormone that is responsible for this. When leaves are new Chinese money plant leaves, curling is seen to decrease the rate of transpiration, thus, helping the new leaves maintain the temperature and humidity. This also allows leaves to build a vascular connection.

In contrast, if the leaves have any spots or yellow or brown margins, that is an indication of infection or deficiency, which needs to be encountered as soon as possible. Thus, as long as the Chinese money plant leaves curling is healthy, it is not a problem, but in case of abnormalities, check the cause and get it resolved as soon as possible.

Conclusion

Chinese money plant leaves curling is bothering, but if you spot the curling at the start, then there are higher chances of survival. Above are mentioned five reasons which are mostly found as the core of the Chinese money plant leaves curling.

Before you start to detect the reason which is causing the Chinese money plant leaves to curl in your plant, make sure that before giving any conclusion, you have detected other symptoms which accompany the curling factor.

A wrong inspection can damage the plant more seriously, which is beyond fixing.
Now, you might have discovered the right reasons which are causing the Chinese money plant leaves to curl.

So, don’t forget to mention it in the comment, which can help your fellow readers in determining the factor.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can Pruning Help with The Chinese Money Plant Leaves Curling?

Pruning can be beneficial for the health and maintenance of the money plant. If your plant is affected by pests, then pruning with the sterilised shears can help, yet, other methods are also required to resolve the issue.

Can We Make Neem Oil at Home?

Yes, You can make neem oil at home, which can protect the Chinese money plant leaves curling from pests. You can use the following method to prepare neem oil at home. Take a handful of neem leaves and boil them. After boiling the leaves, filter them out to get the liquid content. Fill that liquid in a spray bottle and use it to protect your plants from pests and diseases.

How Long Does Uncurling of Leaves Take Place?

Once the issue is identified and then resolved then, it will take some time for the affected leaves to uncurl and recover. You may see some improvements within weeks to months as new growth appears with healthy leaves.