Reasons and Ways to fix curling of Chinese money plant leaves

I have been growing Chinese money plants for 3 months, and everything was going well. However, a few days ago, I noticed that the leaves of my money plant started to curl. I was confused about where I went wrong. Of course, it’s disheartening to see the results worsen after investing so much hard work.

You know what? I didn’t give up. Instead, I delved into learning every single detail to identify where I went wrong and ways to fix the curling of Chinese money plant leaves. Unfortunately, it’s common to find Chinese money plant leaves curling, which makes it challenging to find out the cause.

But don’t worry, fellow plant lovers that’s why I’m here to help you, I’ve explained below all the reasons, types of leaves curling and ways to fix your Chinese money plant leaves curling. So, what are you waiting for? Let’s fix the problem as soon as possible!

Quick takeaways:

• The most common reasons behind Chinese Money Plant leaves curling are low light, temperature extremes, or watering problems.
• The new leaves of the plants are naturally curl but get flattened sometimes.
• Providing the plant with Bright, indirect light, temperatures of 55-65°F (13-18°C), and watering will prevent and fix the leaf curling.

Types Of Chinese Money Plant Leaf Curling:

Do you know a Chinese money plant does give much information with the help of leaves? But unfortunately, their language is different to understand. You need to be patient and have little time to learn it. Here I’m highlighting 3 different ways behind the Chinese money plant leaves curl, after which you can watch the pattern of curling and determine what basic problem:

Outward Leaf curl (Doming):

The outward leaf curl is most commonly caused due to the low light and overwatering provided to the Chinese Money Plant.

Inwards Leaf Curling (Cupping):

The inwards leaf curling is commonly caused due to high temperature, underwatering, or nutrient deficiency.

Mixed Leaf Curling:

There are some cases when the leaves of the Chinese money plant are curled in both directions or are partially cupping or doming which also indicates that the plant is having some issues that need to be resolved. 

Understanding Leaf Curling in Chinese Money Plants:

Let’s understand in detail the reason behind Chinese money plant curling leaves. Here are some reasons I’ve mentioned so go through them:

The Impact of Light, Temperature, and Humidity:

• Without confusing you let’s get straight to the point: providing the plant with Inadequate light, temperature extremes, and low humidity makes the leaves curl faster than a shy hedgehog.
• The curling of leaves inward is mainly due to underwatering or low humidity. 

Interesting tips:

If you find a plant’s leaves are curling in an inward direction it means the plant is saying  “Hey, I’m thirsty!”. 

Watering and Soil Drainage:

• Moving on watering demand. Providing plant overwater, underwater, and poor soil drainage will also result in leaf curling. 
• If you overwater the plant, you will see the leaves curling downwards.
• Underwatering the money plant will make the leaves curl inwards.

Interesting tips:

Make sure to maintain a good drainage system in order to prevent the situation of root rot and proper drainage will prevent waterlogging. 

Nutrient Deficiencies:

Yes, nutrient deficiency also leads to the curling of leaves. Let me tell you how. The plant lacking in potassium and magnesium will feel like running a marathon without having breakfast and eventually, that will not end well.

So, now you understand the causes of leaf curling in Chinese money plants. This is just the first step toward fixing the issue or I could say it’s like now you know the enemy before going into battle. But here the enemy is a lack of light, water, and nutrients. Let’s get started to move on to how you need to balance these conditions.

Ways to fix Chinese money plant leave curl:

The following are some ways by which you can fix the Chinese money leaves from curling: 

Correcting Light and Environmental Conditions:

Here are some points I have divided that will help you correct the light and Environmental Conditions:

Let There Be (the Right) Light:

• To make sure the Chinese money plant does not turn into a botanical contortionist, always maintain the light which is the first line of defense.
• This doesn’t mean you will provide too harsh light, not too dim but just the right quantity of light.
• The solution is to provide the plant with indirect light is the secret. Make sure the plant is not sunbathing nor lurking in the shadows. 
• The plant thrives best in a well-lit room having filtered, indirect sunlight. So, I suggest you keep it near a north or east-facing window or keep it a few feet away from the south or west-facing window. 

Keeping it Cool (But Not Too Cool):

• The next topic is temperature. The Chinese money plant does not ask for a tropical paradise or an arctic tundra but basically craves for a comfy, consistent temperature between 60-75°F (15-24°C).
• Make sure to avoid keeping the plant near drafty windows, heating vents, or air conditioners because that causes the temperature to swing faster.

Humidity: The Unsung Hero:

• Let’s talk about humidity. The demand for moisture by Chinese money plants is like a diva feeling which thrives best in humidity levels of 40-60%.
• To boost humidity levels place a tray of water near the plant, do regular misting or you can buy a plant humidifier. 
• In order to maintain humidity, make sure the plant does not suffer from high humidity and does not get dry either. 
• Providing a balanced consistent environment will the leaves uncurled and happy.

Now is the time to learn watering and soil conditions properly because the plant loves to drink water.

Improving Watering and Soil Conditions

Here are some points, I have divided that will help you Improving Watering and Soil Conditions

Establishing a Balanced Watering Routine:

• Watering is not just about hydration. It’s like you have to quench the plant’s thirst and also provide the plant with all essential nutrients. 
• You know the pH of the water does affect nutrient absorption which means it’s not just the quantity but the quality of water. 
• There is no rule defined on the frequency of watering. It actually depends on the plant individual. But I will give a trick, let the soil dry out between watering which will prevent overwatering conditions and root rot.

Ensuring Proper Soil Drainage:

• Talking about soil drainage, Let me explain this with an example, just imagine you are having a party and there is the guy you just want to leave and overstay. This is the same scenario the water does in soil without having proper drainage. Resulting in trapping, preventing oxygen from reaching the roots, and leading to root rot condition.
• Now the question is how to ensure proper drainage. At first, you need to check the container has proper drainage holes and if it doesn’t it’s time to repot the plant.
• Secondly, make sure to use a soil mixture having good drainage properties i.e. Perlite, vermiculite, or sand are the best.

Selecting Suitable Fertilizers:

• Do you know how choosing a fertilizer feels? It’s like trying to decode a secret language regarding the plant and it becomes easier when you understand the plant’s needs. 
• To get help in determining the nutrient level and identify any toxin in the soil, testing the soil is called a game changer. 

Interesting tip:

When it fertilizing, less is often more as overfertilization leads to a host of problems like decreasing flower production and reading resistance to disease and pests.

Implementing a Regular Feeding Schedule:

• After successfully selecting a suitable fertilizer now, its time to maintain the feeding schedule.
• During the spring and summer time feed the plant with a balanced succulent or all-purpose liquid fertilizer that too at half strength every 2 weeks.
• Avoid fertilzing in fall or winter because at that time plant is dormant.

Interesting tip:

A plant remains happy well it’s well fed but just like human plants can overeat for that you need to keep an eye on the plant by adjusting the feeding schedule. Because the overall goal is to prevent the leaf curling not to keep the plant in a food coma. 

Last Word:

I know dealing with the Chinese money plant leaf curling is a tricky problem and you will find a lot of opinions regarding the causes and solutions because actually, there are many causes and each plant does grow in different conditions. 

But if you focus on providing the plant with all care conditions and dealing with all issues the plant will start to develop healthy and within no time curling of the leaf will resolve.

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