Hello,
I've had this plant for 4 years now, and I'm not sure what to do with it. The plant is a money tree, and the floral tape and wire there is to prevent the trunk from leaning too much. There is a spot outside to place it, but due to Florida weather I've been afraid of leaving it outside for fear of its pot getting flooded from rain. It is in a pot that has drainage holes, but that only helps so much.
Also, the trunk appears unsteady. When I pull it away from the window it's currently leaning against, it leans heavily to one side and I don't know if it will topple over or snap with a stiff breeze outside. Do I risk moving it outside, perhaps with more soil? If not, what other suggestions do you have? I live with cats who like to eat the leaves if they can access it, so keep that in mind. I don't want to trim/prune if I can help it, but it's about to outgrow the window at this point.
When is the last time you repotted it? Is it growing enough roots to support itself?
If it's too top-heavy, pruning is absolutely the right thing to do. It means the plant will be putting energy into growing the roots and trunk, and less into just growing taller. Pruning is part of regular plant care, not something to avoid. (Also, you can use the cuttings for propagation, either to make more plants or to give/trade).
Also, weird contortions usually mean it's been straining to reach enough light. Is it getting enough? Have you been moving it so that it doesn't lean too far in one direction?
Thanks for the feedback. The last time I repotted it was sometime early last year, and I don't know how frequent I should be doing that. Once the plant becomes twice as tall as the pot or taller?
I didn't think about pruning being helpful for strengthening roots, so I'll give that a shot.
So far the plant gets plenty of light. The window is north facing so it's more indirect light, but plenty of light gets through as far as I can tell. I tried moving it, but maybe I'm doing that wrong. Do I keep it in the moved position for several days, a couple weeks, or until I notice the branches aren't leaning as much and then move it again?