Houseplant floppy, how do I get it to strengthen up please

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I confess to start with that I am not a gardener so please be very basic in your advice!

i have two house plants that I know as money trees. Not sure if that is the right name.

As they get bigger they are really droopy, I did support one of them with canes but how do I get it to focus on strengthening the ‘trunk’. You see people with big versions of this plant that are self supporting.

Do I need to chop off the new growth to encourage strength in the old part?

i am attaching a pic for reference. Any advice is very welcome please.

It’s Crassula ovata, where do you keep it, and how often do you water it? It appears to be in a cache pot, which can sometimes result in water remaining in the bottom, leading to root rot. They are good at surviving drought, so don’t like to be overwatered, and like to be in your sunniest location.

They can be chopped back quite severely, and will sprout new branches, but we need to find out why it looks unhappy!

My guess would be it's been overwatered - that would account for the floppiness. I'd take it out the pot and look at the roots - if they are squishy and black cut them off until you're back to firm ones. Trim off the most floppy sections up top and repot. Then water only when it's dry and be particularly careful not to water too much in the winter.

www.houseandgarden.co.uk/article/money-plant-care-guide

Brilliant, thank you both.

One is usually at uni with my son but both have been on a sunny kitchen window sill for the last few months. They may well have been overwatered.

I will investigate the roots and trim
back any dodgy roots and some floppy bits up top. Thank you, off to look at the link.

Does it sit on a high shelf? Looks like it's been straining for the light, which is below it.

But maybe not as you say kitchen window. Did you move it, and this why it has fresh growth from the base?

The leaves definitely look overwatered.

You can leave them weeks without it affecting them.

I'd be ruthless with the overwatered side and remove/bin all the soft and squishy bits. Then I'd take the overall size down. And then I'd take a few nice and healthy spurs or leaves and lay them on kitchen roll to callus overnight before laying them on barely dampened, free draining media to root, so that there would be a whole army of juniors to follow.

Yes, it was moved from his university to home at the start of June. Has been on my kitchen windowsill ever since.

I suspect he has been overwatering it (and mine, his was originally a cutting from my plant) as it’s next to the tap with a hose and it’s quick and easy to do.

Great idea for more of them, I think we will soon be overrun! It’s the longest plant I have ever kept alive!!

Do I need to chop off the new growth to encourage strength in the old part?

If that was mine, I'd do the opposite.

I'd chop off the floppy thick 'branches' on the left of your photo as close to the compost as possible and retain the nice compact green growth on the right.

I would also take the opportunity to replant it into 1 size larger pot, with potting compost for cacti and succulents, as it's nice and gritty and free-draining.

Autumn is a good time to report house plants. I do mine while there's still warmth in the air and good day light, so there is time for the plants to settle into their new home before the winter sets in. I've found in the past if I reshape and repot in the Spring, certain houseplants have a massive growth-spurt and I prefer them to be compact and tidy in growth, so doing it in the autumn stops that from happening.