Monstera deliciosa care is easier than you think! This post is the ultimate guide on growing Monstera deliciosa, and I will also show you some remarkable tips and tricks on repotting Monstera as well so that you can be the best plant parent that you can be!
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This plant was once popular a few decades ago, and it is back with a vengeance! Monstera deliciosa is one of the trendiest houseplants that you can grow these days.
Not only are they a striking houseplant, but they are also very easy to grow and a fantastic beginner plant! Anyone can grow a Monstera!
My plant which was barely 1 ½ feet tall when I purchased it, grew quite large after less than 3 years.
Keep reading to find out exactly how to care for Monstera deliciosa, and also learn about repotting Monstera.
I will also show you how to provide a very sturdy support so your Monstera can climb securely! Forget about the moss posts. I have a much easier and more effective solution.
Table of Contents
About Monstera Deliciosa
There are so many common names for this plant: Swiss Cheese Plant, Mexican Breadfruit, and even Split Leaf Philodendron. Common names are enormously confusing and I always refer to this plant by its botanical name (genus + species), Monstera deliciosa.
You may be wondering about the botanical name Monstera deliciosa. The genus, Monstera, literally refers to the "monstrous" proportions that this plant takes on in the wild.
The species name, deliciosa, refers to its edible fruit that it commonly produces in the wild. Indoors, you may never see this, but know that it does produce an edible fruit!
These plants hail from tropical regions in the south of Mexico and also parts of Central America and are found growing at the base of trees. They will climb and attach to tree trunks via the aerial roots that they produce.
Monstera Deliciosa Care
1. LIGHT
As you can imagine by how this plant grows in the wild in its natural habitat, as described above, it prefers filtered light, or bright indirect light. I grow mine in a large Eastern exposure window so it received plenty of light, including morning sun which is gentle on the plant.
It can tolerate much darker, low light conditions, but your growth won't be as spectacular. After all, plants need light to photosynthesize!
You'll want to avoid too much direct sun however, especially the harsher afternoon sun.
If you live in areas that typically have a lot of strong sun, you'll want to shield your Monstera deliciosa so that it doesn't receive too much direct sun.
2. WATERING, FERTILIZING & HUMIDITY
Monstera deliciosa is pretty forgiving when it comes to watering. Just like most plants, I like to let the top part of the soil dry out before watering again.
Depending on the size of the pot, I'll let the top inch or two completely dry out before I water again. Just use your finger to test the soil moisture. Tap water will work just fine.
Mine is growing in a 14 inch pot, so I'll let the top 2 inches, roughly, dry out before I even think about watering.
Keep in mind that larger pots may take longer to dry out than much smaller pots, so don't water by your calendar.
Use your finger as your guide! If your Monstera is in a smaller pot, let at least the top inch of the soil dry out before watering again.
Avoid extremes in watering. Never let this plant sit in water otherwise it can easily experience root rot. Always discard any excess water that accumulates in the plant saucer.
On the other hand, try not and let the potting mix completely dry out if you can help it. Find a happy medium!
As far as fertilizing goes, I fertilize my Monstera deliciosa year round except for the winter months.
I sometimes rotate and change fertilizers, but I'm currently using Dyna-Gro Grow for most of my leafy houseplants and I don't think I'll ever switch again. This is an AMAZING fertilizer and I stock up on it from Amazon.
I like to fertilize dilutely with every watering. That way my plants receive constant nutrients, similar to how they would grow in nature, and I don't have to remember the last time I applied fertilizer!
As far as humidity goes, although this plant would appreciate high humidity, it does just fine in my home, even with low humidity during the winter time.
3. LEAF PROGRESSION
One of the most rewarding parts of growing Monstera deliciosa is watching the plant evolve from its juvenile leaves, to the more mature adult leaves.
Young plants have leaves that are completely solid and that have no slits or holes.
As Monstera deliciosa ages, the new leaves will have more and more fenestrations (holes) and slits among the leaves. Keep in mind that after a leaf opens up, it will stay the way it is and will not change.
As the plant matures, the newer leaves will slowly have more and more fenestrations.
Depending on how good your growing conditions are, very young monstera plants may take years indoors before they start to exhibit any fenestrations.
Take a look at the following progression of leaves from my own plant:
4. Repotting
For some general repotting tips, and knowing when to repot your plant, check out my blog post on repotting.
This post contains many critical aspects of repotting and important steps, so be sure to read up after you're done reading this Monstera post.
Perhaps the best time of year to repot your plant is early spring when plants are starting to perk up. It can really be done at any time of year if you have good growing conditions. Later winter or early spring is a good bet though.
As I mentioned earlier, Monstera deliciosa is a climbing plant in nature, so you'll want to add some support, and the perfect time to do this is when you repot your plant!
This way, you will minimize the damage to any roots. Although if you are careful, you can really add support at any time.
After you take your plant out of the pot, be sure to loosen up the root ball a bit. Only choose a larger pot that is 1 or 2 sizes bigger than the current pot. And always use a pot with drainage holes!
I used a wheelbarrow outdoors to blend my potting mix and loosen the root ball on my plant.
I like to cover the drainage hole with a broken pot shard (placed like an upside down U over the hole, which leaves space on the sides). Some people like to place a piece of old window screening over the hole.
When you repot, this is the perfect time to add a support so that your plant can start climbing!
As the vines grow, you can loosely tie them to the posts.
Take a look at the bamboo tee-pee that I created below.
I simply purchased some bamboo stakes online from Amazon, and put three of them in the pot at the time of repotting. I like to have extras on hand because I also use them in my garden.
Then I simply took some garden twine and tied the top up. It is a very stable structure!
You can also add a moss pole or moss stick when you repot. I wrote a printable, detailed how-to blog post that shows how you can make your own moss post! It's way better than anything you would buy pre-made and much better quality.
Use about 1 part of the perlite to 2 parts, or even 3 parts, of the potting soil.
It is a highly sustainable mix, and the owners of the company compost food scraps and add the compost to the mix. I've had amazing experiences with this mix and am switching many of my houseplants to this mix (when the time comes to repot).
It already contains plenty of perlite, so there is no need to adjust at all!
I also surveyed my readers to inquire about all their frustrations with potting mixes, and the makers of 'House' potting mix answered all these questions and more.
If you want an organic, sustainable, top-quality mix that you can use straight out of the bag, check out my blog post: Oh Happy Plants Potting Mixes.
This will give you a nice airy, nutritious, well draining soil that this plant loves!
If you're trying to decide what type of pot to give your Monstera, check out my Monstera Pots post that will help you choose the best pot for your plant.
5. Propagating Monstera Deliciosa
Who wouldn't want more of a good thing? If you want to propagate your Monstera deliciosa, it is very easy to do.
There are a couple of different ways that I will describe to propagate your Monstera deliciosa.
If you are impatient and don't want to spend too much time, you can simply just cut a vine and place it in water. Not just any old vine though. You'll want to choose a vine where you see an aerial root.
Then simply just cut below where the aerial root is, near where my finger is in the photo below.
Then simply place this cutting in water. The aerial root will quickly grow in water and it you'll be able to pot it up in no time at all.
The other method that you can use to propagate your Monstera deliciosa is by air layering. You'll want to air layer in the exact same spot that I described above (where my finger is in the photo).
For a detailed photo guide, check out my blog post on propagating Monstera in water. The benefit of doing this is that your vine will be much less stressed (versus just cutting it completely off the plant).
You can check out my blog post on air layering houseplants where you can read exactly how to do it! You can do it exactly as described in that post.
Or, alternatively, as long as you choose a vine where you can wrap the sphagnum moss around an existing aerial root, you don't even have to cut into the vine like I mention in the air layering post.
Simply proceed without cutting because the aerial root will start growing almost immediately.
Other than that one detail, you can follow all the rest of the instructions. Then once it is ready, you can simply cut the vine under where you air layered and pot up your new plant!
Be sure to get everything you need to help your Monstera deliciosa thrive. To summarize, these are the products I talked about in the blog post so you can grow your own gigantic Monstera deliciosa. (Pretty soon, mine will overtake the living room...)
Use 2 or 3 parts Miracle Gro Potting Mix to 1 part #3 perlite. This provides a beautifully airy and well-draining potting mix that these plants just love.
Dyna-Gro Grow is just simply one of the best fertilizers around. Use it regularly on you Monstera deliciosa plant and ALL of your tropicals!
And don't forget the bamboo stakes to make your tee-pee with. Monsteras need support as they grow.
If you want to browse other species of Monstera that you'd like to explore growing, don't miss my post that includes 15 Amazing Monstera Varieties to add to your collection.
There is a huge debate on whether you may have a Monstera deliciosa vs. Monstera borsigiana. Be sure not to miss my post on how to tell the difference between the deliciosa vs. borsigiana species.
If you like the look of Monstera deliciosa, but don't have the room, you can consider growing Rhaphidophora tetrasperma. It is commonly called "mini-monstera" but isn't actually a Monstera. It does have a similar look, but with smaller leaves.
Yellow leaves on your Monstera plant can be caused by a lot of different issues, and this is a very common problem. The causes of yellow leaves can include too little light, too MUCH light, soil that went too dry for too long (which typically results in the lower leaves yellowing), soggy soil, cold temperatures, and more.
These tropical plants do appreciate higher humidity levels, but normal room humidity is just fine! You don't have to invest in a humidifier for your plant. As long as you have proper watering practices and don't allow your soil to get too dry, average indoor humidity is just fine. Proper watering is far more important than trying to maintain a humid environment for your plant.
For smaller pots, wait to water until the top inch of soil has dried out. For larger pots, say 10 or 12 inches in diameter or more, you can easily allow the top 1-2 inches of soil to dry out before watering again.
Should you use a moisture meter for your plant?
I've seen too many people kill their plants by using faulty moisture meters. Many of the inexpensive ones are junky and will read moist, when in fact, your potting mix is bone dry. Save yourself the hassle, and use your finger to judge soil moisture. Wait until the top 1-2 inches of soil have dried out, and then water.
I hope you have enjoyed this post on how to care for your Monstera deliciosa.
If you have any questions, please let me know in the comments below and thanks for reading!
Can Monstera recover from spider mites?
Yes, but early detection is key in controlling any pests. You can tell if you have spider mites if you see fine webbing. You'll also start to see a speckled or mottled appearance on the leaves.
For best results, you'll want to knock off any existing spider mites with a stream of water, or use a damp cloth to wipe down all the foliage. Then regularly treat with an insecticidal soap or horticultural oil. Check out my post on treating houseplants for spider mites for step by step details.
Do Monstera plants need drainage holes?
Absolutely yes. It is much too risky to grow this plant without drainage holes. The risk of too much water accumulating at the bottom of the pot is too high. And if you're fertilizing, all the fertilizer salts will accumulate in the pot if you don't have drainage holes.
Is Monstera deliciosa toxic to animals?
Monstera deliciosa is toxic to cats and dogs, according to the ASPCA, because it contains calcium oxalate.
Does Monstera deliciosa product fruit?
Yes! And it is edible! It needs to be ripe though otherwise it may be painful to eat. Don't miss my blog post that is all about eating Monstera deliciosa fruit.
I hope you have enjoyed this post on how to care for your Monstera deliciosa.
If you have any questions, please let me know in the comments below and thanks for reading!
Hi my monstera deliciosa looked fine in the nersary pot i repotted it in two sizes bigger i looson the roots abit arfter a week the monstera opened up i noticed black spots on the leaves i did give it a good soking
Thanks for the informative post. I'm hoping you might be able to help. I bought a monstera 2+ years ago when it was about 60cm tall. It was doing really well. I'd repotted it once or twice and it was growing and growing. The only problem was that it was getting a bit unmanageably big... I'd noticed there were three separate vines in the one pot and so, a week ago, I decided it would be a good idea to divide them. I'm regretting that decision now! It was a big undertaking - the plants' roots were very intertwined. I sprayed them gently with water until I could tease them apart. A few roots did break but I managed to keep most of them in tact. I then repotted the three plants into separate pots and gave them each a good soak. However, over the past week, one by one, each leaf on all three plants has been turning a bright yellow, beginning with the lowest leaves. I'm guessing this is some sort of root shock? I'm worried this is going to continue and I'll lose all three plants. Is there anything I can do?
Hi Frankie, the plants are probably going through some shock from being separated and from the root breakage. Give them some time to adjust. I don't know where you are keeping them now, but maybe keep them out of direct sun for a few weeks while they continue to adjust. Avoid extremes in moisture as well while they're adjusting. Hope this helps and I hope they recover for you!
Hi Raffaele, your post is much appreciated! I just started getting into indoor plants over the last few months and have been looking for a good guide! I have monstera that is rather big, but lost a lot of leaves and all that remains are the stems. Would you cut back each stem since the leaf won't grow back on it? Or would you leave them alone? They are all green and healthy so I wasn't sure how to proceed!
Hi Lindsay! Can you send me a photo of your plant? Use the contact form on my website and when I respond, you can attach photos, (or just reply to an email if you already subscribe to my blog). I will be able to help you better if I can see your plant 🙂
Hello! Thank you so much for the post! I was wondering approximately how long a new leaf takes to unfurl typically? My current monstera has a leaf that is standing on it's own, and is starting to unfurl but I think I'm being impatient and want it to unfurl immediately. =/
Hi Casey, I'm glad you enjoyed the post! It depends on your conditions, but it can take several days to a couple weeks or so. I haven't timed it, but you'll just have to have patience 🙂
@Raffaele, okay, thank you so much. I purchased my plant on 5/16, and it already looked like it just needed to unfurl. So now it's been a month with no change. I have moved it to the sunniest room in my house (but I live in Portland, OR so not much sun goin on here). Wondering if I need to buy a humidifier or something. The leaves still look very happy, so I am taking that as a good sign at least.
It's hard to say without seeing a photo. Be sure to gently press the soil down after you repot (not a lot, but you want the roots to have contact with the soil). If the stem is still loose, you can always add a bamboo stick to support.
Hi, I recently was propagating a monstera deliciosa in soil from a two leafy cutting with node attached and aerial root. It’s been a good month since and it’s been getting sad looking it’s leafs curled inwards and now it’s yellowing, what’s going on? How can I help it thrive and grow roots?
It will take a bit to establish and once it does, the new growth should be fine. You will often lose the leaves on the cuttings. Are you keeping the soil damp to encourage rooting? Are you keeping it in good light?
Hi Raffaele! I’ve recently received an adult monstera, about 5 yo. It has grown pretty wild (it’s so long, I reckon about 220 cm)! I would love your advice on what to do, the poor thing has all its leaves and aerial roots on the floor (it’s too heavy and too long for its moss pole).
Can you send me photos of your plant? Use the contact form on my site to send me a message, and then I will reply, and you can attach the photos at that point to send back to me.
Hi there, I have had a lot of success propogating my monsteras. When I got my first one it had 1 leaf with 1 whole and eventually got wild and leggy and had about 5 leaves with multiple holes. I cut off all the nice leaves and put them in a new pot so it was a plant with all "mature" leaves. What do you do with the original mother plant? It's basically all leggy stems with a few small leaves with no holes. Kind of an eyesore to look at... Do you recommend just cutting the stems with leaves for a new pot and getting rid of the rest of it?
Hi Isabelle, do you mean in terms of care? Really there isn't much of a difference, but the variegated need a little more light since they have less chlorophyll due to their variegation.
New plant mom here. How often do you fertilize them, can you give specifics of the frequency. When you fertilize them, do you water them immediately after?
Hi Isabelle, I like to fertilize dilutely every time I wanter. I use Dyna-Gro Grow every time I need to water (1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon per gallon) throughout the growing season (about February through October or so for me). I don't fertilize in the winter.
I have been given a monstera and plan to plant it in my garden. I have red clay soil and was wondering how I should plant it. I would prefer that it didn’t climb to high so can I cut the runners off to stop it climbing and will that interfere with the fruiting of the plant?
Hi Ethel, I don't have any experience with planting it in the ground, but if you have clay soil, you should dig some organic matter into it. I'm not sure the cutting the top off will interfere with fruiting or not, but you can absolutely cut the vine off if it gets too big. It will regrow.
Hello and thanks for this informative post! I received a monstera deliciosa as a gift a few months ago and it was doing very well with appropriate watering and sunlight. I have moved since then, and also moved (repotted) my monstera. It has not been the same! Its leaves are yellowing and dying, others are becoming more leathery in texture. When I repotted it, I kept the soil but noticed it was not draining well so I maneuvered it again to remove some excess soil and place small pebbles in the bottom to help with drainage. I received feedback that I was over-watering but am worried it might not come back. It used to produce many new leaves but has only had one since it was repotted, which has yet to spiral open (for 2 weeks at least). Any suggestions?
Could you elaborate on the time span between the progression of the fenestration on the leaves you showed? We those years apart or months? I bought a plant that had fenestration and now it has stopped splitting. I've had it for about 3 years now. Even in my low light basement apartment there were no splits and nothing has changed since moving to a place with more light. Maybe I need to change the soil mixture? Thanks for any insight you can give!
Great post! You inspired me to purchase my first monstera and I will be receiving it in 2 weeks. Would you suggest repotting it immediately when I receive it? I've read a few conflicting viewpoints but I wanted to get your advice. Really appreciate i!
Hi Lisa, I'm glad you enjoyed the post! No, I would definitely not repot it right away. Your plant needs a little time to adjust. I actually just wrote a post on what to do with your plants right after you receive them in the mail! Please read through this new blog post: https://www.ohiotropics.com/2020/04/22/houseplants-by-mail-mistakes/
Hi Koko! I suppose you could, but I would be concerned of the regular one overtaking the pot. The non-variegated version is much more vigorous. I personally would leave the Thai constellation in its own pot for special treatment :-). Just my thoughts!
Hi my monstera deliciosa looked fine in the nersary pot i repotted it in two sizes bigger i looson the roots abit arfter a week the monstera opened up i noticed black spots on the leaves i did give it a good soking
Thanks for the informative post. I'm hoping you might be able to help. I bought a monstera 2+ years ago when it was about 60cm tall. It was doing really well. I'd repotted it once or twice and it was growing and growing. The only problem was that it was getting a bit unmanageably big... I'd noticed there were three separate vines in the one pot and so, a week ago, I decided it would be a good idea to divide them. I'm regretting that decision now! It was a big undertaking - the plants' roots were very intertwined. I sprayed them gently with water until I could tease them apart. A few roots did break but I managed to keep most of them in tact. I then repotted the three plants into separate pots and gave them each a good soak. However, over the past week, one by one, each leaf on all three plants has been turning a bright yellow, beginning with the lowest leaves. I'm guessing this is some sort of root shock? I'm worried this is going to continue and I'll lose all three plants. Is there anything I can do?
Hi Frankie, the plants are probably going through some shock from being separated and from the root breakage. Give them some time to adjust. I don't know where you are keeping them now, but maybe keep them out of direct sun for a few weeks while they continue to adjust. Avoid extremes in moisture as well while they're adjusting. Hope this helps and I hope they recover for you!
Hi Raffaele, your post is much appreciated! I just started getting into indoor plants over the last few months and have been looking for a good guide! I have monstera that is rather big, but lost a lot of leaves and all that remains are the stems. Would you cut back each stem since the leaf won't grow back on it? Or would you leave them alone? They are all green and healthy so I wasn't sure how to proceed!
Hi Lindsay! Can you send me a photo of your plant? Use the contact form on my website and when I respond, you can attach photos, (or just reply to an email if you already subscribe to my blog). I will be able to help you better if I can see your plant 🙂
Hello! Thank you so much for the post! I was wondering approximately how long a new leaf takes to unfurl typically? My current monstera has a leaf that is standing on it's own, and is starting to unfurl but I think I'm being impatient and want it to unfurl immediately. =/
Hi Casey, I'm glad you enjoyed the post! It depends on your conditions, but it can take several days to a couple weeks or so. I haven't timed it, but you'll just have to have patience 🙂
@Raffaele, okay, thank you so much. I purchased my plant on 5/16, and it already looked like it just needed to unfurl. So now it's been a month with no change. I have moved it to the sunniest room in my house (but I live in Portland, OR so not much sun goin on here). Wondering if I need to buy a humidifier or something. The leaves still look very happy, so I am taking that as a good sign at least.
Hi, since re potting one of the areas of the roots stems seems to be really loose? do i need more soil or support??
It's hard to say without seeing a photo. Be sure to gently press the soil down after you repot (not a lot, but you want the roots to have contact with the soil). If the stem is still loose, you can always add a bamboo stick to support.
Hi, I recently was propagating a monstera deliciosa in soil from a two leafy cutting with node attached and aerial root. It’s been a good month since and it’s been getting sad looking it’s leafs curled inwards and now it’s yellowing, what’s going on? How can I help it thrive and grow roots?
It will take a bit to establish and once it does, the new growth should be fine. You will often lose the leaves on the cuttings. Are you keeping the soil damp to encourage rooting? Are you keeping it in good light?
Hi Raffaele! I’ve recently received an adult monstera, about 5 yo. It has grown pretty wild (it’s so long, I reckon about 220 cm)! I would love your advice on what to do, the poor thing has all its leaves and aerial roots on the floor (it’s too heavy and too long for its moss pole).
Can you send me photos of your plant? Use the contact form on my site to send me a message, and then I will reply, and you can attach the photos at that point to send back to me.
Hi there, I have had a lot of success propogating my monsteras. When I got my first one it had 1 leaf with 1 whole and eventually got wild and leggy and had about 5 leaves with multiple holes. I cut off all the nice leaves and put them in a new pot so it was a plant with all "mature" leaves. What do you do with the original mother plant? It's basically all leggy stems with a few small leaves with no holes. Kind of an eyesore to look at... Do you recommend just cutting the stems with leaves for a new pot and getting rid of the rest of it?
The original plant should grow back so give it a little time! 🙂
Continuation to the second paragraph of my question below... what’s the difference of variegated and non-variegated version?
Hi Isabelle, do you mean in terms of care? Really there isn't much of a difference, but the variegated need a little more light since they have less chlorophyll due to their variegation.
New plant mom here. How often do you fertilize them, can you give specifics of the frequency. When you fertilize them, do you water them immediately after?
What the difference of the var
Hi Isabelle, I like to fertilize dilutely every time I wanter. I use Dyna-Gro Grow every time I need to water (1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon per gallon) throughout the growing season (about February through October or so for me). I don't fertilize in the winter.
I have been given a monstera and plan to plant it in my garden. I have red clay soil and was wondering how I should plant it. I would prefer that it didn’t climb to high so can I cut the runners off to stop it climbing and will that interfere with the fruiting of the plant?
Hi Ethel, I don't have any experience with planting it in the ground, but if you have clay soil, you should dig some organic matter into it. I'm not sure the cutting the top off will interfere with fruiting or not, but you can absolutely cut the vine off if it gets too big. It will regrow.
Hello and thanks for this informative post! I received a monstera deliciosa as a gift a few months ago and it was doing very well with appropriate watering and sunlight. I have moved since then, and also moved (repotted) my monstera. It has not been the same! Its leaves are yellowing and dying, others are becoming more leathery in texture. When I repotted it, I kept the soil but noticed it was not draining well so I maneuvered it again to remove some excess soil and place small pebbles in the bottom to help with drainage. I received feedback that I was over-watering but am worried it might not come back. It used to produce many new leaves but has only had one since it was repotted, which has yet to spiral open (for 2 weeks at least). Any suggestions?
Hi Sophia! Does your pot have a drainage hole? What diameter was the old pot compared to the new pot? What kind of soil are you using?
Could you elaborate on the time span between the progression of the fenestration on the leaves you showed? We those years apart or months? I bought a plant that had fenestration and now it has stopped splitting. I've had it for about 3 years now. Even in my low light basement apartment there were no splits and nothing has changed since moving to a place with more light. Maybe I need to change the soil mixture? Thanks for any insight you can give!
Hi Raffaele,
Great post! You inspired me to purchase my first monstera and I will be receiving it in 2 weeks. Would you suggest repotting it immediately when I receive it? I've read a few conflicting viewpoints but I wanted to get your advice. Really appreciate i!
Lisa
Hi Lisa, I'm glad you enjoyed the post! No, I would definitely not repot it right away. Your plant needs a little time to adjust. I actually just wrote a post on what to do with your plants right after you receive them in the mail! Please read through this new blog post: https://www.ohiotropics.com/2020/04/22/houseplants-by-mail-mistakes/
Thank you for taking the time to write these tips. SO HELPFUL. I have told everyone I know about your tips and suggest they follow you.
Thanks Pam! I'm glad you enjoyed the post and thanks for the support 🙂
Hi! I have the Thai constellation monstera and the regular one, can I combine them together in one big pot?
Hi Koko! I suppose you could, but I would be concerned of the regular one overtaking the pot. The non-variegated version is much more vigorous. I personally would leave the Thai constellation in its own pot for special treatment :-). Just my thoughts!