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, I just recently purchased a Monstera deliciosa so this article is very helpful. Can you tell me where to find the "House" Houseplant mix?
Thank you.
Glad you found it helpful Judith! To my knowledge, the mix is not in any stores yet. I think they've been working on that, but you can order it online.
Loved the article! I was wondering if it is possible to change how my monstera deliciosa grows? I know that it loves to vine, but is it possible to get it to spread/fill out a bit at the base? It has 6 leaves total, 4 or 5 of them with fenestrations, but each new leaf seems to come off of the previous new leaf/stem. The plant is very healthy, but I keep it indoors so it can only grow vertically for so long. The nodes on the older stems closer to the base are still present but never produce any new leaves. I would propagate one of the older leaf/stems and plant it in the same pot but repotting it is hard enough already. Are there any pruning methods you could recommend? I appreciate any insight!
Hi Ryan! I'm glad you enjoyed the article! Unfortunately, they're vining plants and they will continue to grow vertically. Like you mentioned, if you wanted it fuller at the base, you'd have to propagate and plant those back in the pot. Even if you pruned the vines, you won't get what you're looking for. The only thing I could suggest is if your plant gets too big, take several cuttings, root them, and grow them all in one pot. This will give you a fuller look. I hope this helps a bit!
Hello,
I love your blog, it's the first place I go for all of my plant questions! I am propagating my monstera and I was wondering -- do I need to let the stem develop a callus before I put it in water? Everyone seems to have a different opinion about that.
Thanks so much!
I’m not sure if this question has been answered, as there are many posts here....too many to sift through. I have the green monstera, but I also have Albo and Thai Constellation. Can I plant all of them in the same pot?
Thanks! 🙂
You can redirect them so that they grow in your pot, or if they get out of control, I've trimmed them a bit. Mine actually grew a gigantic mass of roots and they were all over my floor, so I trimmed them a bit. It won't hurt the plant.
Hi there! So my Monstera is over 1 year at this point and looking nice. I have noticed that i water the plant thoroughly, but per a moisture meter and my finger, the soil is totally dry 2 days later. Is this normal? It's by a south facing window with plenty of filtered light. I'm located in humid Florida. Also, new leave growth is lacking fenestrations. Any idea what is wrong? Again the plant is looking healthy overall.. Thank you in advance!
Hi Evelyn! Is the plant root bound? Has the potting mix gone really dry at some point? How are you watering? When you are watering, if you notice that the water just goes straight through very quickly, I would move it to a bathtub or sink and really soak it. Sometimes when potting mixes get really dry, you have to work at it a little bit so that the potting mix absorbs water again. (Just something to keep in mind!) Always water thoroughly and moisten all of the potting mix. I would recommend ditching the moisture meter and just using your finger. Moisture meters are notoriously unreliable and dangerous. As far as the fenestrations go, it just has to do with the plant's age. It sounds like your light situation is very good, so you'll just have to give it a while because the plant has to grow out of its juvenile phase. Hope this helps! Good luck!
This is such a great article and very helpful for a person who is just learning to care for plants! I do have a couple remaining questions however. What kind of pot do you recommend for a monstera? Should I still fertilize my monstera if I am using the House potting mix? (their website said it may not be necessary) That's it! Thanks so much 🙂
Glad you enjoyed it Ava! Really any type of pot will do as long as you keep an eye on the potting mix moisture. With that soil blend, you're probably fine for a few months, but then I'd recommend supplementing with additional fertilizer.
I was told today that if my monstera delosiciosa leaves didn’t have holes in it when it was unfurling that it wouldn’t produce holes on that leaf. Is this true?
Hi Tara! Yes that is correct. As the plant ages though, you'll have to watch the newer leaves for holes. It takes some time before these appear so be patient :-).
My monstera plant is producing flowers & they are beautiful. But I noticed the other day that it closed up - will it open again- to show the beautiful flower again!
Hi Pamela. Wow, do you have it growing indoors or outdoors? Unfortunately I don't know how long the flowers last. I suspect though that once it's closed, the flower is done. I could very well be wrong though! Keep me posted. I'm curious to see what happens :-).
Hi Staci! Can you send me a photo? Use the contact form on my website, and when I respond, you can attach a photo so I can see what's going on. If you're on Instagram, you can DM me too (@ohiotropics).
I think my monstera is in a pot that is too shallow. The root ball extends over the top of a pretty wide pot. There is no soul on top. The plant is doing okay, but the lower leaves extend almost to the floor, so I’m considering a taller pot. Is that the right thing to do?
It would help to see a photo, but if the pot is super shallow, it is probably best to move it. Only if it's pot bound though, so I'd gently take the plant out and check the roots. Hope this helps!
how long until the immature plant will get fenestration in the leaves?
I have had mine for 1 year and it has grown and even has areal roots, but still no fenestration - it is getting plenty of light
It can really vary a lot depending on how old your plant is, and what your growing conditions are. It's hard to say, but I would imagine in the next year or two, you should see more progress.
Very helpful article. I have a 2 year old monstera that has no slits in the leaves. It lives in a humid climate and gets bright indirect light. Do you have any suggestions on how I can get some slits on the leaves? Thank you
You'll just have to wait for the plant to get older because the slits come over time. Any existing leaves will not change, but as the plant grows and gets more leaves, over time you will notice that the newer leaves will start to develop the slits.
Hi there! I love this article - so helpful! My new baby monstera has grown aerial roots and I am water propagating them. The aerial roots are not underwater. Do I need to put the aerial roots underwater?
Also, when I was getting cuttings from the original plant, some of the root broke off. should I still keep that broken root in the water as well just to see if itll grow anything?
Glad you enjoyed the article! The node should be under water if you're propagating. If you can send me a photo, I can tell you exactly what to do. If you're on Instagram, please DM it to me (@ohiotropics), or if you'd rather email it, you can use the contact form on my website, and when I reply, you can attach the photo.
I have an old monsters and though I find no insect activity (Bodies, and/or other residue) I find lots of honeydew all over the leaves and the floor. I have washed them, but in the winter months (I summer it outside) I have struggled with this for a couple of years. Thoughts? I am an OSU master gardener and I love your information and insights. Bravo.
Hi Stephanie! I'm glad you enjoy my site! Have you looked really closely for pests? The notorious ones that secrete honeydew (as I'm sure you know if you're a master gardener!) are scale and mealybugs. Any indication at all of these pests? Other than pests, I'm not sure what could be causing this. Let me know what you think.
Hi Tracy! Are you referring to the aerial roots? If you have a photo and can send it to me, I can quickly tell you. You can either send it to me through DM on Instagram (@ohiotropics) or email me through my contact form on my website, and when I reply, just attach the photo.
Hi, I just recently purchased a Monstera deliciosa so this article is very helpful. Can you tell me where to find the "House" Houseplant mix?
Thank you.
Glad you found it helpful Judith! To my knowledge, the mix is not in any stores yet. I think they've been working on that, but you can order it online.
Loved the article! I was wondering if it is possible to change how my monstera deliciosa grows? I know that it loves to vine, but is it possible to get it to spread/fill out a bit at the base? It has 6 leaves total, 4 or 5 of them with fenestrations, but each new leaf seems to come off of the previous new leaf/stem. The plant is very healthy, but I keep it indoors so it can only grow vertically for so long. The nodes on the older stems closer to the base are still present but never produce any new leaves. I would propagate one of the older leaf/stems and plant it in the same pot but repotting it is hard enough already. Are there any pruning methods you could recommend? I appreciate any insight!
Hi Ryan! I'm glad you enjoyed the article! Unfortunately, they're vining plants and they will continue to grow vertically. Like you mentioned, if you wanted it fuller at the base, you'd have to propagate and plant those back in the pot. Even if you pruned the vines, you won't get what you're looking for. The only thing I could suggest is if your plant gets too big, take several cuttings, root them, and grow them all in one pot. This will give you a fuller look. I hope this helps a bit!
Hello,
I love your blog, it's the first place I go for all of my plant questions! I am propagating my monstera and I was wondering -- do I need to let the stem develop a callus before I put it in water? Everyone seems to have a different opinion about that.
Thanks so much!
I'm glad you enjoy my blog Baylee! No, you do not need to do this for Monstera. The callousing is mainly just for succulent plants.
I’m not sure if this question has been answered, as there are many posts here....too many to sift through. I have the green monstera, but I also have Albo and Thai Constellation. Can I plant all of them in the same pot?
Thanks! 🙂
What can I do with the aerial roots there are so many of them
You can redirect them so that they grow in your pot, or if they get out of control, I've trimmed them a bit. Mine actually grew a gigantic mass of roots and they were all over my floor, so I trimmed them a bit. It won't hurt the plant.
Hi there! So my Monstera is over 1 year at this point and looking nice. I have noticed that i water the plant thoroughly, but per a moisture meter and my finger, the soil is totally dry 2 days later. Is this normal? It's by a south facing window with plenty of filtered light. I'm located in humid Florida. Also, new leave growth is lacking fenestrations. Any idea what is wrong? Again the plant is looking healthy overall.. Thank you in advance!
Hi Evelyn! Is the plant root bound? Has the potting mix gone really dry at some point? How are you watering? When you are watering, if you notice that the water just goes straight through very quickly, I would move it to a bathtub or sink and really soak it. Sometimes when potting mixes get really dry, you have to work at it a little bit so that the potting mix absorbs water again. (Just something to keep in mind!) Always water thoroughly and moisten all of the potting mix. I would recommend ditching the moisture meter and just using your finger. Moisture meters are notoriously unreliable and dangerous. As far as the fenestrations go, it just has to do with the plant's age. It sounds like your light situation is very good, so you'll just have to give it a while because the plant has to grow out of its juvenile phase. Hope this helps! Good luck!
This is such a great article and very helpful for a person who is just learning to care for plants! I do have a couple remaining questions however. What kind of pot do you recommend for a monstera? Should I still fertilize my monstera if I am using the House potting mix? (their website said it may not be necessary) That's it! Thanks so much 🙂
Glad you enjoyed it Ava! Really any type of pot will do as long as you keep an eye on the potting mix moisture. With that soil blend, you're probably fine for a few months, but then I'd recommend supplementing with additional fertilizer.
I was told today that if my monstera delosiciosa leaves didn’t have holes in it when it was unfurling that it wouldn’t produce holes on that leaf. Is this true?
Hi Tara! Yes that is correct. As the plant ages though, you'll have to watch the newer leaves for holes. It takes some time before these appear so be patient :-).
My monstera plant is producing flowers & they are beautiful. But I noticed the other day that it closed up - will it open again- to show the beautiful flower again!
Hi Pamela. Wow, do you have it growing indoors or outdoors? Unfortunately I don't know how long the flowers last. I suspect though that once it's closed, the flower is done. I could very well be wrong though! Keep me posted. I'm curious to see what happens :-).
I recently reported my delisioso and the bottom of the stalks are now a much lighter green. Any clues? This is my 1st monstera ever.
Hi Staci! Can you send me a photo? Use the contact form on my website, and when I respond, you can attach a photo so I can see what's going on. If you're on Instagram, you can DM me too (@ohiotropics).
I think my monstera is in a pot that is too shallow. The root ball extends over the top of a pretty wide pot. There is no soul on top. The plant is doing okay, but the lower leaves extend almost to the floor, so I’m considering a taller pot. Is that the right thing to do?
It would help to see a photo, but if the pot is super shallow, it is probably best to move it. Only if it's pot bound though, so I'd gently take the plant out and check the roots. Hope this helps!
how long until the immature plant will get fenestration in the leaves?
I have had mine for 1 year and it has grown and even has areal roots, but still no fenestration - it is getting plenty of light
It can really vary a lot depending on how old your plant is, and what your growing conditions are. It's hard to say, but I would imagine in the next year or two, you should see more progress.
Very helpful article. I have a 2 year old monstera that has no slits in the leaves. It lives in a humid climate and gets bright indirect light. Do you have any suggestions on how I can get some slits on the leaves? Thank you
You'll just have to wait for the plant to get older because the slits come over time. Any existing leaves will not change, but as the plant grows and gets more leaves, over time you will notice that the newer leaves will start to develop the slits.
Hi there! I love this article - so helpful! My new baby monstera has grown aerial roots and I am water propagating them. The aerial roots are not underwater. Do I need to put the aerial roots underwater?
Also, when I was getting cuttings from the original plant, some of the root broke off. should I still keep that broken root in the water as well just to see if itll grow anything?
Glad you enjoyed the article! The node should be under water if you're propagating. If you can send me a photo, I can tell you exactly what to do. If you're on Instagram, please DM it to me (@ohiotropics), or if you'd rather email it, you can use the contact form on my website, and when I reply, you can attach the photo.
I have an old monsters and though I find no insect activity (Bodies, and/or other residue) I find lots of honeydew all over the leaves and the floor. I have washed them, but in the winter months (I summer it outside) I have struggled with this for a couple of years. Thoughts? I am an OSU master gardener and I love your information and insights. Bravo.
Hi Stephanie! I'm glad you enjoy my site! Have you looked really closely for pests? The notorious ones that secrete honeydew (as I'm sure you know if you're a master gardener!) are scale and mealybugs. Any indication at all of these pests? Other than pests, I'm not sure what could be causing this. Let me know what you think.
Do you know what the long brown vines/roots at the bottom are and can you cut them off of a Monstera?
Hi Tracy! Are you referring to the aerial roots? If you have a photo and can send it to me, I can quickly tell you. You can either send it to me through DM on Instagram (@ohiotropics) or email me through my contact form on my website, and when I reply, just attach the photo.