There are many burning questions that people have asked me about growing Monstera deliciosa, so I'm here to help! I've compiled answers to 22 common, urgent questions which will save your plant from dying and help your Monstera thrive!
Topics range from what to do with aerial roots, to problems with growth, and various defects with leaves. Keep reading and you might find the answer to one of your questions!
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You can really grow any plant hydroponically. You need more than just water though. Be sure to add a complete fertilizer like Dyna-Gro Grow.
This fertilizer can be used for hydroponics, for watering your soil, and also for foliar feeding. For hydroponic growing, the label recommends using 1 teaspoon of Dyna-Gro Grow to a gallon of water for non-recirculating systems.
If you have a fancy system that circulates the water, they recommend 2-3 teaspoons per gallon.
2. Does Monstera need a lot of light?
In most cases, if your plant is not directly in front of a window, you can't expect your plant to thrive. The bigger the window the better. And the closer to the window, the better.
I have mine growing as close to my window as possible without the leaves touching the window. You'd be shocked how quickly the light intensity drops when you move even 1 to 2 feet away.
Proximity to a window makes a huge difference. In nature, these grow in filtered light or relatively shady conditions, but some sun is fine.
I would not place these plants in full sun though though. My large Eastern window is working beautifully. Western exposure would also be OK.
North will work too if your window is a nice size. Southern exposure may be too much sun so you may need to diffuse the light with blinds.
It is important though to have your plant as close to a window as possible without touching the window.
I've had so many people ask me why their plants are not doing well, and the answer is LIGHT.
There are no shortcuts in plant care. For the fastest growth, you must situate your Monstera in good light (this means it needs to be right in front of a window!).
You also need to have warm temperatures, have a great, well-drained potting medium, and use a fantastic fertilizer.
I highly recommend the Dyna-Gro Grow fertilizer. I use it on all my tropicals and it is my go-to all-purpose, premium fertilizer. You won't be disappointed! Read my blog post to see why this is the best fertilizer for Monstera.
In nature, Monsteras use their aerial roots to climb up trees. You will find that your plant will produce quite a few air roots over time.
My own plant has produced tons!
If at all possible, I would recommend just leaving them unless they are in the way or they really bother you. There is no harm in trimming some of the roots if they are in the way.
You can also try and redirect the aerial roots so that they can potentially start growing into the soil.
If your plant has no aerial roots, just give it time. They won't start to appear until the plant reaches a certain age.
For a detailed post on the topic of aerial roots, check out my Monstera Aerial Roots post with many common questions answered.
5. Why are my Monstera's leaves turning brown?
There are numerous reasons why you might get brown spots on your leaves.
The two most common reasons for brown spots on Monstera are:
Inconsistent Soil Moisture
If the very tips of your leaves are turning brown, it could result from the entire soil drying out too much and/or from inconsistent and improper watering.
Never let ALL the soil dry out completely. And when you do water, make sure you water thoroughly so that you don't have any dry patches of soil. This is really important!
There are more reasons for brown tips, so be sure not to miss my detailed post on Monstera brown tips which details several causes and solutions.
Fungus Issues
If your plant has brown spots on the leaves, which are surrounded a yellow "halo" around the brown spot, this is a classic symptom of a fungus.
The photo above came from a follower on mine on Instagram who had recently purchased her plant from a big box hardware store. She had mentioned that the plant was very wet when she purchased it.
Fungal infections are encouraged by excessively wet conditions for long periods of time, especially in conjunction with poor air circulation. Be very careful if you are purchasing a plant from nurseries that don't take care of their plants.
If you have any fungal leaf spots on your plant, it is best if you catch the issue early and remove any infected leaves. Keep the foliage dry to be safe (no misting) for a while.
These are two of the main reasons why leaves turn brown, but there are other reasons why your plant might be getting brown, crispy leaves.
6. How often should I water Monstera deliciosa?
This is one of the most common questions I get. "How often should I water [insert any plant here]."
My answer to that is...for a plant that is growing in soil, it depends! I can't tell you how often because it all depends on your conditions.
Light, pot size, pot type, potting mix, temperature, all affect how quickly your soil will dry out.
What you should be asking instead is, how dry should I let the soil get before watering? And please, for the love of plants, don't use a moisture meter!
Why? Because most of them are just junk and many people have come to me that have killed their plant because they used a moisture meter.
Simply use your finger to feel the soil. Let the top inch or two (depending on the size of the pot) and then water.
Be sure your pot has a drainage hole. It is not an option to not have a drainage hole.
And when you water, always, ALWAYS water thoroughly. Completely soak the soil, let all the water drain out, and you're done!
You should get the fear of "overwatering" out of your head because it doesn't mean what most people think it means!
Most people have an irrational fear of overwatering. Ironically, because of this fear, they actually end up underwatering! Find out what overwatering really means. It may shock you.
7. How can I grow a monstrous size Monstera?
All I can say is that it takes patience and consistently good care over time.
You must have all required care aspects in line just like I describe in my Monstera deliciosa care post. There are no shortcuts!
8. Why are my Monstera's new leaves brown or black before it unfurls?
If your plant's new leaves are brown or black before it has even unfurled, your plant has most likely suffered from a very bad soil moisture imbalance.
Either your soil has gone much too dry, or you plant has stayed wet for too long. Be sure to read my blog post on underwatering and overwatering to learn how to properly water a houseplant.
9. Can I put my Monstera outside in summer?
Yes absolutely! It will thrive outdoors! There is one absolutely critical thing to do if you put your houseplants outside during warm summer months.
You must harden your plants off or your leaves can burn. Many people are not aware of this and they mistakenly think that their plants don't like to be outside.
Once you harden your plants off, the outdoors will have shockingly wonderful effects of growth of your Monstera or any houseplant that you choose to summer outdoors. After all, no plant was meant to be indoors!
Be sure to check for pests before you bring your plant back indoors though.
10. Why is my Monstera deliciosa wilting?
This is most commonly due to either your soil being super dry, or on the opposite end, really wet.
When you see your plant wilting, you should immediately evaluate the soil moisture. Has the soil gone bone dry? If so, give it a good thorough watering right away.
On the other hand, if you see your Monstera has wilted and you go to feel the soil and it is very wet...your plant could have suffered from root rot.
If you have a pot without a drainage hole, root rot becomes a much bigger risk.
If the soil is very wet and your plant looks wilted, take the plant out of its pot and evaluate the roots. Have the roots rotted? Does the soil smell a little rancid perhaps?
At this point it would be a good idea to clean up the dead roots, remove as much of the soil as you can, and repot into fresh soil.
11. Why is my Monstera getting yellow leaves?
Probably the most common reason your Monstera leaves are turning yellow is from the soil being too dry.
If you notice the lower leaves (especially the oldest leaves) are turning yellow, go ahead and feel the soil. If your soil has gone too dry (completely dry), the oldest leaves will turn yellow first.
Leaves will continue to yellow if you don't water.
If are you looking for the best moss pole for Monstera, the best and cheapest method is to make your own! I've purchased moss posts online and they are expensive and are just not practical.
Be sure not to miss my DIY Moss Post tutorial to make your own high quality post that is better and cheaper than anything you can purchase.
I find moss posts to be best if you only have one or two vines of Monstera deliciosa in a single pot. If you have more vines, it isn't as practical due to space limitations.
If you have several vines in one pot like I do for my largest plant, I would recommend a bamboo tripod. Simply insert 3 sturdy bamboo stakes into the pot and tie them on top. This provides a nice, sturdy support.
13. Why are my variegated Monstera leaves turning brown?
For this one, I will refer you to my variegated Monstera deliciosa blog post. There are a few reasons why this occurs and I discuss the details in post I just linked to.
14. Do I have a Monstera deliciosa or a Monstera borsigiana?
There has been a healthy debate on distinguishing between these two species.
15. Why does my Monstera have black spots all over the leaves?
Have you exposed your Monstera to cold temperatures (whether by accident or not...)? Recently, an Instagram follower of mine (@rachel_hargitt) shared photos of her plant. Someone left the window open on a very cold night (0 degrees F).
Here is what cold damage looks like on Monstera deliciosa. Notice the multiple black splotches all over the leaves.
Cold damage on the underside of a Monstera deliciosa leaf
Cold damage on the top side of a Monstera deliciosa leaf
Cold damage on a new Monstera deliciosa leaf before it has unfurled
Unfortunately, the leaves that have experienced cold damage can not be reversed. You can cut the leaves off if they are too unsightly. If the plant itself has not been killed by the cold, it will grow back and the new growth should look normal.
If your plant is big enough, you can even trim the plant back lightly to spur new growth.
16. Why did my Monstera get sunburn?
Sunburn in your Monstera likely came from your plant not being acclimated to stronger light. If you've been growing your plant indoors and have placed your plant outdoors, immediately into sunshine, your plant will quickly burn.
Sunburn only takes a few hours to show up, and your leaves will appear bleached and washed out. Whenever moving your plant outdoors, always place it in full shade for a few days, before gradually increasing any sun exposure.
Once sunburn happens, you can't reverse it unfortunately.
17. What are those little flies all around my Monstera?
They are likely fungus gnats, which can be encouraged by keeping your potting mix too wet. They look similar to fruit flies, but are different insects.
18. Why do my Monstera leaves not have any holes or splits?
The holes and splits in Monstera leaves are called fenestrations. If your plant doesn't have any, your plant is probably too young.
Juvenile leaves are solid and will not start developing fenestrations until the plant gets older, so have patience!
19. Why did my Monstera develop root rot?
Root rot develops in plants when your soil stays too wet for too long. The waterlogged soil attracts microbes that attack the roots and rot them out.
The best things you can do to prevent your Monstera from developing root rot are:
Grow your plant in proper light and keep it immediately in front of a window for best growth. Eastern-facing windows work beautifully, but even windows that have no direct sun work well. Just don't place them far from the window.
A well-draining potting mix is essential. If you have an airy potting mix, it will be difficult to get root rot, particularly if you have your plant growing in good light. Check out my post on the best soil for Monstera plants.
Always have drainage holes in your pots so excess water can escape.
Wait until the top inch or two of the potting mix has dried out before watering again.
20. What are the little tiny bumps on my Monstera?
It is likely a scale insect. They will appear like little domes and you can easily scrape them away with your finger.
You probably have spider mites. Very fine webs will appear on your plant, and you will start to notice little discolored spots on your foliage.
As soon as you notice the infestation, be sure to treat for spider mites before the problem gets worse.
Be sure not to miss my Monstera deliciosa care post. If you follow everything in that blog post, you will not have any issues at all with your plant!
And if you read this entire post, you noticed that improper watering causes many of issues! Be sure to read my post on overwatering and watering myths. They will help you tremendously!
22. How can I keep my cats away from my Monstera?
Cats and plants are a notoriously back combination, but there are some things that you can do to deter your cats! I've surveyed many of my readers that have cats, and have compiled a list of real life tips that people use to deter their cats.
Hi, my partner has one of these plants and it’s growing really well, but some of the above ground roots are looking almost burnt? I don’t know why this happens but can anyone tell me or have an idea?
It could be from a variety of reasons. In most cases, I would say it has to do with extremes in soil moisture. If your potting mix has gone too dry, or stayed wet for too long, it can definitely cause this.
what's the difference between a spit leaf philodendron and a monstera deliciosa? I just saw something at Home Depot labeled split leaf philodendron and it looked like a mini monstera.Thanks for your blog and Instagram.
Hi Sandra! That's a great question. Unfortunately names can get very confusing. Monstera deliciosa is the correct botanical name for the plant. Sometimes it is labeled as a split leaf philodendron but it is the same plant. The correct name would be Monstera deliciosa.
Mine was beautiful but it had roots to top of the soil and I thought It needed to be deeper so I took it out of the pot and put it down deeper and now it’s dying from the center… I’m so Upset over it because it was so beautiful,can I save it?
Hi Robin. Monsteras grow a lot of aerial roots and they use them to attach onto trees and climb them in nature so you would just leave them alone. I would undo what you did and let it dry out a bit and give it time to see if it comes back. Good luck!
Thanks so much for this guide, I think I "cooked" my thai constellation with fertiliser... I repotted mine several weeks back and made a mistake putting 12-months slow fertilizer in it... Lit's almost winter here in New Zealand). The tips of the leaves got brown-dry... I've been searching guides on brown-dry leave tips but everyone seem to focus on over/under watering info. Lucky I read this today! I inspected my monstera and indeed the tiny roots are mushy. I trimmed them and re-pot (no more fert!). However, the stem where future leaf will grow has dry-brown mark that's quite long and got bigger than before. Will my future leaf grow and survive? Thanks before.
You're very welcome Tina! Brown tips unfortunately are caused by many things, so it's up to us to diagnose and determine exactly what happened. I'm glad you found the post helpful :-). It's hard to say about your leaf...I'd need to see a photo to better help you out.
I have had a Monstera for over 6 years and it grew to be quite massive. This winter it started dropping its leaves throughout a period of 5 months. First, it was some old yellow leaves. The watering/sunlight was pretty consistent (after all I've kept it alive for years), but I suspected the soil was stripped of nutrients as it was quite light and crumbly. Once I repotted it, the leaves started dropping quickly, most likely due to root rot, to a point where I was only able to salvage 3 leaves 🙁 Now I have two long, thick stems (one is 4 foot long, the other 6 foot long). I'll do a wet stick propagation. Question is can I somehow save its length (putting the entirety of the stem in a plastic bag greenhouse) or if I should just cut the long stem into pieces to repropagate.
Sorry to hear about your plant :-(. I'd try and help you diagnose the cause but it's hard without knowing exactly what you did. For propagation, I would recommend rooting the tip of the vine (while keeping the leaves) in water, and then you can do the wet stick propagation as well for the rest of it. Good luck!
How are you approaching watering? It takes a lot for them to dehydrate. Can you send me some photos? Use the contact form on my site, and when I reply, you can attach some photos. I'd like to know your conditions too (how far your plant is from a window, what exposure the window is, and how you approach watering.)
I’ve been struggling to find and answer about my monstera deliciosa. When I received my monstera, three of the leaves snapped off. I cut the steams at the nodes, very close to the soil. They’ve been turning brown/black and are kinda slimy wet. Is this root rot? What can I do to save my monstera?
Hi Janet, I'd need to see some photos. I assume you meant the stems turned brown where you cut them? You'd really have to see the roots to determine if they've rotted. It's possible that just the stems have rotted. Did you inspect the roots?
Hi in dec I cut two cuttings of monstera delicisosa and have put them in water the node came in finally however now I see a leaf is getting leggy , also the node is quite fat now however roots haven’t popped out , why my leaf is getting leggy ?
Hello! I need help with my Monstera!! I recently repotted as it was severely root bond. Now I fear I’ve made a terrible mistake!! My leaves are all turning yellow, starting to brown and get crispy. I’ve read everything I can about shock of repotting and everything else in between. But I am not finding solutions that seem to fit what is happening with mine. It was green and looked happy for about a week and just the past two days it’s starting to yellow and spread throughout the leaves. Help!!! Thanks so much
Hi Ali! I'll need more details to help you out. I'll need to know about all your conditions (light, watering, etc.). What kind of light is it getting (exposure of window? how far from the window?). Tell me about your watering. How do you water, how you determine when you need to water? How big was the old pot vs. the new pot? Let's start there.
@Raffaele, Hello! These are some tricky questions as I’ve inherited it and don’t know much besides it needed to repotted. It was taken care of which is good. It’s about chest high and has many leaves. Southwest exposure but out of the direct sun and on the other side of the room from the window. Think spare bedroom. I live in the northeast as well. I’ve only had it long enough to repot and give a good watering. A week went by and this past weekend everything started to change. Pot is slightly bigger. Hopefully we can figure out what’s wrong! Today I woke up to some of the leaves curling.
I have a monstrera growing outside. From neglect, sun and under watering, the 2' wide, 2 feet long, horizontal desiccated stem has one rather large leaf at the end and many aerial roots growing in the ground.
By cutting at nodes, can I make several plants, or should I just propagate the one leaf ?
Hi Carol! You still need a node for it to grow into a plant. One node will be enough. It just depends on how many plants you want to make :-). You can have a cutting that has one leaf and one node, at a minimum, for it to grow into a new plant.
Hi, my plant is bending (I'm guessing it's because they are heavy?). I want to stick a moss pole in, what is the best way to put the moss pole into the plant without damaging the roots? Also, I have one leaf with dark brown/blk spots (no yellow halo), what does this mean? Thank you.
Hi Alice! It really depends on what kind of moss pole you are using. For me, since I made one (I have a blog post how-to guide), you really have to do it when you repot it since the post is basically a cylinder and you can't really insert into a pot that your plant is currently growing in. Some of the ones available commercially have metal prongs that you can easily insert in an existing pot. I recommend making your own though and adding it the next time you repot: https://www.ohiotropics.com/2020/05/03/diy-moss-pole-how-to-make/. Or, you can also just use bamboo stakes. My big Monstera uses a "tee-pee" where I simply inserted 3 heavy bamboo stakes and tied them on top. As far as the brown spots, it can be caused by a variety of things. Did anything resonate with you as you read this blog post? Hope this helps.
I bought my Monstera from Trader Joes 1 week ago, and havent watered it since. I noticed one leaf had the brown haloed spots so I cut it off. Then just yesterday, I lost one of the baby leaves. It turn completely yellow and just fell off the base when i lightly pulled on it. Today, two more baby leaves went the same way and there are two more baby leaves that are on their way to full yellowing. The soil seems very wet to touch. What do I do? Thanks in advance.
Hi Marianne! Sorry to hear about your issues! Can you send me some photos? Use the contact form on my website. When I reply, you can attach photos. Was the plant sitting in water at all? Has the soil dried out by now?
I have a very old Monstera 30yrs+. I cut it right down 15yrs ago because it was straggly and it regrew, now 2m high again. I repotted it a month ago, during which many fine roots got broken off because they went through the fine holes at the base of the ‘self watering’ pot. Now my poor plant is losing its leaves, going yellow and dying one after the other. Is there any chance it could still revive or would I do best cutting it right down again?
Hi Jo! I'd have to see a photo to best advise. You can email me via the contact form on my website, and you can attach photos when I reply. Is it currently in a self-watering pot? Or was that only the old pot?
@Jo, hi there! I have 2 questions about my monstera. For the last month, the leaves on the monstera are pointing straight down. The stem is normal. They are not discoloured or anything. I am thinking maybe it needs to be repotted? Right now it is in a 6 inch pot and has grown a lot. I got it this time last year. I bought a 10 inch pot thinking that it was already in an 8 inch pot. Is the 10 inch pot too big? I am adding a moss pole when I repot it. Thanks!
Hi Toby! The leaves point straight down wouldn't have anything to do with repotting, but I'd have to see a picture to really know what you're referring to. The only way to know is to take the plant out of the pot, if you suspect that it is root bound. Do you see any roots coming out of the drainage hole(s)? Is the plant drying out more quickly that it used to before (you mentioned that it has grown a lot). It may be time for a bigger pot, and you'd need to take it out of the pot to see for sure. I think you'd be fine going from a 6 inch pot to a 10 inch pot, especially if your potting mix is nice and chunky (by adding materials like perlite, orchid bark, etc.). This will make the soil dry out faster without a risk of root rot. All these are considerations when repotting. I hope this helps a bit!
Hi, my partner has one of these plants and it’s growing really well, but some of the above ground roots are looking almost burnt? I don’t know why this happens but can anyone tell me or have an idea?
Hi Alex! I'd have to see a photo to best help, but I can say that the aerial roots will look brown. That is perfectly normal.
MY monstera leaf is curl what might be reason
It could be from a variety of reasons. In most cases, I would say it has to do with extremes in soil moisture. If your potting mix has gone too dry, or stayed wet for too long, it can definitely cause this.
what's the difference between a spit leaf philodendron and a monstera deliciosa? I just saw something at Home Depot labeled split leaf philodendron and it looked like a mini monstera.Thanks for your blog and Instagram.
Hi Sandra! That's a great question. Unfortunately names can get very confusing. Monstera deliciosa is the correct botanical name for the plant. Sometimes it is labeled as a split leaf philodendron but it is the same plant. The correct name would be Monstera deliciosa.
Mine was beautiful but it had roots to top of the soil and I thought It needed to be deeper so I took it out of the pot and put it down deeper and now it’s dying from the center… I’m so Upset over it because it was so beautiful,can I save it?
Hi Robin. Monsteras grow a lot of aerial roots and they use them to attach onto trees and climb them in nature so you would just leave them alone. I would undo what you did and let it dry out a bit and give it time to see if it comes back. Good luck!
Thanks so much for this guide, I think I "cooked" my thai constellation with fertiliser... I repotted mine several weeks back and made a mistake putting 12-months slow fertilizer in it... Lit's almost winter here in New Zealand). The tips of the leaves got brown-dry... I've been searching guides on brown-dry leave tips but everyone seem to focus on over/under watering info. Lucky I read this today! I inspected my monstera and indeed the tiny roots are mushy. I trimmed them and re-pot (no more fert!). However, the stem where future leaf will grow has dry-brown mark that's quite long and got bigger than before. Will my future leaf grow and survive? Thanks before.
You're very welcome Tina! Brown tips unfortunately are caused by many things, so it's up to us to diagnose and determine exactly what happened. I'm glad you found the post helpful :-). It's hard to say about your leaf...I'd need to see a photo to better help you out.
Hi,
I have had a Monstera for over 6 years and it grew to be quite massive. This winter it started dropping its leaves throughout a period of 5 months. First, it was some old yellow leaves. The watering/sunlight was pretty consistent (after all I've kept it alive for years), but I suspected the soil was stripped of nutrients as it was quite light and crumbly. Once I repotted it, the leaves started dropping quickly, most likely due to root rot, to a point where I was only able to salvage 3 leaves 🙁 Now I have two long, thick stems (one is 4 foot long, the other 6 foot long). I'll do a wet stick propagation. Question is can I somehow save its length (putting the entirety of the stem in a plastic bag greenhouse) or if I should just cut the long stem into pieces to repropagate.
Thank you!
Luci
Sorry to hear about your plant :-(. I'd try and help you diagnose the cause but it's hard without knowing exactly what you did. For propagation, I would recommend rooting the tip of the vine (while keeping the leaves) in water, and then you can do the wet stick propagation as well for the rest of it. Good luck!
Repotted not reported lol
Autocorrect should have learned by now when plant people type repotted. LOL. Happens to me all the time!
Please kindly advise The aerial roots Drying up and dying what can I do I just repotted the plant thanks
How are you approaching watering? It takes a lot for them to dehydrate. Can you send me some photos? Use the contact form on my site, and when I reply, you can attach some photos. I'd like to know your conditions too (how far your plant is from a window, what exposure the window is, and how you approach watering.)
U have some very good material on this great plant l will keep it in mind when raising my own???
Glad you enjoyed it 🙂
HELP PLEASE
I’ve been struggling to find and answer about my monstera deliciosa. When I received my monstera, three of the leaves snapped off. I cut the steams at the nodes, very close to the soil. They’ve been turning brown/black and are kinda slimy wet. Is this root rot? What can I do to save my monstera?
Hi Janet, I'd need to see some photos. I assume you meant the stems turned brown where you cut them? You'd really have to see the roots to determine if they've rotted. It's possible that just the stems have rotted. Did you inspect the roots?
Hi in dec I cut two cuttings of monstera delicisosa and have put them in water the node came in finally however now I see a leaf is getting leggy , also the node is quite fat now however roots haven’t popped out , why my leaf is getting leggy ?
What kind of light is it in? How far away from a window or light source?
Hello! I need help with my Monstera!! I recently repotted as it was severely root bond. Now I fear I’ve made a terrible mistake!! My leaves are all turning yellow, starting to brown and get crispy. I’ve read everything I can about shock of repotting and everything else in between. But I am not finding solutions that seem to fit what is happening with mine. It was green and looked happy for about a week and just the past two days it’s starting to yellow and spread throughout the leaves. Help!!! Thanks so much
Hi Ali! I'll need more details to help you out. I'll need to know about all your conditions (light, watering, etc.). What kind of light is it getting (exposure of window? how far from the window?). Tell me about your watering. How do you water, how you determine when you need to water? How big was the old pot vs. the new pot? Let's start there.
@Raffaele, Hello! These are some tricky questions as I’ve inherited it and don’t know much besides it needed to repotted. It was taken care of which is good. It’s about chest high and has many leaves. Southwest exposure but out of the direct sun and on the other side of the room from the window. Think spare bedroom. I live in the northeast as well. I’ve only had it long enough to repot and give a good watering. A week went by and this past weekend everything started to change. Pot is slightly bigger. Hopefully we can figure out what’s wrong! Today I woke up to some of the leaves curling.
I have a monstrera growing outside. From neglect, sun and under watering, the 2' wide, 2 feet long, horizontal desiccated stem has one rather large leaf at the end and many aerial roots growing in the ground.
By cutting at nodes, can I make several plants, or should I just propagate the one leaf ?
Hi Carol! You still need a node for it to grow into a plant. One node will be enough. It just depends on how many plants you want to make :-). You can have a cutting that has one leaf and one node, at a minimum, for it to grow into a new plant.
Hi, my plant is bending (I'm guessing it's because they are heavy?). I want to stick a moss pole in, what is the best way to put the moss pole into the plant without damaging the roots? Also, I have one leaf with dark brown/blk spots (no yellow halo), what does this mean? Thank you.
Hi Alice! It really depends on what kind of moss pole you are using. For me, since I made one (I have a blog post how-to guide), you really have to do it when you repot it since the post is basically a cylinder and you can't really insert into a pot that your plant is currently growing in. Some of the ones available commercially have metal prongs that you can easily insert in an existing pot. I recommend making your own though and adding it the next time you repot: https://www.ohiotropics.com/2020/05/03/diy-moss-pole-how-to-make/. Or, you can also just use bamboo stakes. My big Monstera uses a "tee-pee" where I simply inserted 3 heavy bamboo stakes and tied them on top. As far as the brown spots, it can be caused by a variety of things. Did anything resonate with you as you read this blog post? Hope this helps.
I bought my Monstera from Trader Joes 1 week ago, and havent watered it since. I noticed one leaf had the brown haloed spots so I cut it off. Then just yesterday, I lost one of the baby leaves. It turn completely yellow and just fell off the base when i lightly pulled on it. Today, two more baby leaves went the same way and there are two more baby leaves that are on their way to full yellowing. The soil seems very wet to touch. What do I do? Thanks in advance.
Hi Marianne! Sorry to hear about your issues! Can you send me some photos? Use the contact form on my website. When I reply, you can attach photos. Was the plant sitting in water at all? Has the soil dried out by now?
I have a very old Monstera 30yrs+. I cut it right down 15yrs ago because it was straggly and it regrew, now 2m high again. I repotted it a month ago, during which many fine roots got broken off because they went through the fine holes at the base of the ‘self watering’ pot. Now my poor plant is losing its leaves, going yellow and dying one after the other. Is there any chance it could still revive or would I do best cutting it right down again?
Hi Jo! I'd have to see a photo to best advise. You can email me via the contact form on my website, and you can attach photos when I reply. Is it currently in a self-watering pot? Or was that only the old pot?
@Raffaele, I’ve repotted into a larger self-watering pot. Embarrassed to send the photo - poor thing looks awful! But I will as you suggest.
@Jo, hi there! I have 2 questions about my monstera. For the last month, the leaves on the monstera are pointing straight down. The stem is normal. They are not discoloured or anything. I am thinking maybe it needs to be repotted? Right now it is in a 6 inch pot and has grown a lot. I got it this time last year. I bought a 10 inch pot thinking that it was already in an 8 inch pot. Is the 10 inch pot too big? I am adding a moss pole when I repot it. Thanks!
Hi Toby! The leaves point straight down wouldn't have anything to do with repotting, but I'd have to see a picture to really know what you're referring to. The only way to know is to take the plant out of the pot, if you suspect that it is root bound. Do you see any roots coming out of the drainage hole(s)? Is the plant drying out more quickly that it used to before (you mentioned that it has grown a lot). It may be time for a bigger pot, and you'd need to take it out of the pot to see for sure. I think you'd be fine going from a 6 inch pot to a 10 inch pot, especially if your potting mix is nice and chunky (by adding materials like perlite, orchid bark, etc.). This will make the soil dry out faster without a risk of root rot. All these are considerations when repotting. I hope this helps a bit!