Have you been wondering what the best pot type is for your Monstera? There really are many considerations in choosing the right Monstera pot for your plant AND for you! Keep reading for more details to learn more.
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Table of Contents
MONSTERA POT TYPE CONSIDERATIONS
The 4 main considerations in choosing the right Monstera pot for your plant are the following:
Size of the pot
Weight of the pot
Pot construction
Drainage
Let me elaborate on this list, because each of these items is important and has pros and cons.
1. SIZE OF THE POT
The size of the pot is critically important with any plant, and Monstera deliciosa is no exception. When it comes time to repot your Monstera, as a general rule of thumb, I always advise going up 1 pot size, and no bigger.
For example, if your plant is in a 6 inch diameter pot and you need to repot, only go up to an 8 inch diameter pot.
Why is this? If your pot size is too large, the excess volume of potting mix will take too long to dry out and can cause you issues, especially if your plant is not growing in enough light.
And because of this reason, it's generally always better to choose a Monstera pot that's on the smaller end versus too large.
When repotting your Monstera, only go up 1 pot size.
If you're looking for an amazing potting mix that you can use straight out of the bag for your Monstera, check out the Tropical Climber Soil Blend from Oh Happy Plants. This is an amazing mix and you will get 10% off at checkout automatically if you use my link.
2. WEIGHT OF THE POT
Now it's going to get a little more complicated, because the weight of your pot is going to be an important factor.
If you have a smaller Monstera deliciosa plant, it won't matter as much, but as your plant grows, I suggest using a heavier pot, such as either terra cotta or glazed ceramic pot. (I elaborate more on these pots in the next section.)
Why? Because Monstera deliciosa is a vining plant, and as it grows, you'll need to provide a support for it (such has a bamboo tripod or moss pole) and it will need a heavier pot in order to be stable so no one is knocking over your plant. Heavier pots are definitely best for large Monstera plants.
If you have your plant in a lighter plastic pot and your plant is growing tall, and your potting mix has dried out, the top-heavy plant can be quite easy to knock over.
My own Monstera deliciosa which is growing in a heavy, glazed ceramic pot and supported by a bamboo tripod that I made by tying 3 bamboo stakes on top.
And below is one of my variegated Monstera plants that I propagated and it has a moss pole. The heavy ceramic pot will stabilize the moss pole and plant so that it isn't prone to being knocked over.
3. POT CONSTRUCTION & IMPLICATIONS ON MOISTURE NEEDS
The type of pot makes a huge difference in how you care for your plant. Here are some options to consider, along with pros and cons for each.
Whatever type of pot you choose, always ensure that it has a drainage hole! This is not optional.
PLASTIC POTS
Any type of plastic pot is best when your plant is small. As your plant grows and gets taller and supports like bamboo stakes or moss posts are needed, it's much better to use a heavier pot so the plant is not easily knocked over.
Plastic pots like nursery pots are great for smaller plants because they make it easier to repot, and they are not porous so they will retain a little more moisture, which is important for smaller plants.
Plastic nursery pots are great for smaller plants like this variegated Monstera that I propagated.
When your plant is small, you can always grow it in a nursery pot and slip it inside of a more decorative cache pot.
UNGLAZED TERRA COTTA
Terra cotta pots can be both a blessing and a curse. If you tend to "overwater", terra cotta can be a wonderful type of pot. Because of its porous nature of unglazed terra cotta, the potting mix will dry out much more quickly.
Some cons to using terra cotta is that it can dry out too quickly sometimes (depending on your watering habits, the type of potting mix, and growing conditions), especially smaller terra cotta pots.
The pots can also incur some maintenance as minerals in tap water and fertilizer salts building up on the pot itself. Some people love the patina it produces, while others don't!
GLAZED CERAMIC OR GLAZED CLAY
My own Monstera deliciosa plant is growing in a large glazed ceramic pot. Because of its weight, it is very stable, even as the plant gets taller and taller on the bamboo tee pee I made, and there is no risk of knocking the plant over.
My Monstera and me
I recommend that any large ceramic pot like this be placed on a caster with wheels so that you can easily move your plant. Otherwise the weight will make it prohibitive to move.
Another benefit to using glazed ceramic pots versus terra cotta pots, is that glazed ceramic pots will retain more moisture. At some point, it'll be very difficult to keep repotting your plant into larger and larger pots (you have to stop somewhere!) once you reach a certain size.
And as your plant gets more and more root bound, glazed ceramic pots will retain more moisture than terra cotta pots. And this will be a good thing, otherwise you'll be needing to water way too frequently.
POTS WITH SAUCERS ATTACHED
These types of pots are very tricky, and I personally don't like them, but it's worth mentioning. I find that most pots that have saucers attached to them drain very slowly.
And if you have very large pots with attached saucers, it can be very annoying to deal with. Often times the attached saucers are pretty shallow and it can make a mess when you're watering.
For this reason, I prefer using a separate, deep saucer to place under the pot (instead of a pot with an attached saucer). For large pots, when I have excess water accumulating after watering, I like to use a turkey baster to suck out excess water from the saucer so the plant is not sitting in water and risking root rot.
Pots with saucers attached typically drain slowly, and the saucer in many cases is too shallow.
SELF-WATERING POTS
Self-watering pots have a time and place, but I wouldn't recommend them for Monstera. These plants need to dry out somewhat in between watering and should not stay continually moist.
If you're using a very chunky potting mix though, it can work, but it's really not necessary, nor is it worth the trouble because you'll have to repot fairly frequently as your plant grows and needs a support structure.
4. DRAINAGE
Monsteras need drainage holes in their pots. So regardless of the type or size of pot that you use, it MUST have drainage holes.
It is far too dangerous to not have drainage holes as water can accumulate at the bottom of the pot and easily cause root rot. In addition, fertilizer salts and tap water minerals will build up in the pot and cause damage to your plant's roots system.
The type and size of pot is only one consideration that affects the health of your Monstera plant, or any houseplant.
There are many other factors that you should consider simultaneously in order to have the healthiest houseplants possible, and they are: light, potting mix types, temperature, humidity, fertilization, and more.
I just got my first Monstera clipping as a gift, it rooted in water, I planted in soil and I see a new leaf coming I am SOOOOO excited!! Its in a naked root planter, 8 inch. let's see how long it will live in there!! the mother plant was a monster, about the size of yours in your picture.
I first saw you on FB with the orchids. I need to get mine to rebloom.
I will refer back to this blog/posts for a guide when I need them for my Monstera! I bought a small Thai Cons too. transferred that one to a naked roots pot too, 5 inch. I am sure I will have to size her up too.
Dude! Prolly the best plant info site I’ve found! Well written and straightforward with tons of useful tips. I have 3 Monstera delocia’s with shop-bought moss poles. I added the poles when I repotted a couple of yrs back. Absolutely none of the plants show any interest whatsoever in the poles! I’ve tied them to it (gently) with soft plant ties and tried twine ties too. I’ve even tried misting the moss poles in hope of creating a more tree-trunk-in-the-tropics like environment! Shall I ditch the poles and make a bamboo tripod instead? And, it OK to lop-off the ugly air roots?
Writing from Central Florida, enjoyed your post a lot. A friend has given me several Delicioso fruit and they are wonderful. I have a Monstera plant growing up a palm tree that is 5 feet across it’s lovely I have about 50 fruit growing on it and my question is if it has fruit are they always edible. She says I have the wrong kind but I have.lots of fruit.I didn't know it took a year to ripen.
I am ready to transplant my monstera into a bigger container. Based on your info, I think I'm going to go with a ceramic planter. I am wondering if depth of the pot matters? For example, is a monstera going to be happier in a tall planter or one that is more short/squatty?
Hi Hayley! I wouldn't worry too much about the depth, though I wouldn't use one that is too tall because your plant will get top-heavy and tip over more easily that way. Hope this helps a bit!
Thanks for this article. I appreciate that you give all the info I need without too much fluff. And I loved your picture with your beautiful plant. I have a monstera in honor of my mom. It's in front of a SE facing window. It's just starting to wander so I need to give it a place to go. I think I'll try the bamboo poles. Happy growing to you!
What potting mix do you recommend for this plant? Mine is still in the nursery pot, however it has a root growing outside the lower opening of the plastic pot and I think it's time to pot it in a ceramic glazed pot. It's currently in a 10" nursery pot and the worker at Pike's told me to use filtered water and that she removed all the mix from the Nursery pot and did 3 parts of different soils, which is intimidating. I've already killed 2 palm plants, however my snake plants are impossible to kill. I didn't want one for almost a year because I was going to throw it away when a couple of leaves died, however I was able to remove them and the plant is still going strong 2 years later.
Please help me with my Monstera plant because it's so pretty and I don't want to ruin it. Just to recap, what kind of potting soil and how often does it need watering? .....I think I need to go water it tonight! I want mine to grow more up, than out.....not sure if there's a technique for this. Thanks for your insight in advance.
Hi Wendy! Check out my blog post on best potting mix for Monstera: https://www.ohiotropics.com/2022/12/05/monstera-deliciosa-soil/ and as far as how often to water, you have to be flexible. Feel the potting mix, and when the top couple inches or so have dried, go ahead and water. Be sure to give your plants enough light. I have many posts on Monstera on my blog, so feel free to use the search feature and keep reading to learn so that you can have the most success with your plants! Good luck!
Nice article. And nice picture of you and your monstera, though it is slightly ironic that you are entirely blocking the pot, and I am unable to reference the image for any information other than you and the monstera are looking pretty happy.
@G, I enjoy seeing people alongside their plants. For reference, the author states, "My own Monstera deliciosa plant is growing in a large glazed ceramic pot. I prefer using a separate, deep saucer to place under the pot (instead of a pot with an attached saucer). I recommend that any large ceramic pot like this be placed on a caster with wheels so that you can easily move your plant. Otherwise the weight will make it prohibitive to move."
I was very generously given two monsters cutting in one large mason jar. They came to me with pretty long roots long and skinny and im quite intimidated to get it into a pot. I don’t want to kill it. I put one of the cuttings in a plastic pot but I’m now afraid it was too big based on your post…it had pretty long roots so I opted for a bigger pot…maybe a foot long lots of skinny white ones. But I’m afraid I did it wrong and I’m afraid to do the other one so it’s still in the mason jar with water. So, how do I know what size pot to use? How deep to bury the roots…
Help! I’d love to get my cuttings to look like your plant one day!!
What a beautiful plant you have! Can I ask how long it took to grow that big please? We've just bought one ourselves and my children are hoping to care for it (I'm sure it'll be down to me!) so they've been researching and your page has been the most informative!
Thanks so much Farrah! From the time of the repotting photo, it was maybe another 3-4 years or so? It can vary a lot though depending on your conditions. I'm so happy that you find my blog so useful 🙂 Thanks for taking the time to commment. It keeps me going.
Glad you enjoyed the post! You can look to see if there are roots visible from the drainage holes. Usually, that's a good indication that it needs a new pot.
I just got my first Monstera clipping as a gift, it rooted in water, I planted in soil and I see a new leaf coming I am SOOOOO excited!! Its in a naked root planter, 8 inch. let's see how long it will live in there!! the mother plant was a monster, about the size of yours in your picture.
I first saw you on FB with the orchids. I need to get mine to rebloom.
I will refer back to this blog/posts for a guide when I need them for my Monstera! I bought a small Thai Cons too. transferred that one to a naked roots pot too, 5 inch. I am sure I will have to size her up too.
It's so fun to watch the Monsteras grow. Good luck with your plants, and I'm glad you enjoy my orchid content as well 🙂
Dude! Prolly the best plant info site I’ve found! Well written and straightforward with tons of useful tips. I have 3 Monstera delocia’s with shop-bought moss poles. I added the poles when I repotted a couple of yrs back. Absolutely none of the plants show any interest whatsoever in the poles! I’ve tied them to it (gently) with soft plant ties and tried twine ties too. I’ve even tried misting the moss poles in hope of creating a more tree-trunk-in-the-tropics like environment! Shall I ditch the poles and make a bamboo tripod instead? And, it OK to lop-off the ugly air roots?
Glad you enjoy my site Sarah! You can certainly make a tripod, or even make your own moss pole. I have a tutorial and they are way better than store bought ones, and the roots do grow right into the moss! And yes, you can trim the air roots. I have a blog post on those as well if you want to check it out.
Here is the moss pole tutorial: https://www.ohiotropics.com/2020/05/03/diy-moss-pole-how-to-make/
Monstera aerial roots: https://www.ohiotropics.com/2021/11/15/monstera-aerial-roots/
Writing from Central Florida, enjoyed your post a lot. A friend has given me several Delicioso fruit and they are wonderful. I have a Monstera plant growing up a palm tree that is 5 feet across it’s lovely I have about 50 fruit growing on it and my question is if it has fruit are they always edible. She says I have the wrong kind but I have.lots of fruit.I didn't know it took a year to ripen.
I just know that Monstera deliciosa fruit is edible, but ONLY if it's ripe 🙂 And yes, they do take a long time to ripen! I'd suggest reading my blog post on it: https://www.ohiotropics.com/2021/11/01/monstera-deliciosa-fruit/
Great info! Clear & consice!! I appreciate you sharing your knowledge! Thank you!
You're very welcome Lin! I'm so happy that you enjoyed the post 🙂
Your plant is amazing! So much great information. I just bought my first monstera plant.
Thank you
Glad you enjoyed the post Catherine! Good luck with your plant.
Hi Raffaele,
I am ready to transplant my monstera into a bigger container. Based on your info, I think I'm going to go with a ceramic planter. I am wondering if depth of the pot matters? For example, is a monstera going to be happier in a tall planter or one that is more short/squatty?
Hi Hayley! I wouldn't worry too much about the depth, though I wouldn't use one that is too tall because your plant will get top-heavy and tip over more easily that way. Hope this helps a bit!
Thanks for this article. I appreciate that you give all the info I need without too much fluff. And I loved your picture with your beautiful plant. I have a monstera in honor of my mom. It's in front of a SE facing window. It's just starting to wander so I need to give it a place to go. I think I'll try the bamboo poles. Happy growing to you!
Glad you enjoyed the post Celia! Enjoy your plant 🙂
What potting mix do you recommend for this plant? Mine is still in the nursery pot, however it has a root growing outside the lower opening of the plastic pot and I think it's time to pot it in a ceramic glazed pot. It's currently in a 10" nursery pot and the worker at Pike's told me to use filtered water and that she removed all the mix from the Nursery pot and did 3 parts of different soils, which is intimidating. I've already killed 2 palm plants, however my snake plants are impossible to kill. I didn't want one for almost a year because I was going to throw it away when a couple of leaves died, however I was able to remove them and the plant is still going strong 2 years later.
Please help me with my Monstera plant because it's so pretty and I don't want to ruin it. Just to recap, what kind of potting soil and how often does it need watering? .....I think I need to go water it tonight! I want mine to grow more up, than out.....not sure if there's a technique for this. Thanks for your insight in advance.
Hi Wendy! Check out my blog post on best potting mix for Monstera: https://www.ohiotropics.com/2022/12/05/monstera-deliciosa-soil/ and as far as how often to water, you have to be flexible. Feel the potting mix, and when the top couple inches or so have dried, go ahead and water. Be sure to give your plants enough light. I have many posts on Monstera on my blog, so feel free to use the search feature and keep reading to learn so that you can have the most success with your plants! Good luck!
thanks for sharing. Beautiful plant you have! Didn't realize the Monstera is a vining plant.
Glad you enjoyed the post Sam!
Nice article. And nice picture of you and your monstera, though it is slightly ironic that you are entirely blocking the pot, and I am unable to reference the image for any information other than you and the monstera are looking pretty happy.
@G, I enjoy seeing people alongside their plants. For reference, the author states, "My own Monstera deliciosa plant is growing in a large glazed ceramic pot. I prefer using a separate, deep saucer to place under the pot (instead of a pot with an attached saucer). I recommend that any large ceramic pot like this be placed on a caster with wheels so that you can easily move your plant. Otherwise the weight will make it prohibitive to move."
I was very generously given two monsters cutting in one large mason jar. They came to me with pretty long roots long and skinny and im quite intimidated to get it into a pot. I don’t want to kill it. I put one of the cuttings in a plastic pot but I’m now afraid it was too big based on your post…it had pretty long roots so I opted for a bigger pot…maybe a foot long lots of skinny white ones. But I’m afraid I did it wrong and I’m afraid to do the other one so it’s still in the mason jar with water. So, how do I know what size pot to use? How deep to bury the roots…
Help! I’d love to get my cuttings to look like your plant one day!!
Hi Camila! No worries. It can be tricky when the roots are long. What kind of potting mix did you use? It may be ok depending on the potting mix.
What a beautiful plant you have! Can I ask how long it took to grow that big please? We've just bought one ourselves and my children are hoping to care for it (I'm sure it'll be down to me!) so they've been researching and your page has been the most informative!
Thanks so much Farrah! From the time of the repotting photo, it was maybe another 3-4 years or so? It can vary a lot though depending on your conditions. I'm so happy that you find my blog so useful 🙂 Thanks for taking the time to commment. It keeps me going.
A lot of good information! Im glad I found your site. Question though, how do you know when its time to repot into a larger pot?
Glad you enjoyed the post! You can look to see if there are roots visible from the drainage holes. Usually, that's a good indication that it needs a new pot.