Your Monstera naturally has aerial roots. No need to chop them off, please. As long as you use a clean, sharp blade and cut them back if they are blocking the path, it is acceptable.
The main plant of your Monstera won’t suffer if the aerial roots are cut off. These roots are designed to ascend, not to absorb nourishment.
For additional information on what to do with the aerial roots of your Monstera, keep reading!
Should the Monstera roots be cut?
A gentle, damp cloth or a fast shower with lukewarm water can be used to clean your monstera’s leaves, especially the oldest ones on the plant, to eliminate any dust accumulation.
Only two fertilizer applications will be required for your monstera throughout the entire year: one in early spring and one in late summer.
Your monstera plant will eventually develop aerial roots from its stem. These aerial roots are there to support the plant; do not cut them off. If any aerial roots are too short to support a climbing plant, train them back into the soil to absorb more nutrients when they are long enough.
Can I cut the Monstera’s extensive roots?
You can, indeed. Your Monstera Deliciosa won’t suffer any harm if the aerial roots are cut, and they will quickly regrow. Although some individuals may find it an eyesore, you can also leave them alone. These air roots have a tendency to grow out of control and resemble wild cables. When cutting the air roots, take care not to harm the Monstera root node. However, remain composed and cut them off.
How are overgrown Monstera roots handled?
The aerial roots of your Monstera can be used for a few different reasons as they grow. Although they won’t harm your plant and are actually a sign that your Monstera is growing very well, they can become sloppy, lengthy, and stringy, which may not be to your taste.
You might think about pruning back your Monstera’s aerial roots if they start to develop wild-appearing roots that are growing out of the pot and onto the ground. The plant won’t suffer if the aerial roots are cut close to where they connect to the stem. Be prepared for them to regrow, though.
As climbers, monsteras will always look for ways to support themselves. If the aerial roots disturb you, you might want to look at other plants that can survive without supports, such pothos, which can trail or climb a support.
Giving your Monstera something to cling onto is an excellent alternative if you don’t mind the aerial roots but want to encourage it. The most suggested option is a moss totem or pole, a support coated with coco coir or sphagnum moss where the Monstera can cling and eventually grow up. These can be made or bought.
Once everything is in place, all that needs to be done to assist the plant’s aerial roots to adhere is to identify the thickest, most mature stems and gently tie them to the pole. To keep the pole moist, you’ll need to spray it from time to time. This will replicate the search the Monstera would make while climbing a tree in the wild.
Additionally, some Monstera owners weave the strongest aerial roots through the brand-new moss pole. It is possible to do this, but it is not necessary and most likely won’t have a significant impact on how quickly your Monstera adapts to its new support system.
You might also just disregard the aerial roots. They are a sign that your Monstera is most likely ready to begin climbing, and your plant won’t suffer if you let it. Many people who possess Monsteras simply tuck stray aerial roots around the plant to prevent it from appearing too wild. In the end, how you grow your Monstera will depend on your personal preferences and long-term objectives.
Why are my Monstera’s aerial roots spreading so widely?
The presence of aerial roots on your monstera plant is natural and not a sign that anything is wrong. The monstera plant is a climbing plant in its natural environment.
The plant’s climbing behavior is only partially manifested in the form of aerial roots. They are there to aid in its expansion. They may be an aesthetic nightmare, but they’re not dangerous.
Should you remove your monstera plant’s aerial roots? or just let them be? I’ll address all of your concerns about what to do with the aerial roots of the monstera plant below.
Could you cut the air roots?
The top 5 suggestions for dealing with these roots are as follows:
- I frequently find them to be attractive, depending on the plant and the size of the roots. You can let them flourish if you share that sentiment. You are not need to spray them, although you are welcome to.
- They can also be planted in soil to continue serving their purpose.
- absorb nutrients and moisture
- Some feel them to be ugly. Feel free to cut them off if you’re one of them. The plant won’t be harmed by you. Cutting aerial roots won’t hurt your plant in any way, just like pruning earth roots won’t (and actually encourages root branching). Cut as near to the main stem as you can if you want to completely eliminate them. Although I don’t typically sanitize my pruning shears, doing so is the best practice because it lowers the likelihood that the incision will become infected. Rub alcohol or hydrogen peroxide are both suitable for sterilizing. Even though the aerial roots are extending too far, you might still like the way they look. If so, trim them and shorten them to fit your needs and the available area. Once more, you won’t do any harm to the plant. They will keep growing, so don’t be concerned.
- Root pruning has some exceptions, including orchids. Don’t cut the roots of orchids. Because they are epiphytes, orchids in the wild cling to trees with their aerial roots. Despite the fact that some of the orchid roots in our houses are buried in bark or sphagnum moss and others are floating in the air, all orchid roots are aerial in nature. Cutting an orchid’s aerial roots would result in the loss of roots that the plant needs to collect moisture and nutrients. Orchids frequently lack the length and density of roots that non-epiphytic plants do, and each healthy root will help the plant absorb moisture and grow stronger. Another justification for leaving orchid roots alone is because it’s thought that they can photosynthesize.
- Some people conceal aerial roots in another pot or place them in a vase with water. Although I personally don’t think this is a good idea because a new vase or pot takes up more room, you can certainly do it. The new vase or pot should allow the roots to absorb water. However, putting the roots in the same pot as the plant will produce the same results.
How is Monstera the aerial root trained?
You must fasten the Monstera to the moss pole once it is in the pot with the plant!
This will be a little simpler if your plant is still a young one. Tie the Monstera’s stem to the pole without pulling or bending excessively, making sure the nodes touch the wet moss. As a result, the aerial roots will be encouraged to encircle and grow into the moss pole.
This technique might need to be repeated whenever there is fresh growth. You can cut or loosen the ties once the aerial roots of the Monstera are securely fastened to the moss pole.
Your Monstera might not want to bend as much to attach to the moss pole if it is already pretty mature. This will require that you go extremely gently. Once the stem is up against the moss pole, tighten the ties every week to continue dragging it in that direction.
If the aerial roots of the Monstera are particularly lengthy, it can be beneficial for you to prune portions of them back. It will be more difficult to train them onto a support the longer they are. The aerial roots will generate more roots if you cut them close to the node; these roots will then develop into the moss pole.
Mist the Moss regularly.
The moss pole will draw the air roots of Monstera naturally, but only if it is moist. Regular misting of your moss pole will help your Monstera absorb extra moisture for its large, attractive leaves.
Use VELCRO garden tie.
VELCRO garden ties are a fantastic solution for securing your Monstera to the moss pole. There is no need to be concerned about tying a knot that will be strong enough because these plant ties attach to themselves. They are simple to put on and take off, and they won’t harm your Monstera’s stem.
The stems can also be attached to the moss pole using cable tie (zip tie). At least until the support begins to get hugged by the aerial roots. I performed this procedure on my Monstera Adansonii.
Should I soak the aerial roots of Monstera in water?
I’ve seen several sources advise you to put a bowl of water in the planter for your Monster deliciosa and trail its aerial roots in there. According to the theory, this is because aerial roots may actually absorb moisture. However, submerging them in water nonstop won’t likely accomplish much more than cause them to deteriorate and perhaps put your plant in risk.
However, you can frequently spray the aerial roots of your Monstera. Again, there is no scientific evidence that this makes a significant difference, but it won’t hurt. In addition, since these tropical plants prefer their surroundings to be moist, make sure the air humidity is not too low.
Please feel free to leave a comment below if you have any additional queries regarding Monstera aerial roots or if you would want to discuss your own interactions with these magnificent tropical houseplants.
What can I do about my lanky Monstera?
Like all plants, a Monstera deliciosa can become sparse and lanky from a lack of sunshine. The issue itself is simple to identify, but how can you put a stop to it? How do you mend a Monstera that is “leggy” and what does that mean?
When a Monstera doesn’t receive enough light, it becomes leggy and becomes elongated and sparse. Once a leggy Monstera has been identified, it can be treated by cutting back the leggy growth and making sure the plant continues to receive enough sunshine going ahead.
It can be frightening whenever your plant starts to appear less than healthy. Leggy, fortunately, is a simple problem to resolve. So don’t be afraid! Continue reading to learn what the issue is, how to resolve it, what kind of light a Monstera requires, and how to accommodate Monsteras in low-light conditions.
Should you plant the aerial roots of Monstera in soil?
The functions of Monstera aerial roots are well known to you. We are now faced with this crucial question. What should you do with these aerial roots—cut them, let them alone?
Because the aerial roots of Monstera are not ugly, I avoid cutting them. The plant now resembles itself in the wild considerably more thanks to them. However, I do this when they are quite long and sprouting everywhere:
- I reroute the aerial roots of Monstera into the soil so that they can aid in water and nutrient absorption, just like they would in the wild. However, since the stem of your plant is still in tact, it is not required.
- Attach them to the stem: You can attach the aerial roots to the stem or moss pole using twist ties or gardening tape. Particularly if they are really long, it helps to make them less unruly. You may easily alter the leaves on a bushy plant to disguise the stems.
- Let them develop: I frequently leave them alone because they don’t bother me much and this helps to create the impression of a naturalistic tropical rainforest. Simply make sure you have adequate room.
My approaches won’t be liked by everyone. You can cut the aerial roots of Monstera if you belong to that group. Your plant won’t suffer any damage from them. To avoid stressing your plant, however, we advise pruning roughly 30% at once. You can choose the very long, unkempt ones and discard the shorter ones.
Use razor-sharp, disinfected pruning scissors to remove these adventitious roots. Rubing alcohol with a concentration of 70 to 90 percent is ideal for cleaning gardening implements. You don’t want to infect your plants with diseases.
Are Monstera Deliciosa plants root-bound plants?
Monstera plants don’t prefer to be root-bound, thus no. The plant won’t be able to develop and support itself if there isn’t room for the roots to expand and reach additional nutrients and water in the soil.
Since new plants develop relatively quickly for the first four years or so, they should be repotted once a year. Every two to three years, older plants can be checked or given a new pot.
Even in otherwise ideal growing conditions, root-bound plants are stressed plants and will not fare as well as they otherwise could. They must use their meager energy reserves to concentrate on staying alive rather than producing new growth.
In fact, this may be the reason if you’ve noticed that your Monstera hasn’t sprouted any new leaves or, if this is still happening, that the existing leaves aren’t splitting. Because of this, Monstera plants should periodically be examined and replanted as necessary.
What does it mean for a plant to be root bound?
When someone refers to a plant as being “root bound” or “pot bound,” they are essentially saying that it has outgrown its container and has no room for its roots. A plant’s roots will begin to grow in circles along the pot’s outer border if it is kept in a container that is too small for it.
The name refers to how the pot’s available space limits how much room the plant’s roots can spread out. In certain situations, the plant’s roots will eventually encircle themselves, obstructing the soil’s ability to absorb nutrients, water, or air.
The concept is pretty similar to foot binding if you’ve ever heard of it, with the feet being deformed as they are kept in a small area. When plant roots become pot-bound or root-bound, the same thing takes place.
When grown outside and to some extent indoors, certain Monstera species can reach heights of up to twelve feet, therefore its root system is much more crucial than that of other small houseplants.
Sadly, many Monstera plants cultivated inside or outside in pots never achieve their full beauty and size simply because their root systems are confined in containers that are much too tiny for them.