How to grow delicious monstera. You will require a Monstera deliciosa plant, cutting-edge scissors, and either a pot of soil or water.
Pick a stem to cut.
Pick a cutting of stem that has numerous nodes or leaves. While some aerial roots are useful, they are not necessary.
Pick a growth medium.
Your cutting can be multiplied in either water or soil. Water functions equally well as dirt and has the advantage of making progress monitoring simpler.
- Bright and cozy
- Keep wet and fresh.
If growing in water, make regular water changes. Give it regular waterings if it’s growing in soil to keep the cutting damp.
Disregard it!
If you took the cutting during the winter dormant phase, it can take some time for any growth to develop.
Pot up
When you spot established new growth, such some roots and a leaf that hasn’t fully expanded, pot it up in a suitable container.
When should I clip monstera cuttings?
Press gifts included the Arket planter, shovel, and vase. I get a little commission from the sales of the things when you click on affiliate links that are indicated with the symbol *aff. [All images by Cate St.
I should definitely preface this piece by saying that I’m not an expert on caring for houseplants. Even though I’ve done some reading and research, I believe that a large portion of my success with plants has been luck and a south-facing space. Although I’ve had a bad history of keeping plants alive, I’ve found the monstera deliciosa to be quite foolproof for those with less than stellar green thumbs.
The monstera is a native to the tropical jungles of Mexico; it prefers direct, strong sunlight and can withstand temperatures averaging between 18 and 25 °C. The monstera, also referred to as a Swiss cheese plant, can be identified by its broad, heart-shaped leaves and their characteristic perforated pattern. With its sculptural, leathery fronds, a monstera plant will provide a room with an unmatched, bold punch of lush foliage. Although the monstera shape has been employed as a popular theme on everything from bedding to wallpaper in the world of interior design, I really like the real thing.
My monstera plant has been contently resting in a corner and only occasionally needing water (about once a week). In only under two years, it went from being a tiny pot plant to a lush, towering tangle of stalks and glossy foliage. If you were sitting on the end of the sofa closest to the monster, it started to seem a little bit like you were sheltering under a forest canopy. It makes sense that its Latin name, monstrosa, which relates to the edible fruit it can produce, translates as “monstrous.” In the correct circumstances, these people can reach heights of almost 9 meters quickly.
Because of their quick growth and hardiness, monsteras are the perfect plant for propagation, which involves taking cuttings from a mature mother plant to produce smaller, new plants. It has enabled me to add even more lovely greenery to the house and has given the older plant new vitality. I was inspired to try it after seeing Siobhan Watts do it on Instagram. It couldn’t be simpler!
The spring and summer seasons, when a monstera plant is actively growing, are the optimum times to propagate it. When the gnarly roots from the stems start to grow outside the pot, that’s when you’ll know your monstera plant is ready for multiplication. Propagation can help equalize your monstera, much like pruning a hedge, if it appears a little unbalanced due to excessive growth in one direction or if it becomes too tall and can no longer support itself. A moss pole can also be used to support a monstera plant, but it’s always wonderful to spread the joy of the outside inside, isn’t it?
Taking a stem cutting is the first step in monstera plant propagation. Don’t just randomly chop. As you can see in the example above, the stem has a lengthy root that was in the soil and a smaller, more delicate nodule where another root is beginning to take shape. Be sure to cut your stem below an aerial root or leaf node.
To boost the quantity of water it can absorb in the following stage, cut the stem at an angle.
After that, just put your cutting in a dry vase filled with water. To see the growth, I used a clear vase like this little, spherical vase (*aff), although I’m not sure if that was essential. Aerial root or node should be completely submerged in water. After that, keep an eye on it while keeping it out of direct sunlight.
The cutting on the mother plant is shown in the left image having been clipped, and the cutting in the right image has been placed in water for the first time.
A few weeks will pass before the first shoots appear. Keep in mind that while propagating can be a tedious procedure, the benefits are well worth the wait. Meanwhile, a monstera in a vase creates a lovely presentation. For months, I didn’t need to purchase fresh flowers!
I was cautioned about changing the water by someone on Instagram.
I suppose part of the nutrients must be kept in the cutting. I simply added some new water to top it off if the water level seemed a little low.
The monstera cutting was ready to be repotted into soil when it had a magnificent tangle of light-colored roots. Even with the cutting submerged in water, a fresh, vibrant green leaf had emerged.
From my favorite book, “The House of Plants,” Caro and Rose advise using a compost that contains worm castings, rock dust, and coir for important minerals as well as coir to retain moisture. I just used some garden compost because I didn’t really know where to start with any of stuff, but anything that provides your cutting the best start is a wonderful idea. At least the Kent & Stowe gardening trowel (*aff) makes me appear the part!
In compost, plant your cutting.
To aid it, you can apply a small amount of liquid fertilizer. To aid in draining, consider a pot with a hole at the bottom, such as this grey terracotta plant pot from Arket (*aff). Before adding soil, put stones, gravel, or potting grit at the bottom of your plant pot if it has a drainage hole. However, in my experience, plants that I’ve grown in pots without holes haven’t done well over time.
Make sure the monstera plant is standing erect and pat down the soil’s surface. After giving the plant some water, you’re done!
Now all I have to do is cross my fingers and hope that this plant, like the mummy plant, survives and grows.
When the top layer of soil has dried out, water your monstera plant once a week to keep it healthy. You may also spritz the plant occasionally to keep the leaves healthy and glossy or pour little water to the saucer to let the roots collect it there. In the event that the leaves become a little dusty, I will occasionally wipe them.
There we are, then
I was astounded by how simple it was to spread a monstera plant! What’s even great is that you may have an impact right away without spending any money or purchasing anything new. Why not try it if you have one that seems a touch overgrown?
I’m really enjoying adding more plants to my house and gradually raising something. It’s so rewarding to watch a plant grow and change rather than wither and perish only by looking at it. Plants not only serve to purify the air, but they also, in my opinion, make a place feel nice just by being there. They give a home life and a sense of vibrancy. And it’s oh so addictive if you find success with one plant!
Where can I find monstera cuttings for planting?
, you should separate each leaf and node on either side of the node/aerial root into independent segments.
The youngest leaf has a node that was still propagation-viable despite not having fully matured (you can kind of see it bumping through).
After you have separated your cuttings, you should remove any outdated sheathing from the leaf stems. When submerged in water for an extended period of time, they can decay and hinder the propagation process.
Your cuttings are now ready to go to their temporary residence. All you need is water and a vessel—I like clear ones.
It’s best to let the cuts to “heal” or dry up a little bit before immersing the cuttings in water. This only takes a little while.
The aerial root can be cut back, but I prefer to leave mine uncut. To make it sit comfortably at the bottom of my vessel, I simply delicately wrap it up.
The remaining stems are then arranged in the vessel, each one being spaced apart to allow for proper root development as well as aesthetic appeal once they are planted in soil. Due to their new root system, there isn’t much room to try to arrange them at that time.
Simply add water to completely cover the roots and ends once they are positioned how you like.
Place it somewhere bright, but not in the sun, and replace the water every three to five days. After roughly 2-3 weeks, roots should start to form!
In addition to new roots, it has also sprouted a huge number of new leaves.
Here is a picture of my very first effort at growing a monstera. I took the above steps, potted the cuttings in soil after around three months, and continued. It has thrived ever since I started watering it once a week!
Your inquiries are addressed:
Yes! Once they are in the proper light and receiving the appropriate amount of water, they are excellent for beginners and very simple to care for.
I plant them in a well-draining pot using ordinary Miracle Grow indoor potting soil. No need for moss or pearls.
Yes, to answer simply. That is a factor in the propagation process. I wouldn’t recommend making excessive or frequent cuts because you run the danger of harming the plant by putting it into shock.
It’s usually time for a new and larger pot when you can see the roots through the dirt or when you notice the growth has significantly halted.
All of my plants receive fertilizer during the growth season (April to September). I will fertilize every other week because I water them all once a week. I prefer liquid fertilizers (plant food) since I can regulate the amount that each plant receives.
In the summer, grocery stores like Kroger or your neighborhood Lowe’s or Home Depot may stock them. It’s always a good idea to check for nearby and online nurseries, such as
Propagate at the Right Time of Year
The ideal time of year—and perhaps the only time of year—to take cuttings from a Monstera is in the spring.
This is due to the fact that it is emerging from its dormant state from the winter months and beginning its best growing season.
Additionally, it lessens the stress to the mother plant. Propagation can be successful in the early fall, albeit it might go more slowly.
You Can’t Propagate a Monstera Leaf
You cannot develop a new Monstera from a leaf since roots can only sprout from the node and nowhere else on the plant.
I’ve seen some folks who try to reproduce a gigantic, lovely leaf with gorgeous fenestrations, but they simply cut it off at the stem’s base and hope for the best.
It won’t set roots, but it will look lovely in a vase of water. The node must be located; it will resemble an intersection in the stem with a brown bump.
Your Monstera plant might be too young to reproduce if you can’t discover any nodes on it.
After a few weeks, nodes ought to start to emerge if you move it to a more sunny place and increase the humidity a little.
You’ll be on your way to a forest full of magnificent Monsteras if you brush up on my best advice for novice indoor plant maintenance!
Expect no new leaf growth.
Monstera plants cannot develop from a single leaf cutting, unlike certain other plants like Sansevieria (Snake plant) and cactus.
Monstera plants grown without nodes will, regrettably, be unable to produce new leaf growth.
It lacks the tissue needed for cell division and the development of new leaves.
The leaf can survive without a node.
To keep turgid and fresh, the leaf will continue to absorb water by osmosis.
However, it must be situated in the optimal climate to prevent overheating and excessive transpiration, which would cause the leaf to wither.
Can You Propagate a Leaf Without a Node?
Simply put, no. For your cutting to produce new leaves, it MUST have a node.
You’ve certainly drooled over stunning images of a single monstera leaf in a lovely glass vase of clear water on Instagram and in home décor magazines.
The bad news is that even while a leaf without a node might develop some roots, it will still only be a leaf with roots. It won’t develop into a new monstera plant with stalks or additional leaves. There will never be more than one leaf.
The node is essential for propagation since it stores all of the genetic data required to develop a new plant.
Do All Monstera Leaves Have Nodes?
Nodes are little bumps that develop on the side of your monstera’s stem that is not covered by a leaf, not even on the stems of the leaves.
Your monstera’s vine develops nodes. In fact, because it hasn’t matured sufficiently, a young monstera may not have any nodes yet. Your monstera may not yet be mature enough to propagate from cuttings if it appears as though leaves are sprouting directly out of the soil. (However, if it’s big enough, you might be able to propagate it using separation!)
Most of your plant’s leaves will be accompanied by a node on the other side of the stem once it begins to vine.
Can You Propagate Leafless Nodes?
So, while you CANNOT propagate a node without a leaf, you CAN propagate a leaf without a node!
Online vendors may provide leafless, unrooted nodes for sale. But the success rate won’t be as high as when you propagate cuttings with one or two leaves.