As long as it’s actively developing, monstera deliciosa can be easily propagated at any time of the year. They make excellent propagation candidates because of how quickly they develop, making it possible to give them to friends or add more plants to your home. There are various ways to spread monstera. This is how:
How to Propagate Your Monstera Plant via Leaf Bud Cuttings
Step 1: Fill a container with fresh all-purpose potting soil large enough to handle three or four cuttings.
Step 2: Take a healthy monstera stem from the mother plant and cut a piece off with a clean, sharp blade. Pick a section of the stem with several leaves.
Step 3: Separate that stem into a number of leaf-containing pieces. Aerial roots may also be affixed to segments.
Step 4: Insert three or four stem segments into a single pot. In the new container, this will produce a bushy, full appearance. Before planting, the stem segments can also be propagated in water for a few weeks. The junction between the leaf and stem is where new growth will appear.
Is it possible to grow several monsteras in one pot?
Professional growers frequently start out by propagating many plants in the same pot. A fuller plant does result from it.
It is far more challenging to combine mature sperate plants with their individual rootballs. When dirt is put around the various rootballs, they can only fit into a very large pot, which dramatically increases the likelihood of accidental overwatering. You run the risk of damaging a significant number of the root hairs if you remove a lot of soil from each individual rootball.
You can do it, but you should be aware of the hazards. Additionally, think about leaving them in their individual pots and combining those pots in a sizable container or planter without harming the roots.
What size pot should I use for my Monstera?
The size of the pot you purchase for your Monstera will depend on its size.
If your Monstera is still a young plant, it will require a pot with a diameter no greater than 8 inches (20 cm). A mature Monstera plant can grow up to a two-foot pot (60 cm).
Every one to three years, depending on how quickly your Monstera develops, it will need to be re-potted.
Problems with Oversized Pot
Too much moisture will be retained in a pot that is too large for your Monstera. Root rot may develop in soil regions where there are no roots because of excessive moisture retention.
It’s crucial to avoid planting monsteras in a too large container because they dislike having their feet wet.
Is it possible to pot monsteras jointly?
This is very reliant on your surroundings, which will undoubtedly have the most influence on the growth of any indoor plants you have. The amount of light, temperature, humidity, and watering practices will all affect how quickly your plant grows. However, generally speaking, in my experience, growth is moderate during the spring and summer, but it decreases over the fall and winter, and if temperatures are low enough, it will completely cease. My plant has been with me for about four years, and growth from a rather little plant to how it appears now has been constant. My plants have reached the point where they require annual repotting, but I hold off until the roots have completely encircled the base of the plant pot. Keep an eye out for signs that your plant needs to be watered more frequently, such as drooping or browned leaf tips. Because I prefer to keep the plant more snug in the container and can handle it better in my area this way, I only typically go up one pot size at a time.
Do you only keep one monstera plant per pot generally? Are different plants required to be kept apart?
When you start the process of repotting a monstera that has outgrown its container, you can discover numerous plants in each pot. Since many plants, like pothos, are frequently propagated from cuttings, growing them will accustom you to seeing how this appears in a single pot. However, if you’re not used to it, you might be quite surprised to learn that your plant is actually a collection of lesser plants. As long as there is adequate space for all of the plants’ parts to grow properly, whether you opt to separate these plants or not won’t have a negative impact on the plant. You might opt to separate them later on. I usually retain 1-3 plants in each pot, but sometimes tiny growths appear at the base; I’ve removed a couple of these and let them continue to grow. Here is a picture of one of them as it currently appears, which was formerly a little two-leaf plant at the foot of my large monstera:
Although I just recently repotted my monstera, why are its roots emerging from the pot’s base?
As I was checking on my plants to make this piece, I just so happened to realize that this had also recently happened to me! Monstera plants do grow strongly in the spring and summer, and your plant may be so content in a new (slightly larger) pot that it will quickly overrun its current location once more! I usually leave it for a bit because I just recently re-potted it and can already see the roots poking through the drainage holes of the planter. A few weeks later, when the roots are actually coming out of the holes, I’ll remove the pot and pick up the plant by the base and lift it out (this can be challenging if the plant is large, though!). Place back into the pot after adding about an inch of potting soil. It won’t require a major re-poting for a lot longer thanks to this extra space. Don’t repot monsteras too frequently because they usually grow best while slightly rootbound! You can also prune your roots, but we’ll get to that later.
How can you encourage leaf holes? Most of mine are lovely heart forms, but without holes.
It might surprise you to learn that there are numerous varieties of monsteras being cultivated, yet this is a very frequent query! The Monstera deliciosa ‘borsigiana’ cultivar is one of the many plants that have been designed to fit our homes and are available on the market today. Especially in the UK, this variety of monstera is most likely what you will find at your typical nursery or plant store. These plants can develop into huge specimens thanks to their smaller leaves and more compact growth habits, but their leaves lack the size and the stunning, many fenestrations of a “real” mature monstera.
As the plant ages, some people like to remove the ‘non-holey’ leaves to encourage the plant to produce more mature leaves (often with slits/holes!) In speaking, younger plants do not split until they are about 2-3 years old (see my baby plant above).
The other choice to be mindful of is growing plants from cuttings. Cuttings taken from an established plant can also yield larger, more mature leaves and avoid the problem of immature leaves with no holes.
When a moss pole is completely encircling the roots of a large monstera, how should it be re-potted?
If you can create a new moss pole that connects to the existing one, that would be wonderful because I prefer to keep the pole that holds my main plant in tact if possible. Removing the poles during the second time I replanted my two monsteras is covered in detail HERE on my blog.
This spring, when I repotted my plants, I discovered that the pole had retained some of its original position even after loosening the roots. Just a few of the stems and knots needed adjusting.
What are the aerial roots used for? Can you even cut them? I’ve tucked them inside the basket that my monstera is sitting in and wrapped them over the plastic pot it is planted in, but I’m concerned that this will harm them.
I am aware that some people choose to trim the aerial roots or gather them into a ponytail at the base of their plants. Since my plant is more developed and I can see the benefits of feeding them back into the pot’s soil, I personally don’t cut them. You can train them to hold on the support pole if they aren’t long enough. If you have a moss pole, you can water it to make it moist so that the aerial roots can absorb moisture from the support.
How to Grow Pothos Cuttings in Water?
The steps for re-rooting pothos stem cuttings in water are as follows:
- Cut healthy stems into segments that are approximately 6 inches long, just below a leaf node (the tiny brown bumps or nubs on stems).
- Take the cuttings with pruning shears or a clean, sharp knife, and check that each one has at least two nodes and four leaves.
- From each cutting, remove the bottom leaf.
- Place cuttings in a glass, jar, or vase that has been filled with water.
- Put the jar somewhere with bright but indirect light, such as a window sill.
- Within a few days, the new roots will begin to emerge from the root node.
- Cuttings should either be moved to the soil or let to continue growing in the water.
Transferring Rooted Pothos Cuttings from Water to Soil
Before transplanting the cuttings, let them grow in the water for about four weeks after they begin to form roots.
Fill pots with potting mix (three to four cuttings per pot) and lightly moisten the soil before transferring golden pothos cuttings from the water to the soil.
Move the cuttings carefully into the pots at this point to avoid damaging the tender young roots.
Placing the cuttings in the pots after adding a couple of inches of any soil to the base of them is a terrific approach to avoid damaging the new roots.
It is advised against transferring the pothos cuttings to the soil once they have rooted in water.
This indicates that cuttings that have been rooted in water will grow and flourish more readily if left in the water.
Propagating Pothos Cuttings in Soil
Root the cuttings in the soil as well if you want to avoid the extra step of moving them from water to soil or if you just want to grow pothos in water for any reason.
This is how you do it:
- Using pruning shears or a clean, sharp knife, start by trimming mature, healthy stems of pothos to a length of about 6 inches.
- Make sure the cuttings have at least four nodes and stems by cutting just below a node.
- Each cutting should have the leaf closest to the bottom removed.
- Make sure to lightly coat the cut stem ends with a rooting hormone up to the first set of root nodes before dipping them in.
- Plant the cuttings now in containers filled with moist potting soil made from peat, perlite, or sand (remember to water the potting mix before inserting cuttings).
- Make sure to bury the initial root node at the stem’s end of the Pothos plant cuttings a little deeper when you plant it.
- Place three to four cuttings in a pot to begin the roots process.
- Place the pots in an area with lots of direct, bright light.
- Regularly water the cuttings, but only enough to keep the soil damp.
- The cuttings should not be overwatered as this will cause damage.
- After around 8 to 12 weeks of letting the cuttings develop new roots in their starter pots, move them into larger pots filled with regular (all-purpose) potting soil.
- Until the transplanted cuttings’ roots take hold, keep an eye on them.
How many plants can you fit in a pot at once?
To demonstrate your green thumb, you don’t need a garden. If all you have is a pot, you can fill it to the brim with beauty by planting the ideal flowers in the ideal configuration. Grow a variety of plants, making sure that at least one is in bloom at all times during the growing season. These plants should have diverse sizes, heights, growth patterns, textures, and colors. Place the pot strategically so that it can become the main point or wow factor you’ve been searching for on a porch, patio, or somewhere else.
If your pot doesn’t already have any, drill one to four 1/2- to 1-inch drainage holes on the bottom of it. Smaller pots, like a teapot, just need one tiny drainage hole, whereas larger pots, like wine barrels, need multiple huge holes. Additionally, wash and sterilize used or old pots with a 10% chlorine bleach and water solution.
Put two to three inches of gravel in the pot’s bottom. Then, add a premium potting soil that contains fertilizer to the pot. Stop when the soil is high enough so that the plant’s crown is 1 inch or less below the rim when the plant with the tallest root ball is placed on top.
While your plants are still in their nursery containers, arrange them individually on top of the dirt. Find a combination you like by moving things around. To separate the plants, you might need to tear the plastic trays apart. Cascading plants should be planted in front so that they can grow over the edge. If not, place the shortest plants first. Plants that stretch out and have a great fill in the middle of the pot should be higher than the plants at the front. The tallest plants should be placed at the back of the pot. Never use the plants’ current height as a reference; always go by their mature height. Plant the shortest or cascading plants at the pot’s outside edge if it is visible from all sides. Place the tallest plants in the center. Plant the medium-sized plants with a decent fill in between.
To remove the blooms from the nursery containers, squeeze or cut them with a knife. If the roots are encircling the soil, cut along the sides of the root ball twice or three times. The flowers should then be planted with their crowns 1 inch below the rim. The ones with the tallest root balls should be placed on top of the dirt, and you should continue to add soil until you reach the necessary depth. Place the next-tallest root balls on top, cover with dirt, and continue with the remaining plants.
To prevent the original root balls from being revealed, carefully compact the dirt and put more soil on top. You might need to add extra dirt as it settles over the course of the following week. Water the flowers until the drainage holes are dripping with water. After that, during the growing season, water, fertilize, and pinch back your plants in accordance with the care guidelines that came with them.