Fortunately, trimming a monstera is not too difficult. Since they are a hardy plant, they don’t need to be meticulously pruned. In other words, even if you don’t perform a great job, your plant will probably be alright.
You’ll want to remember a few things, though:
1. Put on gloves. When pruning or propagating your monstera, be sure to use protective gloves because the sap is poisonous and can cause severe skin irritation.
2. Use a tidy, sharp instrument. You can avoid crushing or damaging the stem by using sharp pruning shears or a knife to make the cut. Your plant is also shielded from hazardous microorganisms by clean tools. Bacterial diseases can even spread to your other plants and are difficult to treat. (Protect your monstera from insects, fungi, and bacteria with our Houseplant Leaf Armor!)
Instead of slicing the stem off, just give it a good snip or chop while cutting. The cleanest cut will be made as a result.
3. If you can, prune in the spring, especially if you want to promote growth. Growth spurts occur in the spring and summer for the majority of plants, including monstera. Pruning in the spring will yield the best benefits and hasten the recovery of your plant. You should prune in the spring because that is when your cuttings will grow the fastest if you intend to propagate them.
4. Arrange the slices. Starting at the base of the stem, remove any outdated or diseased leaves.
Cut where you want the plant to grow if you are pruning to promote growth. Make a top cut if you want it to grow higher.
When the time comes to actually trim your monstera, keep in mind that pruning promotes growth so choose where to make your cuts. You can safely reduce the plant’s size if you’re pruning to manage your monstera’s size. Just remember that it will eventually need to be done again because it will grow back.
5. Be sure to cut below a node if you’re propagating. Don’t be concerned if you’re only trimming to reduce the size of your plant or get rid of dead leaves. However, if you want to grow your cuttings from them, make sure that they have a node, which is a tiny knob that develops on the stem opposite a leaf. When your cutting begins to grow, these will subsequently develop into aerial roots!
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6. Prevent unintentional proliferation. When you’re done pruning, be careful to dispose of your cuttings in the trash if you’re not going to propagate them because if you place them in a compost pile or somewhere else where they can root in the earth, they’ll start to grow roots.
I’m done now! Don’t be afraid to prune your monstera; it’s an essential yet easy component of care for this plant. This plant develops rapidly and bounces back quickly from pruning. Good fortune!
Pruning Your Monstera
All year long, remove dry or dead leaves, but wait any significant trimming for the spring and summer. Use clean, precise shears to trim your Monstera, and remove any extra growth at the stem’s base.
How to Repot a Monstera
The growth of indoor plants is substantially slower than that of wild plants. This is a good thing to do every two to three years to offer new nutrients and promote new development, depending on the size of your plant and the density of the roots.
When to repot – Because of their aerial roots, Monsteras frequently grow outside of the soil. When the time is right, the plant will however let you know by practically starting to climb out of the pot with its larger branches and their roots.
Pot sizing: Choose a nursery pot with a diameter that is 2 larger than the existing pot if you want your plant to grow taller. You can reuse the same container and just swap out the soil if you want your plant to remain the same height.
Put newspaper on the floor, remove the plant from the pot, and shake off as much of the old soil as you can to ensure that the roots are clean. Get your hands messy. Put the plant in the pot’s center, fill the container with fresh soil, and compact it firmly. Place the plant in a location with bright indirect light after fully watering the soil. It will take your plant 2-4 weeks to recover from the shock and become used to its new surroundings.
Staking Monstera
Some Monstera growers want to stake their plants to support them and encourage more vertical growth in addition to aesthetic considerations. You may accomplish this by simply inserting a moss totem and using prongs to secure the plant stems to it. See our entire instructions on how to stake the Monstera here.
How should a leggy Monstera be pruned?
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Before your Monstera’s growing season, in the spring and early summer, pruning should be done. By doing so, you can guarantee that it will have the energy to quickly mend any wounds that have been produced, thereby reducing the risk of infection or pest invasion.
Gather your tools and materials before pruning your Monstera. You will require a pair of sterilizing tools and clean, sharp shears. There are other alternatives to the bleach mixture I advise, though.
The procedure is easy once you’re prepared: Determine which areas of the Monstera require trimming. It is safe to remove any scant or damaged growth. Make a plan before you begin to avoid becoming overwhelmed.
After selecting the stems that require trimming, follow them back to the primary stem or node. Cutting it at a little angle can prevent infection from spreading to the main stem, which could kill the plant.
Although a serious response is unlikely, you might want to wear gloves when working with the Monstera. Due to a substance called calcium oxalate that Monsteras manufacture, the sap has the potential to irritate the skin. If you are handling something without gloves, make sure to thoroughly wash your hands.
Where can I cut regrowing Monstera?
You must make an incision at the internode, at least two inches below the node, if you wish to propagate your Monstera. New roots can grow because of the space that is provided.
Remember that when you cut below a node, you are leaving a segment of stem that is unable to produce new stems or leaves.
Instead, make a clean cut above the node when shaping a plant or removing dead leaves. The same direction will be followed by new growth.
Greater surface area will be possible with a 45-degree angle cut compared to a straight cut, enhancing water uptake.
As every cut causes a wound to the plant, avoid overpruning. Therefore, if your plant is overcrowded, identify the nodes that are producing the most stems and leaves and prune those places. In this manner, you can remove a lot of material without raising your plant’s danger of shock or infection.
Should you cut the aerial roots?
Roots that develop above the ground as opposed to underneath it are known as aerial roots.
In the wild, Monstera uses aerial roots as support to climb taller trees so they may get more sunshine in the upper canopy.
They are not aesthetically pleasing and can grow to be very lengthy. You could wish to take into account pruning them if they are out of control.
Make sure to trim aerial roots as close to the node as possible without actually cutting the node. Cutting too deeply may harm the stem or nodes, which can raise the risk of illness.
When your Monstera grows too large, what should you do?
Monsteras don’t mind if their roots are a little constrained in terms of pot size. They only require repotting around every two to three years. You can repot your Monstera into the same pot rather than size it up if you want to prevent it from growing any bigger. You are still able to feed your Monstera nutrition while also telling it to stop growing further.
In order for your plant to retain water for at least a few days, make sure there is enough potting soil surrounding the roots. The remaining soil in a pot that is completely filled with roots may quickly dry up and harm your plant.
In this instance, consider root pruning. Although it can be unsettling because we always take care to protect the roots of our plants, they can withstand some harsh treatment. One of the greatest ways to maintain a Monstera in the same size pot without endangering the plant’s general health is to trim back roots.
How should I trim my Monstera?
, 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
Should I trim the aerial roots of my Monsteras?
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!
How come my Monstera is so lanky?
A plant is referred to as leggy if its stems and leaves are unusually lengthy. Legginess affects the Monstera, along with many other plant species, and it can lessen the usual beauty that these plants are known for having.
Lack of light will result in a monstera plant that is lanky. The plant stretches and moves to where it can get the proper amount of light when it is given insufficient lighting. The plant acquires a lanky appearance as a result, which is characterized by long stems and sparse leaves.
Indoor plants are excellent for purifying the air and fostering a calm atmosphere. Additionally, plants bring value to our living area with their aesthetic appeal. Similar to other plants, monsteras can occasionally be an eyesore if they have an unusual shape.
In this piece, we’ll go through some simple measures to make sure the plant has the correct environment to avoid this occurrence.
How would a leggy Monstera appear?
In their original environment, monsteras are essentially climbing vines that attach to big trees. These plants will resemble a shrub when grown indoors, especially when they are young.
The thickness of the stems, the size of the leaves, and the length of the internodes distinguish a healthy Monstera from one that is lanky as it develops into a vine.
Leggy Monsteras lack the full, bulky leaves and have longer, thinner stems.
A leggy Monstera will also have more space between its leaves. A plant is considered lanky if it appears that there are more stems than leaves.