DO NOT CUT OFF THE TOP LEAF OF YOUR MONSTERA AT THE BASE OF THE PETIOLLE IF IT HAS BLACK SPOTS (the stalk that holds the leaf up from the main stem). The top growth point, or terminal bud, is located on the top leaf petiole. The petiole’s side has a bump where the subsequent leaf will develop if you look attentively. Leave the stalk intact and only remove the leaf, allowing your Monstera’s new growth to continue to grow.
It has already generated a new leaf from its petiole for a lower leaf. A lower leaf’s connection to the main stem can be safely severed at the bottom of the leaf. The petiole may eventually die and fall off the stem if you leave some of it connected.
Monsteras with most leaves dead
Cutting off an excessive number of leaves at once can be harmful to a Monstera plant’s ability to recuperate if the bulk of the leaves are damaged. Keep any leaves with healthy green sections since plants require them to photosynthesize. To allow the plant to continue making energy from the remaining green leaves, first only remove the leaves that are the most severely injured or completely dead. If the remaining leaves continue to deteriorate, you can remove them later.
It’s still possible to rescue your plant even if all of its leaves are dead. An axillary bud, also known as a lateral bud, will activate and branch off to create a new leaf as long as the stem and roots stay in good condition. To activate several buds, you can also cut and propagate your Monstera as stem cuttings. This method should only be used as a last resort because it will be extremely slow without leaves.
How are damaged Monstera leaves cut?
You should get rid of lead if more than half of it is yellow and lifeless. Cut it off as close to the stem’s base as you can with a sharp knife. Always cut at an angle and make a smooth, clean cut.
If you notice new leaves emerging that are brown or black before they unfold, there may be a fungus issue or the plant has received too much water for an extended period of time.
Brown Edges
Brown tips on your Monstera leaves typically indicate one of two things: either they’re in too bright of a place (getting too much sun) or they’re starting to dry up because there isn’t enough humidity.
You must exercise particular caution if you have a variegated Monstera, such as the Albo or Thai Constellation, as the white leaves are significantly more vulnerable to the intense sun and dry air.
Yellowing, Faded or Dehydrated Leaves Could be a Sign of Pests
These small black flies will be swarming around your plant if you detect fungus gnats. You may identify them by their feeble, zigzag flying because they are not very strong fliers.
In usually, fungus gnats don’t really harm your plant or leaves (unless they are left to infest for a very long time).
However, you should still get rid of them as soon as an issue arises. You may get rid of gnats using a number of natural approaches.
Take a look beneath the foliage. Common pests attracted to Monsteras include scale insects and spider mites.
Smooth, brown bumps that are easy to identify as scales can be distinguished from spider mites, which are tiny insects that are difficult to see but leave behind extremely fine webbing.
The leaves on your Monstera may be tearing or drooping as a result of the water you are using, even if you are certain you have no bug issues.
Most people use tap water, but owing to treatment, occasionally this water is too harsh for plants.
For a few months, you can try switching to distilled or filtered water to see if it helps. You’ll need to keep an eye on it because after one or two waterings, it won’t make a difference.
Should I remove the Monstera’s tiny leaves?
Depending on why you are pruning your Monstera, choose where to cut it. Simply clip off the old leaves from the main stem to eliminate them. However, the cutting must have at least one node if you plan to use the Monstera parts that you have pruned for propagation. If so, trim the stem an inch below the node.
Yellowed leaves cannot be used to root or spread your Monstera since they are past rescuing. After all, Monstera cannot spread without a node. That’s because the area between nodes, known as internodes, will not root or sprout new growth, making nodes the sole location on the stem where new growth can be produced.
Look for the region where your Monstera’s aerial roots or leaves develop to find the node. Around the stem, this region has thicker tissue and may take the form of a raised ring. The cutting should then be rooted in a glass of water or a moist potting mixture after being cut slightly below the node.
Make sure to only cut the lateral roots when trimming your Monstera plant’s roots to limit its size and growth. You shouldn’t cut or trim the main root because it is stronger and thicker. When pruning the roots, trim lateral roots by one-third of their length.
Should I cut off small Monstera leaves?
Small Monstera leaves can be removed if you wish to promote growth and are concerned that they are utilizing too many resources for your plant. Pruning Monstera small leaves won’t address the underlying issues causing this, though, as little leaves on your Monstera plant typically indicate that its developing demands are not being addressed.
Instead, a change in location, sparingly watering your Monstera plant, and providing it with the right nutrients will stimulate it to grow bigger leaves. Make sure your Monstera plant’s growing requirements are satisfied if you’re experiencing problems with little leaves. Here is a quick rundown of all the elements a Monstera plant requires to develop large, lush leaves and strong development.
- Light Monstera plants thrive in a sunny window’s bright illumination. They are able to tolerate direct sunshine from an eastern window, but not from a western or southern window. Verify that your Monstera plant receives at least six hours every day of bright, indirect light.
- WaterMonsteras can be particular about how much water they require to survive. They thrive in evenly damp soil that has the top 2 to 3 inches of the pot left to dry out in between waterings. Establish the routine of regularly checking the soil’s moisture level and watering the Monstera plant when the top inch or two are dry to prevent overwatering or underwatering the plant.
- HumidityMonstera is a tropical plant that requires high degrees of humidity to survive. The winter, when your home’s air is dry, is when this problem most frequently arises. To increase the humidity level close to your Monstera plants, use a humidifier or pebble trays.
How to cut yellow leaves off Monstera
Follow the stem of the yellow leaf back to the main branch or stem to clip yellow leaves off of Monstera. Trim the leaf stem so that it is near the main vine or stem. After that, discard the old leaves or put them in the compost bin because yellow leaves cannot root and won’t produce new growth.
To maintain the Monstera’s appearance, yellow leaves should be routinely removed. Older leaves naturally turn yellow and die as fresh growth takes their place. The process of cutting them from the plant is straightforward.
What happens if you cut a Monstera leaf?
Many gardeners are eager to root and spread their plants by saving cuttings from their plants. Some plants, such as begonias and African violets, may have their leaves used to make new plants, but Monsteras cannot.
Monstera leaves are unable to grow new roots or branches. A node is the only component of a Monstera plant that generates new plant tissues. The plant’s leaf stems lack nodes, but its main or lateral vines do have nodes.
Throw the leaf you unintentionally cut off your Monstera plant in the garbage or the compost bin.
Do Monstera leaves regenerate after being cut?
What do you do now that you have a clipping from your Monstera plant? Will the plant ever produce those lovely, large leaves again, or will it perish forever?
Well, don’t worry; the Monstera has magical abilities and will regenerate all of its lost stems and leaves (at least if you take good care of it)!
The Monstera will regenerate a new growing point from the closest node where the cut was made after being made. The portion of the plant that you removed will have fully recovered within a few months.
Light, water, soil, humidity, and fertilization are just a few examples of the variables that affect how quickly a plant will develop.
When should I trim the leaves on my Monstera?
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!
Do I need to remove the damaged leaves?
A houseplant’s appearance can also be ruined by dead or poorly formed leaves. Both damaged leaves and missing plant branches can be removed. You can use sharp scissors to trim overly ambitious stems back to just above a leaf point when they start to spoil the plant’s form. Simply remove the dead leaves; do not leave any little snags that will die back. It is advisable to trim the stem back to its base with sharp scissors in order to eliminate any dead leaves that are at the top of the shoot.
The dead blooms on houseplants can be removed individually and thrown on a compost pile. Azaleas bloom profusely over several weeks. Pick off the initial ones as they pass away to make room for the next ones to emerge. It is known as deadheading. You may remove each dead blossom from a cyclamen by pulling it off with the stalk. It will just snap off at the desired location if you give it a little tug. The stem would steadily deteriorate if you merely removed the blossom, which would stimulate the deterioration of other blooms and stems as well. Moreover, it just looks horrible. Don’t leave the blooms and stems at the plant’s base; instead, add them to the compost pile.
Why are the leaves on my Monstera only getting small?
When a Monstera is two years old and still appears underdeveloped and is producing little, uninteresting leaves, there may be a problem hindering its development. These can be challenging to diagnose, but in most cases, there are just a few factors that can prevent a Monstera from developing large leaves.
Reason 1: Your Monstera Needs More Sunlight
Smaller leaves are most frequently caused by insufficient sunshine. A Monstera deliciosa’s large leaves serve a number of functions, one of which is to capture more light (and photosynthesize better). Monsteras don’t actually respond to reduced lighting by producing bigger leaves, despite the fact that this may seem like a good idea.
Just like a Monstera that isn’t getting enough water, one that doesn’t get enough light is stressed. Regardless of its age level, this almost always manifests as a Monstera producing little, non-fenestrated leaves. Insufficient sunshine may also cause monsteras to have thin, pale-colored leaves.
If you’ve seen these indications, you might want to look into the illumination your Monstera prefers. A minimum of six hours a day of direct, bright sunlight are required for monsteras. For Monsteras, windows with a west, east, or south orientation are ideal.
However, it’s not always possible to position windows perfectly, particularly in flats with dim daylight. In this case, using a grow lamp to complement the available sunshine is a great idea. For those wishing to support their plants, there are several solutions available at different price ranges and in a variety of patterns and styles.
Reason 2: Your Monstera is Underwatered
If you’ve read up on Monsteras, you might have noticed that one of the first things you should check when a plant isn’t doing well is its hydration. Underwatering is a serious issue that can harm a Monstera deliciosa that is otherwise healthy and stop it from developing into a stunning, dramatic plant.
If your Monstera is submerged, it commonly dries out excessively and develops leaves that are noticeably droopy. Feel the soil in its pot to determine the problem. After the first inch, it needs to be watered if it is completely dry.
Instead, water a Monstera when the top inch or two of soil have dried out. This occurs for many people roughly once per week. However, don’t rely on that advice. The humidity levels in your home and the kind of pot your plant is in, among other factors, might affect how quickly it dries up. You can use your finger or a tiny instrument called a moisture meter to measure the soil’s moisture content.
Reason 3: Your Monstera is Overwatered
Overwatering is a far more serious problem than underwatering, as with any problem involving a Monstera deliciosa. Although both stress the plant, excessive watering can result in other issues including fungus gnats and root rot. Your Monstera may die as a result of root rot, which is a major problem. (Read more about root rot here!)
By measuring the moisture level of the soil, overwatering can be identified. Is the soil typically moist, soggy, or mushy where your Monstera is growing? Have you ever noticed that drying takes more than a week? Both of these are plausible indicators that there is a drainage, soil, or hydration issue. These problems need to be resolved right away.
Let your Monstera dry out after overwatering it once or twice before giving it another drink. Although it’s a good idea to let the soil dry even more after realizing that it’s been overwatered, the top inch or so should be dry. Once you’ve done this, you may stop the problem from getting worse by giving it a good watering and only draining any extra water until the soil is completely dry.
Reason 4: Your Monstera Needs To Be Repotted
A Monstera needs a lot of space for its roots to expand in order to produce the gigantic leaves that make the plant so desirable. A Monstera won’t have the room it needs to continue developing roots that will support its new leaves if its container isn’t the right size. Repotting is essential if you want your Monstera to produce large leaves.
Monsteras should typically be replanted every two years. There is a lot of variation in this, just like there is in everything. How frequently your Monstera needs to be transplanted into a bigger pot can depend on its size, its growth rate, and the other circumstances in the house.
If your Monstera isn’t growing large leaves as it should be, but you’re not sure if it needs to be replanted, consider inspecting the roots. The potential exists that the plant is now root-bound. When a Monstera’s pot is full, it develops root bound. If this is the case, the root ball will fill the pot and the amount of soil inside the vessel will be minimal.
If this is what’s happening, your Monstera has to be repotted. Check out this comprehensive tutorial we have on how to achieve that. Everything you need to know about correctly replanting a Monstera is covered in this post.
Reason 5: Your Monstera Needs To Be Fertilized
The nutrition a Monstera has access to is another factor that can hinder it from developing large leaves. Potassium, nitrogen, and a number of other nutrients are essential to all plants’ growth processes. Monsteras can’t survive without these.
You won’t need to worry about this right now if you’re transplanting your Monstera.
The nutrients that plants require to flourish are added to new soil. However, if replanting your Monstera is still a while off, the next best thing to do is to give it healthy doses of a liquid fertilizer that has been diluted.
Reason 6: Your Monstera Needs Better Water
The best water is a crucial issue that frequently goes unmentioned but may play a role in why your Monstera isn’t producing large leaves. Many people water their Monsteras using tap water, especially those who are just beginning to keep houseplants. Although it needn’t be a major issue, too much hard water might reduce a plant’s quality of life.
Calcium, chlorine, and fluoride are just a few of the several chemicals and compounds found in hard water. Low absorption will be the result when these compounds accumulate over time on the roots and in the soil. Similar to what happens when a plant isn’t fertilized, this consequence occurs.
“Spring water,” as it’s frequently referred as in stores, rarely originates from actual springs and isn’t advised in order to prevent this buildup. Keep in mind that this type of water is typically bottled from the same source as tap water. During a downpour, rainwater can be gathered; all you need to do is place a jar out to catch it! Learn more about the advantages of rainwater here.