Allowing your cuttings to air dry for around 10 minutes after cleaning them is finished.
After that, gently set them in a jar and add water until it reaches the node by a few inches.
As this increases the likelihood of rot, try to keep the cutting hanging and away from the jar’s bottom or side.
I like to use vases like these, which have a broader base and a narrower mouth. This keeps the stem straight while giving the roots more room to spread out and thrive.
Put your jar somewhere bright and sunny (but avoid hot, direct sun). Your cutting will root more quickly in a sunny environment.
To maintain everything healthy and in the best growing conditions, you should ideally replace the water at least once every week.
In case there is any leftover decomposing plant waste, I also prefer to gently rinse off my roots when I change the water.
It’s not a great thing to let the water go longer if you forget to change it once a week, but you should be adding fresh water as you go.
Can Monstera be grown in water?
The Monstera deliciosa can be easily rooted in water, just as many other plants. In addition to creating a stunning display piece, water propagation is a reasonably simple method of growing numerous new Monsteras with little effort. A few simple tools, a lot of sunshine, and lots of time are all you need.
You must locate a region of the Monstera deliciosa plant that has a node if you want to root it in water. Place the cutting in water in a location with bright, indirect light after using sharp shears to remove the plant beneath the node. After a few weeks, the cutting’s tip should start to sprout roots.
There is much more to this process than what is described above, but this quick summary gives you a decent idea of how simple it is to grow a Monstera in water. The remainder of the essay will cover the specifics of rooting a Monstera in water, what to expect from a cutting that has been propagated in this manner, and some advantages and disadvantages of water propagation.
How much time does Monstera take to root in water?
, 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After you have separated your cuttings, you should remove any outdated sheathing from the leaf stems.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!
Which is preferable for Monstera propagation—soil or water?
Even while Monstera cuttings are generally fairly tolerant of the growing medium, location, and conditions, there are still a few things you may change to boost your chances of success or hasten your progress.
Time of year
It is not necessary to timing when you take a cutting, but keep in mind that winter, when plants are often dormant, may cause your cutting to start more slowly.
Time frame
The first thing to stress is the importance of patience. Some cuttings will immediately take root and quickly produce new leaves. Others may experience a protracted period of inactivity. Spring will frequently revive cuttings that had been dormant.
The best way to determine if your cutting is still in good shape while doing nothing is described below.
Light and warmth
Monstera cuttings thrive in warmth and light, and they will grow the quickest on a warm, sunny windowsill. It has been said that Monstera cuttings should be started with a heat pad, but in my experience, that is not true. A heat pad, however, could perhaps hasten the growth process.
Moisture
If they are in soil, they must also be maintained gently damp but not wet—wet feet are bad for them and will cause them to decay. Once a week, check their soil and, if it feels dry, give it a little water. It is not necessary to place a plastic bag over them, as is occasionally advised.
Size of cutting
More nodes and longer or larger stem sections tend to produce more new growth, including several new stems. Given that Monstera is a vine plant with a single long stem, this is significant. If your cutting produces leaf sprouts on several nodes, each of these will grow into a stem, resulting in bushier growth at a small size.
Growing medium
The advantage to propagating in water in a glass jar is that you can see any new growth immediately. However, it is usually advisable to plant larger cuttings directly in the ground if they have leaves and aerial roots.
Water choice
You can use conventional tap water, but if it’s particularly hard, use caution and avoid using water that has been artificially softened. Both rainwater and distilled water are acceptable. If you submerge the majority of the stem part in water, leaves and roots will grow rather happily.
Soil mix
Use a light, freely draining potting compost when young plants and a more hummus-rich mixture as they mature.
Planting stems vertically with just the top inch above the soil is the simplest and most space-efficient approach to pot cuttings in soil.
I was concerned that for new leaves to grow, some stem nodes would need to be above the surface, but that wasn’t the case at all. Under the soil surface, new leaves began to emerge and easily pushed their way to the surface to spread out.
Potting up
If you have many stem cuttings that are housed in the same pot, you should separate them as soon as new growth appears. My own experiences indicate that, if handled correctly, Monstera are fairly resilient and don’t mind being disturbed.
You can bury the entire original stem cutting for a neater appearance rather than having to leave any of it above the soil line.
Can you submerge 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.
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.
In water, can Monstera grow indefinitely?
Most Monstera growers have experimented with stem propagation in water, but have you ever considered leaving a Monstera deliciosa to grow in water for an extended period of time? What would happen if you kept your Monstera in water indefinitely? The majority of literature on water propagation presupposes that the plant would eventually be transferred to soil.
A Monstera deliciosa can it grow in water? A Monstera deliciosa can grow in water for quite some time, but unless it is finally transplanted to soil, it will never attain its full size or health. A Monstera submerged in water will endure, but it won’t flourish.
I think it is preferable for the plant to eventually be transferred to soil after examining the distinctions between growing plants in water and growing them in soil. Although I wouldn’t want to leave my single Monstera’s health in the hands of a wet environment, running an experiment with propagation and cuttings can be entertaining. There are a few tactics and ideas that can help you along the way if you want to try your hand at growing a Monstera in water.
How long can cuttings stay submerged in water?
Cuttings have been rooted by gardeners for ages in a glass of water set on the windowsill. And occasionally it succeeds. Still, it’s not the ideal method for establishing cuttings.
You see, water-grown cuttings receive an excess of the beneficial element H20. They do require moisture to take root, but they also require oxygen. Additionally, water becomes more and more stagnant while it rests on a windowsill (oxygen-depleted). Additionally, the majority of stem cuttings release their own rooting hormone, which is diluted and less potent when they are submerged in water. A gooey sludge also forms on stems that are submerged in water from dangerous bacteria, and rot-causing fungi, which thrive in oxygen-poor environments, tend to crawl in and penetrate the stem. Water is OK for fast-rooting plants like coleus and begonias, but other cuttings tend to start out well before losing their way. Given the deteriorating status of their surroundings, it makes sense that they may.
Second, individuals frequently leave cuttings in water for far too long, even when they successfully root there. The glass quickly fills up with roots that can’t be transplanted whole, especially fine roots that tend to clump together when removed from the water and break when spread out in a pot. As you plant your newly rooted plant, it may lose half or more of its roots, and each damaged root may cause rot. This is not a good start!
Your best bet is to root your cuttings in a pot or tray filled with some kind of substrate; it simply needs to be sterile enough and well-aerated. Vermiculite, seedling mix, coarse sand, perlite, and potting mix are all suitable options. (Pelargoniums in particular appear to favor sand or perlite.) Fresh garden soil is not a wise choice due to its microbial contamination! Woody cuttings can be given rooting hormone, but green cuttings can simply be placed into a moist substrate. Now is the Season to Take Houseplant Cuttings has more details on establishing cuttings in a terrestrial habitat.
Old habits are hard to break, so it’s up to you if you want to keep rooting cuttings in water. Just be sure to plant them up right away. Transfer them to potting soil as soon as you notice tiny white or yellow nubs beginning to emerge on the stem (these are future roots) so they can begin their lives in a suitable terrestrial environment. It may be necessary to pot up your “cuttings in water” in just 3 or 4 days in some circumstances.