You won’t be able to repot your Monstera as usual if, after cutting back the roots, you discover that it no longer has any healthy roots. You will now need to assist it in developing new roots by propagating stem fragments.
Cut off any rotted Monsteraroots, stems, leaves, or other portions of the plant that have been impacted by root rot first.
Do you still have any stems with leaf nodes? If so, fantastic! Your Monstera is still alive.
Planting Monstera stem cuttings as though you were repotting them or growing them in water are the two primary methods of propagation.
Simply follow steps 4 and 5 above to propagate them in soil. Till the infant Monstera begins to form roots, keep it out of direct sunlight. Giving it a gentle tug will allow you to determine whether it has roots yet.
Put the Monstera stem in a glass or vase of fresh water to facilitate water propagation. To keep the water clean, change it every few days. You can repot it as in Step 4 after the plant begins to grow roots.
Is root rot reversible in monstera?
The crucial step is this one. The only way to stop root rot is to fully remove it. Once you replant your Monstera in the ground, any sick tissue that is still there is likely to spread further.
You should clean your shears or scissors in between cuts, just like you did when trimming the leaves. When feasible, make a single, clean cut through each root to remove it. Your Monstera will have a tougher time healing ragged edges.
The only issue left is how much should be removed. Recall how before we advised you to use caution? So now is the time to be brutal.
How are monstera roots revived?
Watering should be your first line of defense when trying to resuscitate your monstera if you have been neglecting it. However, be sure it genuinely needs watering before you overwater it—surprisingly, too much affection can sometimes kill plants suddenly! It’s likely that your Monstera needs watering if the leaves have grown to be dry and brown and the soil is light and dry. Use a moisture meter to determine whether the soil around your Monstera has too much or not enough moisture.
Hold out for a moment before rapidly giving your dying plant a bucket of water; there are some unique methods that can make your Monstera look and feel healthier.
Before putting your monstera back in its pot and saucer, soak it for 20 to 30 minutes in a bucket of room-temperature water. After that, continue to water it sparingly but frequently over the following week or two before returning to your regular maintenance schedule. If you believe the root system is still fairly dry, you can soak for 30 minutes several times throughout the first week to ensure that the soil’s moisture level is rising.
When restoring a dying and neglected Monstera, soaking is crucial. It functions much better than simply giving it a lot of water, as the water will immediately run into the saucer and leaving the root system equally dry. Therefore, you need ensure that the soil is evenly hydrated throughout.
There are a few steps you can do to prevent wet or dry soil in the future in order to prevent overwatering or underwatering your Monstera. First off, purchasing a self-watering container enables you to be certain that your Monstera is receiving only the water it need. This self-watering pot from Amazon is something we advise.
Additionally, we advise using terracotta containers rather than plastic ones because they let some water to escape out of the sides while plastic containers trap in all the moisture, which can make the effects of overwatering on your Monstera much more pronounced.
Why do the roots of my monstera develop rot?
Root rot is exactly what it sounds like: when the roots of your plant start to rot from spending too much time in water. The ideal setting for fungus and bacteria to develop is dark, moist circumstances like wet soil, which can cause your roots to rot.
Simply refrain from overwatering your monstera to prevent this. This means that watering should only be done when the top 2 inches of soil are completely dry. After that, gradually add water to the soil until the bottom begins to drain.
How may an overwatered monstera be saved?
If the monstera delicosa or adansonii has not experienced serious root rot, it may be feasible to revive it. The most crucial step is to remove excess water from the soil and allow plenty of time for your pots to dry.
If you want to restore our plant to optimal health, you may need to take into account the potential consequences of overwatering a monstera.
Here’s how to save a monstera that’s been overwatered:
Withhold watering and drain the potting soil
It’s important to wait to water your plant until you’re certain that the extra water has been drained.
At least twice a week, give your Monstera adansonii some water (depending on the climate in your area). Before adding water to your plant, make sure the top layer of the potting has completely dried out (about 1-2 inches).
Check for root rot indicators
A negative effect of overwatering is root rot. Drooping leaves, a bad smell, and the sight of dark brown spots inside your plant’s roots are a few of the typical signs of root rot.
In order to stop the infection from spreading to other sections of the plant, it is essential to replace the potting soil and remove any rotting roots. To help inhibit the spread of disease, use a fungicide (and eradicate the fungi from your soil).
Make sure you stick to your watering schedule, and check on the health of your plant frequently.
Change potting medium
By altering the potting medium, you can prevent waterlogging, root rot, and other consequences of over watering. In addition, monstera are often enormous plants that may occasionally need to have their growing containers changed to allow a growth in size.
A potting mix of well-moisturized, well-drained soils with a relative pH range of 5.5-6.5 is ideal for growing monstera. Additionally, you can choose to mix pine bark fines with peat moss in a 1:4 ratio.
Selecting the best potting medium enables you to regulate temperature and water retention while also giving your plant a secure foundation.
Change the growing container
Selecting the right growth container for your monstera adansonii or delicosa is essential. When choosing a high-quality pot, you may need to take the plant’s size into account as well as drainage options and the pot’s material. The spacing on either side of a healthy growing pot should be about one and a half inches.
Before adding any potting material, always make sure your roots fit within the pot securely. While some monstera plants have aerial roots that may cling to the surface, the majority of them will fit inside the container.
Additionally, it’s a good idea to pick a pot with drainage holes so that excess water can run off. Another choice is double potting, which might be advantageous if you have growing containers that don’t fit inside your home.
Root Rot
Fusarium Root Rot: Fusarium is a widespread soil fungus that has several species. It can cause rotting symptoms in plants on the roots or stems, particularly if there is a cut or other lesion. Overwatering and oversaturating roots can cause fusarium fungi to quickly overgrow since they can also take over dead or dying tissues.
Pythium Root Rot: Pythium is a parasitic bacterial organism that feeds on decaying plant matter, making it a prime candidate to transform overwatering into a serious case of root rot. This bacteria can be spread from plant to plant by fungus gnats, which are covered in our blog post on common houseplant pests.
Fiddle Leaf Fig Root Rot may be caused by Pythium or Fusarium, particularly in inactive climates with excessive watering. Without the help of fungi or bacteria, overwatering can also result in root rot. The roots of your plant will start to rot if they are left in excessive moisture without drying out, and even after the soil has dried, healthy roots may get infected.
How to Identify Root Rot: Since the roots are unable to adequately absorb moisture and nutrients, withering and discolored leaves are an external indicator that something is wrong with the roots. The roots will be fragile and spongy and appear dark brown or black.
In order to effectively treat root rot, you must act soon after spotting its symptoms. You will also need fresh potting soil, bleach, sanitized scissors or shears, and a fungicide from your neighborhood nursery or garden center.
Break the soil from the root ball and remove the plant from the pot. To remove the soil, wash the plant roots under running water.
Your plant’s leaves should be pruned back. Although it’s sad, fewer foliage means the new, smaller root system won’t have to work as hard and will have more time to develop. Trim the foliage back at roughly the same rate as you did the roots; for example, if you only had to remove 1/3 of the roots, only need to remove 1/3 of the foliage.
Soft Rot
A bacterial ailment known as Erwinia Soft Rot, which also affects tomatoes and other fruits and vegetables, is common in succulents. In order for the Erwinia bacteria to break down the plant matter, this rot liquefies the interior of the fruit or succulent. We don’t blame you if you’re making a face because it’s a little gross.
When the bacteria are given to a plant stress area, Soft Rot begins to proliferate. Bacteria can enter the wound area if it falls over and bends a leaf. Using unsterilized scissors or shears increases the risk of introducing microorganisms. Cleaning your instruments is a must before pruning.
How to Identify Soft Rot: Soft Rot develops at the site of a cut, thus it initially resembles a scab before the surrounding region darkens to a dark brown or black color. Additionally, you can observe that the damaged leaf or area appears damp and waterlogged and may even leak liquid.
Once the plant has been infected with the Erwinia bacteria, there is no known treatment for Soft Rot. However, you can attempt to avoid Soft Rot by immediately treating any wounds on the plant with a fungicide. To prevent overwatering, allow the soil completely dry between waterings, and keep succulents away from places with high humidity levels.
Can a Monstera rehydrate after being overwatered?
Checking the soil frequently is the best way to determine whether your Monstera plant is being adequately hydrated, overwatered, or both. Either the finger test or a moisture meter can be used to determine the soil’s moisture content.
Finger test
The finger test involves using your finger to gauge the amount of moisture in the soil, as the name suggests. How? Read on.
- One to two inches of soil around the plant’s base should be reached with your finger.
- Check your finger for any indications of soil adhering to it when you remove it.
- If your finger comes out clean and the soil seems dry to the touch, water your plant.
- If the soil feels moist to the touch or bits of soil stick to your finger, wait a day or two before retesting it.
- If the soil feels wet or your finger looks muddy after the finger test, keep a close eye on your Monstera plant.
Moisture meter
An cheap tool for calculating the moisture content of soil is a moisture meter. One can be purchased at your neighborhood hardware store or nursery.
- Place the moisture meter’s probe in the soil close to the plant’s base. The tip of the probe should be 1 to 2 inches into the soil.
- Wait 60 seconds for the soil moisture meter to register the moisture.
- Check the moisture meter’s display window to see the reading. Most results are displayed with a colored band to cover a range of readings in each region and as “Dry,” “Moist,” and “Wet.”
- Your Monstera plant requires water if the moisture meter indicates that it is in the danger zone. If it’s in the blue zone, the soil in your planter needs to dry out since it’s too damp. Attempt to maintain green zone moisture measurements.
Your Monstera can recover from overwatering through the soil in your pot drying out within 7 to 10 days if you can swiftly detect and remove or fix the source. If it takes the soil more than 10 days to dry, the underlying issue that is causing the soil in your Monstera plant’s pot to stay overly wet is probably still unresolved.
The root reason of overwatering your Monstera will ultimately determine how quickly it recovers. To that end, many Monstera enthusiasts inquire as to how to revive an overwatered Monstera, and the solution is frequently straightforward. Continue caring for your Monstera as usual after allowing the soil to dry out.
Your Monstera will typically need immediate corrective action to recover from overwatering. It shouldn’t take long, though, if you haven’t let the problem fester till root rot develops in. As a result, consider the causes of overwatered Monsteras to see whether there is another factor preventing the soil from drying out properly.
Can a dying Monstera plant be revived?
A monstera dying after repotting is caused by the roots being ineffective at absorbing moisture and nutrients because they have not yet been established in the new soil. After repotting, this makes the monstera leaves droop and look to be dying.
In order to prevent root rot, monstera also need potting soil that is well drained, porous, and aerated.
The roots’ ability to soak up moisture and nutrients is hampered if the potting soil is overly compacted or absorbs too much water, which can cause the leaves to become yellow.
When you repot your monstera plant, be careful not to compact the dirt around the roots too much because doing so will force the oxygen out of the soil, which is necessary for root respiration, and will also make it difficult for water to drain properly after watering.
To boost aeration and improve drainage when repotting monstera plants, I advise enriching the potting soil with succulent and cactus soil or orchid potting medium. This aids in simulating the natural environment’s soil composition for monstera.
To ensure proper drainage of excess water, it’s crucial to repot the monstera into a container with drainage holes in the base. Regularly empty the trays and saucers under the pot to avoid water gathering there, which can lead to root rot.
Key Takeaways:
- Low humidity and dry soil are the usual causes of a monstera that is dying. Tropical monstera plants demand thorough watering every 7 days and at least 30% humidity. The leaves turn dark and look to be dead or drooping if the humidity is too low or the soil dries up completely.
- The overwatering or inadequate drainage causes the soil to get overly damp, which causes the monstera leaves to become yellow. Between waterings, the top inch of the soil must somewhat dry out for monstera. Because of root rot, monstera leaves will turn yellow and droop if the soil is always moist.
- A monstera plant will sweat if the soil is too wet, thus this is a good sign. Between waterings, monstera plants need the top inch of soil to dry off. The monstera begins to sweat as a symptom of stress if the soil is constantly wet from overwatering or poor drainage.
- Low humidity and dry soil conditions cause monstera leaves to turn brown at the margins, while over watering and moist soils can also cause fungal disease pathogens that cause monstera leaves to turn brown or black. Tropical forests with high humidity and moist, but well-draining soil are the natural habitat of monstera.
- The usual causes of drooping monstera leaves include dry soil, excessive fertilizer, or a lack of support. Monstera are climbing vines that need a support structure to climb in order to keep the plant upright. When given too much fertilizer, monstera has weak, drooping growth. Large leaves on monsteras require a lot of moisture. The leaves and stems get droopy when the soil is dry.
- Insufficient light, a deficiency in fertilizer, or a lack of a support structure are the causes of monstera’s slow growth. During the growing season, monstera need bright, indirect light and frequent fertilization. The leaves of the monstera cannot grow in low light conditions or in the absence of fertilizer.
- A dying monstera can be brought back to life by simulating the conditions of its native habitat, which includes placing it in bright, indirect light, letting the top inch of soil dry between watering sessions, and spraying its leaves daily to promote humidity.