Mini Monsteras may tolerate low to high levels of indirect, dappled light. Their leaves may burn and scorch if exposed to direct sunlight for an extended period of time. Low light conditions will inhibit growth.
Water
Weekly waterings and frequent mistings are enjoyable for your Mini Monstera. In the winter, when you may only need to water your plant every two weeks, let the soil dry up in between waterings.
Humidity
Because Mini Monsteras thrive in a damp atmosphere, we advise spraying their leaves frequently. To boost the humidity of the air around your plant, you might also place it close to other plants.
Troubleshooting
Yellowing leaves may indicate moisture stress or excessive sun exposure for your Mini Monstera.
Browning leaves are a sign that your plant has been receiving insufficient light or has been exposed to low humidity.
Are tiny Monstera simple to maintain?
Mini monstera are often low-maintenance and simple houseplants to cultivate. You won’t have any trouble maintaining this little climber if you have any prior experience with other aroids like monsteras, alocasias, or philodendrons.
Where do I put my miniature Monstera?
The tropical vine Rhaphidophora Tetrasperma, also called the Mini Monstera or Philodendron Ginny, has aerial roots and is low maintenance but will grow quickly. These leaves won’t grow larger than 12 inches, so they don’t appear exactly like a Monstera Deliciosa or Split Leaf Philodendron, but they do have many of the same characteristics and maintenance needs. Choose a location with higher humidity, loose, rich soil, moderate to bright indirect light, or morning sun that is directly overhead, and a structural support. Even though it’s a vine, if you try to encourage it to trail, it won’t be as strong and might not grow as well. Instead, these plants are perfect for a trellis or moss pole because its aerial roots will look for stabilization.
In a little 4 pot with a total of 4 leaves, I purchased my Rhaphidophora Tetrasperma (say that ten times fast) at the end of the spring of 2020. She has gained a few more feet in less than a year (!!! ), but her growth did slow down in the dead of winter, and the time has come for her to have a moss pole. Since she is about to start growing again and the first signs of spring are beginning to appear, I am doing a crossover DIY article with my instructions for making a moss pole. Look it up!
How to Care for your Mini Monstera
I know that getting a rare or extremely exciting plant might cause us all concern, but I’m here to assure you that this one is incredibly simple. Do you have any philodendrons, such as Monstera Delicioius, Monstera Adanasoii, or any other variety? The care is essentially the same, though.
Rhaphidophora, the soil Tetrasperma do well in standard potting soil, but I prefer to enrich it with peat moss and perlite (to help aerate the soil). Perlite or charcoal can help prevent the water-logged soil that can result from wanting those nutrients. Additionally, an orchid potting mix will work. Make sure the pot has drainage at the end of the day!
LIGHT: The Mini Monstera can be placed pretty much wherever in your house. Make sure it is early sun if you decide to take the direct sun route because afternoon sun is too harsh and dazzling and can burn your leaves. If not, position it further away from your lighter windows. Mine receives what I would describe as medium indirect light, and it seems to be content. If it receives insufficient light, the leaves will be smaller, grow more slowly, and possibly not split.
Light
Mini monsteras enjoy bright, indirect sunshine just like the majority of tropical plants, including monsteras. This indicates not directly in the sun’s beams, but next to or in a very bright window. Typically, an east-facing window is the ideal.
When the top two inches of soil are dry, add water to the soil until it begins to drip out the bottom of the pot since mini monsteras prefer a modest amount of water. then right away empty the drainage pan.
It’s crucial to avoid overwatering because it can promote root rot. Repotting and our Root Rot Treatment can cure this disease, but if you don’t catch it in time, it can kill a plant.
Never let the soil get completely dry, on the opposite end of the watering range, or you’ll have a dried-out, perhaps dead micro monstera on your hands!
Soil and Potting
To prevent your mini monstera’s roots from sitting in water (hello, root rot! ), choose a soil and container that drain properly.
Consider adding some orchid bark to your indoor potting mix and using a plastic or ceramic container with one or more drainage holes.
Fertilizer
In the spring and summer, Rhaphidophora tetrasperma grows quickly, so it’s crucial to fertilize it many times per month with liquid fertilizer mixed in with its water.
Because I can use Indoor Plant Food for ALL of my indoor plants, even micro monsteras, I use it every week in my watering can. It removes all of the uncertainty about fertilizing schedules because it is intended to be applied with each watering. There’s no easier way to put it than that!
Climbing
To give the aerial roots of mini monsteras something to hold onto when climbing, place a moss pole or trellis in or close to the container. A small or tall moss pole can be bought, or you can even create your own.
Temperature and Humidity
These plants perform well in conditions resembling those of their native environments in Thailand and Malaysia, however they are a little more adaptable to temperature and humidity than monstera deliciosa.
The ideal temperatures for mini monsteras are between 65 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit (aka average room temperatures). They are able to handle typical indoor humidity levels, but they value the added moisture from a humidifier or pebble tray.
(To set up a pebble tray, just add water and pebbles to a shallow tray, then place your potted plant on top so that the roots and soil are not in contact with the water.)
A Fun New Plant for Monstera Lovers
Try the small monstera if you enjoy other monstera variations! It’s the ideal addition to your collection and is becoming accessible (and inexpensive). They are available online and in certain local nurseries.
Are Mini Monstera uncommon?
- South-east Asia is the home of the 100 or more species that make up the genus Rhaphidophora.
- This miniature Monstera is regarded as an exotic jungle plant, yet it can also be found in arid areas and rainforests, making it a simple houseplant to maintain. However, hanging these plants can produce smaller, split-free leaves.
- Rare tropical aroid Rhaphidophora Tetrasperma has delicate decorative leaves with split lobes measuring 6 inches (15 cm) across.
- Because of how similar their leaves resemble those of Monstera Deliciosa, it is frequently called Mini Monstera. It is an entirely distinct species, though, and has no edible fruits.
- These plants can grow as tall as 12 feet (3.65 meters), depending on the surrounding environment. It is often preferred to be 4 to 5 feet (1 to 1.5 meters) tall when used as a houseplant.
- They are climbing plants with aerial roots that cling to trees or other structures that will help them stay stable as they expand, such trellises.
What makes a monster happy, exactly?
PRO HINT: Monsteras love to climb up vertical surfaces because they are climbing plants. Use pegs or moss sticks to direct your Monstera’s growth upward if you prefer it to grow tall rather than wide.
A tough and simple-to-care-for species of flowering plant native to southern Mexico and Panama called Monstera deliciosa is also known as the “Due to the distinctive growth of ridges and holes, or fenestrations, on its more mature leaves, the Swiss cheese plant is called that. The “The fruit that the plant produces in its native environment, which resembles a pineapple, gives the plant its deliciosa moniker.
A warm, humid environment with plenty of water and soft sunlight are preferred by monsteras. Put your Monstera in an area with indirect light that ranges from moderate to bright. Even though it can tolerate lower light levels, you can notice lanky growth as a result, so the optimum location is a few feet away from a window that faces the south, west, or east and provides brilliant indirect light.
We offer a guide on how to measure light in your environment if you are unclear of the lighting conditions in your house or place of business.
Only the most mature leaves of the Monstera typically develop the distinctive splits, and even so, only under optimal circumstances. Just wait if yours has plenty of light but no splits.
Do miniature Monsteras get large?
Although it has been given the name “mini-monstera,” it is not a plant belonging to the genus Monstera, which is best known for the Swiss cheese plant (M. deliciosa). It was also sold for a while under the name Philodendron “Ginny,” however that plant is likewise not a philodendron.
It is actually Rhaphidophora tetrasperma, an aroid (member of the Araceae family) that is native to Malaysia and Thailand and is similar to both monsteras and philodendrons. (Philodendrons and monsteras are indigenous to the New World tropics.) It is considerably more closely related to the pothos (Epipremnum spp. ), a common houseplant that is also native to Asia and Oceania.
Rhapidophora, which means “needle bearing,” refers to the calcium oxalate crystals known as raphides that render all plant portions bitter and mildly toxic.
From Shingle-leaf to Pinnate
R. tetrasperma develops as a shingle plant in its early years, like the majority of rhaphidiphoras do. It emerges from the rainforest floor and starts to climb a host tree. It produces tiny, heart-shaped leaves that press flat against the bark of the host tree, with each leaf partially obscuring its neighbor like shingles. It might eventually break its connection to the roots below and develop into a hemiepiphyte that is rooted into tree trunks and branches. Although it is claimed to grow up to 16 feet (5 meters) tall in the wild, I imagine it can grow much higher. However, as I don’t have access to a jungle, I can’t test this for myself.
The leaves expand as the tree rises higher and higher, absorbing more and more light, and finally developing petioles that eventually grow away from the tree’s bark. The young leaves begin to develop cut edges and fenestrations similar to a Swiss cheese plant as it climbs higher and gets more light. They eventually grow to over 14 inches (35 cm) in length, at least in the wild, at which point they are genuinely pinnate, like a fern. The specimens that are being marketed to us as mini-monsteras, however, are subadults with just a few cuts and are infrequently longer than 5 inches (13 cm).
Your mini-monstera is unlikely to ever bloom inside, and even if it did, the flowers wouldn’t be very attractive: they would resemble a type of cone-shaped inflorescence with a green spathe.
A more expensive, variegated variant is available. Purchase one, propagate it (it’s so simple), then market your extra plants to cover your mortgage!
Easy to Grow
This plant’s fast popularity isn’t just attributable to its distinctive and alluring leaves; it’s also because it’s simple to grow. It only has to be potted up into any well-drained potting soil (some gardeners prefer orchid mix, but it also thrives in houseplant soil), and you may give it good to medium light with some direct sun, though full sun would be too much. In most rooms, you may grow this type of plant a good distance from the window. Due to its rapid growth, it can require annual repotting.
Keep it at room temperature and water it when the soil seems dry to the touch (it cannot withstand prolonged dryness). Since it dislikes the cold, it can only survive outdoors in very tropical climes (USDA zones 10b to 12).
During the growing season from spring through summer, a little light fertilizing with the fertilizer of your choice is acceptable. In order to prevent promoting rapid growth under extremely low light, it is recommended to avoid fertilizing in the late fall and winter.
The mini-monster is surprisingly resistant to dry air for a rainforest plant, even in conditions of as little as 30% relative humidity, yet it still thrives in conditions of at least 50% humidity. Even best is 60 percent. If you prune it to tame its out-of-control growth, it makes a lovely terrarium plant.
The mini-monstera can grow really quickly and is quite rangy!
in ideal circumstances. If left alone, it will only grow a single, unattractive floor to ceiling stem. You’ll need to assist it because it isn’t naturally prone to branching. When it begins to seem too thin, cut it back, root the cuttings (they take off quickly in high humidity!) and plant them into the original pot so the plant may grow and fill out. The cutback stem will also soon generate one or two additional stems. You’ll have a full, lovely pot soon.
Because of its aerial roots, your mini-monstera can even cling to a bark slab, a moss pole, or even the wall of your living room. It will look best trained on some kind of structure, such as a trellis.
Additionally, it is beautiful in hanging baskets, but as the stems trail, the leaves become progressively thinner and lose their holes, giving the plant the appearance of a little philodendron. Read Climbing Plants Like to Climb to find out why.
Pests and Diseases
The mini-monstera can theoretically be attacked by the standard cast of houseplant pests (spider mites, mealybugs, scale insects, etc.), but in practice it’s a reasonably hardy plant and not particularly alluring to pests. One of the uncommon diseases that appears to harm it is rot, which is brought either by persistent overwatering or by growing in containers without a drainage hole.
A Bit Poisonous
This plant, like most aroids, has some toxin, and the raphides listed above can cause a terrible burning sensation when chewed. Even so, it’s recommended to keep this plant (and other aroids) out of the reach of kids and pets. This will rapidly deter the chewer from trying it again.
Where to Find It?
This plant was highly expensive not so long ago, but now that it is so widely accessible, its cost is rapidly declining, or at least it ought to. Shop around because some boutiques may not be aware of the news and may still be charging exorbitant pricing.
These days, you can find this plant in most garden centers; if not, check online. I mean, is there not a single online retailer of indoor plants? It should be simple to locate, whether locally or by mail order.
The mini-monstera can be a long-lasting, eye-catching indoor plant. Perhaps you’d like to give it a try. It’s more than simply a passing fad.