A gentle, damp cloth or a fast shower with lukewarm water can be used to clean your monstera’s leaves, especially the oldest ones on the plant, to eliminate any dust accumulation.
Only two fertilizer applications will be required for your monstera throughout the entire year: one in early spring and one in late summer.
Your monstera plant will eventually develop aerial roots from its stem. These aerial roots are there to support the plant; do not cut them off. If any aerial roots are too short to support a climbing plant, train them back into the soil to absorb more nutrients when they are long enough.
What happens if the roots of a Monstera are cut?
You can, indeed. Your Monstera Deliciosa won’t suffer any harm if the aerial roots are cut, and they will quickly regrow. Although some individuals may find it an eyesore, you can also leave them alone. These air roots have a tendency to grow out of control and resemble wild cables. When cutting the air roots, take care not to harm the Monstera root node. However, remain composed and cut them off.
Can I trim the long roots of a monstera?
Take your Monstera plant out of its pot slowly. Instead of pulling or tugging at the plant, consider tossing it on its side and sliding it out. In order to loosen your Monstera’s hold on the pot, take a butter knife and run it down the inside of the planter’s rim. Your Monstera ought to slide out after the edges have been loosened.
Cut out any roots that are extending from the drainage hole in the planter’s bottom and holding the plant firmly in place. Your plant should let you take it out of its pot once you cut these roots.
Ask a friend to assist you if you are dealing with a Monstera that is particularly enormous. Asking for assistance would be preferable to taking the possibility of breaking, dropping, or harming your mature Monstera plant because full-grown plants can be rather heavy.
Flip the plant over and examine the roots after removing it from the container. Use your hands to carefully separate the root ball. As much as you can, remove the soil from the roots and untangle them. You are now prepared to begin cutting.
Before you can even start to break up the ball of roots if they have spiraled into a tightly bound coil, you will need to make a few cuts. Don’t panic, even if cutting the roots of a healthy plant could appear dreadful. Your Monstera can withstand the pruning because it is a tough plant.
You are now prepared to begin cutting. Both little and large roots can be pruned down, and you can really get rid of up to one-third of the Monstera’s root system without endangering the plant. Don’t be shy about trimming; the idea is to allow your plant more room to expand within its planter.
Check for any indications of root rot while your Monstera is still out of its container. White, crisp roots indicate healthy roots. Unhealthy roots can be mushy, dark brown, black, or gray in color. Trim the roots back as well if you discover any in the latter state.
Must I remove aerial roots?
Philodendrons grown inside don’t need need air roots, and you can remove them if you find them ugly. Your plant won’t perish if you remove these roots.
A few days beforehand, thoroughly water the plant. No more than a teaspoon of water-soluble fertilizer should be added for every three cups of water.
Before you start, disinfect the blade of your instrument with rubbing alcohol or a solution of nine parts water to one part bleach.
Instead, roll the vines up and bury them in the potting soil (or the ground if you live in a warm environment and your philodendron is growing outdoors). You might try pinning your philodendron to the stick if it is growing on moss.
How do I handle exposed Monstera roots?
The aerial roots of your Monstera can be used for a few different reasons as they grow. Although they won’t harm your plant and are actually a sign that your Monstera is growing very well, they can become sloppy, lengthy, and stringy, which may not be to your taste.
You might think about pruning back your Monstera’s aerial roots if they start to develop wild-appearing roots that are growing out of the pot and onto the ground. The plant won’t suffer if the aerial roots are cut close to where they connect to the stem. Be prepared for them to regrow, though.
As climbers, monsteras will always look for ways to support themselves. If the aerial roots disturb you, you might want to look at other plants that can survive without supports, such pothos, which can trail or climb a support.
Giving your Monstera something to cling onto is an excellent alternative if you don’t mind the aerial roots but want to encourage it. The most suggested option is a moss totem or pole, a support coated with coco coir or sphagnum moss where the Monstera can cling and eventually grow up. These can be made or bought.
Once everything is in place, all that needs to be done to assist the plant’s aerial roots to adhere is to identify the thickest, most mature stems and gently tie them to the pole. To keep the pole moist, you’ll need to spray it from time to time. This will replicate the search the Monstera would make while climbing a tree in the wild.
Additionally, some Monstera owners weave the strongest aerial roots through the brand-new moss pole. It is possible to do this, but it is not necessary and most likely won’t have a significant impact on how quickly your Monstera adapts to its new support system.
You might also just disregard the aerial roots. They are a sign that your Monstera is most likely ready to begin climbing, and your plant won’t suffer if you let it. Many people who possess Monsteras simply tuck stray aerial roots around the plant to prevent it from appearing too wild. In the end, how you grow your Monstera will depend on your personal preferences and long-term objectives.
Why are my Monstera’s aerial roots spreading so widely?
The presence of aerial roots on your monstera plant is natural and not a sign that anything is wrong. The monstera plant is a climbing plant in its natural environment.
The plant’s climbing behavior is only partially manifested in the form of aerial roots. They are there to aid in its expansion. They may be an aesthetic nightmare, but they’re not dangerous.
Should you remove your monstera plant’s aerial roots? or just let them be? I’ll address all of your concerns about what to do with the aerial roots of the monstera plant below.
Examine the Root Ball
First, remove your plant from its container and look at the roots. Don’t merely take the plant out of its pot when doing this, especially if it is a sensitive plant. Tip the pot over and tap the rim if the plant isn’t too large. If the pot is flexible, try to loosen it by softly compressing the sides.
The rootball can be easily extracted by placing your palm at the plant’s base and sliding it out. To remove the roots and soil from the interior of the pot, you might also need to carefully run a long knife around the edge of the container.
Trim the Roots
Start by trimming the roots with a pair of sharp scissors, pruning shears, or knives. Cut beneath and around the plant’s root ball to get rid of the soil and roots. You can be rather forceful, removing both big and small roots. Although it may seem cruel to hurt your plant, a plant’s roots can withstand a lot of stress, and the plant may even appreciate it.
To encourage healthy growth in severely root-bound plants, you can trim off the bottom fourth of the old roots.
Loosen the Rootball
Gently peel apart the rootball with your fingertips. If the root system is severely knotted, use a stick, pronged cultivator, or a fork to break up the dirt and roots surrounding the root ball’s surface, separating tangles and spreading the roots. In place of continuing to grow in circles and suffocate the plant, this encourages the roots to spread out into the soil around the ball.
Prepare the Pot
Fill the container’s bottom with potting soil. Make sure there is enough soil so that the root ball, which is now smaller, will rest on it at a depth of about 1 inch below the pot’s lip. Ensure that the plant’s crown—where the stem and roots meet—is at soil level.
Repot the Plant
Place soil around the freshly clipped rootball before re-potting your plant. Make sure soil fills in all the crevices between the rootball and the container’s sidewalls. To make sure you have filled all the gaps, you might need a stick or trowel to move around the pot’s sides.
Water the Plant
After the repotting is complete, water liberally and, if necessary, add more soil. For a few weeks, make sure to maintain your plant well-hydrated so it can recuperate and flourish.
Pick your timing
The optimum time to divide or propagate your monstera is in the early spring because that is when it grows. They’ll have a better chance of overcoming root stress and resuming growth.
Water before you split
Before splitting the root ball, it should be well-hydrated. Give the roots a good soak a week before you carry out the deed so that water begins to flow out of the bottom of the pot. (Your pot has effective drainage, correct?)
Make the split
Carefully tip the pot on its side and slip the plant out when you’re ready to split your monstera. To avoid breaking anything, you might need assistance holding the plant or pot.
Use a garden shovel to gently encourage the plant out if it won’t come up on its own. Do not pull the plant out of the pot under any circumstances! There is no way you want to break any stems or leaves since they won’t grow back.
Once the monstera has been removed from the pot, divide the root ball into two or more plants using a sharp, clean knife. To ensure that each new plant has lots of roots and stems, look for natural sections and divisions in the existing plant.
This is something you kind of have to eyeball and look for any locations where the plant has already divided up. This will guarantee that the plant will rapidly begin growing after the split has healed.
Plant the new monsteras
It’s time to move the individual plants into their new pots after you’ve divided your monstera into two or more plants.
Perhaps you need containers that are smaller than the one the large plant was in. Select containers with sufficient drainage that are 2-4 inches wider than the new plants’ roots. Plant in a soil with peat, such as our specialty monstera soil, that drains well.
When the plants are in their new pots, give them some water, and position them somewhere with bright, indirect light.
To promote recuperation and new development, you can begin fertilizing the plants around a month after you separate them!
How can you promote the growth of Monstera?
Most monstera are suitable for indoor living because they have easy growing requirements. By giving your plant these necessities, you can ensure that it remains healthy:
- Light Monstera leaves are shielded from the harsh sun in the rainforest by soaring trees. Give your monstera bright, indirect, or filtered light during the plant’s active growth season, which runs from spring to October. Direct light promotes the optimum color and leaf development during the winter when the sun is less powerful.
- Although tropical plants, WaterMonsteras prefer a little soil drying out when they are actively growing. Examine the dirt manually. Water it thoroughly when the soil feels dry two to three inches down. To prevent root disease, always drain extra water from your saucer or cachepot. Reduce water usage appropriately in the winter.
- Humidity
- Naturally, natives of rainforests enjoy humidity. Daily spray your plant and moss pole while they are in active growth. To recreate a rainforest bath, wipe leaves with warm water once a week. If using a saucer rather than a cachepot, set your plant on top of the pebbles, then fill the saucer with water until it is just below the tops of the stones. Water evaporation makes the air surrounding your plant damp.
- During the growing season, TemperatureMonsteras thrive at typical home temperatures, but when they are resting over the winter, they prefer temperatures between 55 and 65 degrees Fahrenheit.
- 1 No matter the season, keep your monstera away from vents for the HVAC system.
- During the growing season, monsteras must be fertilized in order to stay healthy. In order to maintain the beauty of monstera leaves, a high-quality balanced fertilizer, such as Pennington UltraGreen All Purpose Plant Food 10-10-10, supplies vital primary plant nutrients as well as secondary and micronutrients. Feed your plant as directed on the label for the size of the container it is in every 12 to 16 weeks.
- PruningMonstera can be easily pruned if you know when and how. Simply cut back vines and aerial roots if they become unruly and unsightly. To avoid leaving a stump, always make your cut just below a leaf node. Remove just the dead or damaged stems and leaves for a wild appearance. Aerial roots that are in good health are crucial for support as well as moisture absorption.
- RepottingMonsteras thrive when they are slightly rootbound, so hold off on repotting right away. Move your plant to a pot one size larger after the roots start to show through the drainage holes. Always use potting soil made for container plants that drains quickly. Utilized once a week until the plant settles down, Pennington UltraGreen Plant Starter with Vitamin B1 lessens transplant shock.
How can a Monstera be made bushier?
Owners of Monstera deliciosa adore this plant for its big, glossy leaves, simple maintenance requirements, and the tropical feel it adds to a space. Additionally, they are fantastic for those who want to make a statement with a large plant but don’t want to spend a bunch. When given the proper care, monsteras can grow astonishingly quickly, although they don’t always take on the shape that their owners desire.
How is a Monstera shaped? Your Monstera deliciosa’s shape can be altered by trimming it or altering its surroundings. Pruning is removing a portion of the plant, whereas environmental modifications involve adjusting the plant’s light conditions, container size, or stakes.
I’ll give you a quick summary of why Monsteras develop the way they do and what to anticipate from this plant when allowed to grow organically in the sections below. I’ll also provide you with training advice so you can develop your Monstera in a particular way and some techniques for doing so.