Your Monstera should have any damaged leaves removed. Trimming dead leaves helps your plant’s health in addition to improving its appearance.
- Unable to photosynthesize are dead leaves. Any brown or black areas on your Monstera’s leaves are no longer able to supply the plant with energy.
- Dead leaf sections have no protection against rot and infection in comparison to healthy leaves. Dead plant cells provide nutrients that are consumed by bacteria and fungi. For instance, you can notice mold growing on dead leaves that have been left on the plant or in the soil. To help defend the remainder of the plant against these diseases, remove any dark or damaged tissue.
It is possible that only the ripped edge of a leaf will become brown to seal a cut if there is only very minimal damage, such as accidently ripping or torn a portion of the leaf. Leave minor imperfections alone if they don’t affect other parts of the plant or interfere with your pleasure of the plant’s aesthetics.
Monstera damage to the roots and stems can be more serious than damage to the leaves because it prevents the plant from transporting water and nutrients. Visit our soon-to-be-available guides on stem damage and root rot.
Yellow monstera leaves can mean it’s either getting too much water, or not enough nutrients.
Yellow leaves can also signify a variety of things. You’re probably overwatering your monstera if the leaves are turning yellow. Make sure your plant receives lots of indirect sunshine so the top few inches of soil may dry out quickly before watering.
Considering that your monstera may also be lacking in nutrients, this is an excellent moment to start using a liquid fertilizer in your usual care. Because Monstera Plant Food is made to be used with every watering, you won’t need to keep track of a fertilization schedule, which is why we adore it!
Dark brown spots on monstera leaves is a good indication of the plant getting too much water.
If your monstera plant has dark brown stains on its leaves, it may be because of overwatering, which is rotting the roots. (Read 4 Signs Your Monstera Is Over-Watered for additional information.)
Trim off any roots that appear mushy or brown with clean, sharp pruning scissors after carefully removing the plant from the pot. Repot the plant into a clean container (either a new one or the old one that you’ve cleaned out) with fresh, dry soil after removing as much of the old, damp dirt from the root ball as you can.
Make sure your monstera receives enough of light, and reduce watering while the plant is healing. You can also remove the damaged leaves with pruning.
Make sure the soil feels dry before watering to prevent root rot, and think about obtaining a moisture meter like this one to check the moisture content of the root ball before watering.
Light brown spots and crispy edges on monstera leaves means the monstera needs more water.
Your monstera plant may be thirsty if the edges turn a light brown color and become “crispy.” Give the earth a drink and think about watering a little more frequently if it feels dry. The dead edges can be removed because they won’t recover.
Additionally, avoid placing your monstera in direct sunlight as this might burn the leaves! Move your monstera a little further into the space or to a better location altogether if you observe the sunshine directly striking your leaves.
A drooping monstera can mean it needs more water or more light.
Another symptom that could imply a variety of things is drooping monstera leaves. Your monstera may be overwatered or underwatered in this situation.
Look at the earth to determine which it is! It’s likely that your plant needs water if the soil seems dry. Give your plant a chance to dry out if it feels moist before watering it once more. Make sure it receives plenty of indirect sunshine so it can successfully do this. Consider repotting into a pot with greater drainage and a faster-draining soil if you notice your soil remains wet for an extended period of time.
Your monstera might need additional light if the soil looks to be healthy and watering doesn’t seem to be the problem. (Read 4 Signs Your Monstera Needs More Light for more information.)
Read our instructions on watering your monstera here. Watering is typically the most challenging aspect of taking care of any plant.
How are brown patches on Monstera pruned?
When in good health, monsteras can reach huge sizes. The more you try to recreate the tropical ambiance of the plants’ native home in southern Mexico’s rainforests, the happier they will be.
However, since we can’t literally transform our homes into little rain forests, blunders will always occur. First, take a deep breath if you suddenly detect brown blotches on the leaves of your Monstera.
By carefully inspecting your plant, you can usually determine the root of most concerns, and the majority of problems are fixable.
Overwatering
Most houseplants will die from overwatering, and Monsteras are no exception. Since monsteras are epiphytes with aerial roots, they do not do well with excessive watering. These plants need just enough moisture in the soil to prevent their roots from rotting from asphyxia.
And if the root rot takes hold, the plant is likely to exhibit signs of discomfort such as brown spots, brown tips, and brown edges on its leaves.
The Monstera’s roots may occasionally sit in water for an excessive amount of time due to poorly draining soil or a container with insufficient or no drainage holes. This can cause root damage.
How To Fix This?
Remembering that plants don’t require as much water as you would imagine is a smart place to start. It is always a good idea to make sure the top 2-4 inches of the soil are totally dry before giving your Monstera a drink. Sometimes, we may see that the soil’s top layer has dried out while the deeper levels, where the roots are located, may still be very moist.
- To examine the roots, gently remove the plant from the pot. Rotten roots will be mushy, dark or black, and may smell unpleasant.
- Any damaged roots should be cut off with sterile pruning shears.
- You can also remove the leaves with the most brown patches so that the healthy roots can concentrate on maintaining the healthy foliage.
- After trimming all of the damaged roots and leaves, thoroughly clean the remaining roots, and then repot the plant in a fresh container with lots of drainage holes.
- In fresh, dry soil, plant your Monstera. A decent choice is to use 2/3 potting mix and 1/3 perlite. These specialized aroid mixtures, on the other hand, are ideal for Monsteras.
Your Monstera may require a few weeks to adapt to its new surroundings, but after that time, new roots and leaves should begin to sprout.
Disease
Your Monstera leaf may have a brown mark on it as a result of a bacterial or fungal infestation.
Most fungal infections start out as a single brown spot that multiplies over time. If neglected, these spots begin to enlarge until they eventually converge to form a sizable blotch on the Monstera leaf. The entire leaf gradually turns dark before finally falling off.
Bacterial leaf spot infections might look damp and have larger, fewer, and more numerous lesions on the leaves. Whether from a bacterial or fungal source, leaf spot illnesses need to be treated right away.
It is crucial to find the issue and take action to stop the infection from spreading if you want to offer your Monstera a chance of surviving.
To prevent other houseplants from contracting the infection, keep it isolated from others as soon as you notice brown spots forming on its leaves. Trimming off the damaged leaf or leaves is recommended.
Why do Monstera leaves sometimes have brown spots?
The brown spots primarily point to a problem with how much water your plant is receiving. If the marks are dark brown, overwatering can be the cause. The opposite is true—light brown spots on crisp leaves indicate that your Monstera Deliciosa is dry. The scorching of leaves can also be brought on by excessive heat and sunlight. In addition, brown spots on Monstera Deliciosa are also brought on by pest infestation or pathogen attacks.
Finding the issues gets easier if you are aware of Monstera Deliciosa’s fundamental requirements. So, the requirements for a healthy Monstera are as follows.
How are brown leaf spots handled?
Are the plant leaves on your houseplants displaying brown spots? Black and brown stains on plant leaves and stems that have been sopped in water are frequently an indication of a bacterial or fungal disease. Change the watering schedule and avoid letting plants sit in water that is too much. That alone can frequently halt the spread of the illness. Any soft, discolored stems or leaves should be cut off and thrown away. Repot the plant in fresh potting soil in a container that is a little bigger than the remaining roots, trimming off any decaying roots.
Where should I trim leaves from my Monstera?
Monstera cuttings must be pruned using a clean, sharp pair of shears at least two inches below the node if you want to reproduce them. Trim above the node to get rid of diseased and dead leaves.
Prune in early Spring
Early spring, before the Monstera’s growing season, is the ideal time to prune your plant. At this time, when the days are increasingly sunnier, plants are better able to recover from pruning damage.
Pruning should be avoided during the fall and early winter when your Monstera will go dormant. Simply said, there isn’t enough sunshine to support photosynthesis, which is needed to drive growth and heal pruning damage.
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.
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.