With this monstrous plant, it makes me feel as though I’m back in the rainforest! Simply adore it!
The famous Swiss Cheese plant, monstera deliciosa, is undoubtedly impressive. It will repay you with this incredible jungly home atmosphere if you provide it with the necessary circumstances and space to flourish. And after a long day, who wouldn’t want to retreat to the jungle? I do, without a doubt! Take a mojito, relax under your monstera, turn on some jungle music, and there you have it!
The gorgeous cut leaf forms are so captivating they make you feel as though you are in the tropics. These gorgeous plants, which are native to the jungles of Central America, add a wow element to your house. These plants have a maximum height of 60 feet in the wild. I am aware of its size. After noticing my monstera’s growth spike this year and having just replanted it, I can already tell that if she continues to grow at this rate, I’ll need a larger apartment.
I have had numerous inquiries regarding these stunning plants, so I decided to compile some informative Monstera FAQs, suggestions, and tips to share with you. You might be shocked to learn that these plants are actually considered “easy maintenance” and that caring for them can be highly satisfying:
When do I need to repot my Swiss Cheese plant?
The growth spurt has occurred and is now in full force! In just six months, a monstera plant can almost completely fill a planter with its thick tuberous root system. Ideally, you should repot your monstera once a year in the spring or summer. It’s time to repot your monstera if you pull up the pot and notice that the roots are sticking out the bottom through the drainage holes. Use a well-draining houseplant soil mix for repotting these plants, and be careful not to increase the pot size too much. To improve aeration and drainage, I added pearlite to mine.
What are the crazy roots coming from the stem of my Monstera Deliciosa plant?
These are the aerial roots of the monstera deliciosa. This plant makes a great climber in its natural environment. In its jungle habitat, these aerial roots shoot out in search of objects to cling to and climb on. For this reason, while your monstera is maturing, I usually advise adding a moss stick. This will provide it with support and a point of stability. In the absence of this, there is a possibility that your plant will begin to grow horizontally along the floor while its aerial roots look for something to climb.
Can I propagate my Swiss Cheese plant?
You very certainly can. Create some tiny plants to gift to friends and relatives if you notice that it keeps expanding and blocking your room.
Choose a monstera vine that is at least 12 inches long, mature, and has two or more nodes. To reduce the chance of bacteria and illness, make a clean cut, making sure it’s below a node. Put the leaves above the waterline and submerge the stem and one of the nodes in lukewarm water. Root growth will result from this. Keep in mind to change the water every week. When the roots are at least 4 inches long, the same houseplant compost mix as the mother plant should be used. A cane can be inserted for additional support. Then take a seat, unwind, and watch your baby monstera develop. Good fortune!
Signs to watch out for:
- Do you notice a lot of unusually long aerial roots and slower-than-normal leaf growth? This could indicate that your plant needs to be repotted because its roots are confined.
- The plant’s lower leaves are turning yellow. The stem may be becoming dark or black at the base and is wilting. This could indicate that the light is too dim and the soil is becoming permanently saturated. This may result in plant death and root rot. Examine the roots of the plant by removing it from the pot. Everything is fine if they are white-tinged and appear strong and robust. You must take action quickly if they are mushy and brown. Remove all of the afflicted roots while being careful not to damage the healthy ones with a clean pair of scissors. Repot in a fresh container with dry soil. Change to a brighter spot and modify your watering schedule as necessary.
- brown edges and a sharp curl to the leaves. This is a clear indication of dehydration and excessive sun exposure. In particular during the midday, monstera plants like bright indirect light away from direct sunshine.
- When you notice a little buildup, frequently dust the enormous, lovely monstera leaves. This dust may obstruct a plant’s pores, preventing it from soaking up the sun’s beneficial rays for healthy growth. All you need is a clean, moist towel to give it a quick once-over every week or two if you notice dust building up.
- Is the area where you have your Monstera Deliciosa darker than you would like? If you have no other place to put it and you find the soil is taking a while to dry out, you might try poking the dirt with a pair of chopsticks (just the top half). This replicates how worms and other invertebrates would normally carry out this function in the nature by introducing some oxygen. In the event that you see the soil isn’t drying out too rapidly, you can do this around once a month.
- On the top soil of my Monstera Deliciosa plant, I discovered mold. Try moving it to a brighter place and reducing the watering frequency, ensuring sure the top few inches of soil are drying out between waterings. This is usually a sign of too much water and not enough light.
I sincerely hope that this information is useful, but please feel free to contact me with any additional inquiries. Enjoy taking care of this wonderful plant.
Look at the Monstera Monkey Leaf plant and Monstera Minima if you want something a little bit smaller but with the same beauty as a Monstera Deliciosa (Swiss Cheese Plant) (both seen below). They are related to the Swiss Cheese Plant and have leaves that are famous for having been slashed, although they are considerably more fragile than their larger cousin.
How can sideward growth of Monstera be prevented?
Right now, Monstera Deliciosa is a stylish and well-liked houseplant, and it’s simple to understand why. The room’s broad, glossy, dark-green leaves have a tropical feel to it, and under the correct circumstances, they develop swiftly. In fact, this plant’s potential for growing too large for some homes is one of its only drawbacks. When a Monstera grows large, it often tips over or leans to one side.
How can a Monstera Deliciosa be kept from leaning over? Staking a Monstera Deliciosa with a support like a moss pole, trellis, or garden stakes is the best way to keep it growing upright. These natural climbers can be trained to climb these poles by being connected to them, and they will be supported as they do so.
Although a Monstera won’t be harmed by not growing upright, most people like them to be as straight and tall as possible for aesthetic and spatial reasons. To help you keep your Monstera looking the way you want it to, I’ll go into further depth below why why this occurs in the first place.
What is causing my Monstera to spread out?
I frequently get asked how I take care of my monstera, so I thought I’d provide some information about it here, along with affiliate links to some of the things I use and like. Using these links to make purchases helps support this blog.
Do I need to train my Monstera deliciosa?
Yes! The Monstera deliciosa grows in a manner akin to a pothos vine that just keeps getting longer. Pothos can be allowed to dangle off the side of the pot due of its smaller overall size. A few vines hanging out of the pot would swiftly fill an entire room because the monstera’s natural size is significantly larger! As a result, you should attach the vines to a reliable trellis so they may climb it.
What about using a moss pole?
The purpose of the moss pole is to offer a surface for the aerial roots to adhere to, just like they would in the natural. The only issue with attempting to do this indoors is that you have to constantly keep the moss damp. Since the air doesn’t move as much as it does outside or in a nursery, this is not advised. Mold and undesirable microorganisms thrive in stagnant air and perpetually damp environments.
A monstera’s vine can be rather heavy, even if you are successful in keeping the air clean. A single post trellis won’t be as reliable as one with multiple posts.
The Metal Trellis
Attaching my monstera vines to a strong metal trellis, such as the Panacea Garden Ladder, is how I train my plants. It is far more sturdy thanks to the triangular profile than a flat, fence-like form. Panacea Garden Plant Support Ladder, Red, from Amazon
Soft Rubber Ties
Even if wires or thread will eventually pierce the monstera vine’s strong skin, I find that this will happen. I do this by using these Soft Rubber Ties. They won’t damage the plant, are sturdy, and won’t slip after they’ve been twisted against one another. They are simple to trim to the length you require. Link to Soft Rubber Tie on Amazon (Brown) Link to Soft Rubber Tie on Amazon (Light Green)
The vines usually won’t dangle off the side of the container for a few months when your monstera is young, straight from the nursery. When provided with adequate light and moisture, those vines will appear to crawl outwards; at this point, you should secure them to a trellis.
How come my Monstera is uneven?
Press gifts included the Arket planter, shovel, and vase. I get a little commission from the sales of the things when you click on affiliate links that are indicated with the symbol *aff. [All images by Cate St.
I should definitely preface this piece by saying that I’m not an expert on caring for houseplants. Even though I’ve done some reading and research, I believe that a large portion of my success with plants has been luck and a south-facing space. Although I’ve had a bad history of keeping plants alive, I’ve found the monstera deliciosa to be quite foolproof for those with less than stellar green thumbs.
The monstera is a native to the tropical jungles of Mexico; it prefers direct, strong sunlight and can withstand temperatures averaging between 18 and 25 °C. The monstera, also referred to as a Swiss cheese plant, can be identified by its broad, heart-shaped leaves and their characteristic perforated pattern. With its sculptural, leathery fronds, a monstera plant will provide a room with an unmatched, bold punch of lush foliage. Although the monstera shape has been employed as a popular theme on everything from bedding to wallpaper in the world of interior design, I really like the real thing.
My monstera plant has been contently resting in a corner and only occasionally needing water (about once a week). In only under two years, it went from being a tiny pot plant to a lush, towering tangle of stalks and glossy foliage. If you were sitting on the end of the sofa closest to the monster, it started to seem a little bit like you were sheltering under a forest canopy. It makes sense that its Latin name, monstrosa, which relates to the edible fruit it can produce, translates as “monstrous.” In the correct circumstances, these people can reach heights of almost 9 meters quickly.
Because of their quick growth and hardiness, monsteras are the perfect plant for propagation, which involves taking cuttings from a mature mother plant to produce smaller, new plants. It has enabled me to add even more lovely greenery to the house and has given the older plant new vitality. I was inspired to try it after seeing Siobhan Watts do it on Instagram. It couldn’t be simpler!
The spring and summer seasons, when a monstera plant is actively growing, are the optimum times to propagate it. When the gnarly roots from the stems start to grow outside the pot, that’s when you’ll know your monstera plant is ready for multiplication. Propagation can help equalize your monstera, much like pruning a hedge, if it appears a little unbalanced due to excessive growth in one direction or if it becomes too tall and can no longer support itself. A moss pole can also be used to support a monstera plant, but it’s always wonderful to spread the joy of the outside inside, isn’t it?
Taking a stem cutting is the first step in monstera plant propagation. Don’t just randomly chop. As you can see in the example above, the stem has a lengthy root that was in the soil and a smaller, more delicate nodule where another root is beginning to take shape. Be sure to cut your stem below an aerial root or leaf node.
To boost the quantity of water it can absorb in the following stage, cut the stem at an angle.
After that, just put your cutting in a dry vase filled with water. To see the growth, I used a clear vase like this little, spherical vase (*aff), although I’m not sure if that was essential. Aerial root or node should be completely submerged in water. After that, keep an eye on it while keeping it out of direct sunlight.
The cutting on the mother plant is shown in the left image having been clipped, and the cutting in the right image has been placed in water for the first time.
A few weeks will pass before the first shoots appear. Keep in mind that while propagating can be a tedious procedure, the benefits are well worth the wait. Meanwhile, a monstera in a vase creates a lovely presentation. For months, I didn’t need to purchase fresh flowers!
I was cautioned about changing the water by someone on Instagram.
I suppose part of the nutrients must be kept in the cutting. I simply added some new water to top it off if the water level seemed a little low.
The monstera cutting was ready to be repotted into soil when it had a magnificent tangle of light-colored roots. Even with the cutting submerged in water, a fresh, vibrant green leaf had emerged.
From my favorite book, “The House of Plants,” Caro and Rose advise using a compost that contains worm castings, rock dust, and coir for important minerals as well as coir to retain moisture. I just used some garden compost because I didn’t really know where to start with any of stuff, but anything that provides your cutting the best start is a wonderful idea. At least the Kent & Stowe gardening trowel (*aff) makes me appear the part!
In compost, plant your cutting.
To aid it, you can apply a small amount of liquid fertilizer. To aid in draining, consider a pot with a hole at the bottom, such as this grey terracotta plant pot from Arket (*aff). Before adding soil, put stones, gravel, or potting grit at the bottom of your plant pot if it has a drainage hole. However, in my experience, plants that I’ve grown in pots without holes haven’t done well over time.
Make sure the monstera plant is standing erect and pat down the soil’s surface. After giving the plant some water, you’re done!
Now all I have to do is cross my fingers and hope that this plant, like the mummy plant, survives and grows.
When the top layer of soil has dried out, water your monstera plant once a week to keep it healthy. You may also spritz the plant occasionally to keep the leaves healthy and glossy or pour little water to the saucer to let the roots collect it there. In the event that the leaves become a little dusty, I will occasionally wipe them.
There we are, then
I was astounded by how simple it was to spread a monstera plant! What’s even great is that you may have an impact right away without spending any money or purchasing anything new. Why not try it if you have one that seems a touch overgrown?
I’m really enjoying adding more plants to my house and gradually raising something. It’s so rewarding to watch a plant grow and change rather than wither and perish only by looking at it. Plants not only serve to purify the air, but they also, in my opinion, make a place feel nice just by being there. They give a home life and a sense of vibrancy. And it’s oh so addictive if you find success with one plant!