I adore how easy it is to spread a Monstera deliciosa. You may quickly fill your space with Monsteras or have a large number of baby plants to give to friends because they grow quickly from cuttings. Although nodes are suggested to be included on stem cuttings for propagation in online instructions, is this really necessary?
Can a Monstera be propagated without an A node? regrettably, no. Without a node, it is impossible to develop a Monstera deliciosa from a cutting. The components required to produce fresh growth are found in nodes. A Monstera leaf can withstand prolonged hydration and even develop roots, but only nodes can support new stem and leaf growth.
It can be tempting to try to grow a Monstera from a leaf, particularly if you accidentally snapped it off and want to try to save the fragment. But regrettably, it will never produce another plant. You will never have anything other than a leaf until the node is included. I’ll define a node in more detail below, along with the reasons cloning your Monstera is essential.
Can You Propagate a Leaf Without a Node?
Simply put, no. For your cutting to produce new leaves, it MUST have a node.
You’ve probably drooled over stunning images of a single monstera leaf in a lovely glass vessel of clear water on Instagram and in home décor magazines.
The bad news is that even while a leaf without a node might develop some roots, it will still only be a leaf with roots. It won’t develop into a new monstera plant with stalks or additional leaves. There will never be more than one leaf.
The node is essential for propagation since it stores all of the genetic data required to develop a new plant.
Do All Monstera Leaves Have Nodes?
Nodes are little bumps that develop on the side of your monstera’s stem that is not covered by a leaf, not even on the stems of the leaves.
Your monstera’s vine develops nodes. In fact, because it hasn’t matured sufficiently, a young monstera may not have any nodes yet. Your monstera may not yet be mature enough to propagate from cuttings if it appears as though leaves are sprouting directly out of the soil. (However, if it’s big enough, you might be able to propagate it using separation!)
Most of your plant’s leaves will be accompanied by a node on the other side of the stem once it begins to vine.
Can You Propagate Leafless Nodes?
So, while you CANNOT propagate a node without a leaf, you CAN propagate a leaf without a node!
Online vendors may provide leafless, unrooted nodes for sale. But the success rate won’t be as high as when you propagate cuttings with one or two leaves.
Expect no new leaf growth.
Monstera plants cannot develop from a single leaf cutting, unlike certain other plants like Sansevieria (Snake plant) and cactus.
Monstera plants grown without nodes will, regrettably, be unable to produce new leaf growth.
It lacks the tissue needed for cell division and the development of new leaves.
The leaf can survive without a node.
To keep turgid and fresh, the leaf will continue to absorb water by osmosis.
However, it must be situated in the optimal climate to prevent overheating and excessive transpiration, which would cause the leaf to wither.
Can a Monstera leaf establish roots in liquid?
The Monstera deliciosa can be easily rooted in water, just as many other plants. In addition to creating a stunning display piece, water propagation is a reasonably simple method of growing numerous new Monsteras with little effort. A few simple tools, a lot of sunshine, and lots of time are all you need.
You must locate a region of the Monstera deliciosa plant that has a node if you want to root it in water. Place the cutting in water in a location with bright, indirect light after using sharp shears to remove the plant beneath the node. After a few weeks, the cutting’s tip should start to sprout roots.
There is much more to this process than what is described above, but this quick summary gives you a decent idea of how simple it is to grow a Monstera in water. The remainder of the essay will cover the specifics of rooting a Monstera in water, what to expect from a cutting that has been propagated in this manner, and some advantages and disadvantages of water propagation.
How should a broken Monstera leaf be handled?
DO NOT CUT OFF THE TOP LEAF OF YOUR MONSTERA AT THE BASE OF THE PETIOLLE IF IT HAS BLACK SPOTS (the stalk that holds the leaf up from the main stem). The top growth point, or terminal bud, is located on the top leaf petiole. The petiole’s side has a bump where the subsequent leaf will develop if you look attentively. Leave the stalk intact and only remove the leaf, allowing your Monstera’s new growth to continue to grow.
It has already generated a new leaf from its petiole for a lower leaf. A lower leaf’s connection to the main stem can be safely severed at the bottom of the leaf. The petiole may eventually die and fall off the stem if you leave some of it connected.
Monsteras with most leaves dead
Cutting off an excessive number of leaves at once can be harmful to a Monstera plant’s ability to recuperate if the bulk of the leaves are damaged. Keep any leaves with healthy green sections since plants require them to photosynthesize. To allow the plant to continue making energy from the remaining green leaves, first only remove the leaves that are the most severely injured or completely dead. If the remaining leaves continue to deteriorate, you can remove them later.
It’s still possible to rescue your plant even if all of its leaves are dead. An axillary bud, also known as a lateral bud, will activate and branch off to create a new leaf as long as the stem and roots stay in good condition. To activate several buds, you can also cut and propagate your Monstera as stem cuttings. This method should only be used as a last resort because it will be extremely slow without leaves.
What is the shelf life of a Monstera leaf in water?
Even if you don’t intend to reproduce a Monstera leaf, it can still look lovely submerged in water. They are frequently used by florists in arrangements, and the Monstera leaf is likely to keep longer than the other cut flowers. People sometimes question if they can create a new plant from just a leaf because it is feasible for some fledgling roots to appear at the stem’s base.
Sadly, a leaf won’t likely survive for more than a few weeks unless it contains a node. A Monstera leaf without a node will eventually die (much like all cut flowers), but changing the water every few days will keep it vibrant for longer.
How much time does Monstera take to root in water?
You should plan on giving your Monstera cutting around 6 weeks before planting it in soil so that roots can form.
In order to guarantee a strong root system has established for a better chance of survival, I often advise waiting at least 2-3 months.
However, as long as you change the water frequently, clean the roots, and transfer the cutting into a larger jar as it grows, a Monstera can survive in water for many months (if not years).
It is prepared to be put in soil when a lovely cluster of roots fills your container.
You can plant your Monstera cutting as long as it has five roots that are at least several inches long.
Keep the Roots Clean
Keep an eye on the roots as they grow every week, and don’t be hesitant to cut off any sections that seem unhealthy.
You can clip out roots that appear to be rotting as long as there are numerous healthy-looking roots (white, yellow, light green, and light brown).
These are typically distinguished from the others by being dark, mushy, or significantly more slimy.
Can a cutting of Monstera be grown?
Stem cuttings are the preferred method of monstera propagation. Cuttings from Swiss cheese plants are simple to root. When using cuttings, you can either root them in water first or just bury them in the ground. Cuttings should be made immediately following a leaf node, with the bottom-most leaves removed.
Then, either partially bury the swiss cheese plant cuttings in the soil itself or root them in water for a few weeks before transplanting to a pot. There is no requirement for rooting hormone because they root so readily.
Which is preferable for Monstera propagation—soil or water?
Even while Monstera cuttings are generally fairly tolerant of the growing medium, location, and conditions, there are still a few things you may change to boost your chances of success or hasten your progress.
Time of year
It is not necessary to timing when you take a cutting, but keep in mind that winter, when plants are often dormant, may cause your cutting to start more slowly.
Time frame
The first thing to stress is the importance of patience. Some cuttings will immediately take root and quickly produce new leaves. Others may experience a protracted period of inactivity. Spring will frequently revive cuttings that had been dormant.
The best way to determine if your cutting is still in good shape while doing nothing is described below.
Light and warmth
Monstera cuttings thrive in warmth and light, and they will grow the quickest on a warm, sunny windowsill. It has been said that Monstera cuttings should be started with a heat pad, but in my experience, that is not true. A heat pad, however, could perhaps hasten the growth process.
Moisture
If they are in soil, they must also be maintained gently damp but not wet—wet feet are bad for them and will cause them to decay. Once a week, check their soil and, if it feels dry, give it a little water. It is not necessary to place a plastic bag over them, as is occasionally advised.
Size of cutting
More nodes and longer or larger stem sections tend to produce more new growth, including several new stems. Given that Monstera is a vine plant with a single long stem, this is significant. If your cutting produces leaf sprouts on several nodes, each of these will grow into a stem, resulting in bushier growth at a small size.
Growing medium
The benefit of propagating in water in a glass jar is that any new growth is visible right away. However, it is usually advisable to plant larger cuttings directly in the ground if they have leaves and aerial roots.
Water choice
You can use conventional tap water, but if it’s particularly hard, use caution and avoid using water that has been artificially softened. Both rainwater and distilled water are acceptable. If you submerge the majority of the stem part in water, leaves and roots will grow rather happily.
Soil mix
Use a light, freely draining potting compost when young plants and a more hummus-rich mixture as they mature.
Planting stems vertically with just the top inch above the soil is the simplest and most space-efficient approach to pot cuttings in soil.
I was concerned that for new leaves to grow, some stem nodes would need to be above the surface, but that wasn’t the case at all. Under the soil surface, new leaves began to emerge and easily pushed their way to the surface to spread out.
Potting up
If you have many stem cuttings that are housed in the same pot, you should separate them as soon as new growth appears. My own experiences indicate that, if handled correctly, Monstera are fairly resilient and don’t mind being disturbed.
You can bury the entire original stem cutting for a neater appearance rather than having to leave any of it above the soil line.
Can I replace a Monstera stem that has broken?
Unfortunately, you can’t keep the attached leaves on that stem with it. By making a cut one inch (2,5 cm) above the closest node, you can remove the damaged Monstera stem. At that node, a new growth point will develop, and a new stem with leaves will emerge after a few months.
Put the stem in a vase with water if you don’t want to discard the damaged leaf. This will ensure that you have at least a few months to appreciate the leaf. To keep the leaf fresh, remember to replace the water frequently.
Can a Monstera Leaf be repaired?
Monsteras are vulnerable to mechanical damage, which is physical harm to the leaf that is typically brought on by someone bumping into it, running into it, pinching it when it is being moved, or in my case, something else entirely (when a dog toy was actually thrown into it).
Your plant’s leaves will be a little more sensitive and more prone to damage if it isn’t handled very gently if it isn’t getting quite enough humidity.
Fortunately, this kind of damage is primarily cosmetic and won’t harm your plant’s general health.
Your Monstera leaf will typically have tears or rips from mechanical damage. The wounds will be brown and appear to have “healed” over, and they can happen in the center of the foliage or near the margins.
If the wounds, holes, or marks are similar in appearance and equally spaced out, you may easily detect this type of damage.
Typically, this will show up as a few quite uniform lines or holes.
If the air is excessively dry, especially if it’s adjacent to a drafty area in your home or if a fan is blowing too closely, leaves might also start to crack.
Due to their size, Monstera leaves are frequently brushed against or stepped on by accident.
These brown tears in the leaves could indicate that your Monstera is being eaten. However, this is probably mechanical damage if they are arranged in a square or symmetrical arrangement.
Keep it in an area of your home where it won’t be bumped and where the leaves aren’t touching any walls.
What to Do With Ripped Leaves
It is entirely up to you as to what to do with a Monstera leaf that has mechanical damage. Keeping the plant whole will not hurt it because it can still photosynthesize.
But you can clip it off at the stem if it begins to wither or appears unattractive. If there is a node, it would be ideal to make a clean cut beneath the node and attempt to disseminate the injured leaf.
Since Monsteras are among the easiest plants to cultivate, you shouldn’t worry about pruning a stem here and there. In fact, you might see more growth after removing a few stems.
Make sure there isn’t a new leaf emerging on the same stem before you remove a damaged leaf. If so, don’t clip the leaf until it has fully unfolded.
These rips and tears won’t actually mend and disappear; instead, they’ll only turn into scars on the leaves.
You can cut off the ripped portion of the leaf if it has torn but is still holding on, and the remaining portion of the leaf will just scab over and heal.