Monstera Deliciosa Care Guide
Family: Arums
Genus: Monstera
Botanical Name: Monstera deliciosa
Difficulty: Low maintenance
Light
Monstera love to be kept in bright indirect to medium light. This type of lighting promotes growth and keeps your plant happiest.
Water
Water your monstera every 1-2 weeks once soil is completely dry. They will need to be watered more often in warmer months and less often in colder months.
Climate
Monstera perform well in most indoor conditions, but 65-85°F is ideal. Growth will stop at temperatures below 50°F. Higher humidity levels are beneficial for all monstera species.
Soil
Keep you monstera in a dense, nutrient-rich soil (no potting mix!) that contains peat moss. Fertilize them during their active growing season (warmer months). Use a ¼- diluted fish emulsion. 1/4 diluted liquid fertilizer two times a month. To promote a healthy plant, you can also top dress them with a compost in the spring.
Pests and Diseases
Monstera can attract fungus gnats, thrips, scale, and spider mites from time to time.
Tips and tricks for a happy plant
Rotating monstera helps them grow nice and balanced and prevents reaching for light.
Trim under the swollen node where leaves and aerial roots form when clipping for propagation.
Frequently check the undersides of leaves for pests.
Remember: Monstera leaves grow really large and love to climb, so they will appear droopy when they’re healthy. If the leaves look healthy and have droopy stems, they’re thriving!
Add a humidifier, pebble tray, and keep your plants close together to increase humidity.
Signs your plant isn’t happy
Yellowing leaves or black stems (in wet potting mix): too much water
Crispy leaves: not enough water, high salt build up
Wilted plant (in dry potting mix) : under watered, or needs to be re-potted.
Droopy leaves: too much sun or is under watered.
How to propagate
Monstera are really easy to propagate in water. When taking a cutting, you have two options: choose a healthy stem that has a couple leaves on it or take single cuttings if your plant hasn’t quite matured enough to survive such a large trimming.
Always use a sharp, clean, sterilized pair of snips or knife to reduce the risk of infection in your plant. Now that you’ve chosen your snipping tool, take your the stem you want to propagate and cut it below the node or aerial roots. Cut each stem and node into individual segments on each side of the aerial root (or node). Always remove any loose material from the stem before placing it in water. Let it sit for a few minutes to allow any excess moisture on the end of the stem to dry up.
Now you can place your cutting in a tall glass vessel filled with water and leave it to develop it’s roots. Be sure to change the water out every 3-5 days so it always stays clean. You should start to see roots in 2-3 weeks! Once they have reached a good length, you can pot them into a pot prepared with a damp potting mix (just regular is fine) and then be sure to water it once the soil is dry.
Fun Facts
The monstera is famous for its fenestrations. The fenestrations help maximize sun capture by increasing the spread of the leaf while decreasing the mass of leaf cells to support. As the leaves get bigger, fenestrations open to allow sunlight to reach the leaves underneath.
Hardiness Zones
Before you move your plant outside, be sure to check the hardiness zone to save yourself some grief and the loss of a beloved plant.
The hardiness zones for Monstera deliciosa are : 10-12
If you live in Tennessee, here’s a hardiness map to help you decide if your plant can survive outside!
