Monstera Care For Beginners

 

The scientific name of Monstera plant is Monstera deliciosa and the plant grows best in humid and warm environments, requiring dappled or partial light, acidic or neutral, a well-drained peat-based soil, and also temperatures between sixty-five degree Fahrenheit and eighty-five degree Fahrenheit. The Monstera plant is a beautiful plant, but it is toxic to pets and humans.

Monstera plant Info

The common names: The common names are ceriman, split-leaf philodendron, Swiss cheese plant, windowleaf.

The botanical name: The botanical name is   Monstera deliciosa.

The family: The Monstera plant belongs to the family of Araceae.

The plant type: Vine

The mature size: The mature size is about three to fifteen feet tall, three to eight feet wide.

The sun exposure: The Monstera plant prefers partial sun.

The soil type: The Monstera plant does well in a well-drained soil.

The soil pH: Acidic, neutral

The blooming time: The blooming time is summer.

The flower color: The flower color is white.

USDA Hardiness Zones: Ten to twelve.

The native area: The Monstera plant is native to    Central America.

Toxicity: The Monstera plant is toxic to dogs, cats, and humans. 

Varieties of Monstera plants

The Monstera plant is native to rainforests of Central America, there are nearly fifty species in the Monstera genus, with some species, cultivars, and variegated varieties. The variegated foliage and plants with exaggerated fenestrations (holes and splits) are pricier to purchase since they're harder to propagate and grow slower than others. The following are the most common, closely-related Monstera plants:

The Monstera albo variety: The Monstera albo is actually a rare (and expensive) variegated Monstera deliciosa subspecies with white, speckled coloring.

The Monstera oblique variety: The Monstera oblique is one of the rarest and the priciest of the Monstera plants, with large, delicate holes and splits.

The Monstera acacoyaguensis variety: The Monstera acacoyaguensis has mature leaves that don't split—instead, they perforate.

The Monstera dubia variety: actually the Monstera dubia is also known as "shingle plant" and is also a vining plant with medium green leaves with grey-green accents.

The Monstera adansonii variety: The Monstera adansonii is also known as Swiss cheese plant, and it has larger leaves than M. acuminata, with larger holes and lighter green coloration.

The Monstera Peru variety: The Monstera Peru actually has a dark green tear-drop shaped ovate leaves with an attractive puckered texture.

The Monstera Thai Constellation variety: The Monstera Thai Constellation is a rare variety that is similar in size and shape to the Swiss cheese plant but features large creamy white patches and speckles.  

How to grow Monstera plant

The following are the main care requirements for growing a Monstera plant:

- The Monstera plant requires warmth and humidity; they can be planted outdoors in USDA zones ten through twelve.

- Monstera plant prefers partial sun or dappled light.

- The plant actually needs acidic or neutral, peat-based, well-draining soil.

- You can use a container with ample drainage holes and water the plant regularly.

- The Monstera plant can't tolerate salty soil or full sun.

- Give the plant balanced fertilizer 3 to 4 times per year.

Light requirement

The Monstera plants are evergreen that prefers bright, indirect sunlight between sixty-five degree Fahrenheit and seventy-five degree Fahrenheit. Too much direct light in warmer months may actually burn the foliage. Still, set the indoor Monstera plants outside at least once a year in direct sunlight to encourage lush growth.

Outdoors, the Monstera plants can easily grow in the full shade of deep woodlands and semi-shade of light forests.

Soil requirement

When the Monstera plant is established in a container, the plant requires peat-based potting media. Outdoors, the Monstera plant is suitable for light sandy, medium loamy, and heavy clay soils with acid or neutral pH. Nevertheless, the Monstera plant thrives most in well-drained, moderately moist soil. You will also spot intricate aerial roots growing out of the soil, which benefit the Monstera plant by supporting the stems that hold leaves that can grow up to three feet long.

Water requirement

You need to give the Monstera plant regular water during the growing season every 1 to 2 weeks. Water the plant until excess drains through the drainage holes. Don’t return the excess water to the plant's container because it has taken all the necessary water. The soil will need to dry out slightly in between waterings. Water the Monstera plant only occasionally in fall and winter. To increase humidity indoors you can add a humidifier. 

Temperature and humidity requirement

The Monstera plant grows best in temperatures between sixty-five degree Fahrenheit and eighty-five degree Fahrenheit. The Monstera plant can tolerate temperatures down to fifty degree Fahrenheit and up to ninety degree Fahrenheit but will stop growing at these extremes. The Monstera plant prefers high humidity, about sixty percent. You need to provide a humidifier to keep its leaves moist daily.

 

Fertilizer requirement

You can choose a balanced liquid 20-20-20 fertilizer to feed the Monstera plant every few weeks during the growing season. You need to dilute 1/2 teaspoon of the fertilizer in a gallon of water. Then use the diluted fertilizer in place of regular watering. Just pour the mixture into the planting soil until it begins to flow out of the drainage holes. Throw out the excess diluted fertilizer because the Monstera plant has taken what it needs and it cannot use the extra that it drains off.

Pruning Monstera plant

You can easily trim the aerial roots if they get too unruly for the space, though tucking them back into the container is preferred. Unlike some other houseplants, the Monstera plant roots do not damage surfaces. The stems and the leaves respond well to trimming and they can also be used for propagation.

Propagating Monstera plant

The Monstera plant can be easily propagated by stem cuttings from pruning. On the other hand, the most popular method of propagating Monstera plant is air layering. The following are the steps for both methods:

Propagating Monstera plant with stem cuttings:

- Just use a clean, sharp pruning shear to cut off the stem that includes a node (a little bump where the roots will emerge), an aerial root, and at least 2 leaves.

- You need to put the cutting in a glass of water. Make sure you change the water every 3 to 5 days, and if possible you can use filtered water or rainwater over a tap water.

- You will actually see a clump of roots growing in a few months. At that point, you can put your new Monstera plant in a container with fresh soil and then keep it moist as it establishes itself in its new home.

Air Layering propagation

Actually the mother plant may not look beautiful for a while, but getting a healthy new plant is worth it. The Air layering is a preferred low-risk method because you are not cutting the mother plant until the baby is ready to be put in a container with new roots. You will actually need floral or sphagnum moss, a plastic bag or wrap, and twist ties for this particular method.

- You just need to find a stem with a couple of nodes (where the roots will grow). Or you can find a leaf growing out of a stem with a short aerial root below it.

- Then cut a small notch that is about 1/3 of the stem's width below that root.

- Just wrap a one inch layer of sphagnum moss around where the leaf joins the stem.

- You need to spray the moss with water to increase moisture, and then wrap it in plastic. Use twist ties to secure it (it may actually look a little messy, which is okay).

- Make sure the moss can remain moist until the roots develop.

- When the plant roots develop in a few months, you can cut the plant stem below the roots and then establish the young Monstera plant, with its roots, in a fresh container of soil.

Potting and Repotting Monstera plant

The Monstera plant will likely outgrow its container every 2 years or so. You can transplant into a container a few inches wider and deeper to accommodate growth. The Monstera plant actually prefers well-draining porous pots, such as terra-cotta or ceramic, because the plant likes airflow and drainage; however, any material pot with drainage holes will do. You can pot the Monstera plant using these simple steps:

- Start by filling the bottom third of a pot with peaty potting soil.

- You need to establish a stake gently for the stem to climb on.

- Set the plant roots into the pot. Then fill with soil around the plant roots.

- You have to firmly surround the stake with soil and then use plant ties to attach the plant stem to the stake. 

Pest and disease control

Actually wiping dust or debris off the Monstera plant leaves with a damp sponge or paper towel will keep the Monstera plant clean and deter pests. The common pests that may invade the Monstera plant include sap-sucking mealybugs, thrips, aphids (plant lice), spider mites and tiny cigar-shaped scale insects. If any are found on the foliage you can easily spray the Monstera plant with a direct water stream. The Monstera plant leaves can also be washed with insecticidal soap.  

Furthermore, there a few minor insect pests that may appear on your Monstera plant, including mealybugs, spider mites, and fruit flies. For spider mites you can easily clean the Monstera plant leaves with a soft cloth with neem oil, which repels these pests. For mealybugs you can also use a cotton swab dipped in isopropyl alcohol and then apply the tip to each bug, then remove by wiping away as you go. One of the best ways to really deal with fruit flies is to use a vinegar trap. 

The 3 disease problems that occur most frequently with the Monstera plants are root rot, which is commonly caused by overwatering of the plant or poor drainage, or fungal diseases such as powdery mildew or leaf spot. Actually improving air circulation around the Monstera plant will really help to prevent powdery mildew and leaf spot. However, humidity can also cause powdery mildew, so if you notice this happening you can carefully trim off the affected plant leaves, and then move the Monstera plant to a drier spot or you can try lowering the humidity levels in the room to see if this will help to improve things.