Monstera Plant Care: A Comprehensive Guide

The Monstera Plant (Monstera Deliciosa) also known as the Swiss Cheese Plant and split-leaf philodendron is a very low-maintenance indoor plant. These tropical houseplants are known for their glossy, heart-shaped, and split leaves.

The lush, unique, and large appearance of these plants can add an accent to any indoor space. These tropical climbing plants do well in warm and humid environments. Monstera plant care is very easy and these plants are also recommended for beginners.

And with this comprehensive blog, we will explain how you can take care of Monstera Plants and add them to your indoor garden.

Monstera Plant Care

These plants are very easy to care for, however, you should be familiar with their necessities such as watering, sunlight, soil, and more.

Water

Only water your Monstera Plant when the first few inches of the soil feel dry. Check that by inserting your finger a few inches in the soil. Water your plant thoroughly and avoid over-watering or keeping the soil moist.

Monstera plants can tell when they need water by curling their leaves. This makes monstera plant care easy and remember to reduce watering to once every few weeks in winter.

Read More on – How To Water Plants?

Sunlight

The Monstera plant is an evergreen plant that prefers bright and indirect sunlight. A bright and direct light source can burn the plant’s foliage. Make sure to provide regular light to the plant for better growth and monstera plant care.

If grown outside this plant can benefit from a partial shade of tall trees.

Soil

Use a well-draining potting soil if grown as potted plants. You can add bark, lava rocks, and perlite to improve the drainage and aeration of the soil. Due to its native habitat, the monstera plant prefers slightly sandy and heavy clay soil.

The pH of the soil should be acidic or neutral. Repot your plant every 1-2 years to help the plant’s growth.

Temperature & Humidity

For your monstera plant keep a temperature range between 65℉ and 85℉ (18℃ to 29℃). Moreover, keep the humidity levels of your indoor space at least 60%. Try using a humidifier or a tray filled with water for better monstera plant care.

You can also try grouping your Monstera plant with other indoor plants.

Pruning

Remove any dead or decayed foliage from the plant. Pruning can help keep your plant clean and in shape. Also, remove any discolored or damaged foliage to keep your plant’s appearance well. You can keep the height of your monstera plant in check by regularly pruning it.

If you want your Monstera plant to climb, then you can train it by tying its stem to a moss pole, trellis, or any other support structure.

Fertilization

Monstera plant care is also easy cause these plants don’t require much feeding as long as the soil is nutrient-rich. However, you can feed these plants with a balanced and water-soluble fertilizer during the growing season of the plant.

You can reduce or stop fertilizing in the winter as it is the dormant season of the monstera plant.

Similar read – How To Fertilize Plants?

Pest and Disease Problems

The monstera plant is generally hardy but weak plants can attract pests such as mites, aphids, scales, and mealybugs. Regularly monitor your plants and use neem oil to get rid of these pests after isolating your plants.

Common Problems With Monstera Plant

The monstera plant can suffer some common indoor plant problems such as –

• Yellow Leaves – This problem can arise from overwatering and excess soil moisture. So keep your watering limit in check.
• Brown Leaf Tips – Browning in leaf tips can be caused due to low humidity levels and underwatering. So increase the humidity levels for better monstera plant care.
• No Leaf-Split – The absence of leaf split is caused by the lack of light. Ensure that your monstera plant is receiving sufficient light for optimal growth.

Types of Monstera Plants

There are nearly 50 species of these unique indoor plants. And each one of those species has a unique foliage. However, this means that each plant has a different rate of growth and is also harder to propagate. Here are some of the varieties of the monstera plant that you can grow –

• • Monstera Albo – This rare and expensive Monstera variety featured white and speckled coloring on its foliage.
  • Monstera Dubia – This vining variety of the monstera plant is also known as the “shingle plant” and has green leaves with a grayish accent.
  • Monstera Deliciosa ‘Peru’ – The oval or tear-drop-shaped dark green leaves of this monstera plant can be a great addition to your indoor garden.
  • Monstera Obliqua – This is considered the rarest and most expensive variety of Monstera due to its large and delicate holes in its leaves.

How To Propagate The Monstera Plant?

The monstera plant can be propagated in many different ways such as stem cuttings and air layering. Here are the steps involved in doing so –

Stem Cuttings –

• Use a clean pruning tool to cut off a stem with a node, and at least two leaves.
• Place the cutting in a glass of water and regularly change the water for at least 3-5 days.
• After a couple of months, you’ll see roots form on the cutting and you can plant the cutting in a pot with the required soil mix.
• Keep the plant and soil moist until the plant is established.

Air Layering –

• Spot a leaf with aerial roots or a stem with a few nodes.
• Cut a small piece of the stem and wrap the wound with sphagnum moss.
• Keep the moss moist and cover it with plastic to retain the moisture.
• In a few months, you’ll notice the forming of roots and then you can cut off the stem using a sharp and clean tool and place the cutting in a pot with fresh potting mix.

Also read – How To Propagate Plants?

Conclusion

This is how you can grow and care for these amazing indoor plants. Monstera plants are a great choice for beginners as they are very easy to grow and require very minimal maintenance. Moreover, these plants can become an attractive addition to your indoor garden due to their unique foliage with split leaves and dark green foliage. So, if you have enough space in your indoor space these plants should be your top choice.