How to grow a monstera plant

Photo via Pinterest

There are 45 species of monstera in the genus, one of the most popular being monstera deliciosa – commonly known as the ‘swiss cheese plant’. They are a flowering plant that grow native in tropical regions. Their vines and aerial roots allow the plant to grow to monsterous sizes, even their leaves grow bigger! Keep reading to find out more about care, different species, and their fruit!

 

Top left monstera deliciosa (polsada on Etsy), top right monstera borsigiana (gardening brain), bottom left monstera adansonii (Kristen Hunsbedt), bottom left monstera variegata (choose your plant)

Types of monstera: (the most popular)

• Monstera deliciosa – also known as ‘swiss cheese plant’ or ‘split leaf philodendron’, this is the most popular of the species
• Monstera borsigiana – a sub form of the deliciosa, just smaller with thinner stems and a long internode
• Monstera adansonii – nicknamed as the ‘swiss cheese plant’ but has holes in its hear shaped leaves, not splits
• Monstera variegata – variegated monsteras (of all species) are often sold for extreme prices, due to their beautiful colours (varigation)

 

How to care for monstera plant:

• Soil – opt for a well draining soil. If you’re a houseplant beginner, I recommend a 50:50 perlite and compost mix
• Watering – give your plant a good soak every couple weeks during the spring and summer, and occasionally during autumn and winter
• Moss pole – to allow the aerial roots to attach itself to the moss pole, this lets the plant climb like it would in the wild
• Trellis – or, use a trellis to support the roots
• Light – indoors, give them plenty of light (if they start to burn, place them somewhere that has indirect light, light not ‘touching’ the leaves). Outdoors, grow under shade in woodlands

Problems with monstera plants:

• Browning leaves – caused by a lack of water. Try to increase watering a bit more!
• Pests – common houseplant pets (thrips, scales, mealybugs, aphids, spider mites) can be wiped off with a damp cloth/kitchen roll. Then you can spray your plant with insecticidal soap
• Wilted leaves – could be either underwatering or overwatering. Take plant out of pot and look at the roots. If there are any mushy parts (rot), your plant was overwatered. Cut off all the mushy parts, and re-pot
• Yellowing leaves – commonly underwatering. If the soil is bone dry, give your plant a good soak
• Leaves not splitting – leaves need lots of energy to be able to split, if this is a problem you can move your plant somewhere brighter

Photos by u/MMantis

How to propagate monstera plants:

Method 1 – air layering

1) find an aerial root growing under a leaf

2) wrap moss and cling film around the root, and leave until it grows roots

NOTE: You can also use a zip-lock bag with soil, or a zip-lock bag with water

3) once it has grown a good root system, you can cut off one of the ‘branches’ including the roots and plant in its own pot

Photo by Good to Know

Method 2 – taking cuttings

1) find a part of the plant with a node, and cut above it

2) place in water and leave until roots develop

NOTE: if you want, you can dip it in a rooting gel before putting it in water

3) once it has grown a good root system, plant it in its own pot

Photo by Edgeplot on Flickr

How to make a monstera flower:

your plant will need to be very big before it starts to produce flowers, this can take many years and patience. To encourage more growth you can give liquid plant feed a few times a year, boost humidity, encourage aerial roots, and let it climb.

Photo by House Raccoon

How to get monstera fruit:

Monstera deliciosa produces a fruit that tastes like banana and pineapple! When your monstera flowers, allow it to be pollinated so it can produce the fruit. Harvest once the green scales loosen and fall off

 

I hope this guide helps you with having a successful monstera plant.

 

---> Thank you for taking the time to read my blog, Nate