| I have a monstera plant for about a year and i wanted to know how fast it should be growing and how can i better take care of it so that i may enjoy it for a long time i was once told if cared for properly will yield a fruit is this true? thanks-sandy |
| It's true that monstera will produce fruit, but it has to be mature, which will take a few years. Botanically, your plant is Monstera deliciosa, which should give you some clue about the flavor of the fruit. Your plant will produce flowers when it's old enough, and then about 14 months later, the fruit will be ready to harvest. The fruit is cylindrical, green, 8 to 14 inches long and 2 to 3 1-2 inches in diameter. The peel is thick, hard, and made up of hexagonal plates (scales) that cover individual segments of ivory colored, juicy, flavorful pulp. Among the fruit segments are small, black particles which are the remnants of flowers. Generally, there are no seeds, although sometimes small, pale-green seeds are produced. Monstera grows best in hot, humid, tropical climates, although it will grow and fruit satisfactorily in warm subtropical areas of the world, and indoors anywhere as a houseplant. Plants grow best under light shade (filtered sunlight); intense sun exposure may cause leaf scorching. Monstera is not tolerant of freezing temperatures. Leaves are damaged or killed at 30 to 32?F and stems at 26 to 28?F. In general, water often enough to keep the soil from drying out. As long as the potting soil drains quickly, it's hard to over-water a monstera. Feed every 3-4 weeks with a half-strength dilution of water soluable fertilizer (such as Miracle Gro or Peter's). Hope this answers all your questions! |
