Hi,

I am looking for some help with my Monstera Obliqua. It seams to be growing well (putting out new leaves) but the older leaves don't look as healthy as I would like. They have developed yellow splotches, and the older ones are wrinkled. I also noticed some brown spots (please see attached images). It is locaed about 1.5 meters from a large east facing window. I have been letting the potting mix dry out slightly and then giving it a heavy watering. Any advice is much appreciated.

Thanks,
Jason

If the leaves are growing faster, so probably are the roots. Have you checked for any bugs in the soil recently? Drainage is good?

Hi Kittriana

Thanks for your feedback. I believe it has good drainage and I'm not noticing any bugs either.

Jason

I see spots that indicate bites. Bugs hide under the soil and only show at night. Yellow is usually an indicator of over wAtering...

What is your fertilizing routine? Possibly chlorosis?

Thanks Kittriana and Terrafirma for your help.

I haven't been giving it much fertilizer, but recently I started giving it 10-10-10 every two weeks.
With your advice, I have moved it closer to the window as well and reduced its watering. I hope that helps.

Thanks,

Jason

I hope so too, Jason, and I hope that you will post again with an update after a few weeks? It is a beautiful plant, and if you don't see any more improvement, maybe some more eyes could help?

And keep in mind that it is normal for older leaves in particular to begin to decline, and die. My true concern would be if this was happening to some of the newer leaves.
Hopefully a regular feeding will help.

Good luck!

That's a very nice, big mature plant. How long have you had it, Jason?

I'm wondering if maybe it's time to give it a bigger pot, and some fresh potting mix? Might be worthwhile taking a look at the roots - just lay it on its side on some newspaper, and slip it out of the pot. IF you see a lot of roots crowded in there, right out to the walls of the pot, and going round and round, you need to re-pot it. If not, just rinsing some of the old soil off the root ball and adding fresh potting mix might give it a healthy boost.

Fertilizer is probably a very good idea - an indoor plant has no other source for nutrients than what you supply. Potting mix might have some fertilizer in it, but usually that is used up in the first few months. You should also fertilize and water a bit more in the summer, and less in the winter because of the variation in light from the window. The room probably gets cooler at night in winter, too. So indoor plants do experience seasonal changes.

As Tara said, a mature plant is also expected to lose older leaves as it grows new ones. So you shouldn't worry too much as long as the spotting and yellow blotches don't increase.

I think you and others may be overreacting here. The plant looks fine and healthy. It is quite normal and unavoidable for older lower leaves to gradually discolor and die back as more healthy new leaves are added on top. The light and your watering routine seem to be on the mark, so just accept the fact that your plant will lose some older leaves as it continues to grow.

Thanks Dyzzypxxy and WillC,

Dyzzypxxy - you are absolutely right - the plant was in desperate desperate desperate need of re-poting. The roots were going round and round. I now think that was the only problem leading to the leaf problem. I figured that I only purchased it about 6 months ago, that it was still ok in the pot it came in. Boy was I wrong. I will keep you posted as to how it does with its new, larger pot with fresh potting soil. Thanks again everyone for your feedback. Very appreciated.

Thanks,

Jason

Hello all, my first post here. Jason, would love an update on the status of your Monstera Obliqua. It's been more than two years; have you found a good growing regimen?

I'm just starting with a rooted cutting of Monstera adansonii. It has new growth at the tip but two older leaves died overnight (literally). I'm hoping this is normal.

Best regards,

Sylvia