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Europe  vertclaire May 7, 2018 3:48 AM CST |
| Hi everyone, I'm new here and really would appreciate some help with my beloved monsters deliciosa. The plan is to repot it this week and would love some advice about that and how to take care of it in general. It's regularly making new leaves but there are a few things I wonder if I should be worrying about. Some of the leaves are distorted (see second picture) Recently the lower leaves have been turning yellow and felt It's next to a south west oriented window but i'm in Belgium so it doesn't get so much of direct sun light. I water it once or twice a week but I need to confess that sometimes I forget and sometimes there might be some water left in the tray as I forget to empty it. The aerial roots are growing A LOT. Should I try to fit them in the new pot? Or cut them? Or anything else? Last (probably very silly) question, if I cut the last 2 leaves + aerial root of a branch for propagation, will this branch keep growing Many many thanks in advance for your help       |
Name: Will Creed NYC Profess plant consultant & educator  WillC May 7, 2018 5:16 AM CST |
| I usually avoid repotting unless really necessary because lots of thongs can go wrong during repotting. As long as your Monstera remains healthy with two waterings a week, then it doesn't require a larger pot. If you do repot, move it up one size only; remove it from its existing pot when the soil is damp; keep the existing rootball intact & don't remove any soil; add potting mix to the bottom and sides of the new pot but not on top; use a standard potting mix. A few distorted leaves are not an issue as long as they are not new leaves emerging that way. It is normal for older leaves to gradually die back as new leaves are added on top. Occasional watering lapses may cause more leaf yellowing than normal. The light provided is fine. Leaving a bit of water in the saucer is not a problem as long as it evaporates in a day or so. The aerial roots serve no purpose when a Monstera is potted and used indoors. They can be removed completely or trimmed back partially without any effects on the plant. It is a personal aesthetic choice on your part. If you do repot, don't try to put the aerial roots into the new pot. Trimming off the aerial roots will make repotting easier. Any stem can be pruned back and new growth will emerge on that stem starting just below the pruning cut. Will Creed Horticultural Help, NYC www.HorticulturalHelp.com Contact me directly at [email protected] I now have a book available on indoor plant care |
Europe vertclaire May 7, 2018 6:00 AM CST |
| Thank you Will for this useful and reassuring information. Sounds like I just need to water more regularly. I just wanted to repot because the actual pot seems very small compared to the size of the plant (25 cm for 1.5m) Thanks for your help |
Name: Will Creed NYC Profess plant consultant & educator WillC May 7, 2018 2:39 PM CST |
| There is no necessary relationship between a plant's height and its root system. As long as the pot contains enough soil to retain water for several days or longer, then the pot size is fine regardless of the plant's height. Will Creed Horticultural Help, NYC www.HorticulturalHelp.com Contact me directly at [email protected] I now have a book available on indoor plant care |
UK Starfishmomma May 22, 2018 10:39 AM CST |
I've got a small Swiss cheese plant (I prefer this fun-sounding name  ), it's a bit further away from a window than vertclaire's but still gets light. I decided to give it a "treat" by putting it out in the sun one night, day and night. The following day I had a look at it and I think some of the leaves have got sunburn. They are precious young leaves aswell. I thought it would be a good idea to perhaps help get it going and grow quicker, but I was wrong. Is putting them outside a bad idea generally, or can I put it outside but give it some screening from the full strength of the sun? Does it even benefit the plant at all |
Name: Will Creed NYC Profess plant consultant & educator WillC May 22, 2018 2:24 PM CST |
| We all learn from our assumptive mistakes! Your plant needs protection from direct sunlight, even indoor sun which is many times less intense than outdoor sun. Any significant change in the available light for a plant will have an adverse effect on the plant. Each leaf on a plant tends to be adapted to the light that it receives when it is first developing. Subsequent changes in light make it hard for it to adapt. For most Philodendron and Monstera species, a location on a north windowsill or close to an east window is as good as any light you get outside. If you do move it outside, keep it in light to heavy shade at all times. Will Creed Horticultural Help, NYC www.HorticulturalHelp.com Contact me directly at [email protected] I now have a book available on indoor plant care |
Name: Sally central Maryland Seriously addicted to kettle chips.             sallyg May 26, 2018 5:18 AM CST |
excellent information-  WillC..come into the peace of wild things..-Wendell Berry Life is a buffet (anon) |
asperafo Aug 26, 2018 12:03 AM CST |
| Vertclarie, a little bit unrelated to the thead: but since your Montera grows so well and thus hope to learn from you about fertilizing and watering tips. Can I know what fertilizer do you use, how often do you fertilize, and how much portion? How often do you water? Many thanks. |
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