Propagating a Monstera Deliciosa Plant
I’ve had this monstera for going on three years. She’s moved across state lines and survived our toddler (RIP to a few leaves).
I probably don’t deserve the love she’s given me this past year due to neglect while I dove into motherhood, but I guess she’s a giver. Thank you for your compassion and empathy mama monstera.
What You’ll Need:
Clean Hands
Pruning Shears
Isopropyl Alcohol
Large Jar or Vase
Room Temp Water
Step One (Sanitize):
Use a bit of isopropyl alcohol and a clean cloth to sanitize your pruning shears. Do not skip the sanitizer step! Monsteras are very prone to disease. Failing to sanitize your pruning shears prior to propagation could harm both the mother plant and clipping.
Make sure you also wash your hands prior to handling an open cut on your mother plant or clipping.
Step Two (Making the Cut):
First you’ll need to find a node with an axillary bud. (Pictured below for reference) Once you’ve located this you’ll make a cut below the node with a pair of freshly sanitized pruning shears. It’s important to use pruning shears because they offer a clean cut that won’t damage the plant in the process.
Node W/ Axillary Bud
The node is pictured where the light line is presented on the curve of the steam. The bud is that little knob coming off the node area. This is where an ariel root will eventually form.
Propagation From Roots
My monstera had grown this smaller rooted runoff from the base of the mother plant. When repotting this Spring I separated this rooted section from the main plant. I made the above node cutting from this one.
This whole rooted section could be planted right away, but I’m trying to create a few new plants so I’ll cut the nodes and root them.
Step Three (Prepare Water):
Add room temperature water to a glass jar or vase. Make sure it’s a decent size to avoid over crowding the cuttings.
Place the jar in a room with moderate light but not direct sunlight. It needs to be a room that doesn’t get too cold or drafty. Somewhere with a little humidity is a plus.
Keep your clippings submerged in water until you see new roots have formed at the nodes. Make sure to change out the water every week or so to avoid mold and mildew.
Once you notice roots have formed you can transfer to soil for potting.
How to Care for a Monstera Deliciosa:
Watering Tips
Water once every 1 to 2 weeks. This can very depending on your environment and the season. A good rule of thumb is to water when the top two inches of soil are dry. Stick your finger in the soil — if it feels dry up to your second knuckle, it’s time to water.
Water thoroughly with room temperature water allowing it to drain from the bottom of the pot into a saucer. Make sure not to overwater or let your plant sit in too much excess water.
Over watering and poor draining can cause root rot- a disease that will kill your monstera. Trust me! It happened to my first monstera. (Sorry lil buddy)
Location Tips
Monsteras love bright indirect light. Steer clear of a window that will bring direct light to your monstera as this can burn the leaves.
Too little light can slow growth, but too much will burn her. Finding that happy medium is key. Try by a window with a light filtering curtain or in a corner of the room away from windows that still gets good indirect light. A corner with good lighting will allow the light to bounce off the walls.
Temperature & Humidity:
Monsteras are tropical plants meaning they love warmth and humidity. Avoid cold drafty spaces or an area that will have sudden temperature changes.
These plants will thrive in a humid environment. A bathroom with great lighting is a wonderful place for a monstera to thrive.
If you live in a dry climate and tend to have dry air on your home you may want to consider getting a humidifier for the room.
Fertilization Tips
Skip fertilization during the winter as your monstera will be in a dormant growth phase.
Ideally you’ll want to fertilize every 4 to 6 weeks from Spring through early Fall.
Don’t over fertilize! It may seem enticing to max out with fertilizer to increase growth, but it can actually harm your monstera. More isn’t always more. Monsteras prefer a gentle feeding.
Try diluting a quality fertilizer like this one to half the strength. Remember- gardening is a relaxing hobby not a race.
Potting Tips
You’ll probably need to repot your monstera every one to two years in the Spring or early Summer.
Signs of needing to repot include slower growth despite proper care, water runs through your soil too quickly, your plant looks crammed or too heavy.
Once your monstera is pretty large with lots of ariel roots it will probably start to lay flat or get unruly looking. Remember- monsteras are actually a vining plant in the wild. Often growing up trees in tropical environments.
Adding a moss pole will help your monstera grow upward. I attached my plant to a moss pole using natural twine.
Pruning Tips
Pruning in Spring or Summer is most ideal. Using clean gardening shears cut away any yellow, brown or damaged leaves just above a leaf node.
Why should you prune?
Pruning encourages growth- by removing damaged leaves you encourage the energy of your monstera to push growth to healthier parts of your plant instead of it trying to heal parts of the plant that are less healthy.
Pruning also helps to control the size and shape of your monstera. If it’s getting too leggy or unruly you can prune to propagate. (Bonus plants, SCORE!)
What You’ll Need for This Project
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