Ladies and Gentleman: Introducing, Her:
When I think back to when my husband and I first started collecting plants, we didn’t really know what we were doing. There was a whole lot of trial and error. Growing up in Florida, I never took notice of houseplants until recently. I can't tell if that's because I was too young to recognize them or if there really were not many to be seen. Now, everywhere I look, greenery abounds. From cartoons and movies, to cafes and doctors offices.
My plant collecting journey began like many others’ - with succulents. All right, now I don’t want this to turn into a succulent hate page but I have to speak my truth: Succulents are hard. After months of trying to convince my cacti to stay alive I began to branch out towards Bromeliads (still in the succulent family). I enjoyed my Bromeliads but there was something about them that just didn’t entertain me for long.
The day my life changed for the better was when my husband brought me home my first philodendron. A monstera Deliciosa cutting from a clients yard (given to him of course). The day I received my big girl was the day my love for indoor plants began to grow. She was a three leaf cutting not yet rooted of a mature mother plant. She now stands 5 Ft. tall and takes my breath away every day. Ladies and Gentleman, Her:
Obviously I had to decorate my lady with a beautiful crystal hanging ornament. It might sound woo-woo crazy but I think the crystals have actually encouraged the plant to grow even more!
My air roots have been taking off lately, they have grown in and around my pole to support the lady (if you haven’t tried moss poles with your plants check out my shop for the poles i use for my personal collection!)
Now I have a relatively large collection of plants varying from rare plants to more common plants, but my Monstera Deliciosa definitely holds the title of my favorite plant. We’ve definitely been through some highs and lows, As I branch into beginning to sell my personal collection and curating a separate collection for my shop, The ONE plant I could never part ways with is my big girl; Though it does feel like pulling teeth having to sell any of my beloved babies.
MONSTERA DELICIOSA TIPS & TRICKS:
Monstera Deliciosa, or split leaf philodendron is a species of flowering plant native to the tropical region of Southern Mexico. It is A fast grower and is even considered invasive in many equatorial areas. The leaves of a young Monstera start out growing as small and heart shaped, as the plant matures the leaves rapidly grow in size and begin to split and develop fenestrations.
Fenestrations, or splits and holes in the leaf are how the plant evolved to maximize sunlight absorption by growing bigger while also minimizing energy used to support leaf cells. You can encourage your plant to grow larger and split/fenestrate faster by giving it support. In the jungle these beasts cling onto the side of giant trees. Mimic the jungle and Shop my tried and true moss poles here. poles allow the plant to focus more energy on developing new growth/root systems and less energy on holding the weight of the large trunks and heavy leaves. Moss poles also provide the aerial roots with additional moisture and nutrients (when added to the pole).
Read more about moss poles here.
GENERAL CARE: bright indirect light. Think about where your plant can have room to grow wide and tall with access to a window. The more indirect light this plant gets the happier it will be. Remember the leaves will turn and stretch to reach the light so be sure to rotate your pot to keep a full 360 degree lush plant. I water once the soil is dry two inches down. Let your plant(s) fully dry in-between watering to avoid root rot. I spray my moss pole with a solution (keep an eye out for this blog post!) to keep it moist and deliver nutrients to the mama plant. Wipe leaves gently to ensure they are shiny and able to absorb as much sunlight as possible. Your plant will thank you for your consistent care and nurturing.
Pests: I have dealt with many pest infestations in my time collecting indoor plants, fortunately for me my monstera has not taken too big of a hit from these. I’ve noticed in my area that they can get fungal diseases pretty easily. When encountering a fungal disease a neem oil mixture will surely do the trick. It is good practice to treat your plants with neem often to prevent pest and disease infestations. If you suspect your plant has a fungal disease, separate it from other plants as soon as possible to prevent it spreading any further. Fungal diseases will normally appear as yellow leaves, spots or damage on leaves, the signs vary depending on plant and often can mimic pest infestations. Luckily neem can treat most pests too. There are other solutions on the market for fungicides as well.
Repotting: When repotting plants, be sure to do so in late spring or summer months for best results. I recommend waiting to repot new plants until they have adapted to their new home. Too much change at once can shock more sensitive plants. I would say monstera are more hardy and adaptive, so in my opinion this is a great starter plant or gift to friends and family members as well. Native to warm forests, these plants don’t mind being squeezed and generally like staying in smaller sized pots. when it comes to pots: keep it snug and upgrade little by little annually (IF NEEDED).
Propagation: Keep an eye out for my upcoming blog on propagation methods, tips, and real time-lapse of my personal propagations for more information. Monstera’ are relatively easy to propagate with visible nodes and growth. Cut your plant at the node with sharp sanitized scissors. Cleaning your scissors before using them can control and prevent disease spread and infection. Once you’ve made your cutting you can dip it in a rooting hormone if you’d like and then stick it cut-side-down in water. The rooting hormone is optional, I have made successful rooted cuttings with and without it. Change the water frequently and in a few weeks you’ll have a rooted monstera, ready to plant in soil or not - I love a good water prop/plant.
Monstera Deliciosa make a great starter plant and gift to friends or family members because of their adaptability, easy care, and slow growing root system. If you’re considering purchasing a monstera, give that baby a shoulder to lean on and shop my handmade moss poles now.
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Grow with the flow
