How to grow Monstera deliciosa? Take a look at the latest cultivation methods

Monstera deliciosa is an evergreen climbing plant, native to the tropical rainforests of Mexico. Monstera deliciosa has a graceful plant shape, uniquely shaped leaves, and deep green, glossy foliage, giving the whole plant a fine ornamental effect. In addition, it has the peculiar ability to absorb carbon dioxide at night, and keeping it in a room has a certain effect of purifying indoor air, so it is now widely grown as a household potted plant.

The growing environment of Monstera deliciosa

1. Prefers warmth and fears severe cold: Monstera deliciosa is native to the tropical rainforests of Mexico, prefers a warm environment, and fears freezing, severe cold weather. It will not suffer cold damage above 5°C, and grows well above 12°C.

2. Prefers shade and fears strong light: Monstera deliciosa has strong shade tolerance. In a semi-shaded environment, it grows especially well, showing vigorous growth, well-developed aerial roots, thick leaves, and bright, deep green leaf color.

3. Prefers moisture and fears waterlogging: Monstera deliciosa likes to grow in a moist ecological environment. In the south, where there is a lot of rain, if waterlogging lasts too long, root rot, stem rot, and leaf rot will occur. 

4. Prefers fertile soil and fears poor soil: Monstera deliciosa prefers fertile soil, especially fertile sandy loam. Although it can grow in poor red and yellow soil, its growth becomes weak, its plant shape becomes deformed, its leaves become smaller, and its leaf color becomes lighter, affecting the ornamental effect.

5. Prefers soil fertilizer and fears chemical fertilizer: Monstera deliciosa is often given organic fertilizer, such as cake fertilizer, artificial organic fertilizer, livestock and poultry manure residue, farmyard manure, etc. Its growth is then strong, with leaves as large as plates, thick leaf texture, and deep green, shining leaf color, and especially the turtle-shell pattern becomes clearer and more distinct.

Propagation methods of Monstera deliciosa

Monstera deliciosa can be propagated by sowing, cuttings, and layering. Now the editor will introduce the propagation methods of Monstera deliciosa as follows:

1. Propagation by sowing

Monstera deliciosa blooms in summer. To increase the seed-setting rate, artificial pollination is needed. Pollinating twice, at 9—10 a.m. and 3—4 p.m., is best, with a high pollination success rate. From pollination to seed maturity takes 15 months. The seeds are long oval, yellow-green, like green beans after soaking in water.

Sowing should preferably be done indoors, either in the ground or in pots. Before sowing, first soak the seeds in 40°C warm water for 10 hours. The sowing soil can be plain sand soil, and the sowing soil should be sterilized at high temperature. The spacing between plants and rows is 4-5cm, and the covering depth of soil is 0.2-0.8cm. After sowing, spray enough water and cover with a small arched shed. After sowing, keep the room temperature at 20—25°C, and keep the humidity inside the shed above 90%. If the room temperature is too low during the sowing process, it will not only affect emergence, but the seeds may even develop water-soaked rot.

When the seedlings first emerge, the stem and leaves are not differentiated, appearing as a green curved cone. After one week, the cotyledons gradually unfold into a heart shape, forming a young plant with clearly differentiated stem and leaves. The seedlings have strong phototropism and grow relatively fast under suitable light, temperature, and humidity conditions. When the sown seedlings reach about 10cm in height and have already produced 2 true leaves, they can be potted.

2. Propagation by cuttings

Propagation by cuttings is actually burying and planting stem segments. Cut the stems from the mother plant, keep the lower 3-4 nodes of the stem base, and let the dormant buds at their nodes sprout. Shortly after cutting the stem, 2 new stems can be produced and continue growing. Cut the removed stems into sections of 2-3 nodes each by cutting between the nodes. When taking cuttings, use the following three methods:

① Top-leaf stem burial method: The stems of Monstera deliciosa have no terminal buds or axillary buds. In the leaf stalk of the upper stem leaves, the primordium of a new leaf is harbored. Before emerging, it is enclosed by milky white longitudinal bracts. After the bracts split open, the new leaf emerges. After the new leaf unfolds, the stem also extends forward by one node, while at the same time leaving a groove on the lower half of the old leaf, causing the plant to grow continuously upward. Therefore, when using the stem segment at the top of the stem for cuttings, it should be buried and planted with the top leaf. After rooting, the bract on the leaf stalk can quickly split open and produce a new leaf. In the year of cutting, the plant can take shape. When burying the stem, the stem segment can be planted upright into a cutting medium mixed with plain sand soil and peat soil, and a bamboo pole should be inserted to keep the top leaf upright.

② Side-leaf stem burial method: Most stem segments cut from the middle and upper parts of the mother plant's stem have leaves. When burying the stem, it is best to keep one leaf, as this is quite beneficial for rooting and leaf emergence. Generally, one leaf at the base is retained, and the stem segment is buried obliquely into the cutting medium at 30o to the soil surface, and a bamboo pole is inserted to keep the leaf upright.

③ Stem burial method without leaves: Most stem segments from the lower part of the stem have no leaves. They can be gathered in one cutting container and shallowly buried in the medium at 15 degrees to the soil surface, with the node ring at the front end level with the soil surface and the crescent-shaped leaf scar at the front end facing upward.

No matter which of the above methods is used, the aerial roots on the stem should be cut off before burying and planting. Cuttings should be taken in late spring and early summer in a well-ventilated room or under a shade shed. The cuttings should always be kept in a shaded place for care, with frequent mist spraying to keep the medium fully moist and at the same time increase air humidity. At a soil temperature of 20-25°C, rooting can be expected in 35--50 days.

3. Propagation by layering

Carry this out from May to August. During the growing period, insert the aerial roots produced between the stem nodes of the previous year into a water bottle or bury them in the pot soil. After about 1 month, many fibrous roots will grow on them. When the roots grow to 2cm, use a sharp knife to cut off the lower stem node of the Monstera deliciosa, and plant the cut stem segment with aerial roots into a pot.

4. Propagation by division

Carry this out in summer and autumn. Split off the entire side branches of a large Monstera deliciosa, with some aerial roots, and plant them directly in a wooden tub or pot. This not only gives a high survival rate, but also results in quick shaping.