How to Grow a Monstera deliciosa? Detailed Guide to Cultivation Methods and Care Tips

Monstera deliciosa is an evergreen climbing plant native to the tropical rainforests of Mexico. It has a graceful form, uniquely shaped leaves, and deep green, glossy foliage, making the whole plant highly ornamental. In addition, it has the peculiar ability to absorb carbon dioxide at night, and keeping it indoors can help purify indoor air to some extent. It is now widely grown as a household potted plant.

Growing Environment for Monstera deliciosa

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

2. Prefers shade, avoids strong light: Monstera deliciosa has strong shade tolerance. In a semi-shaded environment, it grows particularly well, showing vigorous growth, well-developed aerial roots, large leaves, and bright, deep green foliage.

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

4. Prefers fertile soil, avoids poor soil: Monstera deliciosa prefers fertile soil, especially fertile sandy loam. Although it can grow in poor red and yellow soils, its growth becomes weak, its form becomes deformed, its leaves become smaller, and its leaf color fades, affecting its ornamental value.

5. Prefers organic fertilizer, avoids chemical fertilizer: Monstera deliciosa is commonly given organic fertilizers such as cake fertilizer, artificial organic fertilizer, livestock and poultry manure residue, and farmyard manure. With these, the plant grows vigorously, with leaves as large as plates, thick and substantial leaf texture, and deep green, glossy leaf color, especially making the tortoise-shell pattern clearer and more distinct.

Propagation Methods for Monstera deliciosa

Monstera deliciosa can be propagated by sowing, cuttings, and layering. Below, the editor introduces the propagation methods for Monstera deliciosa:

1. Propagation by Sowing

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

Sowing should preferably be done indoors, either directly in the ground or in pots. Before sowing, soak the seeds in 40°C warm water for 10 hours. Plain sandy soil can be used as the sowing medium, and the sowing soil should be sterilized at high temperature. The plant and row spacing is 4-5 cm, and the covering soil thickness is 0.2-0.8 cm. After sowing, spray with sufficient water and cover with a small arched shelter. After sowing, maintain the room temperature at 20—25°C and keep the humidity inside the shelter above 90%. If the room temperature is too low during the sowing process, it will not only affect seedling emergence but may even cause the seeds to become water-soaked and rot.

When the seedlings first emerge, the stem and leaves are indistinguishable, appearing as green curved cone-shaped bodies. After one week, the cotyledons gradually unfold into a heart shape, forming small plantlets with distinct stems and leaves. The seedlings are strongly phototropic and grow faster under suitable light, temperature, and humidity conditions. When the seedlings reach about 10 cm in height and have developed 2 true leaves, they can be potted up.

2. Propagation by Cuttings

Propagation by cuttings is essentially burying and planting stem segments. Cut stem sections from the mother plant, keeping 3-4 nodes of the stem base below to allow the latent buds at the nodes to sprout. Shortly after cutting the stem, 2 new stems can emerge and continue growing. The cut stem sections are divided at the internodes into segments of 2-3 nodes each. There are three methods for planting cuttings:

① Top-leaf stem burial method: The stem of Monstera deliciosa has no terminal bud or axillary bud. Inside the petiole of the upper stem leaves, the primordium of a new leaf is harbored. Before emergence, it is enclosed by a milky white longitudinal bract. After the bract splits open, the new leaf emerges. After the new leaf unfolds, the stem also extends forward by one node, while leaving a groove on the lower half of the old leaf, allowing the plant to continuously grow upward. Therefore, when using the top stem section for cuttings, it should be buried with the top leaf. After rooting, the bract on the petiole can quickly split open and produce a new leaf. The plant can take shape in the same year as the cutting. When burying the stem, the stem section can be planted upright in a cutting medium mixed with plain sandy soil and peat soil, and a bamboo stake should be inserted to keep the top leaf upright.

② Side-leaf stem burial method: Stem sections cut from the middle and upper parts of the mother plant's stem mostly bear 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 section is buried obliquely in the cutting medium at a 30° angle to the soil surface, with a bamboo stake inserted to keep the leaf upright.

③ Leafless stem burial method: Stem sections from the lower part of the stem mostly bear no leaves. They can be gathered in a single cutting container and shallowly buried in the medium at a 15-degree angle to the soil surface, with the node ring at the tip level with the soil surface and the crescent-shaped leaf scar at the tip facing upward.

Regardless of which method is used, the aerial roots on the stem should be cut off before planting. Cuttings should be done in late spring and early summer in a well-ventilated indoor space or under a shade shelter. The cuttings should always be kept in a shaded place for care, with frequent misting to keep the medium fully moist while also increasing air humidity. At a soil temperature of 20-25°C, rooting can be expected in 35-50 days.

3. Propagation by Layering

This is done from May to August. During the growing season, insert the aerial roots produced from the previous year's stem internodes into a water bottle or bury them in the potting soil. After about 1 month, many fibrous roots will grow on them. When the roots reach 2 cm in length, use a sharp knife to cut off the lower stem node of the Monstera deliciosa, and plant the cut stem section with aerial roots into a pot.

4. Propagation by Division

This is done in summer and autumn. Cut off an entire side branch of a large Monstera deliciosa, along with some aerial roots, and plant it directly in a wooden tub or pot. This not only has a high survival rate but also takes shape quickly.