Monstera: How to Care for a Monstera Plant the Easy Way

Scientific Name: Monstera Deliciosa

So, this is your first time growing an indoor plant, eh?

Oh. Or… This is one in a long line of air-purifying victims you’ve murdered, and you’re determined to keep it alive this time? Then you’ve come to the right place! (hopefully)

The fun thing about being a newbie indoor gardener and getting a newfound living for which you’re now responsible is that, if you ask around for care guides and care tips, you often get vastly different, usually contradictory, answers. Some people (most likely outdoor gardening veterans) will tell you that crowding your pots is a great way to grow your indoor plant (because companion plants support each other and retain soil moisture for longer), while others (most likely suspects to murder) will tell you they never put more than one plant in the same living space (because they’ll kill each other!), and still others will say you can throw it in a cup of water and it’ll grow. Like with sports athletes, every plant enthusiast has their own understandings, beliefs, and superstitions on how to keep a plant alive in a space that’s nothing like its original home.

So, let me introduce you to the monstera plant. Monstera deliciosa (also known as the Swiss-cheese plant) originally grows like vines in the understory of rain forests located in the Central Americas (like Zones 10-12), growing exposed and covered roots along its nodes as it crawls up trees and along the forest floor. Because of its giant, iconic leaves, monsteras have become popular in households, its persistent ability to grow large lush leaves quickly making it a symbol of prosperity in modern culture (this is possibly also influenced by the fact that monsteras are often expensive to buy in stores).

The problem is, many people have a hard time emulating a rainforest on their very not-waterproof living room counter or floor.

Yet, people do it every day. This is because monsteras have unique properties that make it simple to grow, as long as you have its fundamental living conditions down. So here’s what you need to know:

Soil: Is Cactus Soil Good for Monstera

When you take your first monstera home, you might be wondering what type of soil to put it in. This is easy, because monsteras don’t have very specific requirements. Sprawling across the floor and hanging in the air, its roots can tolerate a wide range of conditions. A monstera likes drying out much more than a mum (or similar flowering annual). That being said, you might want to avoid high drainage soil like cactus soil or orchid chips and opt for a soil with some water-retention (containing some peat). This isn’t because overly porous soil will kill the plant; it’ll just add more watering work on your end.

Water: Best Way to Water a Monstera

One great thing about this plant is that it’s not too finicky and makes a great beginner plant for people who tend to forget their watering regimens. Monstera deliciosa and other monstera plants usually prefer to dry out between watering sessions (this is because the monstera often grows roots outside the ground and can functionally stay dry, but overwatering can cause the roots to rot; watering less frequently, then, is a safer bet). We used to get away with watering our monstera plant every two weeks. Of course, this also depends on where you’ve put your plant (plants right next to the window are going to have different soil conditions than those put in the far-most reaches of sunlight), so I recommend starting out with once a week, then poking a finger (up till the second knuckle) into the soil; if it’s dry, then you can safely water the plant knowing you’re giving it a good thing. If it’s still wet, then the likely conclusion is that it hasn’t dried out, and you should lay back, give it a few more days. Then, you can give it a more standard watering schedule based on your specific plant’s needs.

Pot Buddies: Companion Plants for Monstera

You might be wondering if putting multiple plants in the same pot can be detrimental to your plant’s growth. After all, stores often sell mixed pots for holidays (full of poinsettias and ivy and ferns), out of which there’s often a sole (if any) survivor by the end of the next year, quite symptomatic of a battle royale. The truth is, there are plants that go well together and plants that do not. For example, people like growing rosemary and thyme together in an herb pot (because they require similar growing conditions and do not compete for the soil), but don’t prefer to add mint (which would take over). Likewise, you shouldn’t plant a monstera in the same pot as, let’s say a hydrangea, which likes to get watered constantly, but it’s alright to plant it next to similar plants like ivy and philodendron. Likewise, it’s okay to plant two or more monsteras together, since they do not need an excessive amount of nutrients and will not compete for resources in order to grow.

House buddies: Is Monstera Safe for my Pets?

Monstera is a member of the Arum family, which has a toxic alkaloid, called calcium oxalate, in its leaves. When consumed, it creates needle-like crystals that irritate and damage the entire GI tract of people and animals (to see how it harms birds more specifically, you can read this article). If your dog or cat has consumed a monstera leaf or two right before you clicked into this link, you should give them some milk and call a vet as soon as possible.

Propagation: How to propagate monstera?

Most likely, you came across your monstera plant from a rooted cutting. Cutting monstera deliciosa is often daunting at first, because of the thickness of its stem (kind of like cutting a leg off a person, but not at all). However, if you have some experience, you know that it’s not too bad; often, you can lop a monstera off between its nodes (each node is a segment, often attached to a leaf), wait about an hour for the segment to dry (some people say this step is unnecessary as well, but putting moisture on an open wound is often a recipe for disease for both plants and people), and then put the segment in water or soil, watering frequently until it grows roots (this is often easy because, like ivy, monstera tends to grow thick white roots on its nodes as well).