Monstera Deliciosa Plant Care Guide

Monstera deliciosa or Swiss Cheese Plant is a member of the Monstera genus within the arum family. It is native to Central America.

Monstera deliciosa is referred to as the Swiss Cheese Plant because the holes in the foliage resemble the holes in Swiss Cheese.

There are around 50 species in the monstera genus.

Monstera Deliciosa at a glance.

Monstera Deliciosa Appearance & Growth Habit

Monstera Deliciosa is a green, vining plant with split leaves. As long as the plant receives ample light, as it matures the new foliage will have fenestrations (holes).

New leaves grow upwards out of the stem of the plant. The leaf itself is wrapped and as time passes the leaf unravels, and the stem continues to grow upwards.

To balance itself, the plant will also grow aerial roots. This helps it ground itself as it races to find the light.

Monstera Deliciosa is a quick growing plant. People either let this plant grow wide and wild, or add a stake (moss pole or coir pole) to try and train the plant grow upwards. As I live in a condo, I use coco coir poles.

Light Requirements for Monstera Deliciosa

Monstera Deliciosa thrives in bright to medium-bright, indirect light.

I keep my one monstera in the middle of the room with a large south-west facing window. The other monstera has east light so I have that one closer to the window.

Ideal Temperature & Humidity for Monstera Deliciosa

Monstera Deliciosa prefers a temperature between 18 to 30 degrees celsius, but can tolerate 15 celsius during the winter. They also prefer average-higher (60%) humidity. Since they come from rainforest regions, they prefer moist air, but do well in average household humidity levels (40-60%).

I keep my monstera in the middle of the room. With ample light from the large window, and closer to my humidifier (I use the Levoit Hybrid Ultrasonic Humidifier (LV600HH)).

I use my humidifier to ensure the humidity levels in my apartment stays between 40% and 60%. Since I live in Canada and the winters can be very dry, and the humidity can drop below 30% humidity, so it’s helpful to set the humidity at about 45% or 50% in this season to keep all of my plants thriving.

Growth Rate and Mature Size of Monstera Deliciosa

On average, Monstera Deliciosa can grow on average up to 15 feet indoors.

New foliage grows out of the stems of Monstera Deliciosa. The new leaf is bright green and grows up straight and appears wrapped. As it matures, the leaf opens and settles. The colour changes to a darker green that matches the rest of the plant.

To encourage growth, fertilize your Monstera monthly during the growing season (spring/summer) with a balanced, fertilizer to support healthy growth and vibrant foliage.

How and When To Repot Monstera Deliciosa

You will know its time to repot your Monstera Deliciosa if its roots are growing out of drainage holes, the roots are circling its pot, or its been 2 years since its last repot.

If your Monstera has outgrown its pot, you will want to pot it up to a planter (with a drainage hole) that is 2″ larger. If you do larger, it can become waterlogged, and increase its chances of root rot or fungus gnats. Add a bit of soil to the bottom of the new pot.

To repot your Monstera, remove it from its old pot. Often multiple Monstera Deliciosas are potted together, so if you want to start a new Monstera Deliciosa plant, this is a good time to pot one in its own pot. Gently separate the plants by detangling their roots. If you plan on staking your Monstera, place the coco coir pole in the soil, and arrange the monstera plants around the poles, and strap them to the pole either using the rope that came with the pole, or plant velcro. Keep adding more soil.

Water after repotting, and place it back in its bright, indirect light location in your home.

For everything you need for a successful repot, check-out my repotting essentials guide.

Blooming Habits of Monstera Deliciosa

Monstera Deliciosa can flower, but it is relatively rare indoors. Typically its flowering period is in the summer, but it can flower in the spring and fall as well.

Monstera Deliciosa is primarily grown for its dramatic leaves with fenestrations vs. its blooms. It won’t bloom until it reaches full maturity, and it requires an environment of consistent warmth, high humidity, and bright, indirect light. You basically need perfect conditions, which can be difficult to reproduce indoors.

When it does bloom, the plant produces a creamy-white, hood-like spathe surrounding a central spadix (similar in appearance to a peace lily flower). In its native habitat, these blooms can develop into edible fruit (hence deliciosa), but fruiting is extremely uncommon for houseplants.

Most indoor growers will never see their Monstera flower, but this doesn’t mean your houseplant isn’t happy!

How to Propagate Monstera Deliciosa (Cuttings & Division)

The easiest way to start a new Monstera Deliciosa is by taking a stem cutting (or division).

• Cuttings: Choose a leaf from a healthy adult Monstera Deliciosa. Make sure the cutting has at least one node or this method won’t work. You can either water propagate or soil propagate from here.
  • Water propagation (my preference): take the cutting from the healthy plant and place it in water. If the water starts to get murky, you will want to change out the water and put the plant back in. Otherwise it will potentially rot the stem and the plant won’t root. I like water propagation because I can see when the roots start to form in a clear glass container. When the roots are stable enough, I then plant it in soil.
  • Soil propagation: with soil propagation, you can take the cutting and put it directly in soil. You won’t be able to see if the plant is rooting in the soil, but if the plant eventually dies, you know it didn’t root successfully. With soil propagation, you don’t have to worry about transplant shock.
• Division: Sometimes multiple monsteras will be potted together. In this situation, you can remove the entire plant from the pot, gently separate the plants, and plant the individual plant into a new pot with soil. Make sure you water the newly divided plant and place it in a bright location with indirect light.

Patience is key with propagation. Give your new plant time to settle into its environment. Once you see new growth, you know your plant is well established.

Watering Monstera Deliciosa: Frequency & Tips

The Monstera Deliciosa likes to be watered when mostly dry (likely once a week depending on your environment).

To determine if your plant needs water, you can stick your finger in the soil (1 to 2 inches) and if it is dry, its ready for water! If you don’t want to get your hands dirty, you can try a moisture meter.

I used to bottom water my monstera through the drainage holes of the pot on a base tray. This the easiest way to know if your plant is thirsty or not, and overwatering can lead to fungus gnats, root rot, or the death of your plant.

Since my monstera is too big to move, I top water it, but this is in a pot with drainage. This is critical because if your pot doesn’t have drainage, you might accidentally drown your plant or make some fungus gnats very happy.

Top watering can also help flush any mineral build up wash through the plant. Make sure the water drips out of the bottom of your drainage hole.

If you are worried about watering your Monstera while on vacation, check-out my guide on 3 ways to water your plant while on vacation.

Common Pests and Problems in Monstera Deliciosa

Monstera Deliciosa can face the following pests and problems.

Monstera Deliciosa Pests

• Mealy Bugs: these look like little white cotton balls on the monstera. You can remove these with your fingers if you catch them early enough, but I would use a cotton swab with a drop of Isopropyl alcohol and try to scrape them off the stem.
• Spider Mites: If spider mites have taken to your monstera, spray them with a mixture of neem oil, dish soap and water (or you can buy an insecticidal soap). I repeat this about once or twice a week (depending on the severity of infestation) for about a month. It’s also good to do this preventatively once a month or so. You will know you have spider mites if you see webbing and leaf damage. Learn how to eradicate Spider Mites.
• Thrips: these are little, dark bugs that look like dirt. They suck the life out of the leaves, and lay eggs within the tissue of the leaf. As they age, they can grow wings and infect other plants. I spray the plant with a mixture of neem oil, dish soap and water. I repeat this every few days to try and get both the pest and the eggs. Sometimes I just chop the affected leaf since they are hard to eradicate. Complete guide on how to get rid of thrips.
• Fungus gnats: Spray the plant with a mixture of neem oil, dish soap and water. I also let the soil dry out and add dryer sheets on top of the soil so the gnats can’t sense the moisture on the soil.

Other Common Problems of Monstera Deliciosa

• Overwatering: Root rot happens from overwatering your plant with insufficient drainage. You can improve the drainage of your Monstera Deliciosa by ensuring your plant is potted in a planter with a drainage hole and using a well draining soil (something with a decent amount of perlite). You can also end up with fungus gnats or fungal disease from overwatering. Signs of overwatering also include curling, wilting leaves.
• Underwatering: Even though plants prefer to be underwatered over overwatered, you still have to remember to water your Monstera on a consistent schedule. Signs of underwatering an include leaves becoming shrivelled, discoloured, dry, brown leaf tips, yellowing, or light brown spots.
• Drooping Leaves: Your Monstera is likely thirsty. Just give it a little water and it should be as good as new. If the soil is already wet though, its possible your monstera has been overwatered.
• Yellowing Leaves: If you have a new leaf coming in, your plant is likely fine. Plants pull energy from older leaves to support new growth. But it can also indicate over- or under- watering or lighting issues.
• Brown Leaf Tips: This can be a sign of underwatering or inconsistent watering.
• Yellow Halo Around Brown Spots or Black Spots on Leaves: This is a sign of fungus. Remove the affected leaves and let the soil dry out before watering again. This is often caused from overwatering.

Monstera Deliciosa Toxicity

Monstera Deliciosa is moderately toxic to humans and pets if ingested. This is because this plant contains calcium oxalate crystals which are not soluble.

If ingested, these crystals can cause issues like difficulty swallowing, upset stomach, drooling, irritation and swelling of tongue, throat, and mouth. Serious poisoning is rare, but it’s best to keep this plant away from curious pets or children that may like to chew on leaves.

Monstera Deliciosa Quick Care Guide

References
Below is a list of external sources I consulted while writing this post. This post is a mixture of my own experiences, and the external sources listed below:
Jomo Studio – Monstera Deliciosa (this is where I bought my plant)
Britannica – Monstera
The Spruce – Monstera Deliciosa