Monstera care, the 6 things that actually matter

A Monstera is one of the better plants to start on if you have not kept a houseplant alive before, because it is fairly forgiving and it tells you clearly when something is wrong. The catch is that most of the ways people get it wrong are things done out of kindness, watering it too often being the main one, so here are the 6 that actually decide how it goes.

1. Where you put it

Bright but indirect light, which in practice means near a window rather than in one. Direct sun through glass will scorch the leaves and you get crisp brown edges that never come back. A spot a metre or so back from a window that gets morning light is about right, and if the leaves start reaching hard in one direction it wants more light than it is getting.

2. Do not water it on a schedule

Every 1 to 2 weeks is the usual answer and it is a bad answer, because it depends on your house, the pot and the time of year. Put a finger into the mix about two knuckles deep, and if it is dry down there give it a good soak until water runs out the bottom. If it is still damp, leave it.

Sitting in wet mix is what kills them. Overwatering is far and away the most common reason a Monstera goes downhill, and the symptoms look enough like underwatering that people respond by watering it more.

3. Air movement and a bit of humidity

They come from a rainforest floor, so still stuffy air in a closed room does not suit them. Somewhere with a bit of air movement is better. A spray bottle now and then helps in a dry house, and wiping the leaves with a damp cloth does more than people expect, because dust on a leaf that size actually cuts down how much light it can use.

4. Give it something to climb

Those aerial roots coming out of the stem are not a fault, that is how the plant anchors itself and climbs in the wild. Put a moss pole or a stake in the pot and let it grab on. A Monstera that is climbing puts out bigger leaves with more of the splits people want, and one left to sprawl across a shelf mostly does not.

5. Feed it, but only when it is growing

A diluted liquid feed once a month through spring and summer is plenty. Stop over autumn and winter, because the plant slows right down and fertiliser it cannot use just builds up in the mix.

They are not fussy eaters. A general liquid concentrate is fine and there is no need for anything specialist.

6. Give it time to settle

New leaves without splits, or a couple of brown spots after you bring it home, usually mean it is adjusting to a new position rather than dying. Young leaves often come out solid and split as the plant matures, so a small plant with plain leaves is not a dud.

Trim off anything genuinely dead, leave the rest alone, and give it a few weeks before you decide anything is wrong.

Shop related products

• Brunnings Premium Potting Mix 36L. The base for repotting, and a Monstera wants repotting about every second year.
• Brunnings Perlite 5L. Mix it through the potting mix for drainage, which is the single best thing you can do about overwatering.
• Brunnings Horticultural Charcoal 5L. Keeps an indoor pot sweeter for longer.
• Neutrog Seamungus Liquid Concentrate 1L. A general liquid feed for through the growing season.

The garden centre in the shop carries seeds, mixes, fertilisers, pots and tools, and the benches change every couple of weeks, so ring us on (08) 8536 4333 to check what plants are in before you drive over. Everything listed online is in garden products.

More for indoors

• Bathroom plants that absorb moisture
• 11 plants that grow in water
• Homemade plant food to keep your plants happy

I killed a Monstera by being attentive, which I still think is a bit unfair.

Cheers,
Candeece