Five Monstera Care Mistakes
Monstera is one of the most popular houseplants there is, and for good reason. A healthy one, with big, glossy leaves full of splits and holes, can transform a room. It is also a plant that people often struggle with, not because it is difficult, but because a few common habits hold it back. Here are the five we see most, and what to do instead.
1. Keeping it too far from the window
This is the most common mistake by a long way, and it is behind most complaints that a monstera "will not split." Leaf splits, called fenestrations, come with maturity and light. A monstera in a dim corner survives, but it puts out small, whole leaves on long, stretched stems as it reaches for the window, and it may never produce the leaves it is known for.
The fix is simple: move it closer. A monstera wants bright, indirect light, a few feet from a sunny window or right beside a bright one that does not get harsh afternoon sun. Within a few months of a move, new leaves usually come in bigger, and splits follow.
2. Watering too often, in soil that stays wet
Monstera roots are thick and need air. In dense, peaty compost that holds water for days, they suffocate and rot, and the plant responds with yellowing, drooping leaves. Many owners see the droop and water again, which makes it worse.
The answer is two changes together. First, pot it in something airy. We grow ours in a chunky aroid mix of bark, coir and perlite, which drains fast and keeps air around the roots. Second, change your watering habits: water thoroughly, then wait until the top two inches of soil are dry before watering again. In summer that may be every week; in winter it may be every two or three.
If you travel a lot, some people grow monstera successfully in a self-watering pot, letting the reservoir run empty for a few days between fills so the roots get air. It works best with a chunky mix like ours.
3. Giving it nothing to climb
In the wild, monstera is a climber that scrambles up tree trunks using its aerial roots. Grown without support, it sprawls sideways, flops over and puts its energy into reaching rather than into big leaves. With something to climb, it grows upward and the leaves get bigger as it goes.
Add a moss pole or a sturdy stake when the plant is young, and tie the main stem to it loosely as it grows. Guide aerial roots toward the pole or into the soil rather than cutting them off; they help anchor and feed the plant.
4. Jumping to a much bigger pot
When a monstera starts to grow, it is tempting to move it into a huge pot so it has room for years. The trouble is that a modest root ball in a large volume of soil leaves most of that soil wet and unused, and wet soil around idle roots is how rot starts.
Repot only when roots are pushing out of the drainage hole or circling the inside of the pot, usually every couple of years, and go up just one size at a time. Spring is the best time. Our repotting guide walks through it step by step.
5. Ignoring the leaves
Large leaves collect a surprising amount of dust, and dust blocks the light the plant needs. Wipe each leaf gently with a damp cloth every month or two, supporting it from below with your other hand. It is also the best time to check the undersides for pests such as spider mites and thrips, which are much easier to deal with when caught early.
A note on pets
Monstera is toxic to cats and dogs if chewed. Keep it where pets cannot reach it, and call your vet if one does eat any.
The short version
- More light: close to a bright window, out of harsh sun.
- Airy soil, and water only when the top two inches are dry.
- A moss pole or stake to climb.
- One pot size at a time, in spring.
- Clean leaves.
None of these are hard, and most of the monsteras we see struggling are one or two changes away from thriving. If you are still unsure how to water a monstera through the seasons, it is worth getting that right before anything else; it fixes more problems than any other change. And if you are thinking of adding one to your home, our monstera ships with a moss pole already in the pot.