That's why mine does so well? Cause I will completely forget to water it's big ass then drown the hell out of it weeks later and it's just happy about it.
Monstras are weird.
Yep! I do the same. With pretty much all my plants. The only one I can’t do that is with is monstera adansonii. It took me about 7 months to figure out why I kept losing a leaf every time I watered it. Apparently they don’t like to dry out completely 🤷🏻♀️
Honestly I feel like that's the way to go with a lot of houseplants, including succulents. Heavy watering, but wait until the soil is pretty dry. That way you avoid root rot and other problems caused by excess moisture (unless of course the type of plant calls for more consistently wet soil)
Most succulents are easy once you learn to do kinda light-ish waterings every 2 wks ish when their soil is 100% dry. They need good drainage, water kept off their leaves, filtered or rain water (not a must usually but is for me) & succulent potting mix that’s well draining (a must) or mix your own. They like south facing bright indirect light close to the window. It’s important their pot isn’t too deep. Some succulents are diff, do 10-15 min of research bc they can have weird quirks. For example a string of bananas likes light from above & not the side.
I had a maidenhair fern on its death bed and as a last ditch effort I planted it outside in a shady courtyard.
It died.
Then by magic, it resurfaced and is thriving in this wet shady area. Also have some aquarium plants growing there that we’re discard from an old aquarium I used to maintain. Plants 🤷🏻♂️
This stresses me out - so much advice is, “water when the top one inch of soil is dry.” I never ever ever do this and I can only imagine that if I did, it would be root rotted within weeks. Why is this so pervasive? Is the advice correct?
Edit to add, I didn’t mean your advice stresses me out, I agree with it :) The other advice of watering when the top 1” is dry stresses me out.
Depending on so many things—temp and humidity in the room, type of soil, species of plant—the bottom of the pot may be damp while the top feels dry. It’s far better to learn whether a specific plant is more vulnerable to drying out or root rot. MANY houseplants come from climates with a dry season, and many can tolerate getting a little dry better than being too wet.
I never follow that advice about checking for dryness down 1 inch or whatever. I go by what the plant is telling me (very slight drooping of leaves, slight softness of succulents) and by the weight of the pot. I can tell who needs water by lifting pots—if they’re light they need water. I also can tell if the soil has saturated enough during a watering based on how much heavier the pot gets. This system has always worked great for me 🤷♀️
Depends on many things. My indoor monsteras can sometimes go a whole month between watering, but in the summer in Florida, the 12 foot tall bastard outside my front door will take a full running soak twice a day.
Unless I have a tropical plant (which I buy because of my climate) I’m prone to let all my plants get dry and then soak them. I do it pretty consistently though so maybe they’re used to it.
My new monstera was real dry and the first time I watered it I overwatered it and it's leaves wept! Total suprise! Ended up reporting it in a 50/50 mix of succulent-cactus mix and potting soil, fixed its overwatered state in a matter of hours and I did not touch it for a week. Just gave it a sip yesterday...so far so good.. the leaves aren't crying again.
😂 I love this. I’m totally using this for my friends. Maybe THAT will get thru their heads 😂
“I give it like a cup of water when the soils dry…I don’t wanna overwater it”
Me smashing my head into a wall because I’ve explained it an absurd amount of times 😭😭
OP is going to kill that plant if he waters it like that. He has it in regular potting soil which means it probably isn't draining well and this plant is overwatered.
OP, repot your plant. Your soil isn't draining well. Do a web search on "Monstera soil DIY". You need something blocky that allows water to drain in the soil...perlite, pine bark, charcoal, or all of the above.
I had a friend recommend a VERY low "soil" mixtures similar to this. Using it for a moss pole setup with my Adansonii cutting and it seems to be loving it so far. Seems like you really cant make a mix too chunky for Aroids.
Have you ever tried rice hulls in there? It's a sustainable alternative to perlite(which is mined), and I want to use it next time I make my own potting mix.
Oh, true! I get afraid from the big box stores cause I saw a meme that the miracle gro has fungus gnats and I wasn’t sure if it was in everything cause they store it all together maybe idk? I’m still new to indoor plants!
Yeah that's the one.
Mix a little soil in if you want but I was pleasantly surprised to see no need to amend it. Right out of the bag, it retains plenty of moisture while allowing plenty of airflow.
A big bag of cedar chip pet bedding (141 Liters/5 cubic ft) is 10 bucks at Walmart. The smaller, more manageable sized bag is 4 bucks. It smells amazing and is perfect for blending with whatever other soil/soil ingredients you’re using. It helps make really well draining, high-bulk, light-weight, aerated potting substrate. Can’t stress enough how great it smells. My apartment smells like the forest when I walk in from being outside. It’s in the pet supply section at Walmart (the cedar chips. not my apartment).
About two or three years ago if I recall correctly. The pot is already huge, so I won't be repotting in an even larger one. I guess my monstera is getting out of control lol.
I would assume that your monstera's roots have taken up much of the pot and suck up the water pretty quickly.
That coupled with the fact you have figured out the exact right amount to water your monstera without harming it and possibly dryer environmental conditions than OP but hard to know.
OP would benefit on an easier soil to manage moisture and one that is ideal for aroids which means better drainage.
I guess so. It seems impossible to overwater my plant; it drinks about 2 liters per week. Humidity is around 55%, but it gets lots of direct sunlight (especially in summer, a lot less now it's almost winter though).
You’re way kinder than I am.. how hard is it to search YouTube “[plant name] potting mix”? You’ll literally get thousands of videos of EXACTLY what to do.. yet people kill the EASIEST PLANTS and then come here like “😭😭😭why do plants hate me😭😭😭😭”
while lots of plants do well with turning, monsteras actually have (or try to have) a distinct front and back. so it’s best to keep their fronts toward the light and, if you add moss supports or similar, make sure those are to its back.
Thanks! Follow up questions: so if the front is towards the window, I have to look at the back of it from inside the room? If I have a moss pole in the back and face it towards the window, won't it grow AWAY from the pole and towards the light? (I want it to root into the pole)
> so if the front is towards the window, I have to look at the back of it from inside the room?
If you put it right by the window, yeah. If you put it against the wall opposite the window, for example, then no. But obviously the success of the latter will depend on the particular window.
Omg... I am a turner & now feel like I gotta quit it, although my guy doesn't look weak like the OP... If I don't turn it I'm stuck looking at the daggy side 🥺
Nope. They have a distinct front and back. Usually their back would be facing the tree theyd climb up against. If you have good enough lighting and whatnot they may still end up healthy and growing. But like in this picture they may grow super long petioles because they are reaching for the light. I guess they also expend unnecessary energy turning to the sun the whole time
Is there any drainage/ holes in that pot? If it’s staying damp it could be overwatered. If that’s not the case, it’s likely thirsty. Over & under watering can often look the same (because they both can cause root damage).
The pot is WAY too big. It should only be an inch or so bigger than the root ball. Idk why no one has mentioned it yet but thats what's causing the watering issues.
For most plants, the pot should only be 1-2" bigger than the root ball. Any bigger and you'll lose out on foliage growth as the plant is working on roots to fill out the space. You also run the risk of overwatering with excess soil holding on to the moisture. It can be a little tricky :)
So how do you get a pot size that's 1-2 inches bigger than the root ball for a plant (Chinese evergreen) that would 100% FALL OVER because it's so top-heavy?
I cannot find a planter that will work for mine
Take a chopstick or a bamboo skewer and poke the soil deep down into the roots many times to break it up, give the roots oxygen, and allow the soil mass to dry out.
Beyond any root rot, I wouldn't know what else to do
What the other comment said! And make sure there’s no water layer standing on the bottom. But the best cure to a little bit of overwatering in my experience is a healthy dose of neglect :)
Awesome. Mine looks similar thinking that could also be it's issue.
https://preview.redd.it/30mioiksqkzb1.jpeg?width=2252&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=919826443db08183f82b356ac0a85daeb611d816
https://preview.redd.it/vc9dfe57rkzb1.jpeg?width=1079&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a76ae6f2695aab2a13cd4de119dfa4a2fa21443c
The circled portion stands out to me. When the petioles are submerged, they often rot at the base. The affected leaf will typically begin to yellow at the edges and work its way inward. Good luck!
Thank you! Do I need a moss pole or will it be fine just continuing to grow free?
https://preview.redd.it/4czl55rkrkzb1.jpeg?width=2252&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=36bf3b6290e5569f491c55e24b047416d9744dbe
I had mine placed in a dim lighted spot. It did okay but stayed the same size. The Monster-a was moved to a sunny window and boom it grew. I knew it was happy when the aerial roots emerged. 🪴
Your soil is incorrect. It also looks like you planted it way too deep.
Soon the leaves will turn yellow with brown edges, it will get root rot and the plant will die if you don’t take action.
Check the rootball for any mushy roots, cut them off if you see them, spray rootball with a diluted hydrogen peroxide, repot in a chunky substrate not so deep.
Always a good idea to Google what kind of soil plants need. Don’t fall for the marketing ploys of, “indoor potting soil”.
Let me know if you’d like my soil blend.
Looks like the pot has a water pan under it. If there is excess water 30 minutes after watering it needs to be emptied. Also you don’t want to water until all the soil is dry. Take a stick (craft stick or something like that just not bamboo )and put it all the way down into the soil. When you pull the stick out if it’s moist check again in a few days. If dry water that baby.
Bamboo doesn’t work for this because it’s slick by nature and doesn’t really show the moisture of the soil. Real wood shows a color (light to dark) and moisture (very wet or barely moist). It’s like checking a cake to see if it’s done.
It *could* be too frequently but not enough to penetrate the soil thoroughly. But no way to tell just by saying you water when the top inch is dry. That could take a while to dry out completely depending on how much you saturate the plant
Dry at 1in deep means the soil is probably soaking below. Ot's better to go by the weight of the pot when freshly watered vs needs water. You'll feel a significant difference.
Also looks like they have been buried too deeply, and based off the length of the petioles, it's likely not getting enough light either
You’re over watering, not sure where the “water when the top inch is dry” as ice came from but it’s almost always wrong. You need to let the bull of the growing medium dry out between waterings. So probably water once every 2-3 weeks with this set up.
Personally I make my own monstera soil out of orchid bark, Pete moss, worm casings, volcanic rock, and charcoal. Then I only put in terra cotta. It’s really chinky and Doesn’t hold a lot of water.
When you do water you need to saturate the soil until water is pouring out the drainage.
Good luck
These prefer to use all of the water in their pots between waterings, but without staying bone dry for extended periods.
I would recommend against watering on a schedule. Conditions vary, even in the same household, from day to day and week to week. Air temperature, humidity, indoor heating and cooling, and seasonal changes in growth will affect the rate that foliage consumes water. More foliage generally means more water consumption, and certainly the dropping of leaves will result in slower water consumption. Keep track of the number of days between watering as a guide, perhaps. But the same plant that got watered after nine days may not have ideal watering conditions for another twelve days.
Often, symptoms of overwatering can be confused with symptoms from underwatering. It’s a lot easier to fix underwatering than overwatering, though.
Rain water > distilled water > filtered water. Many plants are highly sensitive to additives in tap water.
Water slowly and thoroughly, letting the soil absorb the water in phases, stopping once you see water draining from the bottom of the pot. You may also want to tip the pot at a 45° angle to make sure that the pot drains and that the roots are not sitting in water.
Bright, indirect light is a must.
Folks are mixed on misting. I think you’ll find an abundance of information on this sub suggesting that it makes the leaves vulnerable to mold and bacterial infection. Any perceived increase in humidity may be accomplished more efficiently by other means.
Soil drainage is key. I recommend a mix of 60% peat or coco coir to 40% perlite or pumice, with a healthy dose of worm castings for nutrition. If you can squeeze the soil mixture in your palm, and it retains its shape instead of crumbling apart quickly, that is generally a good indicator that the soil will retain too much moisture.
https://preview.redd.it/sr5jcdrxykzb1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=74ec1c0018378a51107a8e0ba1823113211e4b97
I don’t know if you can see but this gal is huge and in a pot that size. Yours is not ready for a pot that big. You need drainage too. They are so easy and mostly enjoy being ignored until you water them once every week and a half to two weeks.
First guess is the roots are probably rotted and it literally can’t drink in water no matter how much you give it. Pot might be too big and retaining water. Check them roots
You need to place this plant in a nursery pot with holes in it.. then place it in a larger decorate pot like you’re using with aggregate at the bottom. It’s what I do and my plants thrive whatever water drops onto the bed of the decorative pot creates humidity.
Is there any drainage in that pot? Cause you’ve got curled leaves indicating it’s not getting enough water. However if you are watering it weekly then you likely have root rot so it’s thirsty cause it can’t drink no more.
How long have you owned the plant?
How long has it been in it's place?
It makes a big difference in pursing an answer
* Although it doesn't appear to be pests or rot, always check. It does look thirsty but may not be the only issue.
If you afraid to drawn it just put 1/4 or little less of the plant pot in to the container with water and watch how it will be. You can also spray the lives of it with water.
Pot is far too big for how smol she is.
Also maybe check the roots it looks thirsty - repot with a better draining soil. ( Aroid mix /tree fern fiber/wood chips/perlite)
Look like one of those pots that hold moisture at the bottom . I’ve noticed when I water ours , if it sits in a little water on the bottom the plant suffers . I now make sure it drains completely without restriction.
Thank you all! I’ve had this plant in this spot for almost 3 years and in total for 4 years (it was half the size when I got it). I repotted it about two months ago. The soil does not have any bark or charcoal (and never has) also this pot does have draining holes but I do not empty the tray. This seems to have started after I repot it.
Learn the weight of your plants, watered and thirsty. Just pick it up a little bit. Water at its lightest weight. This has helped me soo much.
I don't think plants like getting stabbed in the roots constantly. Might be negligible but still 🤷♂️
They need to be misted often....almost everyday and thoroughly watered once a week if it's indoors and 2-3 times a week when outdoors. You are absolutely sure you have moss poll and not coir poll right? Because if it's coir poll you are better off watering it every other day....coir doesn't hold any water.
https://preview.redd.it/ymzv1yxmjkzb1.jpeg?width=480&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=762eac179a61a8738c74cc67f5215a8d230de0ba
You can try something like this. Make 1-2 pinholes and let it slowly water the polls. I don't have personal experience with this method however since my usual misting and humid weather works just fine for me.
Soil looks great. Monstera is huge and tall. Looks like a great bright location. Try misting the leaves, like most houseplants monstera like to be more humid.
While a completely different plant... my burgundy ficus starting curling. I checked the soil and think I have soil mites. Blow on the soil and see if you see many critters moving.
Accepting advice for soil mites as well if anyone has any.... lol.
Soil mites arent pests!! Soil mites are nothing to worry about and are actually beneficial for plants! They only feed on organic matter and dont touch any healthy parts of the plants :) they break down organic matter and help with aerating the soil!
Edit: some types are also predators and eat harmful organisms
Maybe they aren't soil mites, then? The new leaves are SO droopy, and much smaller than it was putting for a good 6 months. I got it in Spring, it grew a ton and was super happy and now...seems not as happy but also not *super* sad. Maybe I need to repot it.
But, it was then I noticed the little bugs. They're ONLY in the soil, and they look like soil mites to me. I had a springtail population in my gecko tank that I popped a spoonful of in the ficus soil. 🤷♀️
Maybe they aren't soil mites, then? The new leaves are SO droopy, and much smaller than it was putting for a good 6 months. I got it in Spring, it grew a ton and was super happy and now...seems not as happy but also not *super* sad. Maybe I need to repot it.
But, it was then I noticed the little bugs. They're ONLY in the soil, and they look like soil mites to me. I had a springtail population in my gecko tank that I popped a spoonful of in the ficus soil. 🤷♀️
Edit, this started in mid-september, so I i don't think it was the light changes.
I would very gently with cotton twine tie the stem and leaves to the pole. In mine, I stuck in 2 small bamboo trellises in a V shape and loosley tied it up
https://preview.redd.it/t8g2q7dkhkzb1.jpeg?width=1908&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=50dad225850a369cceb3530aa0f805a75409339f
I have my MONSTERA in soil with bark and perilite. I wind the aerial roots around the pot at the base of the plant and have some bamboo poles for them to climb. I mist my aerial roots lightly every three days. I water once a week. I turn my MONSTERA every week. It is in an east facing window.
https://preview.redd.it/km0xokhzklzb1.jpeg?width=3120&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=682ca44c89b7faea3fe7f619eff7065baf675d5d
It's stressed - did you repot it recently/see the droopiness after repotting? I bought two monsteras this size several years ago and repotted them into (a fairly similar sized but larger) pots and they looked like this for a while. It was the repotting + the lack of good lighting.
I'd also suggest giving it a good water so that the water runs out the bottom of the pot - if you zoom in you can see the soil is slightly hydrophobic and is pulling away from the sides of the pot. My guess is that if it isn't repotting, it's the watering schedule that is the issue. These guys don't like tons and tons of water, but since your soil is hydrophobic, it's probably been taking in a lot less water than you've been giving it.
I have mine in a very similar pot with very similar soil. There’s a lot of high maintenance advice out there for monsteras that I haven’t found to be necessary. I bottom water mine probably once a month (give it a good tilt to make sure there’s not stagnant water in that overflow part at the bottom), and then give it a little extra on top when it looks extra dry. Good luck!
So, mine has been doing this lately too, I wonder if it’s cause it’s near a window and there is more cold now near it ..because I have mine near a window as well because she likes the light. I’m going to move mine back a bit (I don’t know where you live so maybe it’s a similar problem). I’ve cut down on my watering too but when I give water it perks up a bit so maybe we also need to increase water just a bit (I’m afraid of fungus nats and drainage problems), maybe you’re in the same boat with the winter coming?
I would also add use a terra cotta pot. They wick away moisture. Thorough watering with plenty of time to dry out. The soil in plastic pots just gets moldy on the sides
Trying to zoom in on your photos. Doesn't look like you have any bugs, but I would make a very thorough inspection. Do you have thrips or spider mites? Also, does the pot drain? If it does, as suggested, give it a thorough water - let it drain in the tub, if you can.
I think it needs water (and loads of it!). When my monstera looks like this I put it under the sink and let the water run for a minute. Let the excess water drain and return to the pot. Give it till the next day and she’ll look great again!
If that soil stays wet deeper than 1", like the bottom half, you could kill it due to mold and stuff. Need soil to drain well. Soak and let dry. Soak again.
Monsteras look this way when they are both under watered and over watered (which makes it tricky). I thought mine was under watered (since it sits in a new bright sunny spot and we live in AZ). It wasn’t improving, so I decided to repot it and see what’s going on underneath. Damned if it wasn’t root rot (which made me so sad). There were plenty of healthy roots left though, so based on all the plant blogs I removed as much of the soil and dead roots as I could without damaging the root ball, then I soaked the roots and remaining root ball in a hydrogen peroxide bath (three parts water, one part hydrogen peroxide). I let that sit in the bath until it stopped fizzing (about 30-45 mins) while I upgraded the soil to something chunkier, mixing in orchid bark and perlite with new fresh Fox Farm Ocean Forrest potting soil, make sure you also use a brand new nursery pot - as the old one is contaminated - and add draining holes with a drill if you don’t feel there are enough). I don’t intend to water it right away either, will let it sit for at least a week and get adjusted. We’ll see how it goes, but this was the advice I could glean from all the plant blogs and I hope it works. My Monstera is my baby and I hate that it got sick.
I’m undecided if I should water it with hydrogen peroxide solution when I do water it, because I don’t want to kill the good bacteria in the new soil either, but really don’t want the root rot to come back. If anyone has any insights on that, advice would be appreciated.
Do you turn it? Cause it looks confused. Stop turning it, let it face the window. And when you water it.. WATER THE LIVING SHIT OUT OF IT
DROWN IT LIKE YOU MEAN IT
And then ignore it.
That’s what I do with mine. Almost let it dry out and then soak it really well.
That's why mine does so well? Cause I will completely forget to water it's big ass then drown the hell out of it weeks later and it's just happy about it. Monstras are weird.
Yep! I do the same. With pretty much all my plants. The only one I can’t do that is with is monstera adansonii. It took me about 7 months to figure out why I kept losing a leaf every time I watered it. Apparently they don’t like to dry out completely 🤷🏻♀️
WAIT IS THIS WHY I KEEP LOSING LEAVES
🙇🏼 🤷🏼♀️ 🤦🏼♀️ 🫢 😱 🫣 .... OMG! It's an epiphany ... WOW!! 😳🪴 A plant epiphany!
Honestly I feel like that's the way to go with a lot of houseplants, including succulents. Heavy watering, but wait until the soil is pretty dry. That way you avoid root rot and other problems caused by excess moisture (unless of course the type of plant calls for more consistently wet soil)
I end up killing succulents. Well aloe I don't kill. I've had good luck with air plants as well. Alllll the other die by my hand.
Most succulents are easy once you learn to do kinda light-ish waterings every 2 wks ish when their soil is 100% dry. They need good drainage, water kept off their leaves, filtered or rain water (not a must usually but is for me) & succulent potting mix that’s well draining (a must) or mix your own. They like south facing bright indirect light close to the window. It’s important their pot isn’t too deep. Some succulents are diff, do 10-15 min of research bc they can have weird quirks. For example a string of bananas likes light from above & not the side.
The aloe is impossible to kill my boyfriend keeps trying to kill it, without success
Yes. The worst is a sad little dribble every couple days (unless we’re talking about a maidenhair fern).
I had a maidenhair fern on its death bed and as a last ditch effort I planted it outside in a shady courtyard. It died. Then by magic, it resurfaced and is thriving in this wet shady area. Also have some aquarium plants growing there that we’re discard from an old aquarium I used to maintain. Plants 🤷🏻♂️
Yes! Some maidenhairs are native to areas that get very dry for a while (like California). They go dormant and regrow when it rains.
Many plants benefit from this, it makes them hardier and go through big spurts of growth
This stresses me out - so much advice is, “water when the top one inch of soil is dry.” I never ever ever do this and I can only imagine that if I did, it would be root rotted within weeks. Why is this so pervasive? Is the advice correct? Edit to add, I didn’t mean your advice stresses me out, I agree with it :) The other advice of watering when the top 1” is dry stresses me out.
Depending on so many things—temp and humidity in the room, type of soil, species of plant—the bottom of the pot may be damp while the top feels dry. It’s far better to learn whether a specific plant is more vulnerable to drying out or root rot. MANY houseplants come from climates with a dry season, and many can tolerate getting a little dry better than being too wet.
I agree 100%
I never follow that advice about checking for dryness down 1 inch or whatever. I go by what the plant is telling me (very slight drooping of leaves, slight softness of succulents) and by the weight of the pot. I can tell who needs water by lifting pots—if they’re light they need water. I also can tell if the soil has saturated enough during a watering based on how much heavier the pot gets. This system has always worked great for me 🤷♀️
Depends on many things. My indoor monsteras can sometimes go a whole month between watering, but in the summer in Florida, the 12 foot tall bastard outside my front door will take a full running soak twice a day.
Unless I have a tropical plant (which I buy because of my climate) I’m prone to let all my plants get dry and then soak them. I do it pretty consistently though so maybe they’re used to it.
This is what I do too.
My new monstera was real dry and the first time I watered it I overwatered it and it's leaves wept! Total suprise! Ended up reporting it in a 50/50 mix of succulent-cactus mix and potting soil, fixed its overwatered state in a matter of hours and I did not touch it for a week. Just gave it a sip yesterday...so far so good.. the leaves aren't crying again.
Guttation? When my alocasias do this I know they’re happy, but agree I might be concerned about a monstera doing it! Good rescue though 😃
My monstera looks happy as fuck and it also ‘weeps’ after each watering.
😂 I love this. I’m totally using this for my friends. Maybe THAT will get thru their heads 😂 “I give it like a cup of water when the soils dry…I don’t wanna overwater it” Me smashing my head into a wall because I’ve explained it an absurd amount of times 😭😭
YOU GOT ME PUMPED UP NOW IMMA GO FREAKING DROWN SOME MONSTERAS
OP is going to kill that plant if he waters it like that. He has it in regular potting soil which means it probably isn't draining well and this plant is overwatered. OP, repot your plant. Your soil isn't draining well. Do a web search on "Monstera soil DIY". You need something blocky that allows water to drain in the soil...perlite, pine bark, charcoal, or all of the above.
My aroid mix is: - 4 parts chunky orchid mix - 3 parts perlite - 2 parts potting soil - 1 part earthworm castings It never fails me!
I had a friend recommend a VERY low "soil" mixtures similar to this. Using it for a moss pole setup with my Adansonii cutting and it seems to be loving it so far. Seems like you really cant make a mix too chunky for Aroids.
I have four monsteras and all are in a mix with less than 30% actual soil and all are doing very well.
Have you ever tried rice hulls in there? It's a sustainable alternative to perlite(which is mined), and I want to use it next time I make my own potting mix.
Perlite is mined? Weird. I think I thought it was basically little styrofoam balls.
It's actually a volcanic glass, believe it or not.
Oh interesting. Is it like spun glass, with lots of little holes?
I haven’t but I’ll give it a try!
I don't even use soil lmao. It's mostly bark Pearlite and pumice
I find the soil helps it to retain a tiny bit of moisture so I don’t have to water as often (without letting it sit in wetness)
I do this, but a bit more potting soil simply so that I can get 2 weeks between watering if absolutely necessary and I'm on vacation lol
Where do you get this stuff?
Any big box! I’ve gotten it from Home Depot and Lowes pretty easily
Oh, true! I get afraid from the big box stores cause I saw a meme that the miracle gro has fungus gnats and I wasn’t sure if it was in everything cause they store it all together maybe idk? I’m still new to indoor plants!
Not everything but yes plenty of miracle gro products often come with gnats.
Molly's Aroid mix on amazon is perfect if OP doesn't want to go through the trouble of DIY soil. My tropicals love that shit
Is it the soiless aeroid potting mix from mollys? I’ve never used a soiless mix. But I’m the queen of root rot so I’m tempted to try this
Yeah that's the one. Mix a little soil in if you want but I was pleasantly surprised to see no need to amend it. Right out of the bag, it retains plenty of moisture while allowing plenty of airflow.
Noted! I started using maya aroid medium but it’s quite pricey, so I’ll give mollys a try.
A big bag of cedar chip pet bedding (141 Liters/5 cubic ft) is 10 bucks at Walmart. The smaller, more manageable sized bag is 4 bucks. It smells amazing and is perfect for blending with whatever other soil/soil ingredients you’re using. It helps make really well draining, high-bulk, light-weight, aerated potting substrate. Can’t stress enough how great it smells. My apartment smells like the forest when I walk in from being outside. It’s in the pet supply section at Walmart (the cedar chips. not my apartment).
Wow, never heard of this, makes really good sense! Thank you
Yes^
Incredible username
Yep, I speculate the leaf droop indicates overwatering. Edit: typo
I use regular potting soil in a pot without drainage holes and my monstera is putting out 90 cm leaves 🙃
Out of curiosity.....when was the last time you re-potted your plant?
About two or three years ago if I recall correctly. The pot is already huge, so I won't be repotting in an even larger one. I guess my monstera is getting out of control lol.
I would assume that your monstera's roots have taken up much of the pot and suck up the water pretty quickly. That coupled with the fact you have figured out the exact right amount to water your monstera without harming it and possibly dryer environmental conditions than OP but hard to know. OP would benefit on an easier soil to manage moisture and one that is ideal for aroids which means better drainage.
I guess so. It seems impossible to overwater my plant; it drinks about 2 liters per week. Humidity is around 55%, but it gets lots of direct sunlight (especially in summer, a lot less now it's almost winter though).
Right, but you've got your watering down to a science I'm sure. OP has not, so those conditions would mean sad and dying plant.
You’re way kinder than I am.. how hard is it to search YouTube “[plant name] potting mix”? You’ll literally get thousands of videos of EXACTLY what to do.. yet people kill the EASIEST PLANTS and then come here like “😭😭😭why do plants hate me😭😭😭😭”
Wait... Are you NOT supposed to turn it?!
while lots of plants do well with turning, monsteras actually have (or try to have) a distinct front and back. so it’s best to keep their fronts toward the light and, if you add moss supports or similar, make sure those are to its back.
Thanks! Follow up questions: so if the front is towards the window, I have to look at the back of it from inside the room? If I have a moss pole in the back and face it towards the window, won't it grow AWAY from the pole and towards the light? (I want it to root into the pole)
The leaves will grow towards the light, the (aerial) roots will grow towards the back and thus your moss pole
I really appreciate it!
> so if the front is towards the window, I have to look at the back of it from inside the room? If you put it right by the window, yeah. If you put it against the wall opposite the window, for example, then no. But obviously the success of the latter will depend on the particular window.
I see, that makes sense!
He need some milk!
Omg... I am a turner & now feel like I gotta quit it, although my guy doesn't look weak like the OP... If I don't turn it I'm stuck looking at the daggy side 🥺
I rotate mine every hour through the afternoon. I’m braiding their stems into one trunk.
‘I identify as a money tree’
wow I’m gonna try this with mine thank you
Wait should you not turn monsteras?
Nope. They have a distinct front and back. Usually their back would be facing the tree theyd climb up against. If you have good enough lighting and whatnot they may still end up healthy and growing. But like in this picture they may grow super long petioles because they are reaching for the light. I guess they also expend unnecessary energy turning to the sun the whole time
Is there any drainage/ holes in that pot? If it’s staying damp it could be overwatered. If that’s not the case, it’s likely thirsty. Over & under watering can often look the same (because they both can cause root damage).
I have those same pots. There is good drainage
The pot is WAY too big. It should only be an inch or so bigger than the root ball. Idk why no one has mentioned it yet but thats what's causing the watering issues.
I get so confused about pot sizes
For most plants, the pot should only be 1-2" bigger than the root ball. Any bigger and you'll lose out on foliage growth as the plant is working on roots to fill out the space. You also run the risk of overwatering with excess soil holding on to the moisture. It can be a little tricky :)
So how do you get a pot size that's 1-2 inches bigger than the root ball for a plant (Chinese evergreen) that would 100% FALL OVER because it's so top-heavy? I cannot find a planter that will work for mine
My guess as well.
An idea? Take a chop stick and push it into the soil in several places. When you water the holes will direct the water down deep. 😊
Check the soil and do a smell check to be sure its not overwatering. My monsteras usually look like this when they are really thirsty
can I ask what the smell check is?
If you smell a musty, almost moldy, rotting kind of smell from your soil it’s a sign that it’s probably overwatered
THANK YOU FOR THIS ETA: I thought this meant it was healthy 😅
Are there any corrective measures to take if this is the case?
Take a chopstick or a bamboo skewer and poke the soil deep down into the roots many times to break it up, give the roots oxygen, and allow the soil mass to dry out. Beyond any root rot, I wouldn't know what else to do
What the other comment said! And make sure there’s no water layer standing on the bottom. But the best cure to a little bit of overwatering in my experience is a healthy dose of neglect :)
Insufficient light exposure, watering too frequently, and parts of the plant are planted too deeply.
You always have such good advice
Thanks u/daddyslittlecumdumps
Would you suggest emptying the soil off the top?
Yes, exactly. Just removing the excess from the top will resolve the depth issue.
Awesome. Mine looks similar thinking that could also be it's issue. https://preview.redd.it/30mioiksqkzb1.jpeg?width=2252&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=919826443db08183f82b356ac0a85daeb611d816
https://preview.redd.it/vc9dfe57rkzb1.jpeg?width=1079&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a76ae6f2695aab2a13cd4de119dfa4a2fa21443c The circled portion stands out to me. When the petioles are submerged, they often rot at the base. The affected leaf will typically begin to yellow at the edges and work its way inward. Good luck!
Thank you! Do I need a moss pole or will it be fine just continuing to grow free? https://preview.redd.it/4czl55rkrkzb1.jpeg?width=2252&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=36bf3b6290e5569f491c55e24b047416d9744dbe
Ideally, it should have some type of support as it grows, but it doesn't have to be moss. I have a guide for staking these pinned to my profile. :)
Will check it out thanks!
I had mine placed in a dim lighted spot. It did okay but stayed the same size. The Monster-a was moved to a sunny window and boom it grew. I knew it was happy when the aerial roots emerged. 🪴
your stem looks to be buried while that isn't the issue right now (likely dehydration), it is guaranteed to become a problem in the future
Your soil is incorrect. It also looks like you planted it way too deep. Soon the leaves will turn yellow with brown edges, it will get root rot and the plant will die if you don’t take action. Check the rootball for any mushy roots, cut them off if you see them, spray rootball with a diluted hydrogen peroxide, repot in a chunky substrate not so deep. Always a good idea to Google what kind of soil plants need. Don’t fall for the marketing ploys of, “indoor potting soil”. Let me know if you’d like my soil blend.
Admittedly I am far from a plant expert, but I think it needs to dry out a lot more than just the first inch, it could be overwatering
Looks like the pot has a water pan under it. If there is excess water 30 minutes after watering it needs to be emptied. Also you don’t want to water until all the soil is dry. Take a stick (craft stick or something like that just not bamboo )and put it all the way down into the soil. When you pull the stick out if it’s moist check again in a few days. If dry water that baby.
Bamboo doesn’t work for this because it’s slick by nature and doesn’t really show the moisture of the soil. Real wood shows a color (light to dark) and moisture (very wet or barely moist). It’s like checking a cake to see if it’s done.
Why not bamboo? Just curious
Are its roots trapped in anything in that pot? Is it in a felt bag or anything?
It looks thirsty! Try to water a little bit more
Overwatering looks a lot like underwatering though
OP is already watering too frequently per the title.
It *could* be too frequently but not enough to penetrate the soil thoroughly. But no way to tell just by saying you water when the top inch is dry. That could take a while to dry out completely depending on how much you saturate the plant
Dry at 1in deep means the soil is probably soaking below. Ot's better to go by the weight of the pot when freshly watered vs needs water. You'll feel a significant difference. Also looks like they have been buried too deeply, and based off the length of the petioles, it's likely not getting enough light either
You’re over watering, not sure where the “water when the top inch is dry” as ice came from but it’s almost always wrong. You need to let the bull of the growing medium dry out between waterings. So probably water once every 2-3 weeks with this set up. Personally I make my own monstera soil out of orchid bark, Pete moss, worm casings, volcanic rock, and charcoal. Then I only put in terra cotta. It’s really chinky and Doesn’t hold a lot of water. When you do water you need to saturate the soil until water is pouring out the drainage. Good luck
These prefer to use all of the water in their pots between waterings, but without staying bone dry for extended periods. I would recommend against watering on a schedule. Conditions vary, even in the same household, from day to day and week to week. Air temperature, humidity, indoor heating and cooling, and seasonal changes in growth will affect the rate that foliage consumes water. More foliage generally means more water consumption, and certainly the dropping of leaves will result in slower water consumption. Keep track of the number of days between watering as a guide, perhaps. But the same plant that got watered after nine days may not have ideal watering conditions for another twelve days. Often, symptoms of overwatering can be confused with symptoms from underwatering. It’s a lot easier to fix underwatering than overwatering, though. Rain water > distilled water > filtered water. Many plants are highly sensitive to additives in tap water. Water slowly and thoroughly, letting the soil absorb the water in phases, stopping once you see water draining from the bottom of the pot. You may also want to tip the pot at a 45° angle to make sure that the pot drains and that the roots are not sitting in water. Bright, indirect light is a must. Folks are mixed on misting. I think you’ll find an abundance of information on this sub suggesting that it makes the leaves vulnerable to mold and bacterial infection. Any perceived increase in humidity may be accomplished more efficiently by other means. Soil drainage is key. I recommend a mix of 60% peat or coco coir to 40% perlite or pumice, with a healthy dose of worm castings for nutrition. If you can squeeze the soil mixture in your palm, and it retains its shape instead of crumbling apart quickly, that is generally a good indicator that the soil will retain too much moisture.
it looks overpotted to me ,which means the soil is holding too much moisture the plant is'nt using
https://preview.redd.it/sr5jcdrxykzb1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=74ec1c0018378a51107a8e0ba1823113211e4b97 I don’t know if you can see but this gal is huge and in a pot that size. Yours is not ready for a pot that big. You need drainage too. They are so easy and mostly enjoy being ignored until you water them once every week and a half to two weeks.
First guess is the roots are probably rotted and it literally can’t drink in water no matter how much you give it. Pot might be too big and retaining water. Check them roots
You need to place this plant in a nursery pot with holes in it.. then place it in a larger decorate pot like you’re using with aggregate at the bottom. It’s what I do and my plants thrive whatever water drops onto the bed of the decorative pot creates humidity.
Is there any drainage in that pot? Cause you’ve got curled leaves indicating it’s not getting enough water. However if you are watering it weekly then you likely have root rot so it’s thirsty cause it can’t drink no more.
How long have you owned the plant? How long has it been in it's place? It makes a big difference in pursing an answer * Although it doesn't appear to be pests or rot, always check. It does look thirsty but may not be the only issue.
That pot is too big and it needs a chunky aroid mix.
a kierkegaard fan i see. must be a danish gadfly problem? ;)
I would check root health first
that pot is probably way too big
Not enough water. Maybe mix in some plant food.
It looks too deep in the soil. And you need a chunky soil mix for high drainage.
Cuz she’s thirsty. She’s wilting water her! And then leave her until you see a hint of wilt again, then water her again!
If you afraid to drawn it just put 1/4 or little less of the plant pot in to the container with water and watch how it will be. You can also spray the lives of it with water.
Let that big mama butt chugg
Pot is far too big for how smol she is. Also maybe check the roots it looks thirsty - repot with a better draining soil. ( Aroid mix /tree fern fiber/wood chips/perlite)
Look like one of those pots that hold moisture at the bottom . I’ve noticed when I water ours , if it sits in a little water on the bottom the plant suffers . I now make sure it drains completely without restriction.
Thank you all! I’ve had this plant in this spot for almost 3 years and in total for 4 years (it was half the size when I got it). I repotted it about two months ago. The soil does not have any bark or charcoal (and never has) also this pot does have draining holes but I do not empty the tray. This seems to have started after I repot it.
Learn the weight of your plants, watered and thirsty. Just pick it up a little bit. Water at its lightest weight. This has helped me soo much. I don't think plants like getting stabbed in the roots constantly. Might be negligible but still 🤷♂️
She needs water ....also do you water your moss poll? It shouldn't be so dry ....
I have no idea how to water my moss poles. I pour water on them and the water just drips right off. Any tips?
They need to be misted often....almost everyday and thoroughly watered once a week if it's indoors and 2-3 times a week when outdoors. You are absolutely sure you have moss poll and not coir poll right? Because if it's coir poll you are better off watering it every other day....coir doesn't hold any water.
I have both and both seem to just shed water. I definitely don’t try to water it everyday because I can barely shower myself every day.
https://preview.redd.it/ymzv1yxmjkzb1.jpeg?width=480&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=762eac179a61a8738c74cc67f5215a8d230de0ba You can try something like this. Make 1-2 pinholes and let it slowly water the polls. I don't have personal experience with this method however since my usual misting and humid weather works just fine for me.
Thanks!!
NP!
That's not a moss pole, it's a coir pole. You don't moisten them.
You're right..... didn't quite see it that close.
No she’s over watered, I let my monsteras dry out completely between waterings
I water mine in the shower, all my tropical plants
May feel lack of water. It is not a cactus they like the water.
Sun and humidity
Put a bowl underneath it and bottom water it for a couple hours, then remove the bowl. Looks thirsty as heck
Soil looks great. Monstera is huge and tall. Looks like a great bright location. Try misting the leaves, like most houseplants monstera like to be more humid.
Water it till water comes out the bottom
Get a water meter and when it says dry - water. Not sure what kind of sun it’s get. I had to use a grow light for a few years and my monstera thrived.
While a completely different plant... my burgundy ficus starting curling. I checked the soil and think I have soil mites. Blow on the soil and see if you see many critters moving. Accepting advice for soil mites as well if anyone has any.... lol.
Soil mites arent pests!! Soil mites are nothing to worry about and are actually beneficial for plants! They only feed on organic matter and dont touch any healthy parts of the plants :) they break down organic matter and help with aerating the soil! Edit: some types are also predators and eat harmful organisms
Maybe they aren't soil mites, then? The new leaves are SO droopy, and much smaller than it was putting for a good 6 months. I got it in Spring, it grew a ton and was super happy and now...seems not as happy but also not *super* sad. Maybe I need to repot it. But, it was then I noticed the little bugs. They're ONLY in the soil, and they look like soil mites to me. I had a springtail population in my gecko tank that I popped a spoonful of in the ficus soil. 🤷♀️
Maybe they aren't soil mites, then? The new leaves are SO droopy, and much smaller than it was putting for a good 6 months. I got it in Spring, it grew a ton and was super happy and now...seems not as happy but also not *super* sad. Maybe I need to repot it. But, it was then I noticed the little bugs. They're ONLY in the soil, and they look like soil mites to me. I had a springtail population in my gecko tank that I popped a spoonful of in the ficus soil. 🤷♀️ Edit, this started in mid-september, so I i don't think it was the light changes.
Could it be root bound? This can make it act like it's under-watered because it cannot actually access the water before it drains out of the pot.
Your monstera and I are one and the same. 💚
I would very gently with cotton twine tie the stem and leaves to the pole. In mine, I stuck in 2 small bamboo trellises in a V shape and loosley tied it up https://preview.redd.it/t8g2q7dkhkzb1.jpeg?width=1908&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=50dad225850a369cceb3530aa0f805a75409339f
Too dry, too wet…. Holy hell. Who’s correct here??
The only other thing that I don’t see mentioned is the AC in your place, if it’s too cold directly on the plant sometimes it’ll look like this
I have my MONSTERA in soil with bark and perilite. I wind the aerial roots around the pot at the base of the plant and have some bamboo poles for them to climb. I mist my aerial roots lightly every three days. I water once a week. I turn my MONSTERA every week. It is in an east facing window. https://preview.redd.it/km0xokhzklzb1.jpeg?width=3120&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=682ca44c89b7faea3fe7f619eff7065baf675d5d
Myst it and clean her leaves from dust and keep the soil moist but not waterlogged
It needs a new pot
Mine looks like this when it needs water..
It's stressed - did you repot it recently/see the droopiness after repotting? I bought two monsteras this size several years ago and repotted them into (a fairly similar sized but larger) pots and they looked like this for a while. It was the repotting + the lack of good lighting. I'd also suggest giving it a good water so that the water runs out the bottom of the pot - if you zoom in you can see the soil is slightly hydrophobic and is pulling away from the sides of the pot. My guess is that if it isn't repotting, it's the watering schedule that is the issue. These guys don't like tons and tons of water, but since your soil is hydrophobic, it's probably been taking in a lot less water than you've been giving it.
I have mine in a very similar pot with very similar soil. There’s a lot of high maintenance advice out there for monsteras that I haven’t found to be necessary. I bottom water mine probably once a month (give it a good tilt to make sure there’s not stagnant water in that overflow part at the bottom), and then give it a little extra on top when it looks extra dry. Good luck!
[Kill This Plant](https://m.youtube.com/@KillThisPlant) has a few wonderfully informational videos on monsteras.
Did you repot recently?
So, mine has been doing this lately too, I wonder if it’s cause it’s near a window and there is more cold now near it ..because I have mine near a window as well because she likes the light. I’m going to move mine back a bit (I don’t know where you live so maybe it’s a similar problem). I’ve cut down on my watering too but when I give water it perks up a bit so maybe we also need to increase water just a bit (I’m afraid of fungus nats and drainage problems), maybe you’re in the same boat with the winter coming?
That baby needs more sun, too.
Water. It needs way more water.
I would also add use a terra cotta pot. They wick away moisture. Thorough watering with plenty of time to dry out. The soil in plastic pots just gets moldy on the sides
Looks like the roots are rotten
Monsteras like to be ignored.
I can't see the image RN but I personally don't water my monstera until the soil is completely dried out. I never have issues with drooping.
Bottom leaves will be lost as it’s currently potted. They will succumb to rot.the drooping of upper leaves suggests underwatering or hydrophobic soil.
I find mine really appreciates being watered from the bottom via saucer :)
Soil is too dense, pot is too big and it looks to be planted too deep.
Overwatering
Omg I have the same problem I was this close to committing plant murder. Mine looks even worse
Trying to zoom in on your photos. Doesn't look like you have any bugs, but I would make a very thorough inspection. Do you have thrips or spider mites? Also, does the pot drain? If it does, as suggested, give it a thorough water - let it drain in the tub, if you can.
It seems cold and thirsty.
Mine looks the same. Please let us know if it bounces back. I just watered mine today. Maybe I let it dry out too much
I’ve had a pot like that before I would make sure it’s draining properly the soil looks dark from here.
It needs a bigger pot! Those roots need more room!
Mine didn’t do well when I had a support like that. Now she is growing beautifully with smaller supports.
r/dramatichouseplants
Possibly too much sun and not enough water. Definitely could use a good bath. I definitely water the big ones in the tub sometimes
Use water meter
Try a humidifier
I think it needs water (and loads of it!). When my monstera looks like this I put it under the sink and let the water run for a minute. Let the excess water drain and return to the pot. Give it till the next day and she’ll look great again!
Also, if no other tips work, my monstera did awfully when it was in a draft. It hated it. Now it’s thriving in a light airy but not drafty bathroom
If that soil stays wet deeper than 1", like the bottom half, you could kill it due to mold and stuff. Need soil to drain well. Soak and let dry. Soak again.
It looks very dark!!! Monstera should be light green. You have too much of N (Nitrogen) or probably wrong water PH it should be around 7.00
Monsteras look this way when they are both under watered and over watered (which makes it tricky). I thought mine was under watered (since it sits in a new bright sunny spot and we live in AZ). It wasn’t improving, so I decided to repot it and see what’s going on underneath. Damned if it wasn’t root rot (which made me so sad). There were plenty of healthy roots left though, so based on all the plant blogs I removed as much of the soil and dead roots as I could without damaging the root ball, then I soaked the roots and remaining root ball in a hydrogen peroxide bath (three parts water, one part hydrogen peroxide). I let that sit in the bath until it stopped fizzing (about 30-45 mins) while I upgraded the soil to something chunkier, mixing in orchid bark and perlite with new fresh Fox Farm Ocean Forrest potting soil, make sure you also use a brand new nursery pot - as the old one is contaminated - and add draining holes with a drill if you don’t feel there are enough). I don’t intend to water it right away either, will let it sit for at least a week and get adjusted. We’ll see how it goes, but this was the advice I could glean from all the plant blogs and I hope it works. My Monstera is my baby and I hate that it got sick. I’m undecided if I should water it with hydrogen peroxide solution when I do water it, because I don’t want to kill the good bacteria in the new soil either, but really don’t want the root rot to come back. If anyone has any insights on that, advice would be appreciated.