Monstera is a genus of vines from the picaceae family, best known for its large, decorative leaves. With age, they gain characteristic indentations and holes. Although the plant grows large in nature, in home cultivation it is much smaller, but still powerful.
In order for it to look great and decorate the interior, it needs proper care. Without it, it will not produce leaves with characteristic holes. How to care for a monstera? Here are the specialist’s tips.
Monstera is a popular ornamental plant that comes from the humid tropical forests of Central America and South America. The most popular in home cultivation is Monstera deliciosa, or Monstera perforatum. With time and proper care, the adult plant produces leaves with characteristic indentations and holes. However, the young leaves are full and small – they look quite inconspicuous.
It is also worth knowing that some varieties of monstera produce numerous, smaller holes, but do not have deep indentations. This is, for example, Monstera adansonii, known as the “monster monkey”. However, not all monsteras have holes. It is worth checking this before purchasing so as not to be disappointed.
Monstera has developed a clever way to avoid breaking its leaves due to excess water (in the tropical forests where it grows, intense rain is a daily occurrence) and to catch more light. Holes in the leaves help water flow more efficiently and at the same time allow sunlight to penetrate lower. This is a chance for successful development even with dense vegetation around.
Home cultivation does not have such problems, but its requirements are similar. Therefore, if the monstera does not produce the characteristic holes in the leaves, it means that it is very young or is missing something.
It is usually one of the following: inappropriate light, inappropriate humidity, incorrect temperature or lack of nutrients. For example, the plant may be too far from the window, so it lacks light. Too dry air inside, irregular watering and compact soil are other common reasons for the lack of holes in monstera leaves.
If we are the owners Monstera varietieswhich does not produce holes in its leaves, no amount of care will make it suddenly drop them. However, if the monstera should produce leaves with holes and it does not, the most common reason is its young age or improper development conditions. In such a case, it is worth either waiting a bit or making some changes in its care.
Monstera likes air with high humidity. It feels bad in dry rooms during the heating season. Therefore, it is worth placing an air humidifier next to it or placing it next to a larger group of flowers.
You also need to take care of watering monstera. Let’s do this systematically when the top layer of soil in the pot dries out. Do not overwater the plant and pour excess water out of the casing. The substrate should be permeable and fertilized regularly – even once every two weeks during the growing season.
It is also worth moving the Monstera closer to the window so that it is better lit. However, remember that it needs diffused light. Intense rays falling directly on its leaves may burn the plant.
