MONSTERA – SWISS CHEESE PLANT

MONSTERA CARE IN 27 STEPS

LIGHT

1. Monstera needs plenty of filtered light. What does this mean? The closer it is to a window, the better, but only if there's a filter like a sheer curtain in between. 
2. Make sure it doesn't get direct sunlight to prevent its leaves from burning. 
3. Rotate the plant occasionally so all sides can benefit from the light evenly. 

WATERING

4. Water thoroughly at each watering until water drains from the pot's drainage hole.

5. The soil should be almost dry between waterings (in winter, completely dry is better).

6. Watering frequency varies depending on your location and the season; it can drop to once every 2-3 weeks in winter, while in very hot climates in summer, watering intervals can increase to every two days. 

7. Before watering, you can slightly stir and aerate the topsoil. 

8. Using filtered or settled water prevents salt buildup in the soil. 

NUTRIENTS

9. During the growing season, in spring and summer, you can provide liquid nutrients more frequently. They thrive with PLOT Green Leafy Plant Food in spring and summer.

10. Slow-release fertilizer can also be placed on top of the soil during the same period.

ROOTING

11. The right time for rooting is the plant's growing season, i.e., spring and summer.

12. When taking a cutting for rooting and placing it in water, it's important to put it in a place that doesn't receive too much light until roots form; because it doesn't have an active root system yet, it's in the process of forming roots. For example, you can position it slightly away from the window, not directly by it. 

PLANT SUPPORT

13. Common Monstera species like borsigiana and adansonii are vining plants and may need a plant support stake, while deliciosa has a relatively self-supporting structure.

AERIAL ROOTS

14. When they grow long, they can be guided back into the pot. If you are using a moss pole, you can also wrap the aerial roots around this support. As you wet the support, the aerial roots will also receive water.

LEAF CLEANING

15. The best way is to take it out to the balcony/garden in spring or summer and hose down the entire plant, which both removes dust from the leaves and waters them. Similarly, you can give it a shower in the bathroom. 

16. Wiping the leaves with a damp cloth is another alternative. 

17. While wiping the top and bottom of the leaves, you can also check for pests. If you encounter pests, early intervention saves lives. 

• If you spray PLOT Leaf Cleaner on the leaves and soil every 10-15 days, you will protect the plant. If there are plant pests, you can use it more frequently to speed up the plant's recovery.

KEEP IN MIND

18. Your Monstera is in a place that doesn't get very good light but is quite happy. Its leaves are perfectly healthy. It just takes a very long time for new leaves to unfurl, and new leaves turn black and die before fully opening. What could this mean? It means your Monstera needs more light. It needs enough light for new leaves to open. 

19. Your Monstera's leaves are turning black and dying. What could this mean? If the browning leaves are young, the cause is insufficient light, but if mature leaves are browning, it is normal, and we can assume they have completed their duty.

20. Leaves are growing without holes. What could this mean? Young leaves may not be fenestrated. You need to let nature take its course. However, if holes still haven't formed after some time, we can interpret this as something missing in the environment. First and foremost, checking the light is important. If you are sure it is getting very good filtered light, you can review its water and nutrient needs.

21. Leaves are yellowing. What could this mean? Review your watering routine. If you suspect either under-watering or over-watering, you should first adjust this. Sudden cold snaps can also cause leaves to yellow.

22. Leaf edges are turning black. This can have several reasons:

1. TOO MUCH LIGHT: Monstera loves good light, but too much can cause blackening on the leaf edges, especially in summer. Consider an ideal environment like directly in front of a window on north-east facing sides, or in front of a window with a sheer curtain in between on west-south facing sides. 
2. INSUFFICIENT LIGHT > SALT BUILDUP IN SOIL. Using chemical nutrients or watering the plant with tap water can cause salt buildup. If you use chemical plant food and there isn't enough light, the plant absorbs nutrients but cannot use them, causing salt to accumulate in the soil. When there is too much sodium in the soil, plant growth slows down, and leaf edges turn black. No matter how much you water, the roots cannot absorb water due to excess sodium. You can prevent this by using organic-based nutrients and watering with purified/settled water. If it has already turned black, remove a finger's thickness of soil from the top and add fresh soil. Then, move the plant to a garden/balcony or put it in a tub and water generously with purified water so that the accumulated salt in the soil drains out through the hole with the water.
3. Make sure you water sufficiently, especially in summer, when the soil is about to dry out—water slowly until water drains from the hole. 
4. When humidity is insufficient, leaf edges can turn black. In summer, give it a humidity treatment once a month; for example, after you shower, give your Monstera a shower in the bathroom and leave it in the closed bathroom for 4-5 hours or overnight to soak up the humidity. 

23. WHY DO MONSTERA LEAVES CURL?

There's something wrong with its environment or care routine. 

Monstera curls its leaves to reduce the surface area and prevent water loss. This usually indicates the following problems:

• Excessively hot weather
• Insufficient watering 
• Root problems
• Fluid loss due to plant pests

The way the leaves curl also gives clues.  

• If the leaf curls inwards and upwards, it could be insufficient watering, lack of humidity, or a plant pest problem. 
• If the curling is towards the base of the leaf and the leaves appear droopy, then we can consider it excessively hot or insufficient watering. 
• If the leaves are curled and wrinkled, we can again consider it insufficient watering and lack of humidity.

IMPORTANT: 

24. When "under-watering / over-watering" is mentioned, don't just consider the amount of water you give. 

25. The amount of light the plant receives, soil permeability, or other factors determine how much water the plant needs. 

26. While you might water the same plant every 4-5 days, someone else might need to water it every 7-8 days; because your plant is in a place with more light and uses water faster, while the other plant receives less light and therefore uses water less/slower. 

27. If your soil is permeable, the water you give reaches the roots, performs its function, and then drains out through the hole. If someone else's soil is not permeable, the water gets trapped in the soil, and as watering continues, the roots gradually begin to rot (even if they are not over-watering). Therefore, think of concepts like "under-watering" / "over-watering" as the first step of diagnosis, not treatment. This way, we can solve our plant's problem more consciously.