This article covers everything you need to know to encourage variegation.
Keep reading if you’re interested in;
How to encourage variegation?
· A step-by-step guide for variegation in Monstera?
· Variegated plant tips
· Variegated Monstera cutting, and
· Answers to some common questions
How to Encourage Variegated Plants?
Step 1
Get in touch with area gardening nurseries to see whether variegated Monstera deliciosa cuttings are offered. If they don’t, look online for cuttings. In order for the cutting to develop roots, make sure it has a couple of stems and at least one leaf. Select a green cutting of the monstera plant that doesn’t feel dry or shriveled.
Step 2
Place the monstera Thai constellation stem cutting in the vase with water from the faucet. Make sure the stem cutting’s bottom is completely submerged in water for better green foliage. After completing this process, maintain the dark green plant in a spot with indirect sunlight. For a few weeks or until roots form, let the non-variegated plant cuttings grow normally. After a few days, make sure to replace the water because it can start to smell and will impact the plant cells.
Step 3
Even if the pattern of the variegation is somewhat variable, proper variegated monstera care suggests you won’t just acquire more variegation by growing in more light. However, as it lengthens, you are more likely to continue to generate similarly variegated leaves. The best ones with this erratic sort of variegation have a lovely marbling. These are superior and more valuable than ones with, for instance, leaves that are half green and half white.
Start by extending the plant’s length, then separate it into stem and leaf parts. The majority developed new stems from the green tissue, while at least one sprouted from the stem’s junction of the white and green tissues.
You will see a new stem with more white than the first one, which will be a significant upgrade. Cut the young plant into single-leaf portions once it had grown long. One generated fresh growth that had a lovely blend of white and green.
Step 4
Repotting variegated cultivars is typically the best option for Monstera houseplants because they don’t often have offspring. However, you may decide to divide your variegated Swiss cheese plant if it becomes too big for you. If desired, cuttings can be used to propagate other types and get better results than the monstera Thai constellation.
Every one to two years, a Monstera Variegata that is happy and healthy probably needs an improvement or more variegation as a mature plant to maintain its healthy aerial roots. Try a new container that is an inch or two larger than the old one if yours has outgrown its planter and you want to repot it. Fresh soil should be provided, and the roots should be handled with caution to encourage good variegation in this spectacular plant.
This step is optional and only necessary if you wish to have new plants in a garden; otherwise, established plants such as the monstera albo thrive in both indoor and outdoor environments, provided they get enough light. The container should be roughly one-third full of the soil mixture when the cutting with roots is added, with the roots contacting the soil. Hold the plant cutting in place while adding enough soil mixture to surround it completely.
The container should continue to be filled with the soil mixture until it is almost full. Once the drainage apertures are dry, continue watering the new variegated monstera plants to avoid white variegation. Make sure the soil mixture extends four inches below the cutting (7.6 cm) and is placed in proper grow light and not just direct sun, which could lead to genetic mutation or random mutation.
Variegated Plant Tips
In reality, this is how the plant got its name: Monstera, which refers to the plant’s unusual leaves with their fenestrations, and deliciosa, which means delicious (referring to its fruit). This fruit’s consistent light green hue is really mottled in variegated varieties with a few leaves due to less chlorophyll.
Watering
The frequency of watering is entirely dependent on the soil, season, amount of sunshine, and other elements. Actually, irrigation on a regular basis frequently causes more damage than benefit. Learning to recognize when it needs a drink is a far better idea and will help in keeping plant tissue healthy, which will result in green leaves and plant growth.
Sticking your finger in the soil mixture or lifting the pot to feel how much it weighs are the two simplest ways to determine whether your Monstera deliciosa Variegata needs water. It is not yet time to water if the soil feels damp or the pot seems heavy.
Wait until the soil’s surface has dried out or the pot has lost some weight. It is best to check first whether or not it needs water rather than watering your variegated specimens along with the other plants in an attempt to get greener monstera leaves. Watering too much can only lead to yellow variegation which is something you certainly do not want and can be damaging to a new plant of a parent plant.
Light
To keep your variegated Monstera looking its best, it’s crucial to find the appropriate balance. If kept too dark, variegated plants may start to produce foliage that is greener and less mottled, which kind of negates the purpose of having one! However, richly variegated leaves do burn more readily, so they need to be shielded from the sun’s strong rays.
In actuality, this means that your Monstera variegata will flourish in a location close to the majority of windows. Consider moving it a few feet away from the window if it is particularly large and receives a lot of afternoon sun, or use a sheer curtain to provide some shade. In full sun, the plant does not get more leaves but a reduced green part in its leaf structure. You can find versions in garden centers to get started.
Candles that burn for 200 to 500 feet should be adequate if you have a light meter. If you’re relocating the plant to an area that receives a lot more light, don’t forget to gradually acclimatize it over a few weeks.
The most crucial thing to keep in mind about temperature is that this is a tropical plant and a pretty delicate one at that. If you allow the temperature to drop below 59°F, it doesn’t enjoy the cold and will likely completely cease growing. Compared to others, the variegated monstera requires bright indirect light.
Pruning
With the exception of sometimes removing any dead leaves, a houseplant like this one often doesn’t require any trimming. Two cases are an exception. One of them is something already mentioned in passing: It’s advised to remove full moon (totally white) leaves from your plant.
They only consume its energy and finally disappear on their own. If your variegated Monstera is starting to revert, there would be another reason to trim it. Due to the variegation’s genetic makeup, this does not occur in other cultivars. In some cases, it’s possible.
Low light levels can cause it occasionally, but other times it’s just bad karma. Many houseplant aficionados like to prune, even if you may simply put your plant in a more sunny spot, take excellent care of it, and hope for the best. The last variegated leaf can then be removed. It will re-sprout from a different growth point, perhaps this time with the right variegation.
The good news is that you do not need expensive plants such as a albo variegata to get that all-green look and new growth. Without being genetically engineered, you can still get enough variegation which is just as beautiful as an expensive plant. You also need to focus on the soil mix that you will use when growing more plants for variegation and a better appearance than the non-variegated counterpart.
Common Questions
What Causes Variagation in Monstera?
Because of their DNA, certain plants are naturally variegated rather than having genetic mutations of a non-variegated plant. We’re referring to several plants, including snake plants and prayer plants. Variegated Monsteras, on the other hand, don’t have this problem, and the plant produces the right marbling color.
What Are the Popular Types of Variegated Monstera?
Some of the popular types include Monstera deliciosa variegate, Mini Monstera, Marmorata, Monstera Deliciosa, and Thai Constellation. Variegation can be carried out in all of these types, and successful variegation is characterized by lush green leaf color.
What’s the Best Temperature to Grow Variegated Monstera?
Variegated Monsteras need a climate similar to the tropics in order to grow. Maintain a temperature range of 65 to 80 °F. Place your plant away from any locations that get cold or hot gusts as well.
When is the Right Time to Use Fertilizer on the Monstera?
Although they are not heavy feeders, these plants will benefit from routine applications of houseplant fertilizer (especially if they are beginning to appear limp or droopy). From late spring through early fall, fertilize all indoor plants once a month. Outside of this window, fertilizing is not necessary. You will also notice healthier leaf growth.
My name is Daniel Elrod, and I have been houseplant love ever since I was 17. I love how much joy they bring to any room in the home. I’ve always been amazed at how a few pots of flowing leaves can turn a drab and sterile office into an inviting place where people love to work at.
