Monstera plants are beautiful species that require delicate care. Due to their beauty and rarity, Monstera plants are also one of the most expensive plants you can find. Therefore, some plant owners tend to propagate their Monstera to increase the number of these aesthetic plants indoors.
However, a crucial part of propagating Monstera is rooting the plant. Here, we discuss everything you need to know about how to propagate Monstera deliciosa and some questions you might have about the process.
An Introduction to Monstera Plants
The Monstera family consists of around 48 flowering species of beautiful and exotic plants found in the tropical rainforests of Central and South America. These beautiful plants are extremely rare, and not every plant owner gets the luxury of owning them.
One of the reasons for their rarity is that they are only found in tropical regions. Another reason is that Monstera plants require precise care conditions that can mimic their natural habitat to grow well.
Monstera get their name because of their unusual characteristics, which make them look like monsters. However, the plant-lover community loves the exoticness of the plant kingdom. Therefore, Monstera are a particularly beloved plant species.
Some popular Monstera species include Monstera deliciosa, Monstera adansonii, Monstera esquelleto, and the mini Monstera. The Monstera deliciosa is particularly popular among plant owners because Monstera leaves are known for their large size and characteristic fenestrations.
Due to its unique characteristics, Monstera deliciosa has received many nicknames. Some popular Monstera names include the Swiss cheese plant, the Mexican breadfruit plant, and the hurricane plant.
Since Monstera deliciosa is so popular yet equally rare, gardeners have taken to propagate the plant to make up for its scarcity. Propagation refers to growing a Monstera deliciosa plant by using a Monstera cutting.
However, Monstera propagation is not always successful. Read the guideline below to ensure that you are successfully propagating your Monstera.
How To Root Monstera
Rooting refers to propagating Monstera deliciosa using a cutting of the root. Traditionally, propagating a Monstera would include cutting a part of the stem. However, the roots are more pluripotent (able to grow a new plant) than the leaf.
To root a Monstera, you must follow specific guidelines inherently different from propagating a Monstera from stem cuttings.
Below is our detailed guide on how you can root Monstera deliciosa.
Where Do You Cut a Monstera Plant for Propagating?
Before you begin rooting Monstera deliciosa, you must first cut your Monstera roots from the plant. You must cut the Monstera plant from the base of a node, ensuring that the node has aerial roots growing out.
While rooting Monstera generally requires that a Monstera cutting has roots, it must also have some part of a stem and nodes. Cut the Monstera plant from two nodes, a few inches above each node.
To cut the Monstera, you can use pruning shears, scissors, or even a sharp blade. However, you must sterilize the equipment to prevent bacterial infections. When wounded, Monstera become especially susceptible to bacterial infections, which can kill the stem cutting before it has a chance to root.
Moreover, use gloves when cutting a Monstera. Monstera sap contains calcium oxalate crystals that are toxic for humans and pets. It can cause skin and eye irritation. If ingested, it can lead to digestive problems.
While not necessary, having multiple leaves on the cutting can help.
Step-By-Step Guide on How to Root Monstera
Follow the steps below to root your Monstera deliciosa plant successfully.
Step 1: Cut a Monstera Cutting
As described before, if your Monstera deliciosa plant has aerial roots growing near the nodes, cut the node from a few inches below. Use sterile shears or cutting scissors to ensure the node does not get infected.
Step 2: Place the Monstera Cutting in a Growing Medium
You can either root your Monstera deliciosa plant in water or soil.
To propagate your Monstera deliciosa in water, simply place it in a container with water, ensuring that the leaves are not submerged.
To propagate the Monstera deliciosa in soil, place the Monstera cutting in a pot, with the node and roots in the soil.
Step 3: Nurturing the Rooting Monstera
Once you have placed your Monstera in its medium, you must provide it with optimal growth conditions.
Propagating placed a ton of stress on the Monstera deliciosa plant. Therefore, it requires more indirect light, humidity, and temperature than a normal Monstera deliciosa plant.
Place the Monstera in a bright area of the house where it can get plenty of bright indirect sun. You can also use growth lights if you are growing your Monstera indoors.
Moreover, ensure that your Monstera deliciosa cutting gets enough humidity and temperature for growth. To learn the exact requirements for the Monstera deliciosa cutting, read later in the article.
When to Propagate Monstera Plants
There are many reasons why you would want to propagate your Monstera deliciosa. One of the main reasons is that you want more Monstera plants to add to your Monstera family.
Monstera deliciosa is a relatively quick grower compared to other species. You can get a completely mature Monstera deliciosa within two years. After that, the Monstera grows a couple of inches each year and requires regular pruning.
However, pruning and throwing away the cuttings seems like a waste, so you can choose to propagate them and create a Monstera family.
However, another reason to propagate the Monstera is that it is diseased and about to die. Monstera deliciosa is susceptible to diseases such as root rot, which cause the plant to deteriorate and die.
While fungal diseases like root rot can be treated using antifungal soap if the plant is too infected and beyond saving, you can mitigate your losses by starting anew using plant cuttings.
Finally, the most common reason for propagating Monstera is because they are too expensive. Getting an entire plant can cost you thousands, while getting seeds can be challenging and might not successfully grow. Therefore, gardeners tend to buy plant cuttings to grow the plant.
How Long Does Rooting a Monstera Deliciosa Take?
It can take two to four weeks for your Monstera deliciosa to root. However, the exact time depends on several factors (discussed later).
Monstera deliciosa will need some time to adjust to its environment before it begins growing. First, the Monstera deliciosa plant will develop roots. Then, you will be able to see new leaves sprout anywhere from a few weeks to a couple of months.
Stages of Monstera Deliciosa Propagation
To understand how long you will have to propagate your Monstera deliciosa plant, you must know the propagation stages.
Stage 1: Unrooted Stage
The first propagation stage is in the unrooted stage, where your Monstera deliciosa cutting will not have any soil roots. While there will be a lack of adventitious roots, the Monstera aerial roots might still be present.
A Monstera cutting with aerial roots is not considered rooted because it cannot help the plant grow. In simple terms, until your Monstera deliciosa grows soil roots, it dies. Therefore, rooting Monstera deliciosa is the primary concern of propagation.
Stage 2: Rooted Stage
After a few weeks, your Monstera deliciosa will start to grow roots. Immature roots appear white and fuzzy, growing out from the node or the aerial roots. The fuzzy appearance is due to the abundance of root hair cells, which help the Monstera deliciosa plant absorb moisture.
Once the roots mature enough to sustain the plant, you will notice thick and brown roots develop to form the sides. These roots are called feeder roots and can absorb water and nutrients.
Stage 3: Establishing Stage
Once the new roots grow several inches, you can transfer the rooted cuttings from water to soil. If you propagated the Monstera deliciosa in soil, you could transfer it to a bigger pot. It might take a few days for the rooted Monstera to establish itself in the new environment. This is referred to as the establishing stage.
The new environment can trigger stress responses in the Monstera plant, causing it to stunt its growth and might also lead to a few of your roots dying. While this is a normal occurrence, you can prevent more damage by providing the Monstera planting with enough moisture and temperature.
Stage 4: New Plant Stage
After a couple of months, your Monstera will be well-established in the new environment and grow new leaves. However, you will have to keep rooting your Monstera for a while to ensure healthy growth.
Once your plant has grown new leaves and started to photosynthesize, you can rest easy knowing that your propagation was successful and you have obtained a new plant.
What Affects Monstera Propagation Success?
While propagation is a common method for obtaining a new Monstera plant, it is not always successful. When rooting Monstera plants, there are many things to consider, as these factors can tremendously affect your Monstera propagation success.
Below are some important factors that can affect your Monstera propagation’s success.
Growing Medium
When you propagate Monstera from cuttings, the type of propagation medium you use can affect how successful your Monstera is. As we previously mentioned, there are two common methods to propagate your Monstera: in soil or water. The roots that grow out of your Monstera will differ based on your propagating medium.
Water roots are more translucent and thinner than soil roots, which are more hick and fibrous. Due to their environment in the water, Monstera roots are less efficient at absorbing nutrients, but aerial roots are more able to absorb oxygen.
Soil roots are better able to absorb nutrients from the soil and help anchor your Monstera deliciosa, so it does not crumble under its weight.
However, there are plenty of other mediums in which you can root Monstera. These materials include:
- Perlite: Perlite is made from aerated compost. It is one of the most common mediums used for growing aroid plants. Perlite provides good support to new roots and allows the roots to receive oxygen and moisture.
- Sphagnum Moss: Sphagnum moss is commonly used for orchid plants indoors and has excellent moisture-retaining abilities.
- LECA: Lightweight Expanded Clay Aggregate (LECA) is structured like small balls that can be purchased online. It has excellent drainage features; you can add some to your potting soil to improve drainage.
Pot
It is not necessary to pot your Monstera cutting since you can grow your Monstera in water. However, if you are growing your Monstera in soil, you must know its potting requirements.
You can start with multiple Monstera cuttings in the same pot, but once these cuttings start rooting, you will have to place them in individual pots. This is because the Monstera plant cuttings will compete for resources and space.
Monstera deliciosa does well in pots with good water-retaining qualities and has adequate drainage holes to prevent overwatering. Therefore, a clay pot with drainage holes at the bottom works best for Monstera plants.
Time Frame
Propagating Monstera deliciosa can be nerve-wracking. This is because you cannot tell how well your Monstera cuttings are doing until you see actual root growth, which can take several months.
Most plant owners are tempted to check the soil to see if there is any new growth or often change conditions to speed up growth. However, that is the worst thing you can do.
Monstera cuttings need time to adapt to their surroundings like any living thing. If you constantly probe it or change its environment, the cutting will never move out of its stress phase.
Therefore, being patient and believing in your Monstera plant is best. The only thing you can do is ensure it gets the necessary care that it requires.
Moisture
Moisture is one of the most important care requirements of the Monstera plant. In their natural habitat, Monstera are used to moist soil.
While moisture is not a concern if you are propagating your Monstera plant in water, you must be careful when your Monstera plant is in the soil. Monstera prefers damp soil. While moist soil is a requirement, it does not prefer wet soil.
You can use a moisture meter to ensure that the soil has a moisture reading of four. You can also use your fingertip to ensure that the top few inches of the soil are moist.
Light
Sunlight is the first thing we learn about plants, which is essential for plant growth. Monstera prefers bright indirect sunlight for a few hours a day.
Therefore, if you are propagating Monstera cuttings, ensure that it receives plenty of bright indirect light and recovers their energy for survival and growth.
Keep the Monstera away from the direct sun. Monstera deliciosa is accustomed to receiving bright filtered light from the forest canopy in the tropical rainforest. Hence, the Monstera plant adapted to do well in the little light it received.
You might think that light is not essential to worry about if you are growing a Monstera deliciosa plant from seeds. However, research proves that daily light is crucial for seed germination and growth in aroid plants.
You can place your Monstera deliciosa plant cutting in a brightly lit room in the home with a west or east-facing window. For people living in SDA plant hardiness zones 10-12, you can also put your Monstera deliciosa plant outside in the early or late hours when the sun isn’t as harsh.
Alternatively, you can use growth light for your Monstera plant. Growth lights are tailored to help provide the right light intensity to grow an indoor Monstera. You can use a full spectrum LED light or different colored growth light. Generally, Monstera deliciosa does well in red, yellow, and blue growth lights.
Temperature and Humidity
Monstera deliciosa plants prefer warm temperatures above 60 degrees Fahrenheit. However, that is only when it is a juvenile Monstera plant or a fully mature Monstera plant.
Propagating Monstera deliciosa means that you cannot treat it as you would a normal Monstera. Therefore, you need to increase the temperature and humidity you the Monstera. Keep the temperature at 80 degrees Fahrenheit or above.
Similarly, Monstera deliciosa prefers a humid environment, with humidity levels above 50%, increasing the humidity to 80%.
You can do this by misting the Monstera deliciosa, cutting regularly, or using a pebble tray filled with water. Alternatively, you can use a humidifier to ensure you achieve the right humidity level.
Time Of the Year
The season you propagate your Monstera deliciosa plant in can impact how successful Monstera growth is. Typically, Monstera grows well in spring and summer. The temperature is adequate for Monstera deliciosa growth.
The Monstera deliciosa plant does not tolerate frost or cold. Therefore, it stops growing in winter. If you live in relatively colder areas, you should propagate your Monstera inside, where you can control the temperature.
Hormone Rooting Powder
Monstera deliciosa plant cuttings do not typically require hormone-rooting powder, as they can grow well even without it. However, you can use some to speed up the growth.
The rooting powder contains the plant hormone auxin, which helps the plant grow roots. You can use the rooting powder when you start propagating your Monstera.
If you propagate Monstera deliciosa plant in water, stop adding rooting powder once you see roots developing. This is because while auxin can stimulate root growth, it can inhibit stem growth.
This is also why we recommend not using rooting powder if you propagate in the soil since you won’t be able to see if the root ball has developed.
Monstera Plant Cutting Size
If your Monstera cutting has more nodes and aerial roots, it will likely grow better and produce new roots and leaves. Even a small cutting should have at least one node. Therefore, if you are cutting the Monstera plant yourself, ensure that you cut the stem in a region with a couple or more nodes, aerial roots, and new leaves sprouting to increase your chances of success.
Dormancy
The Monstera cuttings have a period of dormancy where it waits for the right conditions before it starts growing. This is especially true for seeds. However, the longer the dormancy period, the lower your chances of successfully rooting the Monstera plant.
If you buy a Monstera deliciosa cutting or seed online, ensure how long it has been. Typical