Monstera - home care, transplantation and reproduction

A monster was brought to Russia from the tropics. There, in the usual conditions of a mild climate with increased dampness, the flower calmly existed without much care. In his homeland he was called the "elegant monster" because of the frightening beauty. Although monstera is adapted to housing conditions, it blooms very rarely, because the home climate is very different from the tropical one. And to create high humidity in the room is a rather difficult task.

The leaves of this unusual flower reach up to 35 cm in diameter, sometimes more. And he can be tall under the ceiling. Gardeners call the plant "crybaby," because on the greenery you can see the formation of large drops of liquid. This phenomenon happens before the rain, so they say that the plant predicts the weather. This article tells you how to properly care for the monster yourself and what mistakes cannot be made.

What does the plant look like

Monstera: home care

Everything is extremely simple and clear.

Optimal location and lighting

How to care for a monster in apartments? Due to the fact that the flower is actively growing and takes up a lot of space, it can often be seen in large office rooms. Growing plants in ordinary apartments is also welcome. They put it in bedrooms or living rooms subject to good lighting and maintaining high humidity.

Caring for a monstera flower at home is quite simple. It is necessary to observe some lighting mode. You can’t put the plant near windows or on window sills overlooking the northern part of the house, there is too little light, so the growth of the vine will slow down. If the flower is located in the southern part of the room, you need to make sure that open sunlight does not fall on it. In bright scattered light, the flower will grow vigorously, so the most favorable location is a window facing east or west.

Soil and planting requirements

For the proper development of the monsters need to pay attention to the land. Basically, it is purchased in stores, but you can do it yourself.

The soil for the plant should include the following components:

• turf land;
• peat;
• humus;
• sheet earth;
• river sand.

These components must be mixed in a ratio of 3: 1: 1: 1: 1: 1. Such land will absorb moisture and allow air to pass through. When choosing dishes for planting monstera, you need to consider the maximum growth of the future plant. In a large capacity, it will quickly strengthen its roots and begin to grow immediately, but as soon as the monstera reaches large dimensions, the roots will curl and wrap themselves in a circle. So that the plant does not strangle itself, at the time of its transplantation, it is necessary to unravel and cut off the extra roots, otherwise the flower may dry.

Landing process

Capacity is better to take more than it was 5 cm in diameter. It is important that it is stable.

Optimum air humidity

Monstera leaves need constant spraying, wiping with a rag and polishing. If in winter the plant stands near heating appliances, then you need to wipe it more often so that the tips of the leaves do not dry.

Watering and feeding

First you need to learn about the characteristics of the water used for irrigation. It is recommended that it be filtered. Temporary use of well-defended water is allowed. In winter, the ground should only be slightly moist.

In other periods of the year, the monster needs to be watered abundantly, the earth must have time to dry. In the summer on the pallet it is necessary to add water, but so that for a long time it does not stagnate there.

It is recommended that you constantly wipe it with a damp cloth, and you can use a spray bottle to moisten the air. Wipe and spray with warm, clean water.

Fertilizer and top dressing play a very important role in the life of a monster. The best option for a positive result is top dressing, which will be carried out 1 time in 22 days. Thanks to this, the roots will receive and consume many useful elements.

It is advisable to apply fertilizer in early March. It is then that the growth of the monstera is activated.

Aerial roots and monstera formation

For starters, it is advisable to find aerial roots. An inexperienced gardener can take fresh stems for them. Aerial roots form on the stems depending on the growth of the flower. They mainly grow near leaves, have a woody structure. They will be light brown in color. Often such roots grow even around the pot.

Aerial roots

What to do with aerial roots

To change the position, there are several options for dealing with aerial roots:

• you can neatly tie them to common stems as they form, so that they slowly grow to the soil and can root themselves;
• place three more containers with soil near the pot with the plant and put roots in them. Then, after rooting, several sprouts of the vine will turn out;
• You can arrange the containers with the liquid so that rooting takes place in it. But it is worth remembering that water needs to be changed regularly;
• roots can be wrapped with wet moss. This option adds external beauty, and makes it possible to begin rooting;
• There are special wooden sticks lined with dry palm threads. A large vine can be attached to such a stick by making a small hole in it to fix the air roots. Often such holes are covered with soil or simply constantly sprayed from a spray gun;
• Monstera’s aerial roots can simply be cut off, but not completely. The flower will not deteriorate if you slightly shorten the roots and give it a neat appearance. Of course, you don’t need to cut off absolutely everything, in which case the plant may become sick or even dry. Sometimes the leaves may just turn yellow.

Possible problems

Florists often note the following changes:

• flower leaves are not large, not cut, on long stems. If similar on the whole flower, this is due to a lack of light. It is necessary to move the pot to a more lit place;
• Monstera leaves turned yellow. With mass yellowing, the problem may be too much moisture in the earth, especially this is bad in the winter season. Also in the apartment from high dampness, the leaves can become very soft. With a lack of minerals, they turn yellow evenly from the tip. In this case, you need to check the soil and loosen if possible;
• dry brown plaques form when the moisture is poor or when it is too dry in the apartment. Need to water the soil more often;

Why do monstera leaves turn yellow

• if brown plaques along the entire edge of the leaf, then this is a lack of minerals. It happens with old flowers that have not been transplanted for a long time;
• the petals are pale pink, turn dark, then turn brown. This happens with a lot of sunlight, especially the disease manifests itself in the spring;
• balding lower part of the stem, small leaves, poorly cut, long internodes. The reason is a severe lack of light;
• yellowness or drying out of the flower can also be caused by insects. You need to inspect the plant with a magnifier from all sides.

Pests, diseases and treatments

The following insects and ailments can hit a monstera:

• Fusarium - a fungal infection in the soil, loves high humidity. With damage, the roots of the plant rot, the stalk becomes thin, the leaves are yellow. There is no cure, the monstera dies;
• late blight - a fungus due to which the roots and trunk rot. Infection occurs mainly through fluid, earth, and inventory. Symptoms of the disease are brown-purple plaques with a pale green circle, as well as a white coating on the leaves. There is no cure;
• chlorosis - yellowing of leaves that become evenly transparent, which occurs with a long exposure to the sun. For treatment, you need iron chelate in the dose indicated in the instructions (the product can be bought at flower shops);
• ivy scale is everywhere, the plant becomes oppressed, looks ugly, yellow leaves, soot fungus forms. To fight, the petals and stems are washed with soapy water, lower the air temperature and increase humidity. Use a 0.2% solution of Rogor, and strongly affected parts are removed;
• a spider mite lives below the petals and weaves a web on them, drinks the juice of a monstera, from which it withers, dries. During treatment, they constantly ventilate the apartment, increase air humidity, and treat the plant with Actellic.

How to propagate by apical and stem cuttings

The stem is cut, of course, from the crown of the flower. To facilitate the process, it is placed simply in water. In a few weeks, the stalk will give roots.

Propagation by cuttings

For this method, you need a good length of stem. The stem stem must have two buds. To root it, you need a container of a suitable size with light peat soil, on which the stem is simply placed with the kidney down. It is not necessary to fill it up.

Next, the stalk is placed under a transparent cover of glass or film, sometimes sprayed, moisten the soil, ventilate. With the advent of the roots, the first leaf also grows. After rooting, the flower can be planted in a permanent place.

Transplantation and rejuvenation

For five years, the monster needs to be transplanted every year. Do it mainly in mid-spring. Older flowers are transplanted less often −1 times in 3 years.

Step-by-step instructions for transplanting monstera:

1. The pot must be selected 2-3 cm larger than the old one. Too large containers are not recommended, since water will stagnate in the ground, where there are no roots, which can cause death.
2. A drainage layer of approximately 5 cm is poured at the bottom of the pot (for example, broken brick).
3. The land can be bought ready-made, specialized, or made with your own hands from peat, river sand, humus and turf.
4. The roots will not suffer much if the plant is transplanted by transshipment. To do this, it is abundantly moistened even in the old pot, and after a day they are carefully pulled out together with the soil and placed in a new one.
5. An empty place is covered with fresh soil. The flower should not be watered in the first week.
6. If the bottom of the monstera began to lose leaves, he needs rejuvenation. To do this, in the spring you need to cut off about 25 cm of the crown. This activates the growth of the lateral stems and makes the plant more beautiful.

Blooming monstera

Caring for a monster at home is available even to a novice gardener. It is necessary to adhere to the basic rules when watering and the location of the flower. It is important not to forget that the plant needs to be bathed. At certain periods, carry out various dressings and fertilize. Monstera variegate needs constant pruning of the crown and removal of old leaves. Growing it is not very difficult. It is important to take good care of this exotic plant. When buying in a store, you must definitely check with the seller how to care for the monster, since different varieties require different care.

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