This isn't originally my monstera andasonil, it was my sisters but she gave up taking care of it bcs it kept getting thrips while all other plants were fine
there's two seperate vines, one shorter n one longer, it's completely bald except for that last leaf at the very end/ top of the longer vine n there's a sprout popping out at the base of the longer one too so i don't wanna cut it
the leaf was all yellow when i got it, now it's gotten color back n the yellow spots were there too now i'm wondering what the circled in parts are bcs they weren't there few days ago/ a week ago
i'm worried bcs i've just gotten my monstera deliciosa, pothos, philodendron n alocasia black velvet few days ago from "plants for all" n idk if it's some pest or illness that could spread to the others im rily new to all this plant stuff but goggle isn't rily helping n i don't want my stress to transfer to the plants if i breath too hard on it
pls help
by 1cec0ld_mntndew
2 Comments
My guess is root rot, the pot is way too big and the soil is not an aroid appropriate soil. Roots need air to breathe, all your tropicals should be in amended soil. Let me know if you want a recipe.
I think there are a few issues here, which I’ll list out. It would prob be best to chop this up at this point and propagate smaller sections of it to make a fuller potted plant in the future. Also my adansonii has been super fussy for the past few months and only JUST stopped growing warped, blackening leaves. So Im offering up tips with no judgement because I nearly killed mine. (Several times. And Ive also killed a bunch of its propagations)
Here’s a pic with me holding one of the previously warped leaves from her villain era:
https://preview.redd.it/eeup9xqzodme1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=39d0cab80e956472856a1153367006533cc045af
So my tips:
1. The stem is struggling because it’s very long, has only a few leaves (maybe just the one?), and looks like it has a lot of calloused damage from something. Im not sure if this was from the pests or something rubbing/scratching it in the past, but it can’t be helping. Fortunately, I don’t see any obvious pests currently plagueing it. This is why I recommend propagation. Cutting it up will give it a good chance to grow roots for each small section, which can then potentially sustain the entire length of the stem.
2. The pot’s too large. A pot that big for a small plant with few leaves will be difficult to water correctly. The roots likely aren’t drinking enough water to dry the soil out nicely. On the flip side, if you try to let it dry out it will probably get TOO dry and die. Im not sure of your soil mix, but depending if you’re using a regular potting soil, I would recommend something light and better draining. I use an amended cactus soil mix with most of my monsteras.
3. They got you with the coco fiber pole. Im just learning this now because I ordered coco fiber poles for my plants thinking they were moss poles (or at least similar). Apparently they can’t hold enough moisture to help the plant’s aerial roots like you would want them to. If you’re just using this for support, you can ignore this comment, but if you want the best for this plant, a moss pole (or alternatively Ive seen “a cedar plank”) will support much larger, vigorous growth.
4. Light? This one’s a bit of a stretch but it looks like your plant might be in a relatively dark corner. I have mine between 2 lamps and under an overhead light, which it finally seems to be doing better now. Light is my least favorite adjustment because it’s one of the hardest for me, but you should consider this if it’s not getting a good amount of indirect light currently.
I hope you can help her out! I’ve had a lot of ups and downs with my adansonii, so I’m rooting for you that you’ll be able to help this one out and have it thriving in the future!