I will start off by saying I have been really emotional the last few months trying to save my plant as this is my first one that I started my green thumb with.
I noticed during winter my leaves were turning yellow and some were developing black spots on it. I switched the location and I thought that I wasn’t watering them enough come to find out I watered it too much. When I did research on what the black spots could be it said that it could be bacteria and to remove those leaves and repot it. I immediately went to Home Depot and bought miracle growth and took all the old soil out and placed new soil in.
I have sticked to only using the glass watering bulbs to water the plant in order to not over watering it. But now I’m just scared that it’s going to die for good 😭😭😭
Please help.
The first picture is how it looked when I first got it the second one is how it looks now and a few pictures of what the leaves looked like.
by SadIntroduction9807
12 Comments
It looks like you’re probably still over watering. Ditch the bulbs, they just keep watering the plant constantly. That pot has a large soil mass that will hold moisture for a long time. You probably only need to water that thing once a month unless the leaves start to feel papery thin and curl a bit. If you don’t ever see that sign of thirst, you can definitely wait longer to water.
At this point, i would recommend repotting with a faster draining soil and then letting the plant dry out for a bit before watering again. In general, the big-name soil mixes are all very organic and hold moisture for a long time when put into pots. The larger the pot, the more problematic this is. You usually want to amend any store-bought soil with inorganic material like perlite or some other sort of small grained grit. Whatever you add, mix it in thoroughly to get the best drainage for the soil.
It looks overwatered to me. Monsteras can dry out quite a bit. I don’t water mine too entirely much (once every two weeks) and it’s gorgeous. Don’t fertilize while it’s in this condition.
I would not use those watering bulbs…especially not two!! It will definitely pop back 😊 let it dry a bit and then water when the top of the soil is dry to the depth of two inches.
Can you lift it?
I’ve started bottom watering because I too am cursed by constantly overwatering. It has been a game changer!
Once the leafs look droopy I place the nursery pot in a bowl of water, leave them overnight (because I am forgetful) and pop it back into the nice pot.
No more root rot!
Miracle gro isn’t great for monsteras. It’s not good for any plants really, but especially monstera, as it holds too much moisture. You need a well draining soil and pot, and when you water you want to set her in the bathtub/shower and let her drain for a while after you water
Stick your finger 2 inches down or more in the soil and only water when its dry. Not moist *at all*. Mine is every 2-3 weeks
There are thrips all over the leaf
Repot in dryer soil, check roots for rot and cut off any nasty bits. Get rid of the drip water thingies.
Mine is in a pot not too much bigger than this one, and I only water it like once every couple of months lol. Just listen to the soil, ditch the bulbs and get a moisture meter instead. Stick it in there every couple of weeks to see if it’s dry. If it’s finally dry, give it a deep thorough water until water is dripping from the drainage holes. And then don’t touch it again until that moisture meter says dry. It will be just fine. When the leaves fully yellow. Just trim them off at the base. They will grow new leaves again and everything will be okay ♥️♥️ good luck OP wishing the best for you and your monstera!
Edit- if you don’t want to buy a moisture meter (like 12$ on amazon) than you can either stick your finger in a few inches and see if the top soil is dry( which is less accurate honestly, especially with a bigger plant)
OR you could use a wooden chopstick and stick it all the way in to the bottom, if it’s wet or the soil is sticking at all, then it’s still too moist to water yet.
You might have thrips but I can’t tell for sure from the photos, do you see tiny moving white specs anywhere?
Buy a hydrometer, they’re inexpensive and no guessing. I only water when completely dry
I can see the thrips on it. That’s the #1 culprit for monstera issues.
Save it yourself! Stop watering!!
You’ll be surprised at how resilient monstera are. If you cut back on that and maybe feed it some fertilizer, like Schultz brand drops in your water (when it’s time to) you’ll have happy new babes popping up and healthy new leaves unfurling