Please, please help!
I’m new to plants and I tried the best I knew.
I bought this monstera deliciosa a few months ago. It felt root bound but it was cold outside and I didn’t want to bother it.
I was afraid to overwater so I watered it, little amounts, once every 2 weeks or more. Each time I watered it, in a couple of hours it showed gutation, for context. So I watered it even less. Then, it started getting droopy and having some brown spots on the leaves, one at a time leaf started getting less green as though life was escaping it and then it would get brown spots, then yellow. I have already cut 5 leaves since this process started.
I took the plunge and today I inspected the roots even though it’s winter where I live. Roots seem healthy to me…I tried not to rummage too much so I would break the roots, but they seem healthy, right?
The soil was not damp and it didn’t smell like mould.
How can I save it or at least help it feel better?
I checked of course and it doesn’t have any pests…
It is near a window.
by Georgi_n18
6 Comments
I dont know enough about plants to have a valuable opinion, but when i see the roots go round and round like that i would say they need more space. See what others say but i would suggest repot in bigger pot
Good that you’ve repotted the plant, this monstera will need a huge amount of direct light hitting the leaves, if you had a south facing window not near a draft then whack the plant right next to it!
I don’t have any monstera, but I do have almost 70 plants. It looks like the roots are healthy. Honestly, I wouldn’t water it the way ur describing, but I’m not an expert by any means. I would research what that plant likes and then once it’s at that level of dryness, soak the plant till water runs out of the drainage holes. Then wait until it’s dry again to water. U can check with a chopstick, ur finger or a water meter. I use a free app, a water meter and my finger just to be sure. Good luck!
Like others have said, you need to water the entire rootball thoroughly. Don’t worry about guttation, it’s natural. Then wait until the top inch of the soil is dry before you water again. If you water normally though, you should probably amend the soil with some perlite to give it more drainage (about a 50/50 perlite/soil ratio is ideal). This is the best way to prevent rootrot.
Lastly, is your monstera in a cold space, like near a draft or in a hallway that isn’t being heated? If so, that could also cause issues. Monsteras prefer temperatures of at least 13–15 °C (55–59 °F).
I agree, it looks like the roots are healthy and has plenty of soil to retain moisture. I suspect your watering was the issue.
Plenty of light, thorough watering and let it dry out until the leaves tell you it wants more water. The less available light, the less frequently it needs to be watered.
Maybe some of my learnings through the years with a monstera can help:
– Humidity: They seem to love humidity, I used to take mine to the shower so it could absorb the steam from the bathroom and I’d water every time I noticed the soil going a bit dry (not completely dry), I no longer do this but I need to start doing it again as it grew several healthy leaves in a short period of time when doing this. I’d water the leaves too, but it all comes to the humidity of your location.
– They also don’t seem to mind a lot being root bound, when you decide to repot make sure the new container is slightly bigger than the previous one
– Check for thrips or other pests: Sometimes thrips aren’t visible, but if you notice little black or white dots in the leaves it can be a sign of thrips, and the leaves tend to start yellowing as well (you can find a lot of content in this reddit about how to get rid of thrips)
– Sun: They love sun, if yours is in a dark spot I suggest moving to a place with bright indirect light first, and then allow a couple hours of direct light (take into account that light exposure might affect the amount of water it needs)
– Soil: A breathable soil is a must, I use perlite + coconut coir and rice husk.
If you’re worried about overwatering I’d suggest using a Terracotta clay pot, as it allows the water to evaporate through all the potsince it’s a porous material (you will see the whole pot or some parts get wet).
Lastly, have a lot patience! It might take some time for new growth to start showing but it will be worth the effort.
Pd: English is not my native language, please forgive any grammar errors.