Growing Gigantic Monstera Deliciosa

If you’re looking for a beginner-friendly house plant that’s large and in charge, then we recommend the Monstera Deliciosa. This gorgeous plant has beautiful green foliage, uniquely shaped leaves, is easy to propagate, and will leave you wanting one in every room of your house. Here’s how to take care of them and keep them happy for many years to come:

L O C A T I O N

Place your Monstera in a spot where it can receive bright to medium indirect light. If they get too much direct sunlight, this can cause the leaves to burn. But the opposite condition, too little light, will eventually cause the leaves/plant to droop and die off. Let’s keep them happy by placing them near a window that may receive a few minutes of direct sunlight, but mostly will be exposed to indirect sun.

To note- Monstera do like humid conditions, so if you have a bathroom with plenty of space and a window, this a great location to place them. Also, we would be very jealous if you did.

S O I L

Monstera Deliciosa are basic and okay with good ole’ indoor potting soil. Nothing special. To encourage a faster growth rate, you can repot them every spring into another pot that’s an inch or two larger in diameter. This gives them ample space that will encourage new root growth, which means you will get a plant that will become bigger and healthier.

W A T E R I N G

Watering your Monstera is not super tricky. A weekly watering should do the trick for them. If you notice that the top layer of soil is still wet, maybe hold off on watering for a day or two and then proceed as normal.
And as we mentioned before, they do like humid conditions, so if you have a humidifier and don’t know where to place it during the winter months, then we recommend placing near your giant Monstera.

P R O P O G A T I N G

…using stem cuttings, which is the most common method.

1. Find an aerial root on your stem that has a node and, ideally, two healthy leaves.
2. Cut 1/2 inch below the aerial root with sharp scissors at a 45 degree angle.
3. Place cutting into a jar of your choice that’s filled with enough water to cover about 1/4 of the entire stem. (Be sure that your jar is able to keep your stem in an upright position)
4. Change out the water every 2 weeks, and be sure that the cutting is placed in INDIRECT sun.
5. You should begin to see roots growing in about three weeks, but we recommend waiting about one to two months before transplanting into soil. For the first month of them being planted in new soil, make sure to water it every few days to encourage root attachment.

WE WANT TO KNOW…

do you have a Monstera Deliciosa? If not, will you get one? We have plenty to choose from at a few of our locations. Let us know in the comments below. You can also share your Monstera moments with us by using #gardenvalleyfarmersmarket on Facebook or Instagram. We can’t wait to see!

Thank you so much for joining us here. For more information on what Garden Valley Farmers Market is about, you can visit us here. If you’re wanting to visit with us, come by any of our five North Carolina locations. If you’re wanting to follow along with us, you can do so either on our Facebook, Youtube, or our Instagram. If you’re wanting to earn rewards and be easily connected with us, download our new App. And if you’re wanting to check out our other recipes and blog posts, or are needing more inspiration, follow us on our Pinterest. We’d love to have you join us in our journey of planting better, eating better, and living better.
Much love,
Your Garden Valley Farmers Market Team

How and When to Repot Your Houseplant

Items Needed

Pot with drainage hole that is 1 to 2 inches bigger (no bigger than 2)
Good quality indoor potting mix
Water

How to Repot Your Houseplant

1. Water your plant the day before, that way your soil and roots are easier to remove from the pot. It also helps reduce “shock” to your plant during transplant day

2. Gently pull out your plant from pot. Depending on it’s size, you may need to tilt the pot upside down, being careful not to drop it. You might need a friend for this depending on how big your pot is. If your plant is extremely root bound, you can take a knife and glide it around the inside of the pot to loosen the roots. 

3. Once your plant is outside of its original pot, gently work your fingers along the roots of the plant. This is also where you would inspect your plant and cut off any brown or black roots caused by overwatering. 

4. Fill the bottom of the pot with an inch of your indoor potting mix. Gently place your plant into the pot and fill the perimeter with soil. 

5. Gently press your hand down on the soil once it has reached the top. This makes sure that all areas have been covered with soil and that there are no air pockets hiding. 

6. Water lightly so that the soil is wet but not drenched. 

*If your plant seems to be going through a period of “shock”, it’s perfectly normal. Give it about a week, and you’ll see that it will be thriving once again and more vibrant than before.

When To Repot

+You have plant babies.   Over time, plant babies can tend to grow along with the mother plant. Which is GREAT! It means that your plant is thriving. But if your mother plant is competing for nutrients with the baby plants, it can stress the overall plant out. 

+You have roots growing out the bottom of your pot. Congratulations, because this means it has been thriving, and just needs more room to grow, and a fresh repotting can do tremendous amounts of good for your plant. 

+It just seems “blah”.   No matter what you do, (i.e. watering correctly, correct sunlight, or even talking to it) it just seems to be a little down. It might need some fresh soil to provide it with more nutrients. It can’t survive on just that original batch of soil alone.

+You have to water more frequently.   If your soil seems to be drying up quicker than before, it might be time to repot and give that plant some love. With better soil composition comes better water absorption, which means a much happier plant in return. 

+Root rot. If your plant’s roots are turning black or brown, it’s definitely time to repot your plant. Along with repotting, cut off the damaged portion of your plant’s roots, and this will help save the entire plant from suffering the damage. Also, maybe lighten up on the watering once your plant has it’s new “home”.

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Thank you so much for joining us here. For more information on what Garden Valley Farmers Market is about, you can visit us here. If you’re wanting to visit with us, come by any of our five North Carolina locations. If you’re wanting to follow along with us, you can do so either on our Facebook, Youtube, or our Instagram. And if you’re wanting to check out our other recipes and blog posts, or are needing more inspiration, follow us on our Pinterest. We’d love to have you join us in our journey of planting better, eating better, and living better.
Much love,
Your Garden Valley Farmers Market Team