Monstera care guide
Monstera deliciosa
Easy care⚠️ 🐾
Monstera (Monstera deliciosa) does best when watered about every 7 days. Let the top 2–3 cm of soil dry out before watering again; adjust the rhythm to season and light.
Place it in bright indirect light. Humidity needs are average room, and it appreciates misting roughly every 7 days. The comfortable temperature range is 18–25°C. During the growing season, feed it about every 30 days.
Care difficulty: easy — great for beginners.
⚠️ Pet safety: Monstera is toxic to cats and dogs. Calcium oxalate crystals — mouth burning, drooling, vomiting. Keep it out of reach, and if your pet chews it, contact a vet.
Monstera deliciosa is a climber: in the wild it starts on the forest floor and scrambles up tree trunks, clinging with thick aerial roots. That explains its two most talked-about quirks. Young plants have solid, heart-shaped leaves, and the famous splits and holes (fenestrations) only appear as the plant matures and gets more light, especially once it has something to climb. It likes the top 3–5 cm of soil to dry between waterings (roughly every 7 days in summer), a weekly misting, bright indirect light and 18–25 °C. All parts contain calcium oxalate crystals, so it is toxic to cats and dogs.
Common problems and fixes
Monstera leaves not splitting
Why: New leaves without splits or holes mean the plant is still juvenile or is not getting enough light. Plants sprawling without support also tend to stay in the solid-leaf stage longer.
What to do: Move it close to a bright window without harsh midday sun and give it a moss pole to climb. Existing leaves will never develop splits, but each new leaf should become larger and more fenestrated.
Monstera leaves turning yellow
Why: The most common cause is overwatering: soil that never dries suffocates the roots. An occasional single lower leaf yellowing on an otherwise healthy plant is normal ageing.
What to do: Let the top 3–5 cm of soil dry before watering and make sure the pot drains freely. If several leaves yellow at once and the soil smells sour, unpot, trim black mushy roots and repot in an airy mix with bark and perlite.
Brown crispy edges on monstera leaves
Why: Crispy brown edges usually come from dry air, underwatering or a spot next to a radiator. Brown patches with a yellow halo in the middle of the leaf point instead to overwatering and root problems.
What to do: Water thoroughly when the top layer has dried, mist weekly and keep it away from heaters. For halo-type patches, cut back on watering and check the roots.
Monstera leaves drooping and curling
Why: Leaves that curl inward and hang down usually mean the plant is thirsty, especially in a warm room or a pot that has become full of roots.
What to do: Check the soil and water deeply if it is dry; the leaves normally recover within a day. If it dries out every few days, repot into a pot one size larger in spring.
Monstera leaning and sprawling
Why: Without support the stem grows sideways and the plant flops, and in low light the gaps between leaves get long and the new leaves small.
What to do: Insert a moss or coir pole at repotting and tie the stem to it with soft ties, guiding aerial roots into the pole. Keep the pole slightly moist so the roots grip it, and give the plant more light.
Water droplets on monstera leaves
Why: Droplets at the leaf edges or tips in the morning are guttation, the plant pushing out excess water after a generous watering or in humid air.
What to do: It is harmless, but frequent guttation suggests the soil stays quite wet, so let it dry a little more between waterings. Wipe drips away if pets might lick them.
Care through the seasons
☀️ Spring and summer
From spring through summer monstera grows actively, often producing a new leaf every few weeks. Water roughly every 7 days once the top 3–5 cm of soil is dry, mist weekly and feed monthly with a balanced houseplant fertiliser. This is the best time to repot, add or extend a moss pole and take cuttings. Wipe the large leaves with a damp cloth now and then so dust does not block the light.
❄️ Autumn and winter
In autumn and winter growth slows and the soil dries more slowly, so check it before each watering and expect intervals of 10–14 days. Stop fertilising until spring. Heating dries the air, so keep misting and move the plant away from radiators, but also away from cold glass and drafts, since temperatures below the 18–25 °C range stall growth. Shorter days mean less light, so a spot closer to the window helps keep new leaves from coming out small.
How to propagate
Monstera must be propagated from a stem cutting with a node, the slightly swollen point on the stem where a leaf and an aerial root emerge. Cut a few centimetres below a node, ideally keeping one leaf and at least one aerial root, and let the cut dry for an hour. A leaf with only its stalk and no node may grow roots in water, but it will never produce a new leaf.
Root the cutting in water or in damp sphagnum moss in a warm, bright spot out of direct sun. Change the water every few days; roots usually appear within two to six weeks. Once they are 5–10 cm long, pot the cutting into an airy aroid mix and keep it slightly moist while it adjusts.
The mother plant will usually send out a new growth point from a node below the cut, so propagating is also a good way to control a monstera that has outgrown its space.
Tips from experience
- Do not cut off aerial roots unless they are in the way; guide them into the moss pole or down into the soil instead.
- A moss pole kept slightly damp is the single biggest step toward larger, split leaves.
- Use a chunky mix with bark and perlite so the roots get air between waterings.
- Turn the plant every few weeks if one side faces away from the light.
- Keep cats and dogs away from the leaves, as calcium oxalate crystals burn the mouth.
- A 7-day reminder in Plantik is a good prompt to check the soil with your finger rather than watering on autopilot.
🌱 Never forget to water it
Plantik sends care reminders for 190+ species right in Telegram — watering, misting, fertilizing. Free for up to 10 plants.
Get reminders — @PlantikBotFAQ
▸How often should I water Monstera?
About every 7 days. In winter or lower light, stretch the interval; in hot bright rooms, shorten it slightly. Always check the soil first.
▸What light does Monstera need?
Monstera prefers bright indirect light, with a comfortable range of 18–25°C.
▸Is Monstera toxic to cats and dogs?
Yes. Calcium oxalate crystals — mouth burning, drooling, vomiting.
▸How often should I fertilize Monstera?
Roughly every 30 days during spring and summer; pause or halve feeding in winter.
▸Should I mist Monstera?
Yes — it likes average room humidity, so mist about every 7 days or use a pebble tray/humidifier.
▸Why doesn't my monstera have holes in its leaves?
It is either too young or not getting enough light. Give it bright indirect light and something to climb, and new leaves will gradually develop splits; old leaves stay as they are.
▸Should I cut monstera aerial roots?
It is not necessary and does not harm the plant if you trim a few, but aerial roots help it climb and take up moisture. Tucking them into a moss pole or the soil is usually the better choice.
▸How often should I water a monstera?
About every 7 days in spring and summer, when the top 3–5 cm of soil is dry. In winter it usually needs water every 10–14 days.
▸Is monstera toxic to cats and dogs?
Yes. It contains calcium oxalate crystals that cause mouth burning, drooling and vomiting, so keep it out of pets' reach.