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jduren_gw

Monstera deliciosa

jduren
11 years ago

My niece has had this plant for 4 yrs and has re-potted it once. I don't know anything about this plant and she thought because I'm taking up house plants as a hobby I might have better luck.

Some leaves are yellow and some very green. Some are the regular leaves found on the Monstera deliciosa and some imitate a pothos type. I found the large pot she re-potted the plant in had no drain holes and wasn't watered correctly, often forgotten.It was also in very low light conditions

What I've done so far... Watered thoroughly and drilled drain holes in the bottom. Misted several times and its located in the southeast window out of direct light, Have a humidifier at 50%.

At this point I don't know what I should be doing. Figured I needed to get the plant stabilized before action.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.Thx jack

Comments (12)

  • greenman28 NorCal 7b/8a
    11 years ago

    Hey!
    First, I'd move it to some stronger light.
    Then I'd stick a rough wooden kabob skewer deep into the pot, and leave it there.
    Use the stick to determine when the mix actually needs to be water - i.e., when the
    stick comes out of the mix mostly dry to the touch. If overwatering was the main problem,
    the plant should green up a bit.

    Then we need to consider nutrients. When was it last fertilized?


    Josh

  • jduren
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Thx for the replies. This is a plant from her fathers funeral 4 yrs ago.

    My thoughts were to get this plant healthy and eventually trim it back to start a better more positive foundation for bark/moss growth.

  • dellis326 (Danny)
    11 years ago

    That thing's just a baby. Cut off the yellow and brown and give it something sturdier and taller to climb up and tie the vine to it.

    Those heart shaped leaves are juvenile leaves and the mature split ones will grow out once the plant is a little larger. It may or may not loose the juvenile form leaves or a few of them may split as they get bigger, hopefully it'll keep them so you don't have too much bare stem.

    Healing takes time, be patient with it.

  • Tiffany, purpleinopp Z8b Opp, AL
    11 years ago

    Looks ready to POP with more light! There are 2 non-juvenile leaves to the left...

  • jduren
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Roughly a month. I had gnats soon after the watering on the plant and a Majestic palm I received from niece. I have not watered since and water level on both are around 3"-4" down. I have purchased chemicals to mix in the soil but as they have dried out gnats are gone from both plants and I have been treating the others as I water.

    I didn't do too much snipping on the plant as I was unfamiliar where to trim the limbs. Now I have about 10 new leafs coming out and watering again will come soon.

    I'm looking into a stake,etc for the plant and now seek more info on care for this plant. I don't want to go a step too far only to have correct mistakes later.

    Any info appreciated,,,Thx Jack

  • Tiffany, purpleinopp Z8b Opp, AL
    11 years ago

    Sounds like the start of a great relationship!

    The plant pictured below is Pothos (Epipremnum) but it works the same way as your plant. The circled things are aerial roots at the nodes. The ones I've shown still have leaves, but nodes are where leaves are or were. It looks like your plant has some visible roots at some of the nodes. When those contact soil, they begin to grow.

  • Tiffany, purpleinopp Z8b Opp, AL
    11 years ago

    A cutting like pictured below is what I would imagine for your plant also. The 2 nodes closest to the cut have had their leaves removed and will be put under soil, kind of sideways so both are near the surface. When a node takes off making roots, it also usually sends up a new growth tip. So by propagating the particular cutting shown below, I hope to have the original tip growing, and 2 new tips as those nodes take root.

    The stem that was cut on the mama plant usually will respond with a new growth tip, possible many along its' nodes. Never possible to predict for sure.

    You may also enjoy this discussion about vines and the wild stuff they do in general.

  • Tiffany, purpleinopp Z8b Opp, AL
    11 years ago

    The tips of this vine was cut a while ago, circled in blue. In response, new tips have begun to show at some of the nodes, circled in red. Your plant will behave almost identically, in general overall habit.

    Propagation is never predictable or foolproof. With the size of your mama plant, there's no risk of killing it by removing several nice cuttings, or even radically altering the appearance. I would make cuts fairly close to the soil, with 2-3 nodes left exposed. That would result in the most vigorous new shoots, very near the roots, should the cut vine succeed in producing them.

  • jduren
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Thx for the replies. Pothos I understand. I just potted four I had rooted a month ago.

    I didn't realized the potho was in the same class of care except for size.

    The soil is dry about 4" down and in such a large container I fear root root. I have heard water at 5" dry. What do you think?...Jack

  • Tiffany, purpleinopp Z8b Opp, AL
    11 years ago

    If there's still moisture, it should be fine. I'm sure the roots of that big ol' plant are throughout the pot. Does this plant guttate? (Drip moisture?)

  • dellis326 (Danny)
    11 years ago

    Pothos will get just as big if conditions are right.

    This one is supported by three pieces of bamboo tied together at the top. I had to move this plant about a week ago so the top foot or so has slumped over so one day I'll have to re-tie it to the poles. The small triangle next to the pot is about 7" on the short sides.

    Your smaller plant should be fine while it dries out for a week at a time. Mine I give about a gallon of water a couple times a week and I don't empty the drainage dish either, it sucks it all up in least then a day.

    Once it starts getting some size to it expect it to need about 2-3 feet of space from the stem so the leaves can open up and spread out. You can grow some smaller aroids in the pot to fill in some of the empty space. Give it bright indirect light or morning sun and bright shade for the rest of the day, keep it sorta damp all the time (with a fast draining soil) and use a good fertilizer.

    Gnats are a sign that your soil is too heavy and doesn't drain well.