i got my little monstera yesterday from a university houseplant sale, and it’s looking a little sad. i know it’s recommended to water them after repotting (had to repot as its roots were growing over the rim of the last one) but i used soil discs that had to be activated by water yesterday so it was already very damp. should i water it again now, or wait until the soil has completely dried off? tips are very much appreciated
If that bottom leaf starts to yellow, you might have potted it too deep. Adansonii is probably my most dramatic vining plant and gets droopy after a repot. I’ve found it to be more forgiving of under watering than overwatering. They’re quick to get root rot. I’d recommend waiting instead of watering again unless the soil is already dry
1 Likethank you so much for the advice! i know nothing about houseplants so im trying to learn as i go. i think ill hold off until tomorrow for watering as im concerned about leaving it too wet. if it does start to get yellow and droopy, is there anything you recommend me do? i don’t think i planted it too deep but the roots were very long so i wasn’t sure how to handle it. i was told somewhere else that it needs something to climb so i was considering finding something to tie it to.
0 Likes They can climb or hang. IMO they don’t look good when climbing. The mature leaves look like a frumpy esqueleto to me lol. If that leaf yellows and you catch it pretty early you can just lift it out of the soil more so the petiole (stem) isn’t under the soil. Or you can just cut it off when/if it yellows and leave the plant as is.
1 Like I think my large adansonii dries out enough that i end up watering it once a week but I have it in a fairly chunky soil mix. It looks like you have it in peat moss, which dries pretty slow. Just don’t let it completely dry out, it’s prone to becoming hydrophobic. Peat is usually used in nurseries so they don’t have to water all day but it can hold too much moisture in household environments. If the plant declines and it looks like root rot, mix in pumice, perlite, orchid bark or any other airy amendment. Good luck! Lmk if you have more questions. Talking about plants is a hobby in itself for me haha
1 Likethank you so much for all your advice! i’m going to water it today (now that the soil is completely dry) and order some airier soil mix later. hopefully it’ll be okay in the peat soil while i’m waiting for something better to arrive. i had no idea soil made such a big difference to the survival of a plant! i understand that you can buy fertiliser for houseplants, is this necessary and if so, when should i use it?
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I would cut the soil with some chunks - perlite, orchid bark, pumice. Get some air in there. Don’t over water! Once got have it in an airier soil you should be good. I also recommend clear plastic pots so you can actually see what the soil and (to an extent) the roots are doing. If you’re in a less humid place, misting helps with adansonai too
1 Likethank you!! i’m definitely going to do that asap, i didn’t realise that the soil i have might make my plant prone to root rot which i obviously want to avoid. i’m going to water it today but to a more cautious extent and then top up when the more airy soil arrives. i haven’t heard about the misting, i’ll definitely give it a try as i’m currently in the midlands in england haha, definitely not a very humid place.
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