New monstera parent looking for advice! I just brought this baby home from Sam’s Club for only $17, so I’m very happy. But sadly some of her bigger leaves look like they’ve been torn off or damaged from transport. Do I need to cut these off? I’m afraid of damaging her further. I’ve also bought a plank of wood to use as support, but I’m not sure how best to do that. Any advice would be greatly appreciated! 😁
Beautiful & for $17 def a steal 😍😍. Those torn/damaged leaves may be a bit of an eyesore as far as aesthetics but do not need to be cut unless they are browning/yellowing
3 likes Good to know! Thank you! Do you think she’s large enough for support at this point? 🤔
0 likes You absolutely can add a mole pole to encourage upwards growth as they like to climb 😊. My monstera adansonii is slightly shorter than your deliciosa & here’s how he (Swiss Beats 🥰) is looking today.
So cute! 😊
1 likeI would definitely take the plants out of the pot, inspect the roots and the potting mix. Typically, the store mix is too dense for the plant. It also looks like there are multiple (atleast 2 ) plants in there. Reposition them, so that they have their backs toward the post and support them. I have done something similar using 1 by 2 planks
Thank you for the advice! Do I have to split them apart into two separate pots or can I keep both plants together but with extra support for each?
0 likesYou can keep them in the same pot for the bushier look and also use the same pole to support multiple plants, (I would keep it to 3 atmost). They supposedly have a front and a back side despite how they may look to sprout on all sides. You want to arrange them so that their backs are towards the post. They are easier to manage as they grow in this way. There is a youtube video that helps identify the front from the back.
0 likesThe video is titled “how to set up your monsterra for success” by Kill this Plant
1 like Thank you so much! I’ll give it a shot. Fingers crossed! 🤞
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i agree with this comment, i make my own soil mix with a premade tropical soil bag, additional pearlite, orchid bark, and sometimes charcoal depending on the plant. monsteras do like a chunkier soil though! also my monstera has 2 plants in it i believe, it’s been that way since i bought it and ive found no issues with it.
1 like hi!! i think i’ve only pruned a handful of leaves off of my monstera since i’ve had it. idk i tend to leave the leafs as is because it helps the plant photosynthesize faster/put out more new growth the more green there is (i think). you could definitely prune a couple leaves if you’d don’t like the aesthetic but don’t do too many at once because that could shock your plant. i think you could definitely add a moss pole or trellis to your monstera at thus point if you’d like. monstera’s are climbers so they love all the extra support. i attached a pic of the back of my trellis as a little reference, just in case that’s helpful. i also use the pictured “smart release plant food” granules on the top of the soil of all my plants as fertilizer because i find it easier than remembering to add it to the water. i also use 5 drops of this silica mix to every half gallon of water when watering my plant, and have noticed they look happier since ive incorporated that. :) hope this helps
