Hi! So I found this beautiful monstera Thai at Walmart! (Can you believe it?!) anyway, she was kinda beat up and I haven’t done absolutely nothing to it .. no repotting or cleaning .. but I was wondering if you guys think I should cut most of her leaves off and start new? Or should I just repot? I’ve never done that so I’d need help to start if that’s what you guys recommend lol thank you!
Great find!! It looks like the leaves that are ripped/beat up are still green, so they’re still putting in work for the plant catching light. You could cut the “ugliest” ones off close to the main stem if you want, but until they start yellowing I’d say wait.
2 LikesAs for repotting, I’d say it’s up to you. I tend to lean towards repotting when I get a new plant so I can check the roots and put it in soil I know, but other people say to wait and let it adjust to its new home first. If you want to repot, the easiest thing to do would be buy some aroid soil mix from Amazon, but that can be expensive. The cheaper route would be a DIY mix at home. There’s all kinds of stuff people do, but I keep it simple with roughly equal parts indoor potting soil, perlite, and orchid bark, which you can find at Home Depot/Lowe’s. Regular soil by itself is too dense for monsteras so the perlite and orchid bark make it chunkier and drain better so the roots don’t stay wet too long and drown. Pot size: 1-2 inches bigger than the root ball, if it’s root bound.
1 Like Thank you for your response! Appreciate the help 🥰
1 LikeI use Miracle Grow Cactus, Palm & Citrus potting soil. Very porous mix and good for houseplants. I pull all my new plants out of those cheap plastic pots with NO DRAINAGE HOLES! She’d rather get used to a new pot rather than drown her roots water. 😫 sometimes if it looks healthy and not water logged, I just put it in a new pot and don’t disturb the roots or dirt around the plant. Good Luck!
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Wow she’s beautiful!!! 🤍 I really don’t think you should repot! At least not yet. Wait until spring depending on where you live because the plant can go through shock because of the stress of being repotted especially in the winter when it’s not actively growing. (Winter+Cozy Plant+No Growth+Repotting=Damage) If you wait until spring (growth season) it will be more open to the change of repotting since it’s already going through change and growing. (Spring+Changes+Growth+Repotting=Happy Plant) Also if you just brought it home I definitely don’t think you should repot yet bc that’s 2x the stress.
1 Like Thanks for your help! 😍
1 LikeIf it was from Walmart I'd repot. I just got one from there and the soil it was in was very dense and soggy. The reason some people say don't repot in winter is because it takes them a bit longer to recover but thats only because they aren't growing as fast. You don't necessarily need to let it adjust to the new environment either, sometimes I think its better to get all the big changes over at once. Another thing is, its possible that the soil could have pests. Any plant that comes from a big box store I always inspect really well, treat for pests, and repot and try to get as much of the old soil off the roots as possible.
2 LikesThis one has a new leaf thats still hardening so its actively growing even if its winter.
1 Like Thank you i appreciate the response! 🥰
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Though it’s a lil beat up, it still looks healthy. I’d inspect thoroughly for pests, treating as necessary. I’d also remove it from the pot to inspect its roots, then repot into a chunky soil mix.
1 Like Thank you so much for responding all these have helped! 🥰
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I'd repot! Box stores tend to have horrible soil which has, at least in ny experience, led to root rot
2 Likes Thank you! 😊 I appreciate the response!
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