--- title: "Questions! New to this, so pardon my terminology. I was gifted this…" description: "Questions! New to this, so pardon my terminology. I was gifted this monstera. 1. The only leaves so far have been towards the bottom. They’ve been smaller and…" url: "https://getplanta.com/community/UeI834LBSHCioL8MwLcQxA/vBHi1488Qzib8_eFA7iFHw" community: "Monstera Maniacs" author: "Diane Y" published: "2024-03-09T22:08:29.047935Z" language: "en" image: "https://images.getplanta.com/v1/resize/LLUMldry_5rJtIJZ_HfuxcuPookk1liuTo3Kqn0TRZo/9bezN1XDT8mb7v0J300FLw.webp?size=large" --- [Community](https://getplanta.com/community.md) / [Monstera Maniacs](https://getplanta.com/community/UeI834LBSHCioL8MwLcQxA.md) # Questions! New to this, so pardon my terminology. I was gifted this… _Posted by Diane Y on 2024-03-09_ Questions! New to this, so pardon my terminology. I was gifted this monstera. 1\. The only leaves so far have been towards the bottom. They’ve been smaller and solid. This new leaf shows fenestration. What determines how a leaf grows? 2 and 3. It looks like new stalks/stems growing from spots that have been cut in the past. I don’t see leafy parts growing here. Is this normal? 4\. Is it normal to see these little “buds” at the bottom of the main stem area? 5\. What causes yellow leaves? Am I over-watering? Should I leave this to recover? If I need to cut, how do I know where to cut? 6\. The main stems grow sideways vs upwards. Should I add a pole to gently pull them upward? Thanks for sticking with me and helping as I learn!! ![Attachment 1 of 6](https://images.getplanta.com/v1/resize/LLUMldry_5rJtIJZ_HfuxcuPookk1liuTo3Kqn0TRZo/9bezN1XDT8mb7v0J300FLw.webp?size=large) ![Attachment 2 of 6](https://images.getplanta.com/v1/resize/LLUMldry_5rJtIJZ_HfuxcuPookk1liuTo3Kqn0TRZo/E7W4ZIpjTSCv2lKebMs5yw.webp?size=large) ![Attachment 3 of 6](https://images.getplanta.com/v1/resize/LLUMldry_5rJtIJZ_HfuxcuPookk1liuTo3Kqn0TRZo/kF10FdeBQgWoaJmPfJm9vA.webp?size=large) ![Attachment 4 of 6](https://images.getplanta.com/v1/resize/LLUMldry_5rJtIJZ_HfuxcuPookk1liuTo3Kqn0TRZo/qPPOqopASi26LNZ8KYYlZQ.webp?size=large) ![Attachment 5 of 6](https://images.getplanta.com/v1/resize/LLUMldry_5rJtIJZ_HfuxcuPookk1liuTo3Kqn0TRZo/sEBeH0XATsaP-ZfArhBczw.webp?size=large) ![Attachment 6 of 6](https://images.getplanta.com/v1/resize/LLUMldry_5rJtIJZ_HfuxcuPookk1liuTo3Kqn0TRZo/sqvNp_YcRK-scEkWK_qreg.webp?size=large) ## 2 comments ### Sam commented on 2024-03-09 Hello! A few answers for you ☺️ 1\. I’m not 100% sure on the science of this and someone else may correct me, but the smaller leaves towards the base are new growth points from the nodes. Monstera’s leaves get the fenestrations as they mature which is why the larger ones further up the stems have them but not the new baby ones. As the stems grow from those new growth points then they will eventually mature and get fenestrations. 2 \& 3 are new leaves! These won’t have fenestrations at first. 4\. These are new growth points from the nodes that have been stimulated, usually from being cut. These will produce baby leaves without fenestrations and will eventually mature as mentioned above. 5\. These are just old leaves. You can leave it to die off or chop it off. If you get the odd yellow leave towards the base of the plant this is normal. Overwatering usually looks like more of the leaves turning yellow or new growth coming out mushy and brown etc. This plant looks really healthy especially with all the new growth! I would let it dry out most of the way before watering and make sure it’s not sitting in water as they don’t like the have wet feet ☺️. 6\. Yes, a pole is a good idea to help stabilise it and give it some direction. There is usually a front and a back for monsteras and the leaves will grow towards the light. If you search on YouTube, there are lots of videos about monstera care. Or if you prefer short form then TikTok also has lots of useful care tips! Happy growing! #### Diane Y replied on 2024-03-09 Thank you!!! --- _Source: the Planta community (https://getplanta.com). Reading is open to everyone. To post, comment and like, get the Planta app: https://getplanta.com/download_