Already have 2 Thai cons but I couldn’t leave her behind especially with this variegation! Judging from the leaf that’s coming in and the stem it looks like she’s going to be mostly white. Any tips on highly variegated plants? How do I avoid further browning of the leaves - my other Thai cons do not have that..
Make sure it gets plenty of light, white leaves don't photosynthesize
1 j'aimeWould you recommend a specific direction window? My other monsteras are close to a south facing window and are doing amazing…. With this one I’m worried the leaves will burn
0 J'aime south-facing windows can provide good light, but direct sunlight from them can be too harsh for a Monstera Thai . To avoid scorching the leaves, it's best to place the plant a few feet away from the window or use sheer curtains to diffuse the light. East or west-facing windows offer more gentle, indirect light, which is ideal for this plant
1 j'aimeThank you!
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You got some good lighting advice. Besides that, silica supplementation is often recommended for highly variegated plants. I use NPK Industry’s silica powder cause I prefer dry mix-ins in general. There’s brands that make liquid silica supplement though, like Pretty in Green I’m mostly concerned about the soil it came in though. It’s generally recommended to avoid repotting a new plant for a few weeks. However that looks like straight peat to me, which I’ve found to be problematic. It’s commonly used in commercial greenhouses because it’s cheap and they have a lot of light and ventilation to keep rot from setting in. In a normal home though, I find that peat stays soggy for wayyyyy too long. When a plant’s soil takes a long time to dry out, it can cause the plant’s roots to rot. Thai cons can definitely be sensitive to root rot, unfortunately I would either be very conscientious about making sure the soil is almost entirely dry before watering for the next few weeks before repotting, or carefully repot it now into chunky soil. It looks like yours is still small enough that I would just change the soil and put it back in the same pot, or one the same size
1 j'aimeThank you so much for all this advice! I’ve never used silica before so I’m definitely going to look into it! Yes I agree with you on the soil! I make my own chunky mix and I’ve been waiting on the soil to come so I can repot it. (Think it’s supposed to come today 🤞🏻). I have done a quick check and there were no obvious signs of root rot but will do a better check when I’m ready to repot
1 j'aime No prob ☺️ Oh right, you have two other Thais. Lol I forgot that right after reading it while I was typing my first reply 😂 That helps! I do like to get experience with a sturdier version of the same or a similar species before trying to level up to a special variegated one I just bought a risky plant today from a rare plant shop’s closing sale 🫣 I couldn’t say no to 70% off on a plant that I hadn’t even seen in person before! I do consider philodendrons to be my specialty, but it’s a philodendron mint golden dragon 😱 I know mint variegation starts white and greens down as the leaves age, but I have a suspicion that this one might be bordering on over-variegated under the mint. Pray for us 😜😂
1 j'aimeSo exciting! Would love to see updates on that! Good luck! ☺️
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