Monstera Care, Cuttings & Cheat Codes

I have always found my Monstera Deliciosa (swiss cheese plants) to be quite resilient. Before owning Nettle & Bark, my approach to plant care was ‘I’ll water it once a week and if it survives, it can stay,’ and the cheese plants have always stayed.

I have two, which were purchased at the same time and from the same place but have grown quite differently. 

The first I took cuttings (and divided stems) from fairly early on, leaving one stem growing and planted it in a slightly smaller pot. This wasn’t done intentionally, but later on I discovered that if you plant Monstera in smaller pots, they use their energy to produce bigger leaves rather than produce more roots. I’m no scientist, but this is certainly the case for mine as 4 years later it’s grown beautiful big fenestrated leaves but takes a few months to produce new leaves.

The second, I left to bush out and planted in a bigger pot. I have recently taken 10 cuttings from this plant as it just kept producing new leaves literally every couple of weeks. However these leaves were smaller and with less fenestrations. I have also recently learned that if you place the aerial roots (the roots that grow in the air) into some water, your plant will produce additional leaves within days! That’s the best cheat code I have learned since *ROSEBUD* for the SIMS! However, I have also read that this shouldn’t be done for a prolonged period of time as it may encourage root rot.

“I love how different both plants are and it shows that you can really influence the way you want them to grow.”

When it comes to Monstera, most people want the big leaved, fenestrated version and so here’s my advice on how best to care for them:

Top care tips

1. Allow soil to dry out between waterings. I water my cheese plant once a week, sometimes even once every 2 weeks in the cooler months. Your monstera will tell you if you are overwatering as its leaves will start turning yellow.
2. They prefer a bright indirect spot, however in my experience they can cope with a slightly lower light level. My plants currently sit in an East facing window which has diffused light (it’s frosted glass).
3. They love a bit of humidity! I live in a basement flat which means we naturally have slightly higher humidity than your average home (great for most plant care, bad for damp patches!) They could survive perfectly well without misting, but I would recommend grouping them together with a couple of other plants. This creates a small microclimate with a higher humidity.
4. They prefer a well draining soil which also allows aeration of the roots. Although I have used general houseplant soil for years without any issues, you can purchase/ produce a more bespoke soil which includes minerals to help soil drainage & ensure it is nutrient rich for large leaf growth (coco fiber & perlite are often used).
5. Opt for a smaller pot size, preferably plastic. You sometimes see giant Monstera in a pot that looks impossibly small, but as mentioned above, when the plant is in a smaller pot it uses its energy to produce bigger leaves rather than more roots. These plants prefer to be a bit pot bound and so I would recommend sizing down when you’re deciding which pot to use. I would steer away from terracotta as it dries out a bit too quickly.
6. Shiny leaves! I have tried a few different things for shiny leaves over the years (banana skins to store bought leaf shine), all of which worked to a degree but not all I’d recommend. My advice would be to gently dust the leaves simply with a damp soft cloth - no shortcuts from me I’m afraid. I found the store bought leaf shine did work, but only lasted a few days which seems pointless for the money & harm to the environment.

Propogation tips

That’s it, you’ve followed the points above and you now have a beautifully established plant, so let’s take some cuttings and impress all your friends. I know it seems a bit scary, taking a pair of scissors to the very plant you’ve just spent months tending to, and you certainly don’t have to if you don’t want to! But if you do fancy experimenting, see my guide below:

1. Firstly, take a clean pair of scissors/ shears and plan where you’re going to make the cut
2. You should cut just below a ‘node’ (photo guide attached). The node is where the roots will grow from. There may already be an aerial root growing on it too!
3. Leave the cutting out to harden for a few hours then place in clean water (I change the water every few days/ once a week) until the roots have grown 1 - 2 inches long (at least a few weeks).
4. Congratulations, you’ve produced a cheese plant baby! Pot up and enjoy your plant!