Monstera adansonii Revitalization/Viewer Inspired

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Today, a viewer-inspired video comes from Judy Samuel, who requested a video on how to revitalize a Monstera adansonii. This is a beautiful Monstera adansonii that indeed needs a little help. For one, it needs to be repotted. I received it in this condition, so I haven’t made many changes, wanting to use it for this specific video. Of course, proper lighting and care are essential, but for now, we’ll focus on revitalization.

This plant, while other plants share the nickname, is commonly known as the Swiss cheese plant due to the fenestrations in its leaves, resembling paper snowflakes. We are going to revitalize this plant here, which has some straggly ends. Before repotting, which is necessary, and I have various pot sizes to choose from based on the root mass, we’ll address these. Hopefully, one of these pots will work.

I do have a care video on these plants, which I will link below, providing information on how to grow these beauties. This video, however, will focus on revitalization, and we can check on its progress in the future.

As mentioned, we’ll start by checking the tips. This tip looks quite good. Here’s a close-up: you can see it’s the start of a new leaf, very healthy and a nice lime green color. Typically, new growth appears lime green before maturing to a darker green. This indicates healthy growth with no browning. So, I won’t remove this end.

However, I will look for other areas that could be trimmed. It’s often easier to repot if there’s less foliage, especially if it’s foliage you don’t want on the plant anyway. Ah, here we go. Now, this one, although it has… well, it’s not too bad, it also has the same new growth. So, perhaps that wasn’t the one I initially noticed. But I know I saw one with issues earlier. Still looking…

This is what you want to do. Now, here’s one where it looks like something was chopped off at some point, and the leaf didn’t form correctly. I’m going to cut it back. This leaf also looks a little straggly, so I’ll trim this one as well. When repotting, the plant needs energy to grow roots, so pruning some of the top growth can be beneficial.

These are stem nodes, where new growth will emerge. There was some growth here before. I’m going to cut back to here, right above the stem node, so new growth will sprout from there once the plant acclimates to its new pot and starts to grow again. New foliage will then appear at the trimmed ends.

Okay, here we go. See these? These are also straggly, with browning at the end, which isn’t ideal. This leaf looks okay, so you could simply cut here to encourage new, healthier growth. This one is long and kind of… Now, another thing: if you see a lot of lack of leaves in between and want the plant to be fuller, these areas can eventually grow. Often, you can stimulate growth by cutting off that part or by cutting back to a larger leaf, like this. I had cut off there, but I’m going to cut here to make it shorter, reducing the overall mass.

However, you don’t want to cut too much, as I will be attaching this plant, which likes to grow up, onto a moss pole. I need some vines to work with. There’s a little bit of leaf tip burn on this plant, which I’ve just removed. This can be caused by overly dry conditions or insufficient water – hard to say in this case. It was quite dry when I received it.

Okay, for the most part, we’ve cleaned things up here. Now, we’re going to take an overall view, look here, and choose a pot for the plant, then repot it and insert a moss pole. It seems I didn’t bring the moss pole to the table, so I’ll have to pause the camera to get it.

Okay, here we have the plant. You can see it’s in fairly good shape. If yours isn’t in as good a condition, don’t worry; you can still revitalize it using these tips. You can see some roots coming out of the bottom, definitely indicating it’s time for repotting.

I’m going to tap on the pot gently. You can also do this on the side of a table if the plant isn’t coming out easily. This was watered an hour prior to repotting. I have a whole repotting series linked below, along with other mentioned resources, which will be helpful.

This root emergence is a sign of needing repotting. Yes, this plant has pretty much filled up the soil, which is why it was drying out quickly for me. Getting it into more soil will definitely help retain moisture. Monsteras, in general, like to be kept on the moist side, originating from the humid, rainy jungle. You really don’t want them to dry out, as this can lead to brown leaf tips and poor growth.

So, this is a lot of root. Now, you see those circling roots? Sometimes, this can cause the plant to strangulate itself, so I’m going to loosen that up a bit. Another technique for tight root balls like this is to gently run a sharp object along the sides to break them up. Be careful not to be too aggressive, as you don’t want to harm the plant. The goal is to encourage the roots to grow outward into the new soil. Shaking the root ball can also help remove excess old soil. This one has a dense root mass, so not much soil is coming loose.

It’s beneficial to remove some of the old soil because the new soil will contain fresh nutrients and is less likely to have salt buildup from fertilizer and watering. I think this is as loose as we’re going to get it. Again, avoid being too rough to prevent the plant from going into shock.

I have a video on the importance of root mass to pot size. Ideally, you want a two-thirds root to one-third soil ratio within the pot. Let’s look for the right size pot among these. This shortest one, the smallest one, is definitely too small. These are also too small. I anticipated this but wanted to illustrate the process. Sometimes, even if a plant was in a larger pot, the root system might be smaller than expected, fitting into a smaller pot. So, it’s good to have various sizes on hand, as discussed in my root rot series and two root mass videos (linked below). Too much soil can lead to root rot, even for moisture-loving plants like monsteras.

This size pot looks promising. It offers enough room on the sides and about two to three inches at the bottom for soil beneath the root ball. For small to medium-sized plants, you generally don’t want much more than that to avoid excessive moisture at the bottom. So, this one could work. However, the blue color isn’t my favorite for this plant’s aesthetic.

This one is similar in size, slightly larger, but not by much. Knowing that monsteras grow relatively quickly when healthy, this slightly larger pot should be fine. I particularly like the lime green color and the little bird design – it’s quite appealing. Choosing a pot you like is important, but avoid the trap of using a pot that’s clearly too big, hoping the plant will adapt. You might end up with a nice pot but a struggling plant. So, this one will be good. Let’s try a couple more. This one is too big, with too much potential soil volume relative to the root mass. The color is okay. This one is closer to the square one in size and also looks suitable, but I still prefer the square one. And thankfully, the square one is the right size.

So, we’re going to go ahead and pot this up. Ensure your chosen pot has a drainage hole, which this one does. I’ll need to pause the camera again to get some screening. I actually use drywall tape for drainage holes and the moss pole. I’ll be right back.

We are back with the moss pole. I’ve installed the drywall tape here, covering the drainage hole nicely. I have a video on using drywall tape versus screen – it’s more economical and comes in a large roll that lasts a long time. So, the drainage hole is covered. Now, we’ll start repotting.

I have a mix here of nice Pro-Mix BX, worm compost, and some of my Green Gourmet house plant food. It’s a low-nutrient, organic fertilizer that helps create a self-sustaining environment for the plants. It’s also difficult to burn roots with this unless you plant directly in it, which is important because brown leaf tips can also be caused by fertilizer burn.

So, we’ll mix this in well. This soil is pre-moistened. Always repot with pre-moistened soil to prevent the plant from sinking after watering, which would require repotting again to ensure the correct position in the pot.

I’m adding a layer of soil here, about two to two and a half inches. I’ll set the plant in here. It looks like it’s at a good height. I think we can add a little more soil at the bottom though. You want to position the plant so that the top of the root ball is about a quarter inch below the rim of the pot. This prevents water from flowing over the sides during watering, ensuring it reaches the roots. However, don’t plant it too deep (no more than half an inch below the rim) because a low position in the pot, especially with non-moistened soil initially leading to sinking, can create a damp environment conducive to pests and diseases. I have a video on that as well.

Now, I’ll start adding soil. As mentioned, we’re aiming for about one-third potting soil to two-thirds root mass in this pot. Monsteras don’t like to be severely root-bound, meaning their roots are tightly packed. This pot size should be good. I have a video explaining root-bound conditions and which plants prefer them (monsteras are not among them). When repotting a monstera, you can go slightly larger than the strict two-thirds root to one-third soil ratio, perhaps leaning a bit more towards soil, but I wouldn’t do a 50/50 mix.

The best approach is to have plants growing in the appropriate amount of soil. They will thrive and grow vigorously, eventually requiring a larger pot. This is better than having a plant struggle in a pot that’s too large. A plant in a pot that’s too big might not die from root rot, but it likely won’t thrive and will just sit there. If you have plants that aren’t growing despite seemingly correct lighting, etc., they might be in pots that are too large. Potting down a size can often stimulate growth. These plants prefer medium-bright light. When considering houseplants, research their native environment. Monsteras come from the jungle, where they climb towards the light, enjoying bright indirect light at their uppermost leaves. They don’t typically receive direct sunlight on the jungle floor where they originate and grow up trees as epiphytic plants. I will link my epiphyte video for more information on this.

Now, you want to ensure there are no air pockets in the soil. See how my finger goes all the way down here? The moss pole is slightly in the way. Air pockets can cause roots to dry out and die back, potentially leading to root rot due to insufficient healthy roots to support the plant. So, poke around to eliminate air pockets. As you can see, I’m using a good amount of soil in this seemingly small pot, providing ample space for root growth.

Once this is done, we’ll install the moss pole. I’m just about finished adding soil, making sure it’s evenly distributed around the plant. Uneven soil levels can cause water to drain to one side. Pressing down the soil, a process called “tamping,” is important for the plant’s health.

Usually, I would water at this point, but I’ll install the moss pole first. Let me clear some soil here. Here is the moss pole. I have a video discussing its usefulness. These poles mimic the natural growing conditions for the plant. The one I have here came in a box of two. I’ve wetted it. You can wet it before or spray it afterward. You will need to spray it periodically as the plant grows. Think of yourself as indoor mother or father nature, trying to replicate the plant’s natural environment.

This moss pole can be kept bent, but I want the plant to grow upwards on it. Always wear gloves when repotting and especially when handling moss poles, as they are made with sphagnum moss, which can cause skin irritation or sensitivity.

Okay, so here we go. This plant is looking better. Let me move the pots to get a better view. I’ll turn this pot over to create a stable base. Okay, we’re looking good.

As mentioned, this moss pole is quite tall (25 inches), and you can get even taller ones for larger plants. They are easily replaceable later. These moss poles are not only healthy for the plant, allowing it to grow naturally, but they also absorb moisture, which the plant can utilize if you keep the pole sprayed with a fine mist. You want a spray bottle that produces a very fine mist.

When revitalizing the plant, you want to wrap the leaves around the pole. As the plant matures, it will develop aerial roots (brown or gray roots emerging from the stem), especially on older plants. These can also be trained up the moss pole. I have a video explaining their importance and whether to preserve them. So, here I’m wrapping this up top, and we’ll continue doing so.

You’ll want to secure the plant to the pole with green garden tape. This tape stretches as the plant grows and can even be pulled apart. Use this instead of wire or string, which can cut into the stem and choke the plant. Let me adjust this so you can see better. I’ll continue wrapping here. You don’t have to attach all the leaves to the moss pole, but you can if you like. I’ll add some green garden tape in a moment. It’s called tape, but it’s not sticky; it’s more of a tie.

Okay, here I’m going to keep adding more. I’ll show you an overall view at the end. Just do what looks best to you. The plant will naturally start to grow up the pole but needs some initial training and may require occasional tying along the way. As mentioned, you don’t have to put all the leaves on it, but in this case, it seems beneficial, except for some of the shorter ones. It takes a little work to decide what looks best. You can also tie the leaves to each other.

This tie tape is very easy to cut later or untie and reuse. It can last a while. When tying, don’t make it too tight. Often, the leaves will eventually cover the tie tape. I’ve seen Velcro used, but I’m hesitant as it doesn’t give, potentially girdling the plant if not monitored closely. The leaves will often conceal the green tie tape over time. You can also try tucking the stems in between themselves for some support. As I said, you can continue to adjust it. There’s more room at the top, which you’ll see in the full view, providing more growth opportunities. It’s good to know the plant is growing as it naturally would.

I’m going to clean up a bit and then show you the final result. I’ll also water it afterward. When you repot a plant, even with moist soil, water thoroughly until water drains from the bottom. You might not need to water again for a while. The plant is acclimated when new growth appears, such as the growth tips I showed you leafing out. This indicates the plant is doing well and ready to grow again. Okay, I’ll be back soon with a full view without all this clutter, so you can see how nice this plant looks.

Here we are back, and I’ve cleaned things up a bit so you can get a better look at the plant now that she’s all repotted. She’s elevated slightly for a better view, and I’ll also show you the top of the plant so you can see she still has room on the moss pole to grow upwards. See, there’s more room up there. I’ll continue to twine her up and mist the moss pole, as well as ensure she stays watered. If needed, I’ll use tie tape to secure her, which the leaves will eventually cover.

You can see she’s doing really nicely now and looks much better than when we started, which is the goal. So, there you have it – revitalizing a Monstera adansonii and making her look really good. We will check in with the plant at a later date to see her progress, especially if she needs a new pot.

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