We love Monstera plants. Monstera plants have become some of the most popular plants in the world. Affectionately known as cheese plants, Monstera Deliciosas have large green leaves with sporadic gaps, resembling Swiss Cheese. These plants are favorites for indoor decoration across the UK and Europe.
The only downside to the Montsera plants is that they can be somewhat expensive. This is where propagating comes in handy. Propagating a plant is the process of increasing the number of plants of the same species. What this translates to in practical terms is the growing of a new plant from an adult plant of the same species.
Propagating can be tricky with certain plants but it is a perfect way to give a free gift, present, or kind gesture to someone. You don’t have to just give away your hard work though, you could sell some of these for profit and make the most from your plant! We all love plants and know how good they are for us. Spreading plant joy in any way is a good thing to do.
Before we dive into the process of propagating Monstera Plants, we should give you some guidance on what the best time to do it is, as well as some key contributing factors to the success of your propagation.
We recommend starting the propagation period towards the end of wintertime. Somewhere in the region of late February for Northern Hemisphere dwellers is ideal. This ensures that your cheese plant propagation will receive maximum growing season conditions in its first year. We have listed some other determining factors below:
Light and Temperature: We are aiming to gain the first sprouting of a new plant when propagating. Having decent light and temperature will help to expedite this process. Placing the cutting in a pot on a windowsill in a fairly warm place in your home is the ideal setting to have a Montsera growing from.
Water Choice: Distilled water is good but rainwater is also fine. Do not use artificially softened water. Using tap water is also fine but it is probably the worst out of the three. If in doubt, go with rainwater.
Time Period: Sometimes propagated plants can go through a long dormancy period. It is best not to panic and maintain conditions as best you can. Normally, by the time spring comes around, these plants will start sprouting.
Check Out - Why is Monstera Plant Turning Yellow?
Propagation Steps
- First you will want to take a stem cutting. Do this with a sanitized, clean knife. A cutting that has several nodes or leaves will work best.
- Place your cutting into water or soil. You can allow the roots to sprout in water before adding it to the soil if you wish. The only advantage is that you can monitor its progress in water as you can’t see through the soil.
- Keep your cutting in a warm and bright setting.
- Keep the soil (if applicable, and then so after planting) most and fresh. Change out the water regularly. Give it regular waters to ensure the cutting stays moist.
- Leave it for up to a month as this is usually how long it takes to start the process. This can be even longer if it is during the winter months.
- Pot it in a larger container and allow it to grow in the usual way you would a Monstera plant. Check it a little bit more regularly during the first two years and increase the size of the container when applicable.
Tips and Tricks
If your cutting is going black/discolored this is a sign it is not happy. If it goes this color and is squishy, simply cut off this section and try to adjust your conditions. Go for the correct water (as indicated above) and wait it out!
If your plant is still dormant you can have a look at the cutting. If it has maintained its color and the stem is looking quite swollen, this is a good sign. Basically wait it out until the middle of spring and you will most likely have a beautiful plant!
Also Read - Different Types of Monstera Plant
We hope you have learned a little bit about how to propagate a Monstera plant. It is easier to get propagating Montsera in water in our opinion. Growing Montsera in water is a great way to start your wonderful plant family.
