Monstera deliciosa (Swiss cheese plant) is an attractive houseplant with broad appeal quickly propagated through cuttings, division, or air layering. Just ensure you take cuttings with at least one leaf and node attached before propagation begins.
Nodes are tiny bumps on a stem from which new growth erupts, and without one, your cutting won’t take root.
How to Take a Cutting
If your healthy monstera plant has outgrown its container or needs to be divided, taking cuttings and propagating it can be an enjoyable experience. There are various propagation techniques you can choose from, such as rooting in water, air layering, and transplanting into the soil; each has its advantages and disadvantages, but all have the potential to yield successful results with proper planning and timing.
Before cutting, the first step should be preparing your plant and tools. Your cutting should be healthy and free of pests, disease, or other harmful substances; at least one node (growth point) should exist to help it form new roots. Use scissors or plant shears thoroughly washed in soapy water before cutting monstera to ensure no diseases spread from the parent plant onto cuttings.
Next, cut a piece of stem from the base of your plant just below one node and aim to harvest at least an inch-long section with at least three leaves attached – Also, make sure that several thin aerial roots are present to speed up the rooting process.
An organic cutting will have the most excellent chance of success, while thicker stems with more leaves may take longer to root, as their extra growth saps energy away from rooting. Also, avoid cutting leaves that won’t root; they’ll rot away.
Monstera can be propagated most effectively using water rooting techniques. Fill a glass, jar, or vase with room-temperature water and place your cutting in it – direct sunlight is too intense on cuttings! Once planted in water, it should be replaced daily to minimize infection risk.
Monstera can also be rooted using sphagnum moss or pure perlite, though this requires additional supplies and may take longer. Simply lightly moisten both, wrap them in plastic, and insert the cutting. While this method takes a bit longer, its success rate far surpasses rooting in water.
How to Transplant a Cutting
Once your monstera cutting has taken root, it’s time to transplant it to its own planter. While this step should be straightforward, taking the necessary steps will ensure a successful outcome. First and foremost, remove any dry sheath covering the base and stem of the cutting – this will prevent rot from developing as the cutting grows larger.
When removing the sheath from monstera plants, leave 1 or 2 inches of stem exposed for air circulation and carefully repot your monstera, keeping some mossball intact to aid with acclimation.
After repotting, your cutting will need to be watered regularly – but try not to overwater, as this could lead to its demise. Instead, keep the soil evenly moist – one way of telling when more water is necessary is by looking at its leaves: If they seem dry and drooping, it indicates insufficient hydration.
For optimal results, plant your cutting in a container that’s just slightly larger than its original planter. This will allow room for roots to develop while giving the monstera room to spread out and form its roots. Furthermore, planting it in an opaque pot with drainage holes can reduce root rot risks significantly.
Suppose you opt for air layering as your propagation method (especially for variegated monstera varieties like Thai Constellation and Albo Borsigiana) once the cuttings are transplanted. In that case, you can transplant them directly into new containers of potting soil without moving them from water to ground first. Of course, this doesn’t eliminate moisture problems, but it can provide a quick way to spread monstera seeds!
Use the natural growing season when taking Monstera cuttings. While propagation may be possible year-round, spring and summer months provide optimal conditions for the healthy development of cuttings. If you cannot do so now, soil propagation or other means may provide more fruitful results.
How to Pre-Root a Cutting
As with most plants, Monstera can be propagated through cuttings rooted in water – this gives your plant the best start to flourish! Though seeds can get you going with Monstera plants, rooting cuttings provide the fastest route.
Before beginning, ensure clean pruning shears and an appropriately sized glass or jar to accommodate cuttings. Also, refresh the water in your container weekly or every five days to keep its salt content from excessive and inhibit root formation.
Start by filling a jar or glass with moist soil-like medium (such as moss, compost, or Rosy’s Monstera soil) and add your cutting. If you have rooting hormone, apply it at the tip of the cut section to speed up root development – though Monsteras typically root without it! Cover the cutting in its medium using biodegradable plastic wrap or rooting ball and set it in indirect lighting in a bright location – checking twice weekly and adding additional water as necessary.
Once the cutting has taken root, transferring it into its permanent container is time. Choose one with enough room for total plant growth while providing extra root space. Again, combine dirt and potting medium while adding rooting hormone as desired.
If you want your Monstera to grow vertically as it becomes established in its new home, add a moss pole or build a trellis to use as it climbs upwards. After that comes just waiting for its roots and new surroundings to take hold.
Remember that plants may droop as they adjust to new environments but will eventually rebound. Once its roots reach an inch long, you can place the plant into a permanent pot.
How to Report a Cutting
Monstera plants are hardy and thrive with minimal care, water, light, and patience. But if you want to speed up or increase the likelihood of success for these beauties, there are various steps you can take such as changing up their growing medium or position; additionally, using rooting hormone could also prove helpful.
When planting, consider switching out soil for perlite or LECA base to promote root development and lower disease risks, and use rooting hormone to make your cuttings take hold faster.
Another tip for successful propagation is to select a section of stem with numerous nodes – tiny brown rings on which leaves grow – as each node can produce roots and new leaves, increasing your chances of successful propagation.
The easiest and least costly method is placing your cutting in water, which provides easy monitoring of its progress. Fill a glass or jar with water, sprinkle rooting powder (or use a plant’s natural rooting hormone) over the top, and position cuttings where they will receive bright, indirect lighting. Change water regularly to prevent diseases like fungus.
Monstera roots can also be planted in containers filled with perlite or LECA. Ensure the mix is free from drainage holes and cover it with plastic bags or rooting chambers for more controlled conditions, avoiding too much moisture and intense light, which may harm cutting. Roots should form within weeks; if they do not, check moisture levels, firm back in, and rebag the container before checking again later.
Though you can propagate monstera plants year-round, spring and summer are the optimal times for optimal results. Once the cuttings have developed roots several inches deep, transplant them back into their permanent locations under suitable conditions.
