This question “Does Monstera Grow Faster In Water” seems to pop up every once in a while. I’ve seen it asked by many people and have always been confused by the question as well. So, I decided to do some research on the topic and share what I found here with you.
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Does Monstera Grow Faster In Water?
Unfortunately, there is no way to tell. A plant that is adequately cared for in water will grow faster than one that is poorly cared for on soil. Monstera’s rapid growth is largely dependent on two factors: light and humidity.
Under usual conditions, Monstera cuttings should begin developing roots within two weeks of being placed in water.
After the roots have been formed, you should be able to observe a couple of new leaves sprouting from the plant. As a reminder, Monsteras will not be able to grow to their maximum potential if kept in water for long periods of time.
If the plant isn’t obtaining enough nutrients in this environment, its growth will be limited. During the time that it is submerged in water, it will remain at a lower size, and the foliage will not develop as it would normally.
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Growth potential is restricted.
Keep in mind that water is not the best environment for a Monstera to thrive. The plant will limit its growth in order to conserve energy in a less-than-ideal environment. This could be helpful if you’re trying to keep your Monstera as compact as possible.
Your Monstera Not Growing? Here’s How to Accelerate Its Growth
It’s possible to speed up the growth of your Monstera if it isn’t growing as quickly as you’d like.
Your Monstera will grow faster if you increase the amount of light it receives. Bright light is ideal for the houseplant’s growth. Direct sunlight, on the other hand, is not needed.
Watering, increasing humidity, cleaning, and fertilizing the plant will all help it grow taller.
In this post, you’ll learn how to speed up the growth of your Monstera plant, the benefits of flushing, and the dangers of overfertilizing it.
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Increase the amount of light reaching your Monstera.
Monstera thrives under bright, indirect light indoors. The plant’s leaves can be scorched by direct sunlight, resulting in brown blotches that won’t recover. In contrast, Monstera grows more quickly when exposed to bright, indirect light.
Keep your Monstera in a light spot near a window if you want it to grow quickly. If you have an east or north-facing window that doesn’t get much sunlight, you can place your plant there as well.
If your Monstera plant is near a south-facing window, you’ll want to take extra precautions to shield it from the sun’s rays.
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Proper Fertilization of Your Monstera
During the growing season in the spring and summer, treat your plant once a month using a water-soluble houseplant fertilizer to keep it healthy. Your Monstera will benefit from the salt compounds in the fertilizer, which are essential nutrients.
Your plant will grow faster and bigger with the help of the Miracle-Gro Water Soluble All Purpose Plant Food, which contains essential nutrients. Once every one to two weeks is a good frequency for applying this fertilizer.
In addition, Monstera’s growth slows in the autumn and winter. In the winter and fall, you shouldn’t feed your Monstera, so don’t do it. Your houseplant’s soil can be damaged if you over-fertilize it.
In fact, overfertilizing your Monstera can be hazardous. A buildup of salt in the soil can alter the pH of the soil, rendering important nutrients inaccessible to your Monstera. Your Monstera’s health and the quality of the soil can be negatively impacted by the use of these mineral salts.
In addition, excessive salts can damage roots by causing them to dry up and reduce water absorption. A weakened root system is more vulnerable to disease and pest attack. Defoliation, yellowing leaves, or stunted growth are all symptoms that your plant is suffering from an excess of fertilizer.
Periodic soil flushing improves plant health and reduces salt buildup. You can also flush your Monstera to eliminate excess nutrients from the pot before they damage the roots if you accidentally over fertilize it.
Read More: Can Monstera Grow In Water Forever?
How Do You Flush Your Monstera?
Here’s how to flush your houseplant to get rid of any extra nutrients it has accumulated.
- Ideally, the container should be kept in a bathtub or sink in which water runoff would not cause any issues.
- Allow the water to drain from the bottom of the container as you slowly pour it over the soil.
- Use four times as much water as the pot holds to properly water your Monstera.
- The container should be placed in a bright area for at least two to three hours while it drains.
Maintain a Clean Monstera
Faster Monstera growth can be achieved by keeping your plant clean and free of dust. The neem oil spray can be used to clean the plant’s leaves. The following steps will guide you through the process of preparing the neem oil solution:
- Fill the water in a spray bottle.
- Pour one drop of dish soap into the bottle and shake it up. By stirring, combine the dish soap.
- Now, to the solution, add a teaspoon of neem oil. Close the bottle and give it a good shake to distribute the ingredients.
- Spray the leaves with the solution.
Natural pesticides like neem oil keep insects and other pests away from your Monstera. Natural Neem oil is derived from the tree’s leaves and seeds.
Humidity should be increased in the area surrounding your Monstera
Increased humidity will accelerate the growth of your plant. If you want to enhance humidity for your Monstera, you can use a pebble tray, keep a humidifier close by, or mist it with water.
Making use of a Pebble Tray
Fill the tray with pebbles, then add water until the tray is completely filled. Place your Monstera on top of the water. Your Monstera is protected from the water by the stones. Because of the evaporation of the pebble tray water, a more humid environment is created around your Monstera plant. Stones can be replaced with river pebbles or beads.
Investing in a Humidifier
Additionally, the Honeywell HCM350B Humidifier can be used to humidify the air in your home.
Misting
Use a damp towel to clean the Monstera, or mist it once a week to keep the humidity up. If you want to make sure your Monstera gets enough moisture, you can group it with other plants. In order to create a more humid environment, grouping plants together is an excellent idea.
How to Properly Water Your Monstera
You should only water your Monstera when the soil is dry to the touch in the top 1-2 inches (2.5-5 cm). Your Monstera should be watered until the holes in the soil no longer hold any water. You must also make sure that the soil is neither too wet nor too dry.
Soil moisture can be measured using these methods:
Wooden Stick
You can test soil moisture with a wooden stick. In the soil, insert a wooden stick. If the stick emerges totally dry from the soil, the soil is dry. And don’t forget to water your plant. A wet wooden stick indicates moist soil.
Soil Moisture Probe/Meter
Your local hardware store should have a moisture meter or probe available for purchase. It is possible to swiftly detect the soil’s moisture level with the soil moisture meter if it is inserted into the soil.
For a quick reading, insert the sensor into the soil and wait a few seconds. A reading below 5 indicates that the soil is dry and in need of watering. A sensor reading greater than 5 indicates that the soil is wet.
Knowing that over-watering your Monstera plant can result in slow growth and root rot disease is critical to growing healthy plants. Root rot disease can kill your plant if left unchecked. Affected plants have slowed growth, yellowing of older leaves, and dark brown roots, which are all signs of this disease.
Under-watering your Monstera, on the other hand, might cause it to dry out completely, resulting in curled up leaf. In the summer and spring, Monstera needs more water than in the winter.
You Should Repot Your Monstera
It’s time to repot your Monstera if it’s grown out of its current pot. You should select a pot that is one to two inches larger than the current pot.
So, when should you move your Monstera? The indicators that your plant needs to be repotted include poor drainage, roots sprouting out of the drainage holes, and slow growth.
The following are the steps to repot your plant:
- Softly remove your Monstera from the pot, and remove any excess soil from the roots.
- Examine the plant’s roots with care. Pruners can be used to cut away any damaged or broken roots.
- Plant the houseplant in its new container after adding fresh potting soil.
Here are a few pointers to help you choose the correct container for your plant:
- Monsteras can be grown in terracotta pots or clay pots. You should be aware that they store far less water than plastic pots. Because of this, you’ll want to provide your plant plenty of water.
- Avoid overwatering your Monstera by using containers with drainage holes.
Conclusion
Does Monstera Grow Faster In Water?
It is common for Monstera cuttings to begin rooting within a few weeks of being placed in water Typically, if the plant is getting enough light, a new leaf or two will shortly follow.
Monsteras, on the other hand, do not develop to their full capacity when grown in water. It is not possible for the plant to grow and develop to its full potential in an artificial environment because of the limited number of resources available to it. Without soil, a plant’s size would remain limited, and its leaves will not be able to reach their full potential.
Most of the time, you’ll notice a pattern in which the plant continues to produce new leaves, but with each new growth that occurs, an older or larger leaf falls off of the plant. Despite the reality that it continues to create new growth, the plant retains its overall size.
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