Caring for a Monstera Adansonii
Water your plant when the top 1 in (2.5 cm) of the soil feels dry. Evenly add the water directly to the soil, and avoid getting too much water on the leaves, or the leaves might get discolored. Let the water finish draining completely before you return the plant to its saucer—too much water could rot the roots of your adansonii. Water your adansonii less frequently during winter when the plant is dormant. For instance, you might allow the top 2 in (5.1 cm) of soil to dry before you water again.
Keep your Monstera adansonii in indirect light. If you're keeping the plant inside, place it near a window that faces east or west. If you're planning to keep it outside, find a shady spot, like under a tree. Too much sunlight can cause an adonsonii's leaves to turn brown or black. If one side of your swiss cheese plant gets more light than the other, rotate it every few weeks so it will grow evenly. Don't plant your adansonii outdoors. If you keep it outside, it should be in a container. In warm places like Florida that mimic its native environment, this plant may actually be considered invasive.
Keep your Monstera adansonii at temperatures above 55 °F (13 °C). Monsteras are tropical plants, which means it grows in a warm climate. If you keep your adansonii outdoors, bring it inside or put it in a greenhouse if the temperature will be 55 °F (13 °C) or cooler. Because they're tropical plants, adansonii are generally tolerant of higher temperatures, but the leaves might look limp on very hot days if you keep the pot outside.
Increase the humidity if it's less than 60%. Use a hygrometer to monitor the humidity near your plant, and add moisture to the air if it drops below 60%. This will give the plant the humidity it needs without soaking the roots. Here are a few ways you can increase the humidity around your adansonii: Run a humidifier near your swiss cheese plant. Keep the plant in the bathroom while you take a shower. Lightly mist the plant once or twice a week. Place the planter in a shallow tray filled with pebbles. Add just enough water to cover the bottom of the tray, but not so much that it touches the bottom of the planter.
Plant the adansonii in chunky, well-draining soil. Choose a fast-draining potting mix made with peat moss, perlite, and orchid bark. If the soil holds too much water, your plant's roots could rot. An aroid mix or orchid mix can be good options—both contain chunky material that aerates the soil and allows the water to drain out quickly.
Add a balanced liquid fertilizer during the growing season. Foliage plants like andsonii usually do best with a balanced fertilizer. The easiest way to feed the plant is to dilute the fertilizer in the plant's water, then water like normal. Look for a fertilizer with an NPK where the numbers are almost even, like 20-20-20 or 10-8-7. NPK stands for nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, and the number tells you the balance of the nutrients in that particular plant food. Don't fertilize your swiss cheese plant during the fall or winter. It will be dormant, which means it's not growing and doesn't need the food.
Let the plant hang or add a stake or trellis to support it. Either pot the adansonii in a hanging planter and allow the vines to trail down, or use a stake, moss pole, or trellis to train the vines to grow upward. Monstera adansonii uses its aerial roots to climb large trees in its native environment, so it needs plenty of room to grow. When the plant is first getting established, use small pieces of twine to tie the vines to the stake or trellis to help train it.
Prune the adansonii if it gets overgrown. To prune an adansonii, use clean, sharp shears and snip all the way through the stem just above a leaf. Just don't remove more than about 25% of the plant, as it could affect the plant's health. Be sure to save the cuttings—you can propagate them and grow new plants! Prune in the spring if you want to remove some of last year's growth, or prune in the late summer if you want to remove new growth.
Repot your Monstera when it gets too big for the pot. Choose a sturdy pot that's only a little bigger than the container the adansonii is currently in. Fill the bottom of the pot with soil, then carefully slide the root ball of the adansonii into the soil and add more soil to about 1 in (2.5 cm) below the level of the pot. Most Monsteras do best if they're repotted every two years. But if your adansonii seems too big for its pot, or if you suspect the roots are waterlogged and rotting, you may need to repot it sooner. Choose a pot with drainage holes so water doesn't stay pooled in the container. Don't pick a container that's too big—it will hold too much water and could rot the plant's roots.
Keep the plant out of reach of children or pets. Swiss cheese plants can be toxic if they're eaten by humans, cats, or dogs. Place the planter out of reach to avoid accidental ingestion. If you do suspect a pet or a child has eaten some of your adansonii, immediately call poison control. In the US, that number is 1-800-222-1222.
How to Propagate
Take cuttings during the summer growing season. Like most tropical plants, the adansonii grows during spring and summer and goes dormant during fall and winter. The best time to take a cutting is in the summer, after new growth has been established but before the plant goes into dormancy. Avoid taking cuttings during the fall or winter, as the plant will be slow to grow new roots.
Wear gloves when you handle the adansonii. Swiss cheese plants contain compounds that can irritate your skin and eyes. To protect yourself, wear garden gloves and avoid touching your face or eyes with the gloves while you're working with the plant. You should also carefully clean any tools that you use to cut the plant.
Use a sharp pair of shears to trim off a 6 in (15 cm) piece of the vine. Snip all the way through the stem in one clean cut. It will look best if you cut just above a leaf, as close to the leaf as possible. Try to include at least one node in the cutting. A node is the point where a leaf, aerial root, or vine runner grows.
Remove any leaves from at least the bottom 1/3 of the cutting. Carefully snip the leaves as close to the main stem of your cutting as possible. If you'd like, you can remove more leaves—up to about the bottom 1/2 of the cutting. The bottom portion of your cutting will become the base of your new plant, and any leaves on the bottom part of the plant could rot when they come into contact with soil or water.
Dip the cut end of the vine in rooting hormone to help it grow roots. Shake a little rooting hormone into a shallow dish. Then, gently press the end of your cutting into the powder and shake off any excess. This step is optional, but it can stimulate the cutting to take root sooner, so you'll have an established plant more quickly.
Push the cut end of the vine into potting mix. Fill a small planter with a potting mix designed for indoor plants. Aroid or orchid mixes or good options because they contain chunky bark that will provide plenty of drainage. Look for a mix that contains ingredients like coconut coir, perlite, and vermiculite. If you'd prefer, you can place the cutting into a small jar of water and let it take root there. If you do that, skip the rooting hormone—it will make the water cloudy, and since the powder will be diluted, it may not be as effective.
Keep the soil lightly moist while the plant develops roots. Don't soak the soil, but don't let it dry out, either. The newly-developing roots will be delicate, and they can easily be damaged by too much or too little water.
Transfer the cutting to a larger pot after 3-4 months. Once the plant develops new roots, you can move it to a permanent container. Choose a pot with good drainage, and fill it with the same aroid or orchid potting mix you used to root the plant. Don't worry if your new plant doesn't have fenestrations as it grows. Only mature adansonii have holes in the leaves, and it can take a few years for them to appear.
Common Problems (& What to Do)
Water more frequently if the leaves curl or turn brown. If the plant looks crispy at all, it's a good sign it needs more water. You may also need to increase the humidity around the plant by misting or adding a humidifier or pebble tray.
Decrease the fertilizer if you see a white crust on the soil. If you're overfertilizing, rinse the plant with plain, filtered water to help rinse the excess salts through the soil. Don't use fertilizer for a few weeks. If your plant is in a small pot, you may need to repot with new soil. If you're using too much plant food, the salts in fertilizer can build up on top of the potting mix. The tips of the plant might also turn yellow or brown, and the stem at the base of the plant could turn mushy.
Treat for mealybugs if the leaves are sticky or waxy. If you catch them early, you may be able to remove mealybugs by spraying the swiss cheese plant with an indoor-safe insecticidal soap. You can also use a systemic treatment that you add when you water the plant. Quarantine the plant right away if you suspect mealybugs—they can easily spread to other plants. If the plant is badly infested, discard it to avoid contaminating all of your plants.
Prune the plant and add more light if the plant gets leggy. If your swiss cheese plant doesn't have enough light, it will send out long runner vines, making the plant look sparse. Trim the vines back following the normal pruning guidelines. When you're finished, move the plant a little closer to the window or add a grow light.
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