How often water monstera is a great concern to you if you are growing this delightful plant in your garden. You should know that this Monstera genus plant needs hydration only once every week or so, disliking both over-watering and under-watering.
This in-depth article will discuss the frequency with which monstera should be watered. As you continue reading, we will also provide you with some advice and suggestions to ensure that the appropriate amount of moisture is present so that these plants can grow healthy and thrive.
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How Often Should You Water Monstera Plants?
You should only water the monstera once per week or two and during the intervening time, you should let the soil become fully dry. On the other hand, in winter you should water it between every two to three weeks.
Which means that the watering frequency will change as per the light conditions the plant is exposed to, the seasons and also the zone you are in. This is the reason why you will change your schedule every now and then, when the season changes, and the temperature drops or becomes warmer.
To reach its full potential, monstera needs merely a moderate amount of water. Waiting until the top inch or two has soil dry on indoor plants before watering monstera plants again is an excellent way to provide them with moderate moisture.
– In Winter
During the winter months, ensuring that your monstera does not receive excessive water is crucial, which is every two to three weeks. This is because the plant won’t be able to take in as much of it and the potting soil may become too saturated if it receives excessive hydration.
Your monstera plant may perish if the roots are allowed to rot due to prolonged exposure to wet soil conditions; therefore, throughout the winter months, so how often water monstera in winter? Your plant needs to be watered no more frequently than once every two to three weeks or if the soil dries out completely.
A wide variety of tropical houseplants, including monsteras, enter a dormant phase throughout the winter. As we all know, high temperatures and high humidity typical of tropical environments are essential for the continued existence of these plants.
However, for the plants to conserve energy throughout the winter months, they go into a dormant state as their primary conditions change in the season.
– In Summer
When you find yourself asking, how often to water monstera in summer? Once a week, or whenever the top two inches of the plant has dry soil, these are the types of plants that should be saturated with water that has been distilled instead of tap water.
During most of the summer, foliage such as monstera deliciosa will be in a state of active plant growth. This is because both the temperature and the humidity are higher, which gives the condition of a more tropical environment to the plant. As a result, you will find that your monstera needs more water throughout the summer months than in the winter months.
What Factors Affect the Watering Schedule of Monstera?
The factors affecting the watering schedule of monstera would be the temperature and humidity of the zone you are in, the type of soil you have set, and the pot or container it’s placed in. The schedule after you have repotted it, and the phase of development.
Several other factors will impact the monstera watering schedule for your beautiful plant. A tropical setting provides it with the most favorable conditions for growth; consequently, you will have to fulfill these conditions to maintain their health.
– Temperature and Humidity of the Zone
When the humidity is high, and the room temperatures are warm, then your beautiful plant is going to have its essential components for an optimum growth. Taking both of these into consideration, it will grow and require watering every one to two weeks.
When determining how often you should water a monstera deliciosa, temperature and humidity are two of the most important criteria, because these will determine their proper growth.
However, when each of these components is increased beyond what is required, it causes the monstera to transpire more, which results in the plant’s need for additional water beyond what would be necessary under normal conditions.
You can also try to increase the humidity when the weather becomes much warmer, because this plant will flourish in practically any setting, but if you want to do something extra for it, spritz it gently once a week with a mister. You should sprinkle your monstera first thing in the morning, so the water has plenty of time to evaporate before it becomes dark.
– Soil Type
Monstera plants require soil that re-creates the conditions of their natural habitat, which is basically the tropical rainforest, to the greatest extent possible. The typical soil is one that is well-aerated and light in texture, and this would mean that under no circumstances will you compact the soil, or else the irrigation process won’t be successful as water will not enter and reach the roots well.
A light soil not only increases the water drainage in the soil but also ensures you don’t have to keep watering it frequently and stick to once a week, and not more no less. You may also include a variety of additions, such as perlite and orchid bark which can significantly impact the amount of water that these beautiful plants would require and the rate at which it grows, preventing root rot as well.
Lastly, when it is time to water, remember to do it from the bottom will be advantageous. It is essential to avoid getting the soil mix too wet and to make every effort to keep the monstera leaves from getting wet.
– Pot or Container Used
The pot or container too significantly determines the amount and frequency of watering. In a larger pot, you would have to increase the water to well-hydrate the plant. At the same time, the water loss due to evaporation will be slower; hence the watering frequency is much lower.
In comparison, when you have placed it in smaller pots, that is when the amount of water you have poured will evaporate much faster and thus; you will have to often hydrate the plant.
How much water for a large monstera can also depend on the container you are growing it in. as the pot material, too, determines the frequency. For example, terracotta and clay pots, with their porous texture, evaporate water much faster, hence requiring more frequent watering. Plastic pots tend to retain moisture; therefore, it is recommended not to water monsteras in plastic containers often.
– After Repotting
Repotting is yet another time when the plant will require additional hydration. After being repotted, your monstera will try to establish strong and healthy roots in the new soil.
It will, as a result, seek out more moisture from the soil; thus, you should give additional plant care and prepare it for an increase in the amount of water it needs.
– The Phase of Plant Development
Is your plant in the growth phase? What you must do in this case is to check it very well. The frequency of watering also depends on this. The best times to plant and see your monstera or the swiss cheese plant, growing are in the months of April, July, and October, when the weather is warm and the nights are cool.
Basically these are the months they will be growing because it is the essential time when the plant gets out of its dormant season. The plant is in a growth phase during these months; hence requires a lot of moisture to meet the demands of the growing and nascent stems and leaves.
However, care is to be taken so that there is no overwatering monstera that is happening. To foster robust development in this specific period, it is essential to know how to care for monstera and carefully regulate both the watering frequency and the bright indirect light conditions.
– Checking Moisture Levels
If you are confused about when to water your monstera, do these simple checks. You can check it with your finger, by perform the finger test by carefully poking your finger into the dirt until you reach a depth of approximately two knuckles. You don’t need to water the soil right now if you sense that it is still damp that deep down.
Moreover, you can also check it with a simple stick, this is best if the soil around your plant looks dry, it’s probably time to water it. Then, simply you should try by the poking-a-stick method involves poking a wooden stick into the ground, such as a chopstick or a dowel.
If the soil is dry and the test comes out clear, it is time to water the plant. If it is still damp on the outside and has flecks of dark soil clinging to it, your monstera plant has a high moisture content.
You may also invest in a moisture meter, although this is a more complex method, but using a moisture meter may give you an idea of how much water your monstera’s roots retain. You can purchase one online or in person at retailers such as Lowe’s and Home Depot. Most of them will have a color-coding system that will indicate whether the reading is dry or wet.
To use a moisture meter, just place the sensor into the soil approximately halfway down into the pot and halfway between the base of the plant and the side of the pot; when the meter registers somewhere around a level three, this indicates that the soil is drying out and is ready to be watered.
– Symptoms of Overwatered Monstera
If you pay attention to the indicators that your plant is giving out, you may be able to spot potential watering problems before they even occur. In addition, you can use a variety of equipment, such as a moisture meter, to keep track of the amount of water your monstera requires to stay healthy.
If you suspect that your monstera has received excess water, and it is now time to cut back, look for some clear indicators due to watering mistakes. The appearance of yellowing leaves indicates that the plant’s roots are receiving an excessive amount of water.
You can also check for the presence of these dark brown spots on the leaves is an indication that the root rot has progressed. This would also be clear as you would start to smell the odor of the putrefaction from the soil is possibly due to bacterial or fungal growth.
– Indicators of an Under Watering
All the symptoms that have been described so far manifest themselves gradually and are easy to spot before any significant damage is done. You should check for different signs that will present themselves in improper watering, such as under-watered plant.
These signs would be leaves that are drooping to the ground, which is a sign that there is not enough pressure on the plant. In addition to the curling leaves which would start to look inward as they are a sign that the plant is making an effort to stop the loss of water and salt through transpiration.
When the leaves exhibiting indications of stress, including yellowing of the foliage, and a brittle texture and edges turning brown can be found on the leaves of this plant which are clear signs your monstera needs water, in addition the growth rate of expansion is far slower than what is typical, it would stop growing and start to look weaker.
Conclusion
In this detailed article, you learned how often monstera plants need to be hydrated so that they thrive in healthy foliage.
Here is a quick summary of all that we discussed above.
- Monstera plants need to be watered to a maximum of once a week. This, however, depends on the season, the temperature of the zone and which the plant is being grown in, the placement of the plant and the soil conditions.
- Hot, dry and summer days would require more frequent watering, whereas you will have to scale back in the colder winter months as the plant enters a dormant phase.
- The type of container you use for the plant is a significant factor too. Additionally, you will have to take care of extra water requirements during repotting or transplantation of the plant.
- To check the moisture levels of the water, you can use a moisture meter. This will help to keep track of the amount of water your monstera plant requires to stay healthy.
- The appearance of leaves that have started to turn yellow indicates that the plant’s roots are being subjected to an excessive amount of water. When a monstera is not given the appropriate amount of water, the leaves will curl up and become crinkled.
You now understand how to water monsteras; you can rest easy knowing that the foliage in your garden will be in good condition. So follow our advice and care tips to achieve lush, green foliage both indoors and outdoors, depending on where you choose to grow them.
