How to prune a monstera | Why pruning is important
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 มิ.ย. 2024
- Welcome to Fun with Plants and Cats! On today's episode, I'm going to show you how to prune a monstera. Monstera's are fast growing plants, so it's important to prune them on a semi-regular basis so they don't take over your space.
Let me know in the comments if you own a monstera. Do you prune it to shape it? Or, do you let the beast do its thing and go wild?
If you like watching my videos, please consider liking and subscribing
00:00 Intro!
00:17 Why pruning is an important part of monstera care
00:43 Monstera's can be invasive plants
00:54 Pruning to grow bigger leaves/slits in the leaves
01:31 How often you should prune
02:15 Water your monstera before you prune
02:47 Pruning Supplies
03:23 Monstera anatomy & where to prune
05:52 Pruning some leaves
Image Sources:
00:30 commons.wikimedia.org/w/index...
03:50 houseraccoon.com/10-interesti...
Check out my latest video where I repot my 13 foot Money Tree! th-cam.com/video/znbW_CBimoc/w-d-xo.html
My monstera prunes itself by yellowing and losing the lower smaller leaves 😂 Thank you for this video! So many people think it's "plant abuse" to prune leaves just for the aesthetic but if we don't like the way a plant looks, why have it to begin with? Do whatever makes You happy when you look at it!
Thanks for the comment! Have a great day :)
Ive had a couple smaller leaves turn yellow and Ive been so worried! The plant looks perfectly healthy besides those. This was a great bit of info and Im happy it's not a big deal.
Hey I've watched like 5 monstera pruning videos and yours is so informative and useful. Thank you!
Outstanding! Thank you so much for this! This was precisely the info I was looking for, was a HUGE help!🙏🏽
This was SO helpful! My monstera has grown so much in the past few months and I feel so much more confident in pruning it after watching this!
I'm glad to help! Happy Pruning :)
After watching many videos for pruning monstera -- yours was VERY helpful! I finally feel I am ready to start pruning. Thank you so much.
I bought a monstera half a year ago and it has evolved into a mess of growth, certainly living up to it's name. Thanks for the tips! Excited to give this plant some shape
Straight to the point and very well explained. Just what I was looking for thankyou!
Thank you SO MUCH! I have been needing this EXACT advice forever. My monstera is truly earning its name! Super healthy going on "out of control!" I will report back once I have done the deed!💕
Loved the video- the video and many of your replies to comments are just the information I was seeking.
Never had a Monstera. Had a Pothos though and grew him out of the fish tank. It was a monster. The vines coming out of the tank were just over a half inch wide, grew all around the ceiling and lights till my landlord told me I had to get it under control.
My brother recently moved house and had to give away alot of his beautifully varigated Monstera's. I have them all on a huge stand and I have fallen in LOVE! It is terribly humid where I am in Western Sydney (Australia). They are living their best lives 🤭😁. Thank you for the video 👍🏽
Wow! You are so lucky! Such beautiful plants, sounds like they are living their best lives :)
Wow...very informative, just what I wanted to know at this point of the pruning. It is great that a new steam is growing from where you cut.
My monstera leaves were hanging all over and not giving many new leaves yet.
Very glad i found this place! Cats and plants: right up my alley! I am going to be pruning my first monstera plant ( i have 3) and repotting them to bigger homes. Didnt know how to deal with the sky roots until now. Thank you!
Welcome, and thank you!
Incredibly helpful, thank you!!
Very informative. Thank you!
Thanks for the tips my monstera has been a bit neglected but it is rather big and now I have some tips to better care for it!
My hubby is buying me a Monstera deliciosa on Nov. 1, 20221. Monstera deliciosa will be my very first plant ever. I am so excited to own one, on Nov. 1, 2021. I did youtube research bout the care tips of Monstera deliciosa plant. My name is Amy.
Amazing video - extremely helpful!
Thanks! super helpful and informative! :)
Thank you so much! I didn’t know pruning was so important & had such benefits. Mine is definitely getting a chop soon! 🪴💚
Great video. Honestly, that’s how they all should be made 🙌🏼
Stone great advice that I have not heard before. Thanks
This was really good! Thank you!
Great content, thank you!
Thanks so much for this advice. I was worried after removing a leaf, but it was growing under another another and it didn't look right/was making the rest of the plant uneven. So thanks for reassuring me. I wasn't sure if I did the right thing at first 😅
Best video I’ve seen on Monstera care and pruning. Thank you for the level of detail.
Thank you for the reply! Glad it was helpful
Your video was very informative and I loved the close-ups of exactly where you were cutting. Mine has definitely gotten a good 5 ft tall and we need to trim it back.
I pruned my monstera today. I didn’t know that a leaf will grow from the steam again… that’s so exciting 😊♥️
thank you, this was very helpful!
Great video, thank you!!
Great tips! Now I know how to prune a Monstera. Thanks!
Thank you so much, great video ❤️🎉👍🏻
Your guide helped me with the knowledge and confidence to finally do something about my Swiss cheese. Thank you!
this was so helpful and i like the energy of the vid!! thanks!
Thank you, and glad to hear this was helpful!
Thanks for the advice! Testing this out with my very sad monsters!
Great video! Very clear and informative. I have 3 monsteras. One is green and appears healthy but the leaves are very droopy. Not yellow or brown or dying. it's not too thirsty or overwatered. It's just very droopy. i'm holding it up with a moss pole and lots of small supports. i think it needs to be pruned, so i'll try pruning and hopefully it does the trick. otherwise, i'm not sure what to do. maybe it needs to be repotted? I'm hoping to start with pruning and go from there. thanks!
Thank you for sharing 👍👍👍
Really love ur channel yo!
Thank you!
Thank you for vid very helpful 🔥👍🏻
Hey nice video n yes I have one propagated it a few times already n it worked out great.
So helpful!!!!!!
So helpful!!! Now I just need to buy some good pruning sheers. I have one stem that is quite thick. May need a knife.
Thanks for the awesome video. I am now ready to take back control of my monstera. 😅
The only concern I have is that I didn’t notice you mention that new leaves grow out of the stem of the previous leaf so if you cut that one in the wrong place, like too low down, you will stunt it from growing that new leaf and it will be forced to grow out of the previous node. Unless my kids were distracting me and I missed that part….🤷🏻♀️
Olivia, you are correct I did not mention that. For those reading: You can either fully prune off like I did in this video. With this method, the plant will get more energy returned/you won't visually see the stem. Another option is not to fully prune off the entire stem as Olivia has mentioned. New Monstera leaves grow by splitting off a stem. You can see this as a raised area coming out of the stem - it almost looks like a wave to me. Cut about an inch above that area, so you'll be cutting off the main leaf + some of the stem. It will visually look like a stick, but a new leaf will grow from that area.
She does mention it right after 4:50 when she talks about pruning stems
The aerial roots can just be shoved into the dirt. That's their purpose. If the plant doesn't have a tree to climb, the aerial roots sprout every few nodes on each vine in order to bury themselves into the dirt and help support the plant as it grows upwards without a nearby support/stake
Also, if you are pruning a stem that is at the very top of a vine, cutting it will force the new leaf inside to grow, BUT if you cut the stem below the vertical bump extending up the bottom 1/3rd of the stem, you will cut the new leaf inside. A new leaf will not grow after that for months because the node has to force the plant to branch off there so it can survive.
She missed a huge piece of information there. As you can see, she cut her stem past that vertical bump I mentioned and now a tiny leaf is emerging but the stem would have naturally opened up, right at the beginning of that bump, to reveal a mature leaf. She just made the plant have to reset, almost like beheading it to propagate. It will not grow fenestrated leaves for a while now, until the new off-shoot of the vine matures, which can take months depending on several factors like amount of light, fertilizing, the size of the vine and your watering schedule.
I thought some information was missing! I have had to cut a bunch of leaves off that were either weren’t healthy or chewed on by my kitties.. but I have not been sure how far to cut down! What do you mean by the vertical bump?
Thank you very much!
I have them on stair. That was very large. I decided to repote it and I cut the large round brute. In half to make 2 separate plants later as I was not happy with the way they looked I. Potted them back in together now. The stems go every which way. And they fall outwards going sideways. I have tied them up and recently moved them to the patio. For more light which is enclosed with self facing windows. At this point I don't know what to do. There are a lot of small leaves. Close together and some of the bigger ones have been there since the beginning are beginning to yellow. One is even broke in the center. And I taped it and it still getting along. What would you recommend?
thank u!! this was so interesting, i'm currently looking after my mum's plant for it since it's withering but we hope to get it back to normal!
I have a monstera and haven’t pruned it since I got it🙈 I knew it was time!! So many Ariel roots and growing in all different directions.
What pot do you recommend for this plant? I have it on my patio and curious if a specific pots size is better for it to thrive. Is there a way to propagate and have it in smaller pots in the house?
Nice information
I own one and I actually have a huge space for it in my hallway. I'm excited to see it grow, but wondering whether to cut off some off the smaller leaves growing from the bottom.
I don't see why not :) Good luck with your monstera!
Thanks for the tip, I'd like that support pole you have, st the moment mine doesn't have one as it's small
Thanks!
Thank you so much! I appreciate it.
Thank you
I have two monstera plants that I haven't taken the best care of, but they've been mostly thriving. Cut to our current heat wave in California. I had the monsteras (Abby Cadabby and Gillis Fraggle) out on my screened in balcony. The heat, the afternoon sun, and the heat exhaust from my AC units have cause some burn damage. From what I can tell, the stems and roots are still alive, but quite a lot of the leaves are at least partially burned. I think I can save the plants, but it'll take some time. How do you recommend pruning them? Should I still stick with just 1/3 at a time? Prune the stems with the burned leaves or only cut the upper part of the stem? Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
Thank you for this
You're welcome! Glad it was helpful.
I only confirmed what I already know.
I'll be tapping the thumbs 👍 button to feed the algorithm monster.
Good luck.
Hi! I recently bought a monstera... it was on sale. It had been overwatered and had a couple of broken leaves, which I've left alone to see what happens. Now that I've had it for about a month... Its leaves have turned toward the window, so I've been rotating the pot. I also realize that I need to re-pot to an 8" and give it a new yummy soil of 3:1 Miraclegrow and perlite. I've fed it once with Schultz instant plant food. Now that I've watched your video, I know that it's poisonous. It was oozing liquid for a while but isn't now. (They should put a warning label on these plants!) I love its shade of green. It seems to be doing well; several new leaves have been sprouting and unfurling, along with several small leaves at the base. And those air roots are starting to come out of the soil, too. So, I'll prune this guy(?), then wait a few days and re-pot him. Thanks for your helpful video. Subbed. Hi, from San Diego, CA, where it's super hot and humid right now. Rain from a Mexican monsoon coming in tomorrow.
Thank you for your post Elizabeth! Best of luck with your Monstera, sounds like you're doing all the right things!
Very nice 👍🏻 ❤
Nice 😊
Thank you for this good information! Where can I find the large plant stake I see in your monstera plant? I've never seen those before!
Thank you! I bought mine from my local garden center. If you type 'moss pole' into Amazon, you should see some there too.
I found two Monstera’s by the community dumpster (I live in an apartment complex) so I took them, repotted them, and a year later they have thrived beautifully and tripled in size😃 but our three days of “winter” ❄️ ( I live in the south) is coming where the temps will drop more than 30 degrees😳 and I have no idea how to trim back my monstera so that I can cover it up much easier. I can’t bring them inside bc I have a cat that would eat it and although I don’t want the leaves to have cat fang marks lol, I don’t want my cat to be poisoned as I’ve heard that most plants are poisonous to cats🤷🏻♀️
I hope this video helps me and if so I’ll probably edit this comment to let you know☺️ Thanks in advance😊
EDIT: Thank you for sharing your knowledge on pruning Monsteras! My plant is more wide than tall and I have about 24 leaves 🍃 so I’m going to cut off about 8. I hope my plant survives this winter weather😏and survives my pruning lol😂 Wish me lots of luck🍀
Good luck Alana! Monstera's are mildly toxic to animals, and I keep mine on a tall stand so my cats can't get to it. I would also suggest looking into staking it to make it more narrow. That way it's less sprawled out, and less tempting for animals to play with? Just a thought :) Happy Pruning!
@@funwithplantsandcats - Those are great ideas!! Thank you! I just finished pruning my Monstera. I followed your steps so it should continue to grow😁 I’m definitely going to do the stakes like you mentioned. Thanks again for sharing your knowledge and ideas with me, I appreciate it! Enjoy your day🪴🍃
Because of my healthprobs, I did not attend to my monstera by training the leaves up its moss pole, and it is growing wild! If I try to bring a leaf back up to the pole, it will break because it is horizotal to the pole. I'd like to start over with this plant, but so much needs pruning, it seems, tht I'm afraid I'll ruin it. Not one leaf is growning near the moss pole!
Great video. Should you leave any of the ariel roots or are they all safe to cut?
Thank you! It should be ok to cut off all the aerial roots. For Monsteras, they function mostly as support systems, and they will also grow back. Make sure to use a sanitized shark blade or shears.
Hello really good video btw. İm gonna ask something my cat chewed my monsteras leaves and i dont know what should i do should i cut them
Any update on this monstera. Curious if there is a difference in size or leaf maturity with pruning method after 10 months. I only prune once the leaf if it isn't benefiting the plant.
Fabuous! Learned so much. Only question - can i do anything with a big beautiful leaf that I have cut only to shape it? (It was healthy).
Thank you! If the leaf was cut without a node, there's not much you can do. If the leaf had a node, you can stick it in a vase with water and propagate it.
💚
What is that wood pieces you have in the soil? I wonder if there is anything else i can put on my monstera soil to help it to be healthy
My monstera has been growing a TON of leaves but I was always scared to prune it. I've been wanting the other leaves to get bigger so this was a great learning video! Is there anyway you could tell us more about the structure you have in your monstera pot?
Thank you, Brittanie! What you're seeing is my moss pole that I got from my local nursery. I use this as a stake, and it helps me control the spread of my monstera. Monstera's grow wide and out, so this helps contain my plant. Some people water their moss pole so the plant roots can attach themselves to it. This mimics their natural environment since they vine up trees. I don't water my moss pole, I just use it for support.
My kittens broke all of my stems and all of the leaves are hanging there bent right over. Is there hope for my plant? What advice would you have for me?
when you prune the stem、can you put in water then grow new one
Awesome video! Been wondering how to prune mine
I do have a question regarding re-potting, when should I do it. And is there a preferred time of year to re-pot.
Thank you! Glad the video was helpful. Monstera's are some of the few houseplants that could require multiple repots in a year because they are very fast growers and have robust root systems. First, I would check to see if the plant is root bound in its pot. If you touch the top of the soil and it feels completely dense, you can't wiggle your finger through the soil, that's a sign its root bound and may need to be in a bigger pot. Another indicator is that your monstera suddenly isn't doing great, even though you're giving it the same care as you have before. The leaves start to get pale/yellow or even drop. This, in addition to the soil being super dense, would be an indicator for a repot. Usually, the best time to repot would be in the spring due to warmer temperatures + more sunlight during the day. Hope this helps!
@@funwithplantsandcats thank you so much for the reply :)
I have a mini monstera that was sun scalded pretty badly. I was wondering if i cut the leaves off to the stem if the leaves will grow back in those areas
Hello there, unfortunately I don't have experience with mini monstera's. While they look alike, they're different plants. Best of luck!
Super helpful, thank you so much for this vid!
You're wrong about the aerial roots. Additional to anchoring the plant for support, they absorb moisture from the air, and contribute to nutrient uptake.
Hello there I recently got my first ever Monstera Deliciosa. I made a big mistake of putting it outside for only an hour in the hot Arizona sun and the biggest leaf completely turned black and drooped down. I cut off the leaf itself right at the base, no part of the stem because I want a new leaf to grow back.. will the stem grow a new leaf? If I’m not mistaken I can see some ridges forming on the side of where I cut it, almost as if something is forming. I also switched my plant to my darker bedroom and so far so good :-) I got two new incoming leaves that are coming in!
If you're seeing ridges form off of the stem (it almost looks like the start of a wave to me), then a new leaf should be growing in. Sometimes it can take a while.
I never pruned mine yet but my question was can you bury the “nodes” my plant started small now it’s growing bigger/thicker stems. Would that kill the bottom/starting root? Mines bending like crazy lol
I was told you can bury it halfway to avoid rotting, but if you're not cutting anything it sounds like burying the whole thing will be ok. Just don't overwater. All the best!
i'm so glad you're using gloves and suggesting it- i ended up getting some sap on my lip once and it was a horrid experience. had a philodendron in a gecko tank and I broke a leaf while cleaning, it touched my hand and i instinctively wiped my shirt- i thought, probably shouldn't have done that, but eh, it's probably fine. it was not fine. 🤦
Oh no! It happens, and it's a learning experience. Thanks for the comment!
@@funwithplantsandcats absolutely. i work in a Lowe's greenhouse, and everyone i see picking out a philodendron or diffenbachia or something, i always give them a warning!!
I took a cutting from a cousins monstera deliciosa and it had small leaves without fenestration…will they grow stems and will they be fenestrated? 😮 the nodes have yet to off shoot roots, it’s been a month. I now transferred it to soil, I was told it will grow roots faster. Am I wasting my time? 🤦🏻♀️
Hi Katy. I have a 2 metre monstera and I want to cut it. What would happen to the lower part of the plant?
I just got my monstera and i'm a newbie so i'm constantly worrying about overwatering plants.. How often do you water your monstera in the winter, once in a month or?
In the winter I water about every 1.5 - 2 weeks. I go based off of how dry the soil is / if the monstera starts to get droopy (the do when they are thirsty). I only water the plant when most of the soil is dry. I have a moisture meter that I stick down 3 - 4 inches into the soil. If it reads dry, then I will water it. A moisture meter can help a lot if you're a newer plant owner. You can buy them off of Amazon (just read the reviews, some are not good). You can also use a chopstick. You stick it down, if it comes out with wet soil, don't water. If it comes out clean, it may be time to water.
@@funwithplantsandcats i just ordered one few days ago and i hope it will be good. Thank you for the tips! I hope i won't kill it 🙈
@@dajanacopic2178 Good luck! Monstera's are forgiving, and good plants for beginners, you got this :)
I followed this video and my monstera gave me really beautifully split baby leaves in a month! Thanks a lot
Yay! So glad to hear :)
Pruning smaller leaves doesn’t encourage bigger leaf growth.
Removing an energy source doesn’t result in more energy for bigger growth.
That’s like saying removing 3 of the 6 solar panels from your home will result in more energy conservation.
Sure, if you want to remove the smaller leaves- go ahead. But it does not result in bigger leaves with more fenestration.
I bought a monstera but when I took her home it was too cold in the car and her leaves got cold damage. They’re all brown except for a little bit of green where it meets the stem. I don’t know what to do or whether to cut it at the leaf or just the stem, I also don’t know how or where to cut the leaf if it is that. I don’t think it has any aerial nodes to propagate it. I’ve been looking for an answer everywhere and can’t figure it out. Any advice would be appreciated 🙃
Sorry to hear, sounds like your monstera has frost bite. Since all of the leaves are brown, I'm not sure if it's possible to save the plant, however, you can try.
Cut off the brown leaves, and if there's browning on the stem, cut that off as well. Your plant may look like a bunch of sticks at this point, but new leaves offshoot off of the stems, so the goal would be that new leaves would eventually grow, filling the plant out. Monstera's love the sun, so place it in the sunniest part of your house, or under a grow light (if you have one).
This process could take a while, and if the browning continues to spread to the stems, then sadly this plant won't make it.
If you can't see any nodes, it's possible you have a young plant, and the nodes are under the soil. You'd have to remove the soil to expose the node/roots, and you could cut a chunk of node off, and try to propagate a new plant.
If you buy another plant in winter, try to see if the grower can wrap it in a plastic bag. This will trap some humidity, and keep the leaves directly out of the cold. Also, try to keep your car warmer/wrap the plant in a blanket when it's in the car.
Hope this helps! Good luck :)
@@funwithplantsandcats I cut off the brown stuff and then left it alone and watered it occasionally and now my plant has four new large and healthy leaves and is doing great!
@@skylarkmystique2702 That's amazing to hear!
What does it mean if below where I pruned..the entire stem turns yellow and dies
My new leaf is not healthy, is it ok to cut off a new leaf?
On this video I noticed your monstera leaves were only split on half of its leaves. My beautiful monstera plant is doing the same thing. New beautiful leaves are only half fenestrated. I was worried this was a problem. Is it a problem? Or can this be a normal thing?
Hi Jacky, there are several reasons why monstera leaves can be half split. In my case, I have a young plant. When I first got it, there were no splits. After about 3 months, the splits started to appear but they were not full splits like what you'd expect to see in a monstera. It's similar to a baby who is just starting to learn to walk. They don't have it down just yet, but with time, they will get the hang of it, and eventually, a monstera will produce those gorgeous splits. If your plant is on the mature side, it's possible that the plant is not getting enough sun. Try to put it in a sunnier location, or use a grow light. Hope this helps!
I watched another video that said with these plants, the idea that pruning smaller leaves will leave more energy for the bigger leaves to grow is false? Because of the hormones in these plants. So I'm not sure what to do now.
Hi there, I'm not entirely sure about the hormone part of the question. Pruning is all about redirection of energy to increase growth in the plant. From personal experience, I removed the small leaves, and the plant grew larger leaves off of the stem that the leaves were pruned. That being said, you also don't have to prune them. If you're unsure, I always suggest to do more research on pruning these plants to decide what's right for you. Hope this helps and best of luck!
my monstera was killed by thrips.
Stems got black one by one , and leaves died
These thrips are a nightmare.
I also tried to prune the other stems, but it won't have new baby growths either
I only have 1 leaf left out of it.. but don't know what to do with it anymore
I guess I ll just throw it away and maybe I will get a new monstera some day.
For Next one I will use fertilizer with insecticide included , to prevent this nightmare
Where exactly should I cut the monstera to get new leaves from the parent plant?
Cut about 1 - 1.5 inches below the node, then stick in water. Wait several weeks before a few inches of new roots appear, then you can plant in soil.
Could you replant the smaller leaves that you pruned?
Hi Cynthia, the leaves I pruned off you can't replant because they do not have nodes attached.
Can u repot the stem or leaf u pruned
Hi Tammy, no you can't. You can only repot a leaf that has a node attached. I pruned the leaves without nodes.
What happens if we cut the node? I pruned the stems at first but then it didn’t grow a new leaf, it just turned brown and dried out so I cut that whole node off
Hi there, if you cut a node, the plant won't be able to create more leaves from that particular plant, or section of the plant. Often times, when we buy monstera's, there are several plants in one pot.
@@funwithplantsandcats thank you! I cut all of the nodes on one plant because it was infested with thrips. I still have more plants that are still growing new leaves ☺️
my monstera is just one long vine is the a way to fix it?
Hi Lisa, if you have one long vine, and you want the plant to look more full, you may have to propagate the vine to get a fuller plant. You can create cuttings from sections of the plant, and stick them into some water. After roots grow, you can replant them in the same pot.
Can you put the cut off leaves to water to grow roots if there is no node?
Hi! No, you can't. You need to have a node or an aerial root attached in order to propagate the plant.
@@funwithplantsandcats Thank you for letting me know! Great video! 😊👏🏻
Umm. Can I tie my monstera towards the bottom so it can grow up rather than out. Once it gets taller i am not concerned about the out part.
Yes you can do that. I recommend adding a stake for extra support.
How bad is the liquid on your hand? why the alcohol wipes?
Why didn't you show how to prune so that you don't throw out the leaves but can let them grow roots? Like where exactly under the node for propergation whilst pruning anyway?
Hello, in this video I only wanted to focus on pruning, not propagating. I do have a video where I root divide a monstera, and in that video, I mention how to propagate a monstera (there are time codes in the video) Eventually I will make a propagating video.
Very informative but I found it comical that you blocked the camera with your hand while doing the pruning. I recommend trying to be more conscious of the angle you're cutting so that people can actually see what you're doing