The Monstera deliciosa is an exotic plant that is now back in fashion. The eye-catching leaves beautify every room and some plant lovers can not get enough of the window leaf. In order to cultivate several monsteras, you do not have to buy new plants. The plant can be easily and successfully propagated via offshoots. There are different variants to choose from.
Table of Contents
Vegetative propagation
The Monstera is rarely propagated from seeds, because this process is time-consuming and requires patience. It can take up to ten years for the window leaf to develop flowers. The seeds do not keep for long and should be sown on a nutrient-poor substrate immediately after collection. Healthy and strong plants with several leaves can be propagated vegetatively at any time by cutting off above-ground parts of the plant:
- Leaf cuttings: cut off a single leaf at the base
- Head cutting: use a rooted cutting with one or two leaves
- Stem cutting: grow a leafless section with aerial roots
Abmoosen
If your Monstera has not yet developed aerial roots, you can encourage the plant to develop roots by removing the moss before propagating. Cut the bark at a point below a leaf node. Put a match in the wound to keep it from closing. Wrap the trunk at this point in a mixture of damp moss and some potting soil . Foil ensures that the substrate does not fall off and protects it from drying out. It may take a few weeks or months for roots to develop at the site. Periodically inspect the interface for rot and replace the substrate as necessary.
Cutting offshoots
Use a sharp knife or scissors. The cutting tool should be cleaned and disinfected beforehand so that no pathogens can get into the wound. Allow the interface to dry for at least five hours so that it no longer feels damp. This step is necessary to prevent rot on the cut edge. Leaf and head cuttings are easily cut off at the base of the window leaf. Stem cuttings are obtained from the non-lignified and leafless shoot axis, which is divided into smaller pieces. It is important that each section has several sleeping eyes and at least one aerial root. These dormant leaf buds are recognizable as round and thickened spots. New roots and leaves grow from them.
The right time
Although the Monstera can be reproduced all year round, you should carry out the measure in spring. At this time, the plant is still in a dormant stage where growth stagnates. Before the new growth period, younger specimens in particular tolerate the intervention well and the growing of the cuttings is favored by rising temperatures and increasing hours of sunshine. If you propagate the exotic monstera later in the year, rooting will take a little longer.
pull cuttings
The procedure for promoting root formation is the same for all three cutting variants. Each shoot needs water to root. A bright location without direct sunlight offers optimal growth conditions for this. On a sunny windowsill, the leaf surface evaporates too much water. You can put leafy offshoots with their aerial roots in a vase filled with water. Change the water on a weekly basis. Stem cuttings can be planted directly in a nutrient-poor growing medium. With this variant, you must ensure that the substrate is kept evenly moist. Follow these steps:
- Lay the stem cutting horizontally on the substrate and press down lightly
- Buds must face up
- Spray the substrate daily with lime-free water
- Place the jar in a mini greenhouse
