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Plant Details
Plant Details
Common Names: Vining Swiss Cheese Plant, Five Holes Plant, Adanson's Monstera
Growth Habit: Climbing, aerial roots.
Natural Habitat: Originating in Central and South America, the M. adansonii loves the humid and tropical climate of a rainforest where it can climb trees to the top of the canopy.
Plant Set Up
Plant Set Up
Substrate: Well draining soil with a high proportion of orchid bark or other coarse material. Easily grown in LECA, hydroponically or can even grow fully submerged in water.
Container: Self-watering pots work well indoors for Monstera sp. as they don't like being dry. The also look extraordinary grown fully submerged in a tall glass vessel. Plants cannot be transitioned directly to a submerged environment however new growth will grow successfully underwater.
Support: Use a moss pole to encourage climbing or consider placing your pot alongside structural elements to support growth.
Growing Conditions
Growing Conditions
The M. adansonii is an easy care houseplant. It will grow in almost any situation so perfect for beginner plant enthusiasts! Recreating its natural habitat as closely as possible will yield the best growth possible.
MORE Water: Water at least weekly, ensuring the plant is not left sitting in water. If the soil feels dry, the leaves start to dull or the petioles (smaller stalks that join each leaf to the main stem) and leaves start to droop, then time to water.
MORE Light: Monstera sp. love filtered light and grow best indoors in bright filtered or indirect light. This could be on a shelf or plant stand a metre or so away from the nearest window.
MORE Humidity: For our tropical climate, humidity is a daily occurrence and doesn’t need to be considered too much. The only exception is lack of humidity under fans or in breezy parts of your home. Consider moving your plant away from these positions or keep any moss poles or stakes moist by misting them regularly. This will help keep humidity high and works well for those in colder climates also.
Position: Considering the above key elements, we recommend a moderate-bright light, high humidity, away from air conditioners and not directly under fans.
Ongoing Health Treatments
Ongoing Health Treatments
Once you’ve found your plant’s happy place, you will need to consider ongoing care. We’ve covered the essentials above, but it’s also good to get into a routine with fertiliser and pest protection to maintain plant health.
Nutrient Solution (eg. Seasol): Apply regularly when watering, particularly before and/or soon after your plant suffers any stress such as repotting, disruption to watering or at the first sight of any pest or disease.
Fertiliser: M.adansonii do not like too much fertiliser so always apply as directed. We suggest liquid fertiliser at the start of the wet season (eg. Powerfeed or Thrive) and controlled release fertiliser (eg. Osmocote Pots, Planters and Indoors) applied twice per year.
Pest Protection: Consider using a horticultural oil to protect your plant from pests and diseases. They are relatively non-toxic, can be used year round and work on direct contact to effectively control many common pests including scale, aphids and mealybugs. We suggest any horticultural oil that contains neem oil as this is also effective against pests that ingest the oil after it has been sprayed. Apply when the plant is dry but has been well irrigated.
For other concerns and our suggested treatments check out our Plant Tips pages.
Ongoing Maintenance
Ongoing Maintenance
In addition to the treatments above, the following maintenance should be carried out as needed.
Trimming: Remove any dead leaves from the plant or soil surface. Leaves that are partially damaged or dying may also be trimmed or removed to allow the plant to focus on new growth. Alternatively, trim as required for aesthetic purposes.
Pruning: More considerable trimming may be required occasionally to encourage plant growth, aesthetic purposes and/or propagation. Cut the stem on a 45 degree angle just above a node. Aerial roots may also be pruned if required.
Repotting: Consider repotting when the plant starts to require very frequent watering, when roots are visibly emerging from the base of the pot or when the size of the plant has become disproportionate to the pot. When repotting, ensure a pot only one size bigger is used to minimise risk of root rot.
For other concerns and our suggested treatments check out our Plant Tips pages.
The care requirements detailed in this Plant Care Guide are from our knowledge and experience of the plant having grown it in our collection for some time. We have used Australian Tropical Rainforest Plants identification terms and characters when identifying plants. Links to more information, useful websites and resources are listed on our Books & Resources page.
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