How to Propagate Monstera Plant? Water, Soil, Air Layering Method

How to propagate monstera deliciosa

Monstera Deliciosa, the creeping tropical vine is mostly known for its lush tropical vibe. The beautiful houseplant is also known as the Swiss cheese plant and is normally grown in gardens and indoors. When the plant matures, it wears a stunning look. The gorgeous look of Monstera can entice you to expand your Monstera Deliciosa plant collection. There is no other way to expand the Monstera Deliciosa better than propagation.

Growing a Monstera indoors is pretty easy and you do not have to read a long manual. However, you will be surprised to learn that you do not need to hire an expert to expand the family of your beloved house plant. The tentacle-like aerial roots of the Monstera plant can make their way deep into the soil with ease. Hence, propagating a Monstera plant will not be a difficult task for you.

Like many other houseplants, you can also propagate Monstera Deliciosa through air layering, water, soil, or perlite. As a plant parent, you may find the job of cutting several parts of the beautiful Monstera scary, but the outcome can bring a big smile to your face. In this article, we are going to cover everything you need to know while propagating your Monstera using several methods.

TL; DR

Want to expand the family of your Monstera Deliciosa plant? Well, you can do it in several ways. You can propagate your Monstera through water propagation, soil propagation, air layering, or perlite propagation. With the right piece of cutting and living conditions, you can go with any method to propagate your Monstera successfully.  

Best Time to Propagate Your Monstera:

To get the best result, propagate your Monstera during the growing season. Although you can propagate a Monstera at any time of the year, the growing season ensures the possibility of achieving good results.

If you are planning to propagate the plant during the winter, you may have to help the plant with additional lighting, water and fertilizer. However, in winter, the cuttings may take a longer time to grow. You can try the trick to expand your Monstera family in spring or fall, but summer will remain the best time to propagate your Monstera.

The summer can give Monstera everything it needs to grow. Whether it is the heat, humidity or light, summer makes the condition ideal for Monstera to grow new stems and leaves. While propagating Monstera Deliciosa, make sure the condition is perfect for new growth, and it can mimic the condition of tropical rainforests.

The Right Way to Cut Monstera for Propagation: 

To make the propagation successful, you have to cut the plant precisely. You cannot be indifferent when choosing the right part to chop off from the mother plant. The node is one of the most crucial parts you will need to make the process successful.

Each stem of the Monstera plant is surrounded by ridges known as nodes. Each green tail that grows and holds leaves originates from a node. So, if the cutting has no node, it will never be able to grow any roots or leaves. Aerial roots can also be an ideal choice. If you see the plant has some long aerial roots, you can take them for propagation.

Some Effective Methods You Can Use to Propagate Your Monstera Successfully

If you know the trick, propagating a Monstera is one of the easiest jobs for you. You can propagate your Monstera in several ways but before you get into the process, make sure you are aware of the conditions; the cuttings need to produce new roots.

Whether you are going with air layering, water propagation, soil propagation, or moss propagation, the right conditions can keep the plant alive even without roots and leaves. Moisture or humidity is one of the key aspects the cuttings need to grow.

The accurate humidity level in the atmosphere can control water loss and encourage the cuttings for root growth.

To ensure satisfactory results, you have to keep the areal roots wet most of the time. But never think about making the cut end wet. You must keep the cut end of the stem as dry as possible to avoid stem rot.

Refrain yourself from adding nutrients to the water or soil, as the cutting cannot extract nutrients from the propagation medium. Once you spot the root growing from the cutting, you can add nutrients to the soil or water to help the stem grow faster.

Let us focus on some of the most effective propagation methods you can apply to your Monstera Deliciosa plant.

Propagating Monstera in Water: 

This is going to be the easiest method to propagate your Monstera. But when choosing a piece of cutting you need to be a little bit careful. Make sure you have taken it from the right part of the mother plant. Well, the stem can have a few leaves, but cuttings with no leaves will be the better option for you.

The outcome of the experiment sometimes depends on the condition of the cutting you are using for the propagation of your Monstera. If the cutting you have chosen comes with some aerial roots, you will get the expected result pretty sooner. Conversely, if the cutting comes with only nodes, you have to wait to see new roots in the water.

Arrange a mid-size clear glass or mug, and fill it with the water. Put a piece of cutting into the water and let the stem grow new leaves. However, stem rot is one of the common problems plant parents often face while propagating their Monsteras; so, you have to be careful about it.

To avoid unwanted incidents like stem rot, you need to replace the water in the glass or mug every few days. Also, make sure you have only submerged the aerial roots into the water. To improve the level of oxygen, you can add some air stones to the water. The light is also a crucial element the stem needs to produce new parts. Make sure the stem in the water is getting a sufficient amount of indirect sunlight.

Now, it is time to watch out for new growth. Once you spot it, put the cutting into the soil, as you normally do when planting a baby Monstera. Never forget to use well-draining soil to avoid root rot and shocking results, and add water to the soil only when it is needed. Before watering the new plant, check the level of dryness in the soil, as overwatering can damage the root and kill the sprout eventually.

If you are a new plant parent, then seeing the stem-growing sprouts in the water can be a unique and remarkable experience. But if you do not have enough time to go through all these processes, you can skip the method and opt for the soil option. Let us talk about the method in detail.

Read: How Often Do You Water Monstera Deliciosa? (Monstera Watering Requirements)

Propagating Monstera in Soil: 

If you have done water propagation before, propagating a Monstera in the soil will not be a difficult task for you. The task of soil propagation is similar to water propagation and even if you are a beginner, you can do it successfully with a few tricks.

Like water propagation, a healthy cutting is a basic need for soil propagation of the Monstera Deliciosa plant. An aerial root is going to be the most suitable option, but you can also prefer a cutting with a node. For the best result, soak the cutting in water before you put it into the soil of a container. However, if you do not have time for this, you can dab rooting hormone solution into the cutting before planting it.

Both water-soaking and rooting hormone powder can help the cutting sprout faster. Now follow some basic tips to help the cutting grow new roots and sprouts. The task of propagating a Monstera plant is just like the job of raising a baby Monstera. Once you place the cutting into the soil, you need to look out for the external conditions the cutting needs to produce new roots and leaves.

Well-draining soil, water, a hot and humid atmosphere, and a lot of indirect light are some of the basic needs you have to provide to make the experiment successful. However, one thing that makes soil propagation different from water propagation is that in soil propagation, you will never be able to see the development. So, you have to keep your patience until you see something happening above the surface.

To encounter the sprouts above the surface of the topsoil, you may have to wait for a few weeks. Till then you have to keep the cutting within an ideal living condition. If the condition surrounding the cutting is ideal, new sprouts can emerge within a couple of weeks.

One of the positive parts of soil propagation is that you do not have to transplant the cutting from water to soil. In fact, the soil can give the cutting some critical nutrients that water cannot. The negative side of soil propagation is that the soil can become sodden if overwatered. Also, organic ingredients available in the soil can invite fungus or diseases.

Read: What Is The Best Soil For Monstera Deliciosa? Monstera Soil Requirement And Best Potting Mix

Propagating Your Monstera Through Air Layering Method:

Propagating a Monstera Deliciosa plant through air layering means you are going to encourage the plant to grow aerial roots into the soil roots. To get the job done, you need to cover the aerial roots with bundles of moss. By doing this, you are going to direct the roots to the pole of moss. Apart from this, you can also use an additional container of water or soil to place the aerial roots.

One of the best parts of the air layering method of propagation is that that method allows the cuttings to remain attached to the mother plant. Here, you can skip the unrooted stage of propagation, following the slashed area growing in the most favorable condition.

In this method, you do not have to chop off the cutting from the bother plant. You just need to choose an area and slice it below a node. Now, wrap the area with soggy sphagnum moss and wait for the roots to grow from the target area. It is recommended to remoisten the moss when it gets dry. The air layering method of propagation is a little bit slower than water or soil propagation. You may have to keep patience for a few months and allow the stem to grow roots. Once you spot the new roots emerging from the slashed area, separate the stem from the bother plant and transplant it into a new pot.

Some positive sides of the air layering method are that there will be no issue of root rot and since the stem will remain attached to the mother plant, it can easily extract water and nutrients from the main plant.

Propagating Monstera in Perlite:

Perlite is made of amorphous volcanic glass. It ensures better airflow for the roots. Perlite is not as dense and tight as soil and is better absorbent than soil. The light perlite can spread out the moisture quickly. So you will have to adjust your watering schedule accordingly.

So, fill the container with high-quality course perlite and plant the cutting into it. For best results, fill the base of the container with water, but make sure the water is not touching the stem. To lock the moisture inside, cover the soil surface and keep the roots hydrated.

You can use organic materials in place of perlite to propagate a Monstera plant, but the best thing about perlite is that is it lightweight and will allow you to pull the stem and check the progress frequently. Perlite maintains the level of moisture around the roots better than soil. You will need no organic matter or fertilizer to support the growth of roots.     

Is It Possible to Propagate Monstera from Seeds?

While grown outdoors or in the wild, the tropical vine bears the Mexican breadfruit. So, yes, it is possible to propagate a Monstera from seeds. However, here the problem is that while grown indoors, Monstera Deliciosa plants hardly produce any fruits. If you own a fruitful Monstera growing outdoors, you can use its seeds to propagate the plant.

Before we focus on the process of growing a new Monstera plant from the seeds, we must know that you cannot grow a variegated Monstera from seeds. Such types of Monstera are very rare and you can only grow them using cuttings.

You can purchase Monstera seeds online or from a nursery, but make sure they are authentic. If you have the seed, start the process immediately. To make the seeds ready for propagation, soak them for at least 12 hours in lukewarm water.

Arrange a shallow pot and fill it with soil before you make a small hole in the middle of the soil. Now it is time to bury the seed and add water to the soil. The seed will go through the germination process and should grow sprouts within a month.

When propagating Monstera from seeds, make sure you have given the seed the right conditions to germinate. The warmer the environment is, the faster the seeds will be. So, make sure the temperature of the surrounding area is quite warm. To keep the soil damp, you can place a clear glass or plastic sheet over the surface. The light is also a crucial aspect of the process. So make sure the soil is getting sufficient light to energize the seed inside.

How Long Does Process Take to Unfurl New Leaf?

The process of propagation may take 1-4 months to show the sign of a new leaf. A lot of factors can influence the time taken by the stem to grow a new leaf. The health of the cutting and the living condition of the place is some of the two major factors that determine the duration of propagation.

Cutting off the top of the stem with the aerial root is the most suitable condition you can get to propagate a Monstera. A top cutting with aerial root may take nearly 1.5 months to grow the first new leaf. A mid-cutting piece of stem with aerial root, on the hand, takes at least 3 months to show the sign of new growth. Node cuttings with aerial roots are the slowest in the pack, as such pieces of stems often take around 4 months to unfurl new leaves.

Read: How to Clean Monstera Deliciosa Leaves? Tips And Precautions

Conclusion 

So, you can propagate a Monstera Deliciosa plant by following a few simple tricks. Water, soil, air layering, and perlite are some of the most common and useful methods of propagation and you can apply anyone on your Monstera to expand its family. The right piece of stem and ideal living conditions often determine the fate of the propagation experiment. So along with the method, you need to be careful about the type of cutting and factors like heat, humidity, and light to make the project successful. We believe our simple but effective tips will help you expand the family of your beloved Monstera. If you want to share your ideas with us on the same, please do not hesitate.

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