Why is My Monstera Not Growing? Reasons And What You Can Do About It?

Monstera Deliciosa is one of the most beautiful houseplants in the world. We love this plant mostly for its lively and holey leaves. Even though Monstera Deliciosa is a tropical vine it can thrive happily when grown in a home atmosphere. You will be astonished to know that Monstera is one of the fastest-growing tropical plants and it can grow up to 60 feet when grown in the wild.

You cannot expect your Monstera Deliciosa to reach such a height when kept inside a room. But if the condition is favorable, a happy Monstera can grow rapidly even inside a room. With appropriate care and support, you can help your adorable plant grow spontaneously.

Monstera’s growth is often disturbed by many external factors like inadequate lighting, wrong watering practices, outgrown roots, pests, nutrient deficiency, etc. If you notice that your Monstera has stopped growing, you should take measures to find the cause and apply solutions to help the plant rebound quickly.

Slow or no growth is a common problem in Monstera Deliciosa and you can fix the problem easily. However, a halt in progress can bother you a lot especially when we are facing the problem for the very first time. But we will suggest you stay calm, as you can bring back everything to normalcy with a few straightforward measures.

In this article, we will talk about the reasons why a Monstera Deliciosa plant often stops growing and as a plant parent, what you can do to help your Monstera bounce back quickly.

TL; DR

Dormancy, inappropriate watering practices, low humidity, nutrient deficiency, low light, pest infestation, wrong soil, etc are some of the major reasons behind your Monstera’s stunted growth. These external factors can restrict your Monstera’s natural growth.

Related: Why is My Monstera Plant Drooping? Causes And Solution

Why Your Monstera Stops Growing? Causes And Solution

No plant can grow constantly all the time. Sometimes they grow hurriedly while sometimes they do not. It is a natural process and we cannot do much about it, as it can also be subject to dormancy. However, sometimes, you may find your Monstera Deliciosa showing no sign of growth even in peak season. Such behavior can indicate that your Monstera is not in the best condition and it may have been suffering from some external factors.

Houseplants like Monstera Deliciosa needs some basic conditions to survive when kept indoors. In some cases, Monstera stops growing despite getting adequate water and sunlight. Pests, nutrient deficiency, lack of adequate moisture, fertilizer burn, etc. are some of the reasons that can restrict the new growth in a Monstera Deliciosa plant. Let us focus on all possible reasons why your Monstera has stopped growing.

1. Dormancy:

Dormancy or the wrong time is an important thing you need to consider when searching for the reasons for the stunted growth of your Monstera Deliciosa plant. Before you take any action to bring the plant back to normalcy, make sure it is the growing season for your Monstera.

Dormancy is natural to plants like the Monstera. It is the time when a plant stops growing and it occurs mostly in the colder months. During the winter, most of the trees and houseplants tend to conserve resources and stop growing new parts. Like other houseplants, your Monstera can also become dormant in the winter.

Solution:

Dormancy is a part of a plant’s physiological process and you do not have to worry about this. If your Monstera is in dormancy consider it a sign of good health. The best thing you can do is to wait for the next season.

Remember, a plant in dormancy requires less water and nutrients. So, adjust your watering and fertilization schedule accordingly. Wait for the right time; once the atmosphere will start to warm up, your Monstera will start growing naturally.

People often fail to recognize the signs of dormancy and apply different methods to get their Monstera back to normalcy. As a plant parent, you have to be careful about this and give the plant time to get back on the right track.

2. Inadequate Water: 

Both lack of water and excess water can be responsible for growth issues in your Monstera plant. Watering is one of the major factors and you need to be careful about it. Even though watering a Monstera plant is not a big deal for a plant parent, people often inadvertently cause both under and over-water issues.

Underwatering is a major problem, as lack of water will never allow a Monstera to grow naturally. When a Monstera plant does not get sufficient water, it considers the condition unsuitable for new growth and prefers to abstain from growing. A tropical plant like Monstera requires adequate water to sustain new growth. When the supply of water is inconsistent, the plant decides to store its resources.

Apart from the growth issue, underwatering can cause many other problems like drooping stems and leaves, brown spots, yellowing leaves, etc. in Monstera Deliciosa plants. So, identify the signs and make sure your Monstera requires more water before you make effort to fix it.

Solution:

Inadequate water is one of the common issues and you can fix it easily. You just have to water your plant carefully. There is no need to be aggressive with your watering schedule. In peak summer, watering the plant once or twice a week is good enough.

It is better to feed the plant when it needs. You can perform a moisture check to ensure when your Monstera needs water. Make sure you are watering the plant thoroughly and wetting it all the way.

3. Excessive Water:

Overwatering, on the other hand, can also cause growth issues in your Monstera plant. It is quite easier for a plant parent to identify the symptoms of overwatering issue. However, if unchecked for a long period, overwatering can cause serious problems like root rot that can even kill your beloved plant.

Frequent watering can cause overwatering problems in Monstera that often restrict the plant from growing freely. Remember, your Monstera requires enough time to dry out between your watering schedules. If you do not allow the plant to get dry, the roots will suffer.

You cannot always hold your watering schedule responsible for the overwatering issue, as improper drainage can also be a trouble maker. If the pot does not have sufficient drainage holes then the soil will be forced to retain unnecessary water.

Solution:

Before you apply any method to revive the plant from overwatering problem, you have to confirm the reason first. Overwatering issues can emerge due to two reasons. One is the poor drainage and another is applying excessive water.

Clocked drainage holes and heavy soil can affect the drainage facility. In such a situation, replacing both the soil and the pot with new ones can be a good idea. If you think the drainage holes in the pot are not sufficient, change the pot and fill it with the right soil mix.

On the other hand, if frequent watering practices are the real cause, be careful with your watering schedule and water only your plant when required.

4. Poor Light: 

Insufficient light can also restrict your Monstera Deliciosa plant from growing. Light is a basic need for Monstera plants and insufficient light causes many problems. Light plays a major role in a plant’s metabolic process and insufficient light can discourage the plant from growing.

Even though a Monstera plant can survive in low light areas, insufficient light will keep it from growing. The problem with the low light condition is that it will not help the plant produce an ample amount of chlorophyll needed for variegated leaves. Small leaves without any holes or splits are some of the symptoms of the poor light issue.

Solution:

Well, if the low light condition is barring your Monstera plant from growing naturally, you can fix the problem in two ways. You can either relocate the plant or purchase a grow light for it. You can place the Monstera plant near a window if you think the place is ideal to receive enough sunlight.

A mature Monstera Deliciosa plant requires at least 6 hours of bright but indirect sunlight. If you cannot give your plant enough sunlight, purchase a grow light that can imitate the sunlight and help the plant complete physiological processes.

5. Unsuitable Humidity Level:

Maintaining an ideal humidity level can be a challenging task for new plant parents. Your Monstera Deliciosa plant is a relative of wild Monsteras that thrive in hot and humid tropical forests. So an environment with low humidity cannot be an ideal condition for growth.

If you leave a Monstera plant to mature in a low humidity condition, it will react with dry leaves. If the condition remains unchanged for a long period, the whole plant will become dry. Remember, even if you water the plant properly, lack of humidity will make it dry instantly.

Solution:

To fix the low humidity issue, you have to identify the moisture sucker first. Air conditioning systems, central heating systems, room heaters, etc. are some of the devices that wipe out humidity from the air. Although a tropical plant like Monstera requires a 60%-80% humidity level to thrive, it is not easy to maintain the figure indoors.

However, 40%-60% humidity level is also good for a tropical houseplant. Misting can also be a good practice to keep the plant from drying. A humidifier can also help you in the process. Such devices can maintain the right humidity level inside a room and give the plant a good atmosphere to thrive.

6. Nutrient Deficiency: 

If you are a new plant parent, you must know that your beloved Monstera can suffer from malnourishment. Like a human, a plant also needs some basic nutrients to survive and thrive. When kept indoors a Monstera Deliciosa plant requires nutrients like potassium, phosphorous, and most importantly nitrogen.

You can add those much-needed nutrients to the soil and allow the plant to absorb them using its roots. Remember, nutrients play a major role in keeping the plant happy and healthy.

Monsteras that grow in the wild extract important nutrients from nature itself. On the other hand, Monsteras that grow indoors do not get sufficient space and soil to extract adequate nutrients. Remember, even if your Monstera is getting proper water and light, malnourishment can disturb its natural growth.

Solution:

Houseplants like Monstera extract nutrients from the soil available in a pot. Hence, you need to check how nutrient-rich the soil is. The soil must contain some organic elements or compost. The pH level of the soil must be around 6.5 to 6.8. Remember, a higher pH level will make it difficult for the plant to extract nutrients from the available soil.

To help your Monstera Deliciosa plant grow, you can add fertilizer to the soil. You can fertilize the plant twice or thrice in a season. The fertilizer, you are intending to feed your plant must include elements like potassium, phosphorous, magnesium, and nitrogen.

7. Pest Infestation: 

Tiny pests in your Monstera Deliciosa plant can be a big threat to the plant. Pests can also cause growth problems in Monstera. Juicy leaves and stem of Monstera Deliciosa plants always attract pests like thrips, spider mites, mealybugs, scale, whiteflies, etc.

These destructive insects feed on plant juice and can turn out to be dangerous if not eliminated quickly. However, it is quite easy to spot the signs of pest infestation. If you check the plant thoroughly, you may find a web-like mess underside the leaves and stems.

These are the establishments of white bugs or mealybugs. You may struggle to spot spider mites with naked eyes, as they are smaller than other pests. However, spider mites leave a similar kind of web-like mess under the leaves and around the stems.

Solution:

Pest infestations can make your Monstera weak and cause stunted growth. To make your Monstera free of harmful pests like thrips, you can spray horticultural oil twice a week. If the trick does not work, take your Monstera out of the house and apply organic pesticide to it.

Make sure the pesticide is mild and organic and produced for indoor plants like Monstera Deliciosa. When dealing with pesticides, never forget to wear protective equipment. Misting the leaves regularly can also help you eliminate spider mites.

8. Outgrown Roots:

Outgrown roots can be a troublemaker if you do not fix them on time. If the roots of your Monstera are fighting for space, the roots of the plant can become rootbound. The condition affects growth along with other issues. Such conditions emerge when constantly growing roots start to pile up inside the pot and push the soil out.

Outgrown roots struggle for water and moisture due to the unavailability of adequate soil in the pot. In such a situation, the plant finds it hard to absorb water and decides to refrain from growing.

Solution:

To identify the rootbound problem in your Monstera, you first need to inspect the roots of the plant. If you find the roots in a coiled position, it is time to take action. To fix the problem, you may consider repotting. If you want your Monstera to grow naturally, giving it a new pot can be a good choice. In a new and larger pot, there will be enough space for roots and soil. For a rapidly growing Monstera, consider repotting once a year.

9. Inappropriate Soil:

The quality of soil plays an important role in encouraging a plant to grow freely. The right soil mix can ensure root aeration and proper drainage. Also, a quality soil mix will help the plant extract nutrients conveniently. Remember, if the soil mix is not aerated and cannot drain water properly, growth issues are inevitable.

In some cases, people use heavy soil to make their houseplants happy and healthy. The problem with the heavy soil is that it gets compressed with time and cannot help the plant grow naturally.

Likewise, garden soil also becomes extremely hard after some time and affects the leaves and stems negatively. Extra draining soil is also not suitable for your plant. Such soils cannot hold water and nutrients and leave the plant dehydrated.

Solution:

Heavy, garden, and extra draining soil may not bring you the desired solution. Using a light, well-drained soil mix for Monstera deliciosa can do the job for you. Using good-quality soil featuring peat moss can be a suitable choice, as this type of soil drains easily.

Houseplants like Monstera Deliciosa thrive in nutrient-rich soil. The soil must have the ability to hold moisture while draining excessive water.

Related: Why Does My Monstera Have Brown Spots? Causes And Solution

Conclusion

When grown in suitable conditions, a Monstera Deliciosa plant can rise to 2 feet per year. If you provide them with the proper care and support, Monstera can grow fresh leaves every month. Dormancy, poor watering practices, insufficient light, low humidity level, nutrient deficiency, pest infestation, inappropriate soil, etc. are some of the reasons why Monstera Deliciosa plants often stop growing. You can go with the above-mentioned solutions to help your Monstera revive and start growing again. We hope, the article has cleared all your doubts regarding your Monstera’s stunted growth. We value your opinions and we request you to share your experience with us and help us learn more.

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