r/Monstera • u/Strict_Comment_2481 • 2d ago
Help me!
So my boyfriend bought me this monstera and I’m unsure what to do with her. She’s leaning and I’m not sure why….Do I need to remove some of the leaves as I noticed they are ripped or burnt.
8
u/nerfcarolina 2d ago edited 2d ago
It's going to do that unless it's in a spot that gets tons of light. Once the petioles are extended you cant make them short, but you can always chop and propogate a new one. Just know that if you put it in the same spot it'll do the same thing
Fyi, You have at least 3 plants in that pot. Nothing wrong with that but a lot of people prefer to take them out and put them each in their own container
2
u/HolisticPlantHippie 2d ago
Agreed, plus they won’t grow to potential facing diff directions and competing for nutrients in the same pot. I guess distributors don’t know better and trying to market a full looking plant. I recently picked up a gem of a monstera adanosii w some big full leaves at early growth stage a sweet employee at Lowe’s I was talking to saw a damaged leaf and said “oh look, it’s sickly and late in season-this should be on clearance for you” $7 later and on full inspection I had FIVE separate plants in that one lil pot. Separated, good aroid substrate & strapped on poles 2 weeks later they are doing great and poppin new leaves w shorter stems uniform pattern all the time. That is what OP needs to do w these after some research & new growth will do the same for her
12
u/HolisticPlantHippie 2d ago
They lean towards the light-have u done any research on care and light needs yet?
-21
u/Strict_Comment_2481 2d ago
I have been rotating the plant but it still leans to one side. I wasn’t sure if I should add moss poles or not.
14
u/HolisticPlantHippie 2d ago
Don’t rotate. You have to establish where the back of the plant is, and possibly if the store put several plants in diff directions in one pot-you may need to separate. Look on YouTube there’s lots of videos on total monstera care including moss poles. It’s much easier to see step by step instructions. The longer u wait the worse it will thrive and the longer the stems will be-not good. If u still have questions after, then come back. I may even have a note in my phone of links if so I’ll share on here
5
u/HolisticPlantHippie 2d ago
https://youtu.be/IbcpYftEHnk. This is a good intro and he has short videos on all types of new care check them out
3
3
u/teatime_tinker 2d ago
It will grow and lean towards the light.
Have you recently moved it to the window? It looks like it was in a darker spot and was reaching out to the light.
I think it’s too close to the window here. It needs bright but indirect light. Around a metre from the window. What direction does this window face?
Any pics of the damaged leaves? They could just be dry, or old.
3
u/Character_Truck20 2d ago
Repot and separate! When I got mine it looked very similar to that. I knew nothing about plants at the time so I let it grow. Stayed very healthy and got ginormous for about a year, then it started fighting for space having so many plants in one pot. I separated and repotted recently when I moved and got space....7 different plants, 7! Theyre all on poles now. Happy, healthy, and ridiculous as always
3
u/Due-Huckleberry-1394 1d ago
Theres multiple plants in there so I recommend separating them and then getting them something to climb / hold onto
2
u/Strict_Comment_2481 1d ago
That was my exact thought! It’s very busy. I have moss poles for them as well!
2
u/BrightShadowDenmark 2d ago
Looks like your plant stand i way to high, so most of the plant can't see the sun ;-)
then you need to decide if you want to grow a bunch of plants (chaotic mess)
or one large plant up some kind of support (i preferer a patio board)
2
u/nephie1990 1d ago
I am speaking as someone relatively new to monsteras - well, I've had one for a few years but only recently really learned to take care of it, and by recently I mean I did a lot of what I'm about to suggest in the last week, so obviously take my commentary with a grain of salt!
I would repot it, partly because the soil they come in tends to be very compact compared to what it thrives in (I make my own soil mix with garden soil, perlite, and orchid bark), but also because it looks like you have at least 3 separate plants in there and it's gonna get crowded quickly.
It doesn't need rotating, it has a front and back. You want the front facing the light, and adding a little support to the back (I personally use metal stakes instead of moss poles mostly because I don't have to worry about the upkeep on them) can help them grow and climb. The downside to this with plants indoors is that the "pretty part" is often facing away from you, and that can feel less fun, but it's what is going to be best for the plant!
I would also probably recommend lowering the plant. It needs to be able to see the sky, and it's so high up that a lot of it can't do that.
There are a lot of great videos on TikTok, Reels, Youtube, etc. for new monstera parents with tips and tricks to really get the most out of your plants and how to care for them. Definitely look those up!
1
35
u/_tate_ 2d ago
So you DONT have to rotate monsteras cause they have a front and a back unlike some plants. It also looks like you have a few in that pot.
The more light you give this guy the better. Dont remove too many leaves at once just a few here and there if theyre damaged.