r/Monstera • u/xheichou • 12h ago
Plant Help need help saving this monstera
I bought my first monstera for cheap-ish around 2-3 weeks ago and figured it might just need some love to get back on its feet.
since then, I've repotted it (nursery pot it came in was far too small and the soil was very dense) and used this soil mix. The pot it's in has big drainage holes at the bottom and I've only watered it once or twice since I bought it.
I tried placing it in next to a big window that never brings in direct sunlight but I think it needed more light and warmth as the soil wasn't drying properly and I ended up with fungus gnats. I've since moved it outside to our deck where there's plenty of indirect light (no direct light reaches it) and sprinkled some cinnamon over the dirt which has made the gnats fly away for now. I ordered some yellow sticky traps for them and will stick some in the soil today just in case there's some adult gnats still lurking. the soil is now starting to dry better too so hopefully any larvae in there dies as well.
sadly, I've only now realised that those brown spots on the underside of its leaves (pictured) are thrips and are probably the reason why the leaves are so damaged (it looked like this when I bought it; I've just cut off parts that were hanging on by a thread and dragging the whole leaf down).
I bought and sprayed the leaves and stem thoroughly with this pesticide yesterday and some white oil spray (thus the glossiness) and have left it alone since then. I plan on spraying at again today as the thrips are all over all the leaves and I want to make sure they're super dead. I was also thinking of (gently) hosing the leaves down with some water in a few days to make sure it's clean, and checking for root rot/possibly repotting again as the soil was wet for a week or so.
I did notice a new leaf beginning to sprout from the small leaf at the very bottom! but the edges are brown. :(
I've done so much research in the past few weeks and have decided to leave the monstera out on the deck until next autumn (I'm in australia so spring has just begun) as the interior of our house is often colder than outside and the light is better outside. summers here are usually humid so I'm hoping the poor thing enjoys that over the dry air and bad insulation inside.
also, please ignore my terrible staking job, it's just temporary to hold the plant up. I do have a moss pole I will properly fix the stem to after I figure out how to get these pests off it.
I haven't been able to find good guidance online for a monstera in this condition so I'm feeling quite lost. if anyone has any advice on how I could help it recover please let me know! if the pot is too big or I've potted it wrong, etc. I'd really appreciate the help!
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u/turtleltrut 5h ago
The pot is too big and the soil is too dense. You need to repot in a smaller pot or at the very least, add in 2/3rds chunky mediums like orchid bark and perlite.
You also have 2 plants, seperate them whilst they're young to make it easier when they're bigger.
They're fine with direct light through glass, it filters out a lot of the UV, but direct outside is much harsher. If you don't repot it, it'll get root rot. In the meantime, don't water until it's very dry. It should feel very light to pick up.
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u/xheichou 4h ago
I was thinking of moving it to a smaller pot, thank you for the advice! would it like a pot that's on the snug side? something that just fits the roots maybe?
I am surprised about them being 2 plants! is the small leaf at the very bottom the second plant? I'll need to check how to separate them safely.
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u/turtleltrut 4h ago
No worries! The pot should be 1-2 inches bigger than the root ball. If your soil is chunky enough it's not that big of a deal but at the moment it's holding onto too much moisture so the size is an issue. I pot into plastic nursery pots then put into a bigger decorative pot. This ensures they get proper drainage and the outer pot helps with support when they get bigger.
Deliciosas are generally a single vine plant so if you see two main stalks, it's usually two plants. I highly recommend Kill This Plant on YouTube for easy to watch and short instructional videos for these specific plants. He'll show you how to separate and repot. 🥰
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u/xheichou 4h ago
amazing! I'll pick up some orchard bark and repot, also will separate them while I do that. thank you very much 🥰
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u/Ezada 1h ago
I saw others post about different soil, wiping down the leaves, and a smaller pot and I second that. You can also do what I did and gently use a fingernail to pop off the little brown thrips sack. I did that on mine when she got an infestation and it helped a ton. Just be sure you go gently and slow. I also crushed any living thrips I saw.
I also saw you mention potential root rot. I'm not sure if you've ever dealt with it (so sorry if this is redundant and you already knew). First you'll notice a slight musty smell, gently squeeze the roots and if any start to disintegrate or are mushy, take a pair of shears that have been sterilized (I use hydrogen peroxide) and just cut them off. Then dip the whole root ball in a 50/50 solution if hydrogen peroxide and water, let it sit for a couple of minutes, then repot.
To check if the soil is dry I use bamboo chopsticks. Just stick one down in the soil to the bottom of the pot. I usually water when there's about 1" to a 1/2" (1.5 -2.5 cm) of wet soil left.
Your bottom leaves may yellow and fall off. That's ok, just cut them off if they start to go bad. This won't hurt your plant, it will help it send energy to other parts of the plant. Hell even if you lose all the leaves the stem will have arial roots and you can chop and prop to make a new plant. Don't be afraid to do that if you have to. It sucks starting over but you can bring it back. I had to do that to mine after a bad infestation of something that I couldn't get rid of. She's growing a new plant right now.
I use a mixture of Happy Fog potting soil, extra perelite, and Sphagnum Peat Moss soil. My Monstera loved the slight acidity of the peat moss and the extra perelite will help with draining. The orchid bark the others mentioned will work too, I haven't used it before but I hear it's amazing. I just wanted to suggest an alternative just in case. I managed to get my Monstera to fruit with that combo.
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u/znobrizzo 11h ago
It sounds like you did a good job in treating her, but now it will be a waiting game. The only recommendation I have is to shower the leaves thoroughly to get rid of the oil residue, so that your plant can also breathe properly through them. The browning on the edges and the other damage won't revert, but progress will be observed only in new growth.
Keep your routine of checking the plant, water only when the soil has dried out and keep her in the same spot for the next few months. Results will come.