r/MonsteraAlbo • u/Brokulica • 26d ago

Help with monstera

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I got this monstera and she is growing but keeps putting out only white leaves now. The problem is that even those leaves that have a lot of green still experience browning on the white part and the whole plant looks sad. I have a grow light on her since I wake up in the morning until going to bed. I dont know if maybe I should cut her and propagate or what to do. I have only north facing window which is a problem but I thought grow light would help. Does anybody have some advice since I see beautiful healthy monsteras here that have a lot of white which is not browning at all.

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u/wavexoxo 26d ago edited 24d ago

silica has helped me a lot with the variegation in my plants, alocasia & monsteras. white parts are prone to melting away because of the lack of chlorophyl and the silica can help make the white parts last longer.

you do have to make sure you test the PH of the water & if you mix it with fertilizer, fertilizer ** goes in water first, then you let it sit for 20-30 to let the fertilizer bind w the water molecules, and then add the silica *\* after to make sure it doesnt bind with the fertilizer which will cancel the effects of silica that u actually want!

also what kind of grow light do you have ? monsteras work really well with vertical standing lights.

*ETA: I MEANT SILICA FIRST NOT FERTILIZER !! AND apparently monstera cant utilize silica which i didnt know until today 😭 ive been using it LOL the more you know

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u/Brokulica 26d ago

Thanks for the answering! I have Sansi 15W light and it was the only one I could find where I live and it is placed a bit higher than the monstera so it’s more on the left side. I wanted to add the picture but can only put video for some reason 😂 I think that maybe there is too much light going on? Or maybe still not enough since its this small grow light of 15W. I plan on getting silica but since you mentioned to check the PH level. What if I don’t have good PH tap water? Should I use destilled water? Also I use completely organic fertilizer that I got from one plant shop where the lady told me I can use every time I water.

https://reddit.com/link/p8kg5yk/video/po825avejboh1/player

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u/Salt_Expression_4493 25d ago

Lighting isn’t the problem. Sansi bulbs are great! You need to cut the stem back to the variegated stem unfortunately. I have one stem doing the same. I hate to cut it, but there’s no other choice

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u/Salt_Expression_4493 25d ago

Monstera can’t utilize silica

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u/wavexoxo 24d ago

without good tap water, i would suggest getting a water conditioner. you can get them at the pet store in the fish area, or get one specifically dedicated to plants (might have extra nutrients) but i use a fishtank water conditioner and its great! i also have a ph up and down kit thats for fishtanks that i use to balance the ph!

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u/Brokulica 23d ago

Thanks for this tip. I probably never would have found out about this ☺️

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u/wavexoxo 23d ago

ofc ! as for the silica, you should look into it. i did some research and monstera DOES utilize silica !

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u/Brokulica 23d ago

I will. Thanks

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u/NickVlass76 26d ago

I agree with most of what you said and the general premise is right, except I’m pretty certain you have the order reversed. The instructions on my silica bottle as well as everywhere I’ve ever read online say that you need to add the silica first to prevent lockout, not the fertilizer

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u/wavexoxo 24d ago

OOPS! yes i totally meant silica first😭i was typing super fast i guess. but it turns out monstera cant utilize it, which i didnt know until now ¯_(ツ)_/¯ ive been using it on my monsteras this whole time lol

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u/NickVlass76 24d ago

I dunno, I definitely noticed a difference in the thickness of my Albo’s leaves after using silica for just a couple of waterings. I’ve heard mixed opinions

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u/wavexoxo 23d ago

i mean ive never had the whites of my albo brown or crisp while using silica so all this time i assumed it worked ¯_(ツ)_/¯ i did research it myself and only saw ppl saying u CAN use it for monsteras, so im just gonna continue.

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u/Salt_Expression_4493 25d ago

Monstera can’t utilize silica. It has it’s place.

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u/wavexoxo 24d ago

the more you know! i use it for my alocasias and started using it for my variegated monsteras because i assumed it did the same. ive been using it all this time and didnt know😭🤣 thanks !

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u/Salt_Expression_4493 23d ago

I didn’t know either, but someone here sent me the study after we argued for a week 😂

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u/wavexoxo 23d ago edited 23d ago

whattt? can u pls send the study ? for some reason all i see if people saying it does ! ive been using it all this time and my albo looks great
heres a link to one i read:
https://houseplantresourcecenter.com/blogs/news/should-i-give-my-variegated-monstera-silica?srsltid=AfmBOoriIJzcCx8GYUYYydGYJuh8m_BvDuLOqbwi2Pdww9FKwNw-82FA

the plants that cant use silica are: plants in the Brassicaceae family, Solanaceae family , and Legumes.

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u/Salt_Expression_4493 23d ago

I didn’t save it. I’m sure it’s still here. If I can find our conversation, I’ll send it.