If you have one at home, then you know the monstera deliciosa is an aggressive and hardy climber. It can grow well up to 30 feet outdoors and close to 10 feet indoors when maintained.
Pruning a monstera plant does not require professional cuts and snips. They can do very well, even with amateur caretaking. Here, we discuss the various methods of pruning a monstera depending on the purpose of the cut.
How to Prune Monstera Deliciosa?
Monstera plants tend to grow out of control once spring comes around. The branches off-shoot from multiple nodes making your monstera looks like one. If your plant does not have such unruly growth, cutting off a few stems is not a challenging task.
On the other hand, an overgrown monstera requires careful cutting to keep the growth and spread of infection in check.
Make sure to prune your Monstera with a sterilized plant shears (Amazon link). It helps avoid infecting the cut spots from incurring bacterial infections and spreading it to the healthy stems.
Do not go about haphazardly cutting off branches to lessen the unruly outlook of your Monstera plant. The shock of sudden cuts can be detrimental to the overall growth and lead to stunting.
Locate large branches with significant leaves and snip them off at the nodes. Ensure to get the job done with a single cut and not compress it at the point of contact. The lower the number of cuts performed, the better the general health of your plant.
How to prune the roots of a potted monstera plant?
Roots are the essential part of a plant that traverse the soil to absorb nutrients and water necessary for its growth. If your monstera is allowed more space to grow underground, it will take the opportunity. However, the underground expansion can prove detrimental to the plant.
Root-bound plants depend on the soil nutrients for optimal growth. When they run out of adequate nutrition, they eventually die.
Periodically pruning the roots of a potted monstera plant aids in addressing the issues mentioned above. First, look for damaged or browning parts and snip them off. Sterilize your shears for the rest of the pruning process.
Since the monstera is a hardy plant, cutting off its roots will not cause substantial harm. However, you should exercise caution and ensure to cut where necessary. Avoid the main-root, which is distinctly thicker than the lateral roots.
Limit your root-cutting to 1/3 of the total root volume. Then, re-pot and watch for signs of shock evident from wilting and yellowing leaves.
How to prune dying leaves on a monstera plant?
A monstera plant that has survived with you for a long time will show signs of aging. These signs are generally the older growth as yellowing and dried-up leaves. The process to shear them is a straightforward one.
First, identify all the leaves that need pruning and arm yourself with a just-sterilized shear or knife. Follow the decaying leaf back to the stem and snip it off closely without damaging it.
The same procedure applies to leaves with unhealthy holes and deformed fenestrations.
When is the best time to prune monstera plants?
Not merely a monstera plant, but any houseplant is better off getting pruned at the juncture of winter and spring. Where winter serves as the dormancy stage, spring calls for new growth.
Begin pruning at the end of winter so the plant can seamlessly facilitate new growth in the coming days of spring. They will also find it effortless to deal with the damage of pruning.
Also, as a precaution, remember to wear gloves while pruning your Monstera since its sap is a mild irritant.
Verdict
Pruning your monstera is not an exercise for fun. It holds significance to the plant and requires adequate precautions before and after. Pruning shocks, propagating shocks, and transplanting shocks outline some of the areas where owners make mistakes during the procedure.
Encourage your monstera to grow as naturally as possible and keep it free from infections when pruning.
