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Table of Contents
- La Vie Scandinave Proposed Propagation Technique. MUST READ
- Single Cutting 6 Month Growth Timeline.
- What is Variegated Monstera.
- Difference between Borsigiani and Deliciosa.
- Anatomy of a Monstera Albo node / WetStick.
- Monstera Albo Plant Care Tips
- Tools (Grow Lights setting)
- Temperature
- Fertilizer
- Reversed Variegation (Produce almost all green leaves)
- General Propagation Methods
- Soil
- Water
- Moss
- Perlite
- Leca
- Causes for Browning and Yellowing Leaf.
- Mites and Scale Infections What to do
- How to Identify Rots and How to Fix it. MUST READ
- List of items
- Instructions
- Sources.
La Vie Scandinave Propagation Method
What is Variegated Monstera?
The white portions in the leaves are due to the lack of chlorophyll. The phenomenon behind this phenomenal plant is known as chimeral variegation caused by a genetic mutation. Each leaf will look different and it is so much fun to see how they are turning out. If a Variegated Monstera Albo has half white half green leaves it is called half-moon variegation and is considered to be even rarer than the already pretty rare and hard to find Variegated Monstera.
Borsigiana or Deliciosa?
Firstly, the size of their leaves. Often the Monstera Deliciosa is described as being much bigger than the Monstera Borsigiana. It has been documented that Monstera Deliciosa’s leaves can reach up to 1 meter in size in their natural habitat! A Monstera Borsigiana's leaves will reach the slightly less impressive size of around 50cm, although, that is still a hefty sized leaf to have in your home! However, it is important to remember, a plant will only grow as big as its environment allows it. In nature, both of these plants will grow considerably bigger than they will in your homes because they will be in their ideal environments and that is when it is easier to see the size difference between the Deliciosa and Borsigiana.
Secondly, the growing habits of the plants as they mature. Both of these plants are considered climbers. However, on a Borsigiana the gaps between the nodes are longer and therefore it will start climbing and growing taller faster as it pushes out new growth.
Borsigiana does not develop ruffles on the stems. Borisigana is vining and has the petioles and leaves wider apart than the Deliciosa. The Deliciosa has a shorter gap between nodes and more of sprawling growth characteristic, it will stretch out in different directions as it grows, although will still climb. So, if you have a slightly more chaotic style of Monstera, it could be a Deliciosa, if it's more neat growing it could be the Borsigiana.
What is Node and How do I Know What’s the Variegation Will Be Like in my WetStick or Single Leaf Cutting?
Anatomy
In the hobby, node is somewhat synonymous with growth point and it’s not entirely true. The node is simply where the petiole of a leaf meets the stem. The node itself serves no other function other than basically being an armpit of the plant. For us, it marks a clear boundary where each axillary* bud (growth point) is. The axillary bud is where new growth is formed and this is the most important part of your stem cutting. It is shaped like a small oval near the node. Sometimes, the axillary bud is underneath an old calloused part of a stem and is harder to locate. If you ever have the opportunity to pick a stem cutting, you should look for the variegation across this bud. The variegation of the stem itself is not important and neither is looking at the mother plant. The variegation on the axillary bud is the best way to predict how variegated your new growth will be.
Variegated Monstera Plant Care
Soil
Use well-draining potting soil. Adding perlite and orchid bark is a great way to add extra drainage for your Monstera Deliciosa.
Light
Bright indirect light is best. A couple of hours of direct sunlight in the morning is fine but be careful. Too much direct light can burn and thus damage the leaves. As you are dealing with a Variegated Monstera Deliciosa, your plant needs more light than the non-variegated green version.
Because of the white surface area, your Deliciosa has less chlorophyll in its leaves that can be used for photosynthesis.
Watering
Water as you would water most of your houseplants. About once a week is sufficient in most conditions. Make sure that the water is draining quickly and keep it slightly damp. The Variegated Monstera Deliciosa does not like to stay wet for too long.
Wait for the soil to dry until you water again. Your plant will forgive you for too much water once or twice but will develop root rot at some point if the roots stay too wet for too long. It is best to keep the soil slightly moist but never soggy.
Temperature
The best temperature range for a Variegated Monstera Deliciosa is 65-80ºF (18-27ºC). Temperatures below 50ºF (10ºC) for too long will damage your plant and stop its growth.
Humidity
The Variegated Monstera loves high humidity. Some people spray their plants every day. Monstera Albioflourishes in high humidity but also tolerates it when you are not spraying your plant.
Fertilizer
Fertilize once a month in Spring and Summer with a liquid houseplant fertilizer and use half of the proposed strength. Do not fertilize in winter and autumn, when the Variegated Monstera Deliciosa is not in growth mode. Use a well-balanced fertilizer with 20-20-20 NPK values.
Propagation
The Variegated Monstera Deliciosa is the perfect plant for propagation as it is fairly easy to do so. The most common method is taking stem cuttings.
This is also the only way to ensure that you are getting a perfect clone of your plant that is variegated. Propagation from seeds will in most cases not lead to variegated plants as the variegation is not passed on.
Potting
Potting: Use a pot with drainage. A drainage hole at the bottom of the pot is just fine as it will prevent soil from staying humid for too long.
Variegated Monstera care is not too different from the care of other tropical houseplants. The biggest difference we would like to point out is the increased need for light due to the need for compensating for the lack of chlorophyll.
General Principles to Grow Monstera Albo Variegation - MUST READ
To grow your stem cutting, you need to monitor these 3 parameters in order of importance: humidity, temperature, light.
Humidity: 90%+
Unless you’re lucky enough to be living in the tropics, you’ll almost certainly need to artificially create an environment with this much humidity. Sure, you can use a special propagation box or terrarium but a simple cloche, take out box with a lid or even a zip loc bag works too! You’ll need to make sure that there’s enough air circulation by either creating air holes or opening your container for a few minutes each day.
Temperature: mid-70s
If you’re fancy, you can use a heat mat but my room is kept at around 74ºF all the time.
Light: 12 hrs of medium bright light
You can place your node a few feet from a bright window or use a regular 5000k daylight bulb on a 12/12hr cycle. If you are leaving it by a window, make sure you’re not cooking the stem cutting. To me, light is the least important parameter as I’ve managed to grow and root stems in COMPLETE darkness. When there’s no light at all, the stems will grow very long and leggy. They will appear entirely white until it’s exposed to light and the chlorophyll is activated.
Monstera Albo Reversed Variegation
The leaves of a mature Variegated Monstera Albo are split with slits and holes. Young plants do not have this characteristic as they develop more and more slits and holes as they mature.
The variegation is on the stem as well as on the leaves. It is possible for the plant to revert and turn entirely green again.
The opposite is also possible, namely that the Variegated Monstera Albo is becoming whiter and whiter as it grows. Once it is producing fully white leaves called ghost leaves, it will need to be cut back as no leaves also mean no chlorophyll and no photosynthesis.
Monstera Albo Propogation Methods / Trick / Care
Soil
The propagation in soil from our point of view can be the easiest but also the hardest method. For this propagation method, you are preparing well-draining potting soil. An exemplary mix could be houseplant soil, perlite, and orchid bark.
Water it and make sure it is damp but not soaking wet. Use an instrument to poke a hole in it and then place your stem cutting in by slowly covering the stem in soil on the side. Make sure the node is in the soil and that the cutting is well-positioned.
That is essentially it. Water from time to time when the soil is dry and make sure it is never drying out. However, make sure that you are not overdoing it as your cutting has no roots at this stage to take up water.
Depending on the season it may take several weeks to a month for the first roots to grow.
The best indicator that your cutting is actually growing into a new plant is when it is starting to produce a new leaf. A different method to check on your cutting is to try to gently pull it. If there is resistance, there is a good chance that it started to root.
As we have said we consider this method to be the hardest and easiest method. We consider it easy because you do not have much to do or to prepare as you are sticking your Variegated Monstera straight into the soil after the cutting had time to callous over (dry).
Some people recommend putting either honey or cinnamon on the cutting as they can act as disinfectants (at least the cinnamon) and are said to promote root growth.
We consider soil propagation to be the hardest method since you have no visibility of what is going on underneath. You need to be very good at reading the condition of your cutting as you will not see when your Variegated Monstera cutting is putting out roots.
In addition, if you are watering the soil too much the chances that the cutting is starting to rot is actually quite high.
Water
Water propagation is often considered to be the method for the plant propagation beginner. The biggest advantage for sure is that can see what is going on. If you are using a transparent container you can watch your cutting grow roots.
One thing to mention is that water roots are different from soil roots.
This is also the biggest disadvantage of water propagation. Water roots are not the same as soil roots. When you are putting the rooted Variegated Cheese plant into the soil the plant is in shock and has to produce soil roots first.
Water roots look different than soil roots. Water roots are white and look somewhat like pale spaghetti whereas soil roots are brown to black and often thicker and harder.
However, once the transition from water to soil has happened, the Monstera usually continues to grow without any hiccups or issues.
Sphagnum Moss
Sphagnum Moss is the easiest method from our point of view and the one that produces the best roots the quickest. As Sphagnum Moss encourages soil roots there is no show when placing the rooted cuttings into the soil where they belong.
That is a big advantage over rooting Variegated Monstera in water.
You can either use fresh living sphagnum moss or dried up moss. Both methods work. The best sphagnum moss is New Zealand long-fiber sphagnum moss but basically any sphag. moss will do.
Before your place your cutting into the moss, water it thoroughly or let it soak in water. This specifically applies to dried up moss. Moss is said to take up 16 times its weight in water.
In addition, sphagnum moss is said to have antibacterial properties and can help to prevent root rot. The perfect combination for propagation.
The trick with sphagnum moss is that it should not be too wet. If you keep your moss too wet, your cutting will remain in soaking wet conditions and will start to show signs of root rot.
At this point, it means downhill for your Variegated Monstera cutting and you will have to save it from rotting entirely.
Perlite
A rather new method that we read about more and more is to do the propagation or rooting process in perlite. As perlite is inorganic there is the slimmest chance for rootings to produce rot as it is porous and well-draining allowing airflow.
These capabilities make sure humidity evaporates quickly before it allows rot to form. One thing to be aware of is that you need to transfer your cutting into the soil once it starts to root.
To use perlite for a Monstera Variegata, make sure it is slightly moist but not entirely wet. Fill a container whilst placing perlite around your cutting and firmly press it against the stem.
Since perlite is lighter than soil, you will need to put your cutting a bit deeper than when you would put it into the soil to enable it to stand upright.
Avoid too much sunlight or artificial light as the cuttings have no roots to take up water as of now. In addition, make sure that the temperature is not too hot in the area you place the cutting for the very same reason.
Mist from time to time to ensure that the perlite stays slightly moist. Hold back on watering and err on the side of caution as watering too much could cause root rot.
As said, once the cuttings have produced roots they have to be transferred to soil as the perlite contains little to no nutrients.
Semi - Hydroponics: Leca
Less vulnerability to insects. Pests prefer dark, damp conditions you’ll often find when you grow your monstera in soil. They don’t last long in the water, clay, sand, or other hydroponic growth mediums.
Prevents overwatering and infections. In hydroponics, the roots can absorb all the water they want without rotting because there is no fungus or bacteria present in a sterile medium like water. It’s the best of both worlds! Water hydroponics also prevent underwatering because, well, the plant lives in water. Easy peasy!
Your monstera may grow faster and larger. Plants can absorb nutrients faster in water than in soil, which allows them to grow larger, healthier root systems because the roots aren’t constricted by dense soil. This means you’ll get a big, beautiful, healthy plant in record time!
Step 1: Choose your container
Find a clear glass or ceramic container that allows your plant to stand upright. (Container with narrow necks like vases or bottles work well). Make sure to avoid metal containers because they can leach heavy metals into your water. Not good!
Step 2: Place your plant in the container
You can propagate your monstera and place the cutting in a container of water. Roots should start to form within a few weeks for most plants. Instead of planting the cutting in soil, simply leave it in the water!
You can also convert the whole plant over to hydroponics. To do this, carefully remove your monstera from its pot and remove as much of the soil from the roots as possible. If this gets difficult, run the roots under lukewarm tap water to remove all the soil.
(If you can’t get it all off, don’t worry. Just remove your plant from the container every few days to rinse the roots and change the water. The roots should be completely clean after 2 or 3 rinses.)
Then, transfer your monstera to a container of well water, spring water, or rainwater. Do NOT use chlorinated tap water or filtered water. The chemicals and salts used in water filtration can kill your plant! If all you can get is tap water, leave it sitting out at least overnight so the chlorine can dissipate.
Make sure your monstera can stand upright. If it can’t stand up in your container, add clean pebbles or marbles to support the stems.
Note: Don’t forget to protect your furniture! Try sticking felt feet to the bottom of your container or placing it on a decorative saucer or mat. You can also find containers with feet or a pedestal!
Step 3: Add more water and fertilizer.
Add more bottled or distilled water to keep the container full. Once a month or so, add a few drops of liquid fertilizer. Monstera Plant Food is designed with this in mind!
Browing/Yellowing Leaves
Browning Leaves
Problem: Browning and also yellowing leaves can be an indicator of overwatering as well having the ratio between watering and light not in check. Specifically, the browning of the white variegation areas is caused by insufficient light and also humidity. Some people claim it to be normal but it can certainly be prevented as we guess you would love to keep the white parts on your precious variegata.
Solution: Reduce watering and make sure your Variegated Monstera gets enough light. Cut away the brown parts on the leave and white areas as this will help to reduce the chance for the browning to spread on the leaves.
Yellowing Leaves
Problem: The most common cause of yellowing leaves on a Monstera Variegata is overwatering. Overwatering is so common with houseplants that most people will not even realize that they are overwatering. In addition, it doesn’t always mean that you are watering too much.
If your are using a pot with no drainage holes or potting soil that is too dense and not chunky enough roots will stay moist for too long and will not get enough oxygen. Your plant will tell you this by leaves turning yellow.
A different reason for yellowing leaves is when old leaves are about to fall off. This is when mostly single leaves will first yellow and then wilt.
Solution: Check the soil and also the roots of your plant. If your soil is still soaking wet a week after watering you need to change your soil mix/pot or both. If roots started to rot, you have to remove the rooted sections to prevent rotting to spread further. Water less essentially.
Brown Leaf Tips
Problem: The most common cause is not enough humidity and dry air. Pot bound plants can also cause leaf tips to brown.
Solution: Spray the leaves of your variegated Monstera plant daily. Use a pebble tray underneath the plant pot and fill it with water. In case of a Monstera being pot bound, switch to a bigger pot.
Mites and Scale infection
Problem: Tiny animals on your Variegated Monstera. Mites are nasty plant sap-sucking creatures that suck plant sap from the underside of plant leaves. These pests have the potential to destroy a plant if they occur in large populations. Look for drops and accumulations of tiny animals on the underside of your Variegated Monstera leaves.
Scale insects are easy to spot when mature. They are brown to black and also suck on sugar secret of the plant sap. Once they are mature they are quite easy to spot with your bare eyes due to their size. There are different types of scale. Another scale type is the white scale.
Solution: Spray your plant with a diluted soap or alcohol solution. Some people recommend neem oil. If nothing else works, think of using bug spray to prevent further spread to other plants.
How to Identify Rot and How to Fix it? URGENT - MUST READ
As you probably know, rotted stems feel black and mushy. Sometimes the rotten parts have the consistency of soft butter but not all stems are the same. The greener your stem is, the less “soft” it will feel. Whiter stems are also more prone to rot. I see a lot of videos where people obsessively press the ends of the stem to check for rot. STOP. You’re causing crushing injury. It’s like pressing a ripe peach. You’ll actually cause the stem to bruise and rot even if it wasn’t rotting before.
According to my observations, there are 3 types of rot. The first is the super aggressive type that is very difficult to stop. From the surface, the edge of the rot is blurry and looks like a bruise. In my experience, you need to cut this type quite aggressively. The second type of rot is one where the plant’s immune system can fight off. When you look at it from the surface, there’s a very clear and distinct line between healthy and unhealthy tissue. In this scenario, the stem built a fire door against pathogens and if you cut beyond the “fire doors”, your poor little stem will have to use valuable energy to build new ones. The third type of rot is rot that literally rots from inside out. Usually you don’t notice this until it’s too late. The green parts of the stem appear yellowish and the stem starts to shrink and wrinkle. By the time you realize it’s rot and make a cut, the stem will appear hollow or rubbery.
What to do when you have rot?
You need these things handy:
Thin razor blade or sharp kitchen knife
70-75% rubbing alcohol
3% hydrogen peroxide solution
Rooting powder or cinnamon powder
First, sterilize your blade. Make sure it is very sharp so as to avoid crushing injuries which also lead to rot. Make your first cut just beyond the rot. If you see any darkness or black spots or a black ring, you’ll need to cut further. Disinfect your blade after each cut with rubbing alcohol. Don’t be afraid to cut your stem at an angle. Be mindful of where your axillary bud is and not cut into it.
Now that you’ve got all the rot out, you can dip the stem in hydrogen peroxide. This is to kill whatever pathogens are still on the stem. Some people dilute this but I use it straight out of the bottle. I dip it in for about 5 min.
Next, I dry the ends of the stems with rooting powder or cinnamon powder. I don’t think either of these ingredients serve any function other than to dry the stem and speed up the callousing process.
Finally, leave your stem out for dry for 24 hrs. If your stem is already rooting, you can cover the roots with substrate.
After 24hrs, continue rooting the stem using the same method as before. Repeat the process if you find that the rot is spreading.
What substrate should I use?
I personally use moss or moss/perlite 1:1 mix. Anything but water.
~ Rareplantfairy
References:
2) https://plantophiles.com/plant-care/variegated-monstera-deliciosa-care-and-propagation/#Difference_between_Variegated_Monstera_Deliciosa_and_Borsigiana
3) https://monsteraplantresource.com/how-to-grow-monstera-plants-with-hydroponics/
3) https://monsteraplantresource.com/how-to-grow-monstera-plants-with-hydroponics/
4) www.Instagram.com/Rareplantsfairy
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