Monstera just looks sad
Plant: Monstera deliciosa
How long have you owned the plant? 1 to 6 months
Plant Parent
My monstera is drooping and just looks really sad. 😔 I pulled it from its pot, the soil was really compact to the point where it wasn’t drying out and was staying moist. So I managed to get the soil loose and repotted it, moved it to my kitchen counter so it could be closer to the window and it just got sadder. I don’t know what to do.
Light Situation:
Darryl
Thanks for the photos and your care details.
Your plant has been dying the moment you put it in that spot – extremely poor light. The indirect light reaching that spot would likely be no higher than 20-30 foot-candles. A Monstera needs indirect light at bare minimum to be 200 FC.
Light requirements by plant: houseplantjournal.com/bright-indirect-light-requirements-by-plant/
Measure light: houseplantjournal.com/product/lth-meter/
Every time you watered, the moisture would just sit in the soil and as the plant got weaker from lack of light, the roots rotted.
Step 1: put the plant RIGHT IN FRONT of your largest window. The goal is to give the plant the widest possible view of the sky.
Step 2: now that the plant is getting good light, you can use a slow release fertilizer to ensure that leaves remain green for as long as possible – Monstera leaves retire (turn yellow and die) after 2 or 3 years when grown in a container.
My recommended fertilizers: houseplantjournal.com/fertilizer-for-most-houseplants/
It’s going to take several weeks of getting good light for the plant to recover – be patient and continue your care.
More great resources to level-up your houseplant game:
- Read my books: ‘The New Plant Parent‘ and ‘The New Plant Collector‘
- Take my online course: Essentials of Houseplant Enjoyment
- More detailed houseplant Q&As
Tired of your houseplants dying on you?
Sign up and I’ll do my best to help them live their best lives!