If your growing conditions are good (adequate light) and you’re watering/fertilizing accordingly, then everything keeps growing – including aerial roots after they’re cut: A small Monstera deliciosa will eventually grow many aerial roots, creating a crazy jungle look – here’s the view from below my monstera: I personally like this look but if you’re looking […]
In my book, I stated that misting is about as useful to raise humidity as it is to light up a match to warm up a room: the effect on ambient humidity is minimal and temporary. And I don’t use a humidifier anywhere – my ambient indoor humidity in the winter goes down to 30% […]
I’m so excited to share that HPJ has partnered with Greg, the app that helps you grow healthy and happier plants, to bring you even more data-driven, science-based plant care! The Greg team and I agree that plant care should be highly personalized, because no two plants or environments are alike. So we both emphasize […]
Just as I was running out of space in my first Ikea Greenhouse Cabinet (Milsbo), I stumbled upon a gently used Detolf display cabinet FREE for the taking in my apartment’s garbage disposal room! Disclaimer: this article contains affiliate links that help to support House Plant Journal content ~ Thank You! Product Summary (links where […]
The selection of pruners/scissors/snips involved in gardening can be overwhelming. Luckily, for houseplant parents, we are mostly dealing with soft-stem plant material. Disclaimer: this article contains Amazon Affiliate links which help to support House Plant Journal content – thank you! Long Handled Snips (Amazon Link) I love these bonsai-inspired long handled snips for making precise […]
When your houseplants get adequate light, they will use up water and soil nutrients. You replenish the water by regular watering but nutrients gradually get depleted from the soil. Light drives the production of sugars, which are made from water and carbon dioxide but the physical plant structures and all the cell processes require other […]
Yes, I’ve jumped in on the trend of keeping high humidity aroids in a modified Ikea cabinet. I even felt a bit late since the Milsbo cabinet had been out of stock for a couple weeks when I decided I wanted to give this a try – and on the day they came back in […]
Famous last words heard by houseplants: “Bright indirect light?” This spot seems bright enough. IMPORTANT: The following tables are for the indoor natural light context. If you are looking to exclusively use grow lights, then stay tuned for the grow light requirement tables. Your interior light levels form the growth potential of the plant. Your […]
I’ve created over a hundred plant time lapse videos and these articulating arms have made all the difference! Disclaimer: a portion of qualifying purchases made through these Amazon Affiliate links goes to support the work of House Plant Journal – bringing you clarity in houseplant care. Traditional tripods can’t fit into tight spaces but little […]
How to get rid of those little annoying flies!
Is it okay to cut off my Monstera’s aerial roots?
As a matter of convenience, yes. I usually try to direct them into the pot but they’ll eventually creep out, at which point I just cut them:
I’ve done this for years without any noticeable impact on the overall growth of the plant: here’s my plant 4 years apart…
If your growing conditions are good (adequate light) and you’re watering/fertilizing accordingly, then everything keeps growing – including aerial roots after they’re cut:
A small Monstera deliciosa will eventually grow many aerial roots, creating a crazy jungle look – here’s the view from below my monstera:
I personally like this look but if you’re looking for cleaner lines, you can cut off aerial roots and the plant will be just fine – as long as LIGHT is good.
If you want to learn houseplant care in a systematic way (rather than blindly following random tips and tricks), check out my online course: Essentials of Houseplant Enjoyment
Or my book ‘The New Plant Parent‘
