Monstera is droopy and yellowing
Plant: Monstera deliciosa
How long have you owned the plant? 1 to 2 years
Plant Parent
I’m not sure exactly sure when it started happening – maybe a month ago. My leaves all feel very flimsy and are very droopy.
And one of the leaves is yellowing slightly and another has a black spot that developed two months ago. Here’s the overall plant:
Light Situation:
The plant sits in front of a window getting about 3h direct sunlight
How do you determine WHEN to water? I wait for the soil to become about halfway dry.
Describe HOW you water: Fully water the plant, letting excess drain away (there is one large drainage hole in the pot).
Other info: I just moved and my last place was significantly more humid so I’ve been misting the leaves but it doesn’t seem to be helping.
Fertilizer: Yes, I started recently using Miracle-gro water soluble all purpose plant food.
Soil Situation: I repotted the plant about a year ago into Miracle-gro potting soil (it might be a cactus/succulent mix but I can’t remember).
Darryl
Thanks for submitting your photos and care details!
It looks like the soil mix you used is much too dense for this kind of plant. Monstera deliciosa do best in well-drained soil, which is achieved by adding things like perlite and/or bark chips to typical “potting soil”.
When the soil is too dense for the plant type, it retains too much water and has poor airflow, which causes roots to be highly susceptible to root rot (so-called “overwatering”). When some of the root system is compromised, you’ll get droopiness, brown spots, and lower leaves yellowing sooner than they should be (yes, they do eventually retire).
I suggest you repot the plant with a mixture of 1 part perlite/bark chips to 2 parts potting soil. While nothing can stop the yellowing or brown spots once they start, with the new soil mixture, the roots should be able to reestablish themselves and the plant should push out new growth and be less droopy. Good luck!
Also – don’t feel obligated to mist the plant – it’s completely unnecessary.
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