Monstera leaves seem droopy
Plant: Monstera deliciosa
How long have you had the plant? 1 to 2 years.
Concerns:
Leaf curling on older leaves, which has been happening for about 6 months.
Light Situation: The plant used to sit further away from the window, up against a wall and a lot of the branches have warped stress marks from reaching to the light so I moved the plant next to a window. I’ve prop it against the window for support.
How do you determine WHEN to water? I wait for the soil to become completely dry (determining with a moisture meter)
Describe HOW you water: I pour a small amount of water into the soil.
Fertilizer? I’ve never used fertilizer.
Soil:
Darryl’s Analysis
Environment:
Far from these windows would be very poor light. Now that you’ve moved the plants right up to the windows, this will be adequate light for a Monstera.
Effort:
WHEN to water: you should be aiming for “partially dry” (around halfway between fully saturated and totally dry) rather than completely dry. A chopstick is sufficient for probing and testing the moisture of soil – I’ve never used a moisture meter.
HOW to water: pouring a small amount is fine in the short term but eventually it will leave dry pockets where roots die off. Once in a while, you should fully soak the soil while allowing excess water to drain away – the goal is to evenly saturate all parts of the soil.
You should use fertilizer to get the best possible growth. Suggestions here.
Expectations:
Overall your Monsteras look fine. With the improved light situation (right in front of these windows), the new leaves should grow nicely. Even if you improve your watering practices, that particular leaf may never become perfectly flat again but I wouldn’t worry too much about it as it is an older leaf. Focus on encouraging the plant to grow newer leaves.
Monstera deliciosa is a great long term plant: here is mine after 4 years of growth.
If you want to learn a healthy, balanced approach to houseplant care, check out my online course or my book.
Tired of your houseplants dying on you?
Sign up and I’ll do my best to help them live their best lives!