How often to water Monstera Deliciosa (the complete guide)
| Monstera plants generally require a low/medium level of watering. You should water your Monstera when the top section of the soil is dry (see below). While dependent on numerous factors, this generally means about once a week in warmer months and once every few weeks in winter (rough guide, better to check how dry the soil is). Let’s find out more about the Monstera Deliciosa and it’s characteristics. Use the table of contents below if you are in a rush and need a quick answer. |
Contents
When to water Monstera summary infographic
About Monstera
Species name: Monstera Deliciosa, by direct translation – “delicious monster”
You may have also heard of monstera referred to as: Swiss cheese plant or Swiss cheese vine, fruit salad plant or tree, balazo or split leaf philodendron
Why we like it: Minimal to no fuss, terrific addition to any garden or space. East to water and have at home.
Height: In the native environment with optimal conditions, it can grow even 10 to 20 metres in height. Indoors, it will often get up to 4 or 5 metres high.
Native to: Tropical Central and South America regions
The plant everyone wants these days
This beautiful jungle like tropical plant is incredibly popular in 2020. And no wonder.
Partly due to its looks. But it is also very easy to maintain!
A welcome addition to any home or garden, the Monstera is well suited for both indoor and outdoor placement.
The irregular shaped leaves are awesome! When young, the Monstera will have heart shaped leaves. As it grows, the leaves often develop holes which over time lead to segmented fenestrations.
And they sure can grow.
So now that we know a bit about the plant, how often should you water your Monstera Deliciosa plant?
How often should I water my Monstera Deliciosa?
This is a really common and important question.
The Monstera requires occasional watering with low to medium water requirements.
It is crucial to get the right balance between under watering and over watering.
The ideal time to water the Monstera plant
| The best time to water the Monstera is when the top of the soil has dried completely. This means only the deeper layers of the soil (about 1 to 2 inches or 3 to 5 centimetres deep) are moist. |
What is the easiest way to find out how dry the soil is?
Get your fingers dirty
Use your finger to test. I find this is the best and easiest method.
Put you finger into the soil gently in the proximity of the Monstera.
- If the soil is moist in the first few centimetres of depth, there is no need to water.
- On the other hand, if the soil feels dry and maybe only gets moist deeper (for example, beyond the second inserted joint of your index or middle finger), it is time to water the Monstera.
- If it is completely dry in the deep layers, it is time to water and also possibly consider increasing the frequency of watering a bit
There are a couple of other options to help you decide the right watering time.
The stick method
Insert a wooden stick straight into the soil carefully to not damage the structure of the plant.
Then remove the stick and have a look at it.
If the stick comes out without much residue, you can assume the soil is dry and the Monstera would like some water.
Otherwise, if the stick comes out with dark wet soil or clumps on it, no need to water.
The method is easy to do, but I have found it is not the easiest to interpret.
Might just be me. Give it a shot.
Use a moisture meter
You can buy a moisture meter from most garden, hardware or nursery stores.
Follow the instructions for your specific one. They will often be colour coded. You can then use it for the soil of the Monstera pot to indicate when the time to water is.
Can you tell me how many days or weeks apart I should water?
This is a bit more tricky to answer (correctly).
Why?
Well, many factors will affect the exact frequency in a big way.
So giving a set number of days between watering can lead to big problems in turn.
Here’s the deal:
The amount of sunlight, temperature in your region and home, humidity, size of the pot and drainage you use and soil type among several other factors will all affect just how often you should water your Monstera.
As a rough estimate, I have found watering my Monstera about once weekly in warmer months and every few weeks or even monthly in winter to be sufficient.
But don’t rely on this a lot.
Check the soil each time to get the timing just right.
Tips for growing and watering your Monstera
I have found the following simple tips useful to not only keep the Monstera alive but to make it thrive.
Feel free to add your ones in the comments below as well and I can add them.
Light
Keep the plant in bright indirect light indoors at home.
If outdoors in your garden, place in a partly shaded spot, possibly under a tree. Avoid excessive exposure to sunlight.
Season
Keeping the soil more moist (therefore increasing how often you water your Monstera) during the warmer months (growing season) and more dry during colder months.
Pot and soil
Draining is very important. Ensure your soil and pot both have good drainage to assist when watering. This will assist in not drowning your Monstera.
The soil should have a pH in the range of 5.5 to 7.
Repot as needed
In order to keep up with the growth of the Monstera, re potting every couple of years may be needed.
Water the Monstera well and carefully
When watering, use room temperature water and water the soil directly, avoiding the leaves.
Soak well. Allow full drainage and empty the draining tray straight away.
Avoid any pooling of water at the bottom or in any tray or puddle.
Don’t skip this step.
Fertiliser
Use a good quality fertiliser regularly for optimum outcomes for your Monstera. Ask your local expert for recommendations regarding fertilisers.
Don’t under or over water
Refer to the above for steps to ensure this.
Trivia:
Why does the Monstera plant have holes and segments in their leaves?
While no one is sure why it evolved this way, there are some suggestions for this majestic occurence.
Guesses include the holes and gaps help to protect from strong winds, allow easier passage of water or even to get more exposed to sunlight.
No matter what the reason is exactly, it is very cool.
How often do you water your Monstera and do you agree with what we wrote above?
Let me know any feedback.
Or send a pic of your plant in the comments below.
Until next time.
Make sure to have a look at our how often to water chilli page for another popular plant choice!
References
M. Deliciosa Fruit Salad Tree, Daleys Fruit Tree Nursery, New South Wales, Australia, website, accessed November 2020, link here
Monstera Deliciosa, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, accessed October 2020, link here
Monstera Deliciosa, Wikipedia page, accessed October 2020, link here
This article on how often to water Monstera Deliciosa is made for general garden and plant lover information only and not as specific advice. We hope you find the gardening advice useful but do not accept any responsibility for any liability arising from the use of the information, even if deemed inaccurate, as outlined in the terms of use of How Often Should website.
