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Monstera deliciosa, a rainforest vine native to Central and South America, can be difficult to water.
While it may seem like Monstera don’t need much water because they’re so hardy, submerging them is easy.
Luckily, there are plenty of signs to help identify an underwatered monstera plant.
Monstera plants are particularly delicate as they are very prone to overwatering.
To make matters worse, they can also easily get soaked. Consequently, owners wait too long to water Monstera, and eventually the plant dries up.
This is the reason why watering this plant is quite difficult.
Monstera plants have many ways of letting you know they’ve been underwater.
How Do You Know if Your Monstera is Underwatered?
Here are some ways you can find out exactly if you have an underwatered Monstera and if it needs more water.
Dry Soil
Dry soil is the main sign that a Monstera needs watering.
While it’s important to allow the soil to dry out a bit between waterings, a Monstera deliciosa shouldn’t live in dry conditions.
Soil that is too dry will not kill the plant immediately, but it will affect its ability to grow efficiently.
Monstera will not like being left in dry conditions.
This is the most important sign of all.
If your Monstera plant’s soil is very dry, it almost always means that it is submerged.
Just because the top layer of soil in your Monstera pot is dry doesn’t mean it’s lacking water.
Dry soil almost always means your Monstera needs more water.
Sometimes topsoil can look dry, but Monstera doesn’t need watering.
That’s why it’s so important to look deeper into the soil to see if you’re dealing with a submerged plant.
The easiest way to check if Monstera soil is dry is to poke your finger in about an inch.
If the finger does not have soil when you pull it out, then the plant needs to be watered.
Don’t decide based on the top layer of soil.
To be sure, poke your finger 1 inch into the soil where the Monstera is growing.
If the soil you touch is moist, the plant has enough water. When it’s completely dry, it’s time to water it.
Drooping
If you notice Monstera leaves drooping and sloping to one side, you may want to check your water supply.
Falling leaves, drooping stems, or a crooked plant may indicate it’s time to water your Monstera more frequently.
If you notice your Monstera’s leaves are loose and drooping, check the soil and see if the inches are dry.
Yellow or Brown Leaves
Leaves turning brown or yellow are another sign of a lack of water.
A plant needs watering to get these nutrients.
If you don’t provide your Monstera with enough water, it will suffer from a lack of nutrients. Instead of waxy, green leaves, they discolor.
This could also mean getting too much water in some cases, so check the soil before you do anything.
However, if you see dark brown spots on yellowed leaves, your Monstera is most likely overwatered.
The problem with yellow leaves is that you have to be very careful when spotting them as there are many causes of yellowing.
Yellowing can be the result of overwatering, lack of sun exposure, or pest infestation.
The number of discolored leaves will tell you if the problem is more serious.
You must react quickly when yellowing is followed by wilting or drooping.
Also, if your Monstera’s new leaves lack iron, copper, or magnesium, they will turn yellow. The edges of the leaves can feel crunchy if they lack these nutrients.
Read Also: How to Get Rid of Thrips on Monstera
Curled Leaves
Curled leaves can also be a sign of a lack of water.
If the soil seems to be holding moisture well, consider installing a humidifier before watering your Monstera more.
However, if the soil is compacted or simply dry, a lack of water can be the cause.
When monstera leaves lack water, they reduce their surface area to prevent water loss.
This feature is fascinating as the Monstera plant is doing its best to survive.
If your plant’s leaves are starting to look smaller and narrower than normal, it may be because they are curling inward.
No New Growth or Fenestration
Adult Monsteras will develop fenestration, or holes, in the leaves.
If this doesn’t happen, your Monstera is missing something.
The fenestration or the holes in the leaves also give the Monstera its distinctive and unique appearance.
The lack of windows is almost always an indicator that the plant is not getting enough of something.
For example, if the plant doesn’t get enough sunlight, it may stop developing windows.
If you suspect lighting might be the problem, expose your Monstera to bright, indirect light.
In some cases, this is due to a lack of sunlight. To exclude this, assess the territory where the plant is located.
Monsteras need bright, indirect sunlight for 6 to 12 hours a day.
If the plant in question isn’t getting as much light, try moving it to a brighter spot.
Stunted Growth
There is one important thing you should know about these plants before concluding that your Monstera is growing slower than normal due to lack of water and that is that Monstera plants have a dormant period during the winter run-through.
A Monstera does not actively grow during dormancy, so it appears to have stunted growth.
However, if your Monstera stops growing for a while after the dormant period, you may want to check if the plant isn’t getting enough water.
Read Also: Are Climbing Vines Harmful To Your Home?
How to Resuscitate Your Underwatered Monstera Plant
After you’ve discovered that your Monstera is lacking water, it’s time to do something about it.
First, check the severity of the problem.
To revive a dying Monstera, it is important to restore conditions to its original environment of about 30% humidity, temperatures between 60°F and 85°F, bright indirect sunlight, and a full watering cycle, and then allow the 1-inch spike to die.
Here are a few tips:
Give Your Monstera a Good Bath.
Your thirsty Monstera needs a good drink! You can use a sink by lowering the plant and letting the water do the rest.
You can also use a watering can. Make sure the pot has drainage holes. Pour little by little and don’t use all the water at once.
Pour the water into the monstera soil, being careful not to touch the leaves.
Continue until you see water coming out of the drain holes.
Never leave a watered plant in direct sunlight while draining it will cause irreparable damage.
The exact frequency will vary with weather and conditions, but generally watering every 7 days with a generous soak will create the optimal moisture balance for your Monstera.
Use your finger to feel the soil moisture if you are unsure, once the top inch of soil is slightly dry water the monstera thoroughly.
This ensures that the soil is evenly moist and that the water gets to the roots where it is needed.
Use a New Soil Mix
If the land is left without sufficient water for a long period, its structure can be damaged.
I suggest you prepare a new soil mix, preferably with materials that will retain water, but not for too long as this can damage the plant’s roots.
Prepare a soil mix containing peat, Vermiculite, and Perlite.
This combination of materials improves drainage to prevent overwatering and also retains water to allow your Monstera to recover.
One downside to this potting soil is that it doesn’t contain all the nutrients your Monstera needs, so make sure you fertilize your plant.
Repot Your Monstera
After your Monstera has had the drink it needs and you’ve prepared the right soil mix, it’s time to report!
Learning the materials needed for potting mixes is essential to meeting the needs of all plants.
When repotting your Monstera, you must first prepare a new pot.
I suggest choosing a 1-2 inch bigger. If you decide to use the old pot, remove and sterilize the old soil.
The pot should have drainage holes to allow the soil to get rid of excess water.
It’s also important to shake off old soil from the roots.
Take 1/3 of your new potting soil and add it to the pot.
Place your monstera in the center and then fill the pot with the remaining potting soil.
Repot the Monsteraif the soil seems too dense or compacted and you can’t get your toe into the soil.
When the soil is compacted, the roots don’t have enough oxygen for root respiration, causing the leaves to turn yellow.
Monstera grows best in aerated soil so that oxygen can easily reach the roots and water can be removed effectively.
Put Your Monstera in an Area with Bright, Indirect Light.
Monstera grows as a vine in the canopy of tropical forests in Central America, where the perforated leaves spread widely to capture as much light as possible.
Direct sunlight can scorch the leaves, and too much shade will yellow the leaves.
Monstera grows best in a well-lit room with perhaps an east or west-facing window.
Add Fertilizer
Fertilize your Monstera once a month during the
growing season.
Monstera is large foliage plants, making them relatively low in nutrients to support the large leaves.
If the Monstera has been in the same pot for a long time, the roots can draw nutrients from the soil.
What Does an Overwatered Monstera Look Like?
The most common symptoms of Monstera overwatering are yellowing, wilted leaves, dark spots on the leaves, and a foul odor emanating from the soil.
It can be dangerous and fatal if you don’t act immediately when you notice the following symptoms:
Black or Brown Spots on the Leaves
The excess water left in the pot for too long clogs the air spaces within the Monstera soil.
Oxygen does not reach the roots, and they suffocate and rot. it prevents nutrients from reaching the leaves, resulting in black or brown spots.
If you see large brown spots surrounded by yellow rings on the leaves, this is a clear sign of leaf wilt caused by nutrient deficiency.
If you give your Monstera large amounts of water, the root environment becomes anaerobic and the oxygen supply to the plant is severely impaired.
Moldy Soil
Leaving the soil in water for a long period will result in damp soil that appears moldy.
This occurrence is like a kind of signature of flooded and acidified soil.
Waterlogged soil makes plants more susceptible to pathogens, especially fungi.
The fungus will kill your Monstera if left untreated.
Not to mention that mold produces compounds called mycotoxins that are toxic even to humans and cause respiratory problems.
The low oxygen environment is created when all the pores in the soil are filled with water and these conditions are not suitable for the plant but the fungi love it.
Bad Smell
This is the worst consequence of overhydration
If the soil odor is unpleasant, the root system needs to be observed more closely.
Root Rot
Root rot is the most noticeable symptom of overwatering. You can recognize the rot by its dark brown color caused by the activity of decomposers and its bad odor
Soft black or brown roots instead of greyish white means your monstera is suffering from root rot.
Root rot can be just as aggressive and involves a fungus that attaches itself to monstera roots, preventing them from absorbing water and nutrients.
The affected roots are brown and soft instead of white and firm.
Edema
You can tell your monstera is suffering from edema if it has small watery balls on the leaves.
If you notice yellowish bumps or blisters on your Monstera’s leaves, the plant’s cells have collapsed from overwatering.
Fortunately, edema cannot spread to other houseplants.
Water overload leads to a high concentration of carbon dioxide and the compression of this gas in plant tissues, causing the cells to collapse and pile up into clumps.
Stem Rot
Stem rot is the result of a fungus infesting the Monstera stem, usually where it hits the ground.
The stalk turns brown or black and sometimes contains a whitish, spider web-like material in the affected area.
How Often Should You Water a Monstera?
A Monstera plant needs to be watered once every 1-2 weeks in most cases.
It is important to allow time for the potting soil to dry out completely between waterings.
Make sure the soil is completely dry between waterings.
Monsteras in cooler climates with less light can be watered less frequently.
Monsteras in hot climates and bright sunlight need more frequent watering than those in cooler areas with less direct light.
Final Thoughts
Diligence can save a Monstera from illness or death.
Therefore, it is good to take care of your plants.
Keeping a Monstera well-watered is difficult in the beginning.
It’s important to remember that watering plants on a set schedule isn’t always ideal.
A Monstera deliciosa may not always need to be watered once a week, especially depending on the time of year.
So try to adjust the care of the plant by paying attention to its needs.
Learning to do this takes time, but it’s a great skill and will take most of the guesswork out of watering a Monstera deliciosa.
Monstera care isn’t difficult, but it’s important to be aware of the signs of submerged Monstera.
By knowing what to look for, you can take steps to prevent flooding and keep your plant healthy and thriving.
With proper care, your Monstera should be back to its healthy state in no time.
