Swiss Cheese Plant Monstera deliciosa
Water
- Monsteras do not want to stay too moist as they will develop yellow leaves
- Water when the plant is dry down to your second knuckle.
- In a pot larger than 10″ in diameter, use a dowel or stick to measure the moisture—stick the dowel to the bottom of the pot, leave it there for a few minutes, pull out to see if there is moisture on the bottom of the stick. If dry, water thoroughly.
- Always water until water runs out of the drainage hole. Never leave the plant standing in water.
Light
- Bright to medium light -east or west window is good
- Will grow in a low light situation (north) as well
- In lower light levels it won’t grow as fast and will stay smaller which may be better as this will become an enormous vine eventually
Fertilizer
- Fertilize every fourth watering (approx. once per month)
- I live in the northern United States and only fertilize from March through September
- Use a balanced fertilizer
- I use a water-soluble 20-20-20
- I use one-third to one-half the amount recommended on the packaging for houseplants
Additional Care
- This plant can become monstrously large, so make sure you have a place for it
- It is toxic to pets
- It may need some kind of support as it is a vine and can become large