Your Monstera may be droopy due to issues like improper soil moisture, inadequate lighting, temperature stress, incorrect fertilizing, transplant shock, lack of support, or pests
Monstera deliciosa are beautiful indoor tropical plants that bring delight for any plant enthusiast. The main benefit of many people planting this cultivar is its exquisite and distinctive leaves.
It has huge, glossy, heart-shaped leaves that change appearance with age. Over maturity, they grow distinctive splits that give them the nickname “Swiss Cheese Plant”.
If you are plant lovers, you will definitely love to have at least one monstera plant in your house.
Moreover, monstera are great tropical plants to have around the house. Although monstera is one of the easiest plants to take care of, you may notice some changes when your monstera plants get a little droopy.
This can be caused by a variety of factors, and it’s not always easy to figure out what’s causing the issue.
That’s why we’re going to take a look at some common issues that cause monstera drooping leaves and how you can correct them!
Table of Contents
What Causes Drooping Monstera Plants?
If your monstera is drooping, it can be helpful to evaluate other aspects, such as the soil moisture level, and to think about your current care regimen and potential causes.
The good news is that this plant is incredibly resilient, so if you take the proper care of yours, it will quickly regain its vigor.
Let’s examine each potential reason for monstera drooping leaves one at a time.
1. Soil Moisture Level Issue
Maintaining the moisture level of your plants is important. In fact, both under watering and excess water may cause your monster to droop.
If you find that your monstera needs more water, it might not necessarily be because of underwatering. However, they’ll probably receive excess water if you water them more than once per week.
We know that dry soil is certainly not a suitable environment for them. Meanwhile, the fact that the soil and pot aren’t draining sufficiently can also be a problem.
Therefore, our garden experts recommend making sure your pot has drainage holes first. In a pot without drainage, it won’t last very long!
If the pot has drainage holes but the soil isn’t draining, it’s possible that the potting mix is too dense and retains water for too long. It’s also possible that the soil has gotten hard and compacted, which may prevent it from rapidly absorbing water and then draining once it does.
Additionally, it’s conceivable that your monstera’s roots are growing too close together and obstructing the drainage holes.
You can notice roots sprouting in a circle around the pot’s interior or poking out the bottom. Both of these indicate that your monstera is prepared for a larger pot size.
2. Improper Lighting
Monsteras may begin to droop if they do not receive enough bright, indirect sunshine, which they require to thrive.
Droopiness can occasionally also be brought on by too direct light, however this is far less often. The first sign that your monstera is receiving too much light will likely be burned leaves.
Furthermore, the main issue is if your monstera doesn’t receive at least 8 hours of bright light each day and isn’t located next to a window with light. When the seasons change and the sun’s position in the sky shifts, your monstera’s lighting conditions may change, and you might notice this problem.
Your plant will get strained, have thin leaves, and be more likely to droop and languish in low light.
Either direct sunlight or partial shade is good. Afterall, both the health of your plant and the size it grows to will be greatly influenced by the light.
3. Temperature Stress
You’ll definitely see some drooping if your monstera undergoes an abrupt temperature change. This is typically shifting from warm to cold weather very quickly.
Although Monstera plants are reasonably tolerant in this aspect, keep in mind that they are tropical and don’t like it when it gets too cold. According to our garden experts, the temperature range of 64°F to 84°F (18°C to 29°C) is ideal.
So, keep an eye out for any chilly drafts that may be coming from anywhere because they can stress out your Monstera plant and cause drooping monstera leaves.
Use a digital thermometer to record the minimum and highest temperatures over a few days if you think there might be a temperature problem, and then move your plant as necessary.
4. Incorrect Fertilizing
Monstera plants need a lot of fertilizers because they can grow quite large.
In all seasons, with the exception of winter, feed them every two weeks with a general-purpose fertilizer to support growth like this. You can cut back on this to just one meal every month during the slower-growing cold season.
Be careful not to overuse the fertilizer because doing so too frequently can result in a buildup in the soil and harmful roots.
Your Monstera plant may droop if the roots cease functioning and the plant is unable to receive the water and nutrients it requires.
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5. Transplant Stress
Your monstera plant is likely in shock if you recently moved it or repotted it. Being moved or replanted is a significant issue because plants don’t generally move around in nature.
Repotting can occasionally cause negative reactions in houseplants, leading to transplant stress. If the roots were weak or were harmed during the repotting process, monstera drooping leaves afterward is more likely.
Unless the root rot or diseased, you don’t need to loosen the root ball when repotting or pruning the roots.
After repotting, you should watch over your Monstera more closely than usual for a few weeks to ensure that it adapts to its new environment.
6. Lack of Support
It could be time to add a support so your monstera has something to climb. Especially if you haven’t made any recent alterations and your plant appears to be in excellent health.
According to our experts, giving monstera plants something to climb will prevent them from falling over or attempting to climb your walls and furniture. This is because in their natural environment, monstera plants climb trees and other surfaces.
Your plant may also begin to spread if it needs additional light, which is another possible explanation.
Lack of light prevents plants from developing the distinctive leaf slits that make monstera so delectable.
In the absence of light, the leaves do not form the slits and continue to be little and frail-looking. The issue will soon be resolved if you move the plant to a location with more natural light. For this, moss poles are perfect.
7. Pests
Mealy bugs and red spider mites, the traditional sap-sucking culprits that assault the majority of indoor foliage plants, are likely to attack monstera plants.
A severe pest infestation may result in the plant losing a lot of water and nutrients due to damage to its leaves, causing your monstera’s leaves to droop and the entire plant to languish.
How to Fix a Drooping Monstera Plant?
Observing abrupt, dramatic leaf drooping on your monstera can be worrying. Don’t panic if your plant looked fantastic yesterday but sad and feeble today. Almost always, this is quite normal and fixable.
Here are some tips on how to fix a drooping monstera plant!
1. Keep The Proper Soil Moisture
The monstera prefers persistently moist soil. Make sure your plant is not being overwatered or overgrown.
Maintain a regular watering schedule and water when the top 2 to 3 inches of soil are dry.
2. Maintain The Humidity
As a tropical plant, your monstera will flourish in more humid conditions.
By regularly spraying the leaves of your plant, using a pebble tray, or placing a humidifier close by, you can raise the humidity level in the area around it.
3. Find Proper Lighting
The greatest location for monstera plants is an east-facing window, though a south-facing or west-facing window can still work well as long as it doesn’t get direct sun shine directly on the leaves.
If they do, consider using a sheer curtain to block the light or simply moving the plant back so that it is not directly in the direction of the sun.
Moreover, monsteras respond well to full-spectrum grow lights if you are unable to give enough natural light.
4. Adjust The Environment Temperature
If the monstera’s habitat maintains temperatures between 85°F and 65°F, your plant might just require a little time to adapt.
However, if your monstera plant is next to a drafty window, door, or vent that blasts the plant with chilly air, be sure to move the plant or immediately cover the source of the draft.
5. Remove Excessive Fertilizer
Start by removing the white crust from the potting mix’s surface in order to eliminate extra nutrients from the soil. After that, place your plant in the tub or sink and gradually wet the soil, letting the water drain out the bottom.
Repeating this leaching process a couple of times should help remove the mineral accumulation from the potting soil. You might need to repot your plant into new soil if the issue persists.
6. Use Insecticide
In general, personally removing as many insects as you can before treating the plant with an insecticide is the best approach to deal with them.
To remove as many insects as you can, rinse the plant with a hose or kitchen sprayer. To prevent washing them into the soil, be sure to tip the container. On the leaves, using a lint roller can also be successful.
7. Use Moss Poles
Growing plants within the house require the support of a moss-covered, climbable pole. This is an effective way to prevent the lack of support problems.
If properly cared for, monstera can live for many years and reach heights of well over ten feet.
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Monstera Care and Growth Requirements
Monsteras are known as one of the easier houseplants to maintain.
If you want to keep your monstera happy, simply follow some tips to take care of these beautiful plants in the following points below!
1. Placement
A warm, humid environment with plenty of water and direct sunlight are preferred by monsteras. Put your Monstera in an area with a light source that ranges from moderate to bright.
Even though it can tolerate lower light levels, you can notice lanky growth as a result, so the optimum location is a few feet away from a window that faces the south, west, or east and provides brilliant indirect light.
2. Soil Condition
Monsteras love somewhat damp soil, and they typically like a little amount of drying time in between waterings. They don’t want to sit in moist soil because they are epiphytes with aerial roots and are sensitive to overwatering.
Your plant may need water once the top 2 to 4 inches of the soil are dry.
Final Thought
The first thing to consider if you notice your monstera leaves drooping is watering issues. Take each factor in turn and check your plant and the surrounding area for any indications of a problem after carefully examining the plant and soil to rule out this first.
Since droopiness doesn’t harm those leaves and is typically a hint of impending issues, don’t worry, your plant will almost always be able to fully recover!
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FAQs (Frequently Asked Question)
How do you know if your Monstera is happy?
You can observe the monstera or swiss cheese plant leaves to check if they are happy.
Shiny green leaves, an upright growth habit, and regular leaf production throughout the growing season are characteristics of a healthy monstera. Among the warning indicators to watch out for are wilting, yellow leaves, and stunted growth.
Do monsteras like to be misted?
Yes, they do! Because monstera prefers a humid atmosphere, we advise often wetting its leaves. To boost the humidity of the air around your plant, you might also place it close to other plants.
How do you know if your monstera is overwatered?
You’ll first notice the older leaves or the leaves closer to the ground yellowing if your monstera is receiving too much water.
Moreover, you can also check the soil. Overwatered monstera may have fungus in the soil. In addition, you’ll find that soil takes more than 10 days to dry out.
Do monsteras like big pots?
No, they don’t! Because excessively large pots can cause overwatering, monstera prefer relatively small pots. Monstera enjoys being crammed within their containers.
Regardless of the size of the pot, they will grow enormous.
Your monstera won’t grow any bigger or faster if you put it in a big pot; most likely, all the extra damp soil will cause root rot, or your monstera will focus more energy on growing roots than leaves.
Can a monstera recover from overwatering?
Of course! Your Monstera can recover from overwatering through the soil in your pot drying out within 7 to 10 days if you can swiftly remove or fix the water source.
Give your plant a chance to dry out a little before watering it again. You could need to repot your monstera into a pot and soil with greater drainage if the issue persists.
How do you know if your monstera has root rot?
Examining the leaves is one of the simplest methods to discover the root rot issue.
Root rot can be identified by the black dots on the harmed leaves. This is because germs and diseases have taken control of the plant. The black specks could also have a yellow halo around them.