Wondering How to Prune a Monstera in a Right Way so that it stays healthy and also grows well? Well, this guide has all the tricks!
Monstera plants are known for their exotic appearance and large, fenestrated leaves. As stunning as they are, they can quickly outgrow their spaces, whether indoors or in a garden. Pruning can help you manage their size and promote healthier growth. Here are some PRO tips on How to Prune a Monstera in a Right Way!
Check out our Thai Monstera growing guide here
Why Prune Monsteras?
In less-than-ideal indoor conditions, Monsteras can be as sluggish (while growing) as a Monday morning, and this is where pruning comes to the rescue!
First of all, let’s clear the air—pruning isn’t just plant barbering. It’s like a beauty regimen that also acts as a health check. You get rid of the brown, the droopy, and the dead, leaving room for the fab and the flourishing 🌱💥
- Think of it as reallocating resources. Cutting off those older or yellowing leaves lets your Monstera invest energy into new growth instead of maintaining the old troops.
- More cuts can mean more branches and more branches mean a fuller, bushier Monstera. It’s the plant equivalent of going from a studio apartment to a penthouse 😉 !
- Making a clean, angled cut near a node (the nubby thing leaves sprout from) is like giving your plant a stylish bob cut, but without the awkward phase of growing it out.
Once you are done, sit back, grab some iced tea, and watch your Monstera get its groove back! New shoots and leaves will start appearing from those nodes in no time. It’s like witnessing a leafy Cinderella transformation—minus the glass slipper 🪴!
Pruning Monstera Indoors
Best Season for Pruning
For indoor plants, the best season to prune is during late winter or early spring, just before the growing season begins. This timing helps the plant channel its energy into producing new leaves and branches.
Tools: The Monstera Makeover Kit
Before you start snipping away, you’ll need the right tools. Get yourself some sharp, clean pruning shears and maybe a cocktail, because hey! this should be fun!
The Art of Snipping: It’s All in the Technique!
- Spot the Outliers: Locate the leaves that are yellow or brown. They’re the expired parts of your plant—time for them to go.
- Mind the Node: Node is a little nubby thing where the leaf stem meets the main stem. Cut just below it, and whatever you do, don’t snip the main stem. That’s like cutting the main character out of a movie!
- Shape It Up: If your Monstera is growing more horizontally than vertically, prune some of the horizontal stems. The plant will get the hint and start reaching for the horizon!
- Don’t Overdo It: Remember, you’re giving a trim, not a buzz cut. Don’t remove more than 20-30% of its foliage at one time. This isn’t a plant pixie cut!
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The Aftercare
After you’ve played plant stylist, your Monstera could use a little TLC. Give it a nice drink of water, but don’t drown it. If you’ve got some liquid fertilizer, now’s a good time for a light feeding to boost recovery.
Pro Tips
- You can also do a ‘light pruning’ every now and then – see a yellowing leaf, snip it off. See a blackened and drooping stem; cut it away! You can do this every 8-12 days.
- Pruning can also be done for a quick propagation – just take a 5-7 inch cutting and grow it in water or soil. Simple!
Pruning Monstera Outdoors
Best Season for Pruning
For outdoor plants, late winter or early spring is also the best time to prune. This is because the plant is in its dormant phase and will be less stressed by trimming.
Why Do It Outdoors?
Well, left unchecked, your outdoor Monstera might just try to take over your garden (Provided it gets enough light and the IDEAL growing conditions). A little trim now saves you from seeing an overtly outgrown plant. Plus, it encourages healthier, more fabulous growth. It’s like a spa for your plant!
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Tools for Trimming
You’ll need some sanitized pruning shears, gardening gloves, and a little sense of humor—because it will be a mini jungle, and it’s supposed to be wild!
The Snip-By-Step Guide to Pruning Like a Pro!
- Target the Troublemakers: Find any yellow, brown, or wilting leaves. These are your enemies – soaking up all the attention but giving nothing back.
- Snip with Flair: Locate the node—the Monstera’s “elbow,” if you will—and make your cut. But leave the main stem alone; that’s like the spine of the operation!
- Size Matters: Outdoor Monsteras can get seriously large, like King Kong large. You may need to trim some of the more aggressive vines back to a more manageable size.
- Leave Room for Interpretation: Aim to remove just 20-30% of the foliage, max.
Post Trimming Care
Give your Monstera a celebratory watering – remember, just a little shower. Do not drench the plant.
Save the Cuttings and Use them for Gifting
Why throw away perfectly good cuttings when you can make Monstera babies? Stick those cuttings in water until roots sprout. You can also propagate them in soil. As these plants are expensive, you can gift them to your friends or even sell them!
