The Monstera deliciosa is a classic among indoor plants. Characteristic of these impressive plants are their long aerial roots and the sometimes very large openwork leaves. The older the plant, the more pronounced the incisions in the leaves. The monochromatic variety is the most common, but there is also a species with marbled leaves, both equally attractive. Growing window leaf offshoots is unproblematic and can be done in different ways.
pull offshoots
aerial root
In order to be able to grow window leaf offshoots yourself, you only need a small pot with growing substrate and an aerial root, which should be on the mother plant. Although the aerial roots of the Monstera deliciosa are relatively flexible, they can break off easily, which should be avoided at all costs. Coconut fibre, a peat-sand mixture or pricking soil are suitable substrates, for example.
First you fill the pot with substrate and hang or place it as high as possible at the level of the relevant aerial root. Then you press or stick an aerial root into the substrate and moisten it. After a while, roots form on the part of the aerial root that is covered with soil. Then you can separate the newly won offshoot from the mother plant and plant it separately.
moss
Another method of obtaining window leaf offshoots is the so-called mossing. The bark is cut at one point on the trunk or the main shoot. The cut should end below a leaf node if possible. A small wooden stick or matchstick is inserted into the cut to prevent the cut from closing.
This interface is then covered with absorbent material, e.g. moist peat moss or earth, wrapped with foil that is sealed at the top and bottom. The material in the film should be constantly moist throughout. It can take a few weeks or even months for sufficient roots to form at the interface. When the time has finally come, the plant is cut off below this point and can be planted immediately.
head cuttings
Propagation via head cuttings is also a way of growing window leaf offshoots. It is the simplest and most reliable method. This variant of vegetative propagation has the advantage that it produces identical copies of the mother plant or varietal plants. For this you need a suitable cultivation container or, better, smaller pots, a cultivation substrate, for example consisting of a mixture of standard soil and sand, transparent film as a cover and, of course, one or more fresh cuttings.
- best time usually in spring
- ideally at the same time as a regular pruning of the plant
- first select a suitable cutting
- it should have at least two leaves and, most importantly, an aerial root
- Cut off the cuttings with a knife or other sharp cutting tool
- always cut about 0.5 to 1.0 cm below the aerial root
- Aerial root should not be injured
- then allow the interfaces to air dry for about an hour
- in the next step, fill the cultivation vessel with substrate
- small pots best suited
- then insert the cuttings together with the aerial root
- only one cutting of Monstera deliciosa in each pot
- Press the substrate down and water it with rainwater or low-lime tap water
- Cover cuttings or pots with a transparent, translucent film
- Cover should not come into contact with the cutting
The foil should be removed from time to time for a short time and the whole thing should be well ventilated. Without ventilation, mold can quickly develop. The pots and cuttings are then placed in a warm and bright, partially shaded place without direct sunlight for rooting and the substrate is kept constantly moist during this time. If the rooting of the window leaf offshoot was successful, this is reflected in new shoots. When the time comes, the cover can be removed and the plant can be cultivated normally.
Tip: The cuttings can also be rooted in the water glass and then planted directly. The aerial root should also be in the water. Rainwater is ideal for this, as the cuttings root particularly well here.
stem cuttings
In this way of growing window leaf offshoots yourself, individual trunk pieces are used. A comparatively large number of cuttings can be obtained at the same time and used for rearing. A stem cutting is a non-lignified, leafless part of the shoot axis that does not have leaves but has several dormant leaf buds or vegetation points. In order to get to such logs, you first cut the log at the desired height.
- Cut the stem cut off into smaller pieces
- The size of the stem piece determines the number of stem cuttings
- always cut between two sleeping buds or eyes
- each section should have some of said vegetation points
- Fill the growing bowl or pots with lean growing substrate
- Moisten the substrate preferably with lime-free water
- Place each individual stem segment horizontally on the substrate and press lightly
- Vegetation points should point upwards
- then put a foil over it to support the rooting
- don't forget to aerate occasionally
- Place the plant bowl or pot in a warm, non-sunny place
Over the next few weeks, both roots and leaves will develop from the dormant eyes. The film can be removed at the first sign of new growth. As soon as the bowl or pots are well rooted, the young plants can be transplanted into larger planters and cultivated like adult specimens.
sowing
Alternative to offshoots - sowing
New young plants of the Monstera deliciosa can also be grown from seeds. However, suitable seeds are usually difficult to obtain. There is no ideal time for sowing, it is generally possible all year round. The seeds are placed without pre-treatment in a seed substrate, for example a mixture of commercially available seed soil and sand or perlite, and covered with substrate by about 1 cm.
From now on, the whole thing must be kept slightly moist and placed in a bright and warm place with temperatures of at least 25 degrees. It may take some time before the first seedlings appear. If they are big and strong enough, they can be planted in pots and suitable substrate and cultivated normally.
Tip:When propagating by seed, it is particularly important that the seed is fresh, because then the germination rate is highest.