Pruning is a crucial part of taking care of any indoor plant. With that in mind, you decide to cut a few unhealthy stems, leaves, or roots from your Monstera plant.
Will Monstera grow back after cutting, though?
Well, a Monstera is a tough tropical plant and it grows back after you cut it. However, there are some important things you need to remember before you start snipping.
In this post, we’ll be answering all of your questions about the pruning process of Monstera plants. We’ll also talk about some care tips and guides to care for your flora properly.
Why Should You Prune Your Monstera?
It’s part of the natural cycle of a Monstera to lose some leaves as it grows. You may have noticed that older leaves die and fall off as new ones sprout.
During this period, cutting the old leaves is extra important to quicken the growth of the new sprouts. It’ll help your plant focus all its energy on new growth.
Frequent pruning is an effective way to maintain the size of your Monstera as well. Do it if you don’t want your plant to grow too much—especially if the stems appear to be too leggy.
In addition, diseases such as leaf-spot disease, rust, and botrytis are common in Monsteras. These are plant disorders that affect the stems and leaves of their host.
As a preventive measure, you should regularly cut off the leaves and stems with signs of yellowing or brown spots.
Does Monstera Grow Back After Cutting?
Now that you know the benefits of pruning your Monstera, let’s talk about what happens after you trim your plant. Will its leaves, stems, or roots grow back after you cut them?
Leaves
Monsteras are hardy and tough plants that survive in tropical climates. This means that they’re adept at adapting and growing despite environmental and physical changes.
So, yes, new leaves will grow back after you prune your Monstera. However, it’s important to learn the proper way of cutting them to ensure new sprouts.
If you want a new and healthy leaf, cut the old leaf at the base of its petiole—the end that’s directly connected to the stem. After a few months, a new one should grow to replace it.
Damaging or cutting the leaf blade won’t result in a new sprout, though. So, if you damage the leaf blade or the petiole, it’s better to just prune it.
Stems
Unlike the leaves, cutting the stem of a Monstera needs a few requirements to grow back. You need to watch where you cut it if you want either the primary plant or the stem cutting to grow.
Primary Plant
As long as you don’t cut too much from the primary plant, it should spring right back after a couple of months without a hitch.
Cut above the nearest node if you don’t want new leaves to grow. Otherwise, cut below the node to leave a dried stem stump instead.
Stem Cutting
If you want to propagate the stem cutting, however, you need to note a few things. First, your cutting should have at least one node to survive.
The nodes are the spots where the leaves commonly grow. They serve a vital role in propagation, as they’ll develop into roots once you plant them.
Second, your Monstera stem should have a few petioles with leaves attached to them. The leaves are the main food-making component of every plant, so they’re necessary for your stem cutting to grow.
Third, it should have at least two aerial roots attached. These aerial roots are crucial as they’ll be absorbing nutrients and carbon dioxide from the air while your stem is developing.
Aerial Roots
Although aerial roots are important for these plants, cutting them won’t harm your Monstera, and they’ll grow back in no time at all.
Still, the aerial roots of a Monstera can stretch if you leave them unattended. In a few months’ time, they’ll look like unruly brown cables attached to the stem.
They can appear unsightly, so we recommend you cut them a few times every year, especially in the growing season. Be careful not to damage their nodes while chopping them, though.
How to Prune Your Monstera
Proper pruning is necessary if you want your flower to grow even after cutting. Have a look at all the things you need to know about pruning Monsteras.
Tools Required
Of course, before chopping any part of your flora, it’s important that you use the correct tools. Here are the tools needed to prune your Monstera:
- Protective gloves
- Pruning shears
- Eye protection
Monstera Pruning Method
Pruning your Monstera is straightforward. Follow these steps to prune your Monstera and ensure new leaves and stem growth:
Step 1: Protect Yourself
Before anything else, wear protective gloves when cutting a Monstera. This is to avoid touching the sap, which is toxic and can irritate your skin.
You need to avoid accidentally getting it in your eyes as well. Wearing eye protection will protect you from splashes of saps while cutting.
Step 2: Plan Your Cutting
Before you trim anything, carefully plan where and what you’ll cut. You don’t want to end up cutting important parts of your treasured flora.
In addition, balancing the plant is necessary if it’s potted. Always take the time to step back and examine the appearance of your Monstera while trimming.
Step 3: Use Clean and Sharp Pruning Shears
Another important thing to remember is to use a sharp tool in pruning. This will ensure that you have a nice, clean cut that’ll help with its healing.
Before using your pruning shears, be sure to clean them with rubbing alcohol or hydrogen peroxide as well. It’ll prevent bacterial infections from developing in the cuts.
Step 4: Remove Yellow or Brown Leaves
After cleaning your tool, you can now start trimming the parts you want to remove. Prioritize cutting leaves that appear yellow and brown—cut them from the base of their petioles.
If you see any brown or yellow spots on any leaf, be sure to remove that leaf as well (even if it appears green). These spots may be a sign of plant disease.
Step 5: Cut Unhealthy Stems
Remove stems that appear unhealthy. If there’s any yellowing or rotting, cut these parts to their base.
In trimming stems, remember to watch where you cut. To stimulate growth, always cut about a quarter of an inch above the nearest node.
Step 5: Water the Plant
When you’re done trimming and you’ve achieved the look you want for your Monstera, lightly water the plant to recover lost moisture.
Finally, place your flora in a bright spot to help with its healing process. Put it near east-facing windows to get a few hours of indirect sunlight in the morning.
Care Tips to Help Your Monstera Grow After Pruning
To ensure that your Monstera grows healthy leaves and stems after cutting, it’s important that you understand the optimal condition for your plant.
Soil
Monsteras are plants that need thick, nutrient-rich, and quickly draining soil to grow and thrive.
For this, use organic potting soil and add peat moss to your potting mix.
Water
In terms of water, let your newly pruned Monstera drink once every week.
Allow the soil to dry before watering to avoid over-watering, which can cause root rot.
Light
These plants enjoy bright and indirect sunlight.
So, it’s essential to find a spot that meets these criteria if you want to keep them happy.
Fertilizer
Use a 20-20-20 liquid fertilizer after you’ve pruned your Monstera.
This will encourage the growth of new, strong, and healthy stems and leaves.
Final Thoughts
There you have it, all you need to know about the pruning process of these amazing indoor plants. So, will Monstera grow back after cutting?
Turns out they do! The leaves, stems, and roots grow back as long as you don’t damage the node—the spot where those three sprout.
Finally, to ensure that you get a healthy plant even after cutting, you need to prune it correctly. You’d also want to provide optimal conditions for your beloved Monstera.
Growing up with a mom who filled her home (inside and out) with all sorts of plants, Lisa got her start in gardening at a young age. Living now on her own with a home and yard full of plants (including an indoor greenhouse), she shares all the gardening tips she’s gained over the years.