Monstera Deliciosa Care: A Complete Guide

When it comes to growing Monstera deliciosa, there’s just one prerequisite. Space. Big plants are like puppies and small children. They’re easy to accommodate when small but eventually they grow up. When you consider the seven-to-eight-foot height Monstera deliciosa aspires to indoors, you can see why some consideration should be given to where this thing is going to live. The kitchen counter won’t work for long. Aside from the space issue, the rest is gravy, which is code for easy and I love easy. The same cannot be said for puppies and small children so if you’re thinking about either, perhaps try your hand at a Monstera deliciosa first.

Five years in and I think I need to rename the dining room. We eat there for special occasions but for the most part, the bright, sunlit room is home to my Monstera deliciosa. It’s successfully swallowed up the space in front of the northwest-facing window and encroached on the table, tossing up new growth even in the dead of winter. It’s a fascinating plant that adds a touch of the jungle to any space it occupies. And given my love of tropical touches in my cold Midwestern garden, I’m grateful for this enormous houseplant. And what better time to give it the spotlight? The National Garden Bureau has declared 2025 the Year of the Monstera!

What is a Monstera Deliciosa?

Fruit salad plant, Swiss cheese plant, split-leaf philodendron. Whatever you call it, Monstera deliciosa translates to “delicious monstrosity.” Knowing a little bit about where it comes from is a big help in recreating the best growing environment. In it’s native habitat in the jungles of Central America, epiphytic vines ramble across the jungle floor and scramble up trees, reaching heights of 70 feet or more. Hardy in zones 10-12, Monstera deliciosa will flower and bare fruit in the right growing conditions. Those grown as houseplants are unlikely to fruit but giant leaves are a sure thing. The fruit’s flavor is said to be a cross between banana and pineapple with a splash of mango, strawberry and passion fruit. Hence the name “fruit salad plant.”

Like the philodendron, monstera is a member of the arum family which also includes other common houseplants like peace lily, calla lily, anthurium and alocasia. It was formerly classified in the Philodendron genus until it was discovered that, despite their similar appearance, they’re entirely different species.

The Best Light for Monstera Deliciosa

Monsteras prefer bright indirect light and mine has been happy for many years in a northwest-facing window. When it was smaller, I would pull it away from the window during the summer when the light was at its strongest. Adding a little distance between the plant and the window prevents overexposure which can burn the leaves. If the leaves begin to bleach out or leaf edges turn crispy, move it further from the window or relocate it.

As it’s gotten bigger, there’s less wiggle room but the plant has continued to thrive. I often move my plants around in search of the sweet spot and you may have to do so too until you determine the best lighting situation. It’s also a good idea to give the leaves a polish a few times a year. Leaves accumulate dust which, over time, can compromise their ability to absorb sunlight and photosynthesize. Don’t waste your money on leaf shine products. A soft rag will do the trick. And if the dust is especially thick, a damp rag rinsed between leaves will make them sparkle.

Rotating the container a quarter turn at every watering ensures that all sides get equal light and the plant develops a pleasing shape.

The Best Container for Monstera Deliciosa

When it’s small, plastic containers do the trick but you’ll want to increase the pot size as it grows. Let’s say you start off with a pot with a four-inch diameter and you begin to see roots growing through the drainage holes. You also notice it’s drying out fast. That’s your cue to pot on. In which case, you’ll need a pot with a diameter of no more than two inches bigger than the pot your plant is currently living in. Any bigger and you risk root rot because the soil will stay too wet for too long and the roots won’t be able to absorb it fast enough.

The pot in the above photo is it’s final destination. I neither have the room for or the desire to repot this monster. Knowing this was it, I went with a very heavy glazed ceramic pot with a drainage hole. Plants of this size require a substantial base to prevent them from toppling over.

Do I Need to Train My Monstera Deliciosa?

Absolutely! If you don’t, it’ll spill everywhere. You’ll often see Monstera deliciosa trained to a moss pole. Personally, I don’t care for them. I’ve tried it and due to the size of my monstera, the pole never remained perfectly upright. It leaned a bit more everyday beneath the weight of the growing vines. Four one-inch bamboo poles inserted all the way to the bottom of the pot ensure that my plant remains in bounds. Velcro plant tape – a wonderful invention that I use both indoors and out – wrapped around the vines and onto the poles keeps everything in check without damaging the plant.

Watering Frequency and Dripping Leaves

I used to hate when people would tell me I should put my babies on a schedule. That’s like telling rabbits to stop procreating. We had a schedule of sorts but it varied based on circumstances. The same is true for my houseplants. Watering frequency is based on several factors: season, indoor humidity, container size and light exposure.

When it comes to watering my houseplants, I find it best to deprive them of water until they’re pretty dry. In the winter, that may be once a month and maybe even longer. During the growing season between April and September, that increases to twice a month depending on the feel of things. And the only way to “get a feel” for things is to dip your finger into the soil. If it’s dry up to the second knuckle, time to whip out the watering can and water until it runs through the drainage hole. Just be sure to empty the drip tray. You don’t want your houseplants sitting in water. That’s a breeding ground for rot. Not to mention fungus gnats that love wet soil!

Often in the winter time and usually the morning after watering, my monsteras develop the most perfect water droplets at the edges of their leaves. It’s a process called guttation and occurs in many plants including corn, squash and turf grass. It’s part of the plants plumbing system and often begins at night when transpiration slows and a back-up of sorts occurs. Water builds up in the roots and the plant is forced to push water through leaf pores called hydathodes to relieve the pressure and eliminate excess water. In addition to water, the droplets contain sugars, minerals and proteins.

How Often Should I Fertilize My Monstera Deliciosa?

Unlike a lot of houseplant parents, I’m a year-round fertilizer, offering it half strength at every watering. I use organic fertilizers as they’re less likely to burn roots and damage plants like synthetic fertilizers. While plant growth slows during the winter, it doesn’t mean they’re not photosynthesizing and growing and because of that, I keep the food coming. But that doesn’t mean you have to do it too. Your Monstera deliciosa will be fine if you prefer to feed only during its heavy growth cycle. In which case, you’ll want to stop feeding in October and resume again in April.

For the last few months, I’ve been using an American made organic all purpose liquid fertilizer from True Organics. So far, all my houseplants seem to be loving the new food and the Monstera deliciosa is pushing up a few new leaves. And it’s January!

Now that my Monstera deliciosa has reached it’s final destination and will likely never be repotted, I like to top dress it with compost every April to replenish the soil. At this point, it’s gotten so big that I don’t think I could handle removing it from it’s container and I certainly don’t plan to increase the pot size.

I recently added this beauty, Monstera deliciosa ‘Thai Constellation’, to my houseplant collection. I saw one several years ago at a local greenhouse and for a tiny, single-leaved specimen, they were asking a whopping $700. Fast forward six years and I scored this three-leaved lovely from Costa Farms at Costco for $30. And while it’s sitting comfortably minding it’s business beneath the fiddle leaf fig tree in the family room, I know that in just a few short years, I’ll be wondering where to put the couch.

Will you be adding a Monstera deliciosa to your houseplant collection? Tell me in the comments.