Monstera Adansonii: History, Propagation & Care

Overview

Monstera Adansonii also commonly referred to as Swiss Cheese Vine is a highly popular versatile plant that will with proper care grow effective under many different conditions. It produces white arum-like flowers typical of the aroid family. Leaves are slightly rough in texture and heart-shaped. Foliage is mostly whole in young specimens and changes structure with age, developing larger characteristic holes on maturity.

Monstera Adansonii is often confused with Monstera obliqua because both have big fenestrations in their leaves. Swiss cheese has a fantastic trailing habit that will just keep growing, making it ideal for placing on shelves or wall alcoves as well as hanging baskets.  The Swiss cheese vine will also grow up a totem pole or trellis as they love to climb. In this article, learn everything you would love to have knowledge of about Monstera Adansonii.

Monstera Adansonii (Swiss Cheese Vine) Profile

How To Care For Monstera Adansonii (Swiss Cheese Plant)

Light

Light is one of the most important factors for growing Monstera Adansonii plant. The plant does not grow at its best in shaded or low light conditions. These conditions cause the plant to have spindly stems, yellow foliage and leaf drop. Most importantly, the plant does not also like full direct sunlight as this can scorch the leaves and the stem of the plant.

Therefore, one of the best ways to avoid these outcomes to your beautiful Monstera Adansonii plant is to consider the natural flow of sunlight coming through your windows. South-facing windows provide the brightest conditions for the longest amount of time, making them most suitable for plants that need bright and indirect sunlight like Monstera Adansonii.

Watering

Monstera Adansonii needs to be watered every 1-3 weeks. You need to monitor your Adansonii plant and water when they need it, rather than on a schedule.  Frequency of watering will depend on size of the plant, size and type of pot, humidity and rate of growth.

Watering the Monstera Adansonii on a fixed schedule may mean your plant is overwatered at one time of the year and under-watered during other times. However, you can have a fixed schedule to check them for water.

Before watering your Monstera Adansonii, stick your finger one inch into the soil. If it feels moist don’t water it, however if the surface soil feels dry then it is appropriate to water the plant. If your plant is wilting (dropping and/or yellowing) leaves, then it is a sign that you need to water your plant.

However, if the potting medium of the plant is really dry, it usually experiences some difficulty in absorbing water. Therefore, if water runs out the bottom surprisingly quickly, it is probably passing right through. In this case, give the plant a long, slow drink to allow the soil to absorb it.

Monstera Adansonii will require more water in spring and summer; and less during their dormant period in the fall and winter.

Also Read: Different Types of Monstera Plants

Temperature

Monstera Adansonii grow at their best between temperatures of 60-75^oF (15-24^oC). Monstera Adansonii is remarkably tolerant and will survive temperatures slightly above or below room temperature for short periods.

Long periods of extreme heat can be harmful to your Adansonii plant. You can increase ventilation through screened windows or a fan. Air conditioning will also help bring temperatures down to acceptable levels, but avoid putting your plant directly in the path of cold drafts.

Fertilizer

You can give your Monstera Adansonii a well-balanced general purpose indoor plant fertilizer to help it thrive. This plant is such a good plant in that it grows on its own and you will probably not need to fertilize much especially if you have just potted it with any slow-release fertilizer in the soil mix. However, you can fertilize your plant using liquid indoor plant fertilizer at least once every 2 weeks.

Monstera Adansonii just like other house plant go dormant during the winter, and during this time, they do not require fertilizer application. Therefore, as a general rule, do not apply fertilizer to the Adansonii plant during winter. It is usually the best thing to stop fertilizer application in the fall, and then begin all over again fertilizer application in the early spring.

Growth Pattern

The best thing about Monstera Adansonii is that they are climbers, trailers and hangers. They also consist of grabby roots that enable them to stick onto anything, making it easy to manipulate them to grow on a wall, up a moss pole or on anything.

Humidity

Monstera Adansonii is tolerant of normal household temperatures and humidity, but if you live in a particular dry area and see any of the effects of lack of humidity, you may want to try a pebble tray humidifier or grouping your plants together to boost humidity.

You can also improve the humidity of your Adansonii plant by misting the leaves with a spray bottle, keeping  the plant near a bathroom, dishwasher or other water sources will encourage new healthy growth and should result in the development of air roots.

Potting Soil Mix

A general purpose potting soil mix is the best choice for growing the Monstera Adansonii.  A good indoor potting mix is usually composed of peat moss, vermiculite or perlite. These soilless mixes absorb moisture very well and resist compaction.

Pruning

Monstera Adansonii leaves are ovate with some circular holes and this explains why they are commonly referred to as ‘Five-Holes Plant’. Usually, the leaves of this plant grow to between 8’’ and 16’’ (21-42 cm) long and around 5’’ (12 cm) wide. In their native habitat, the long vines can reach up to 6m long. When growing the plant in pots indoors, occasional proper pruning and support can help produce more vines and a thicker plant.

Also Read: How To Grow And Care For Calathea Zebrina

Propagation Of Monstera Adansonii

Propagating Monstera Adansonii In Water

• Fill the glass, transparent jar or vase with water and place it in a room temperature location that gets bright but indirect light. Usually, direct sunlight is dangerous to delicate stem cuttings.
• Snip off a section of vine that includes at least two nodes (those knobby bits where the leaves form).
• Set the vine inside the glass or jar of water.
• All you will need to do is to sit and give it some time and wait for the roots to form.
• Most Monstera Adansonii cuttings start their root development after one or two weeks, but it can take quite a bit longer in some cases.
• All you will have to do now is to change water at once after 2 weeks.

Propagating Monstera Adansonii From Stem Cuttings

• You will need to feel a transparent jar or glass with fresh water at room temperature ( 18^oC-24^oC) .
• Position the water filled glass in a place that receives enough bright but indirect sunlight.
• Cut off a section of vine that includes at least two nodes (those knobby bits where the leaves form).
• Set the plant inside the glass until roots form. That should be between 2 to 3 weeks.
• When roots are well established, the stem cutting is ready for planting in a container/pot.
• Just fill your pot/container with some soil and then plant your stem cutting. Use a soil type that holds moisture but also allows excess water to drain, like a mixture of potting soil with some perlite.
• Water your stem regularly for faster growth of your Monstera Adansonii plant.

 How To Repot Monstera Adansonii

Keeping Adansonii in your home requires a little more than just watering, occasional application of fertilizer and misting. As your Monstera Adansonii continues to grow, you will ultimately at some point need to report them to make sure that they have plenty of space for their new roots and adequate drainage. Signs that your Monstera Adansonii need to be repotted include:

• If the plant is straggly, pale or has stopped growing
• If the plant has roots that poke out of the soil or the holes in the bottom of the pot.
• Water runs out of the pot immediately without soaking into the soil.
• If there is presence of thick roots that are tightly coiled in a circle.

The process of repotting your Adansonii plant is quite simple and you necessarily do not require to hire a gardening expert to do it for you. Here is how you will proceed.

• Given that the purpose of repotting is to give the roots plenty of room and improve drainage, you will need to make sure that your new pot is relatively larger that is wide enough and deeper with drainage holes of reasonable size.
• Cover the drainage holes with a porous material like a coffee filter. This prevents soil from falling out but still allows water to pass through.
• Choose a fresh high quality potting mix specific for houseplants.
• Remove the Adansonii plant from its current planter/pot. Hold it gently by the leaves or stems and tap the bottom of its growing planter until it slides out.
• Remove the potting mix surrounding the plant. Also in the process remove dead, wounded and fragile roots. Use a very sharp pruning shear to cut them off.
• Pour a layer of the potting soil into the new planter/pot and pack it down, removing any air pockets.
• Now set your Adansonii plant on top of the fresh layer of mix then add potting mix around the plant until it is secure.
• Water the plant thoroughly and begin monitoring it going forward.

Avoid repotting Monstera Adansonii plant during the winter unless it is absolutely necessary to do so. In the winter, the plant enters its rest period. During this period it requires little water and also its metabolic processes are at a minimum level. Therefore, repotting your plant might bring it unnecessary stress. The right time to repot Monstera Adansonii is during periods of active growth-in spring and summer.

Also Read: Kalanchoe Thyrsiflora Growing Guide

Monstera Adansonii Climbing Capabilities

Monstera Adansonii is an evergreen, climbing species native to tropical rain forests. It is capable of growing over 6m tall, provided a good support in terms of moss poles, it climbs using aerial roots and is generally classified as an epiphyte.

Swiss Cheese Vine looks best in a hanging planter or on a shelf where there’s room for the vines to wander. If vines get too straggly looking, regular trimming will help encourage new growth. Leaves will grow to be larger if the plant is trained to climb moss pole, the way it would grow in the wild.

Trouble Shooting

Droopy Leaves: The most like cause of droopy leaves is overwatering or poor drainage. You can try to improve drainage and allow the plant potting mix to dry out before watering again.

Wrinkled leaves: If the leaves of your Swiss plant are crinkling and wrinkling, there may be several factors at play. Improper watering, root loss owing to overwatering or pests and diseases may contribute to the problem. Also if your plant is poorly established or you recently repotted your plant, this condition could still be observed.

Brown Spots On Leaves: If you observe brown spots trimmed in yellow, your Monstera Adansonii might be affected by a Leaf Spot Disease. The attacking bacteria or fungus usually leaves small brown spots trimmed in yellow where it’s feeding on the leaves. These spots may vary in shape, color and size.

Leaves Turning Brown: Usually if the leaves of your indoor Monstera Adansonii plant are turning brown, then, it is a clear indication that there is something wrong with your care regiment. The reason behind this could be poor watering or exposure to direct sunlight.

Monstera Adansonii leaves Do not have Many Holes

Holes or splits in the leaves are a common feature of all Swiss cheese plants. The possible reason why your Monstera Adansonii doesn’t leaves do not have slits/holes is that the plant could still be in the immature or young growing phase.

Diseases And Pests

Most of the time, Monstera Adansonii grows freely without issues of pests and disease. However, just like other houseplants, it is vulnerable to attacks from:

• Fungal spots
• Leaf spots
• Root rot
• Bacterial soft rot
• Spider mites
• Scale insects
• Mealybugs
• Whitefly
• Scale thrips
• Southern blight
• Botrytis