How To Fix Leggy Monstera
Figuring out…
how to fix a leggy monstera can be challenging especially if you don’t know what to do with your monstera! Follow my step-by-step guide to learn how fixing a leggy Monstera plant will help you and your monstera feel and look its best! Monsteras are by nature climbers so let’s play into that to help shape it better and create a leggy Monstera care routine!
Fixing a Leggy Monstera: Step By Step
To fix your leggy monstera right away you will need to cut it…scary I know! However, monsteras are climbing rainforest plants so by nature they grow up and leggy and not necessarily as a “bush”. So to get this “bush” appearance that you are craving we need to prune it. When you cut parts off of your leggy monstera it activates the tropical plant to grow lower nodes. These nodes will then grow into new stems and leaves making your plant bushier rather than tall and leggy. Otherwise, your monstera will keep growing upward.
Step One: Pruning Tips for a Leggy Monstera
Pruning is a must to fix a leggy Monstera. The best way to trim a leggy Monstera is to always cut from the top. So take a step back and decide how high you want your monstera to be after you cut it. Once you have found the desired height find a node with a leaf and cut.
You can make a few new plants if you want to do multiple cuts, make sure each of your cuttings has a node and a leaf to grow new roots from. Pruning your leggy Monstera plant will help it grow fuller instead of taller and will assist in developing a more compact shape. If you need more help making cuttings from your monstera and where to cut or help with propagation click here!
Step Two: propagating Monstera cuttings from a leggy plant
Now that you have your new Monstera plant cuttings you want to develop roots so you can create new plants from them! What a way to grow your indoor jungle! Take your cuttings and place them in fresh water in a jar, changing the water every few days. This method is the best way to propagate a leggy Monstera. Water propagating can take weeks but eventually you will see roots start to form. Once your roots have developed you can plant your new monstera in soil and watch that baby flourish! There are a few other ways to propagate your monstera plant, check out our how to propagate a monstera post for a step-by-step guide!
You can make cuttings from your monstera and propagate them as many times as you’d like. Make sure your cuttings always have at least one node and one leaf!
Leggy Growth causes
You might wonder, “Why is my Monstera not bushy?”. Having a leggy monstera is normal for this tropical plant. It grows in rainforests using its aerial roots to climb and grow upwards instead of outwards. So by nature, it is not a bushy plant. You might be thinking but then why are the ones in the stores bushier than mine? That’s because in stores they plant a few into one pot instead of having one in each pot, making them bushier. However, if you do notice that your monstera is lacking a bit of leaves making it just look like stems this is because it is putting most if not all of its energy toward stem growth rather than foliage development. To fix this issue it’s best to prune it back so it can develop new foliage.
FAQ
So many questions surround caring for a leggy monstera!
How To Prune A Leggy Monstera
To prune your monstera, I find you can do it any time of year; however, it might be helpful to prune in winter. Winter is your monstera’s dormant season, meaning it’s not really producing any new growth. Pruning in this season can help not damage your plant as much and cause less stress as it’s not trying to produce new growth.
How to make a leggy Monstera grow more leaves
To get your monstera plant to grow more foliage you want to do some pruning. This will help your plant create new growth. To do this you can cut right below a node. A node on a monstera plant is a little bump that is right below a leaf axil.
Over time more aerial roots will grow from the cuts where you propagated and new shoots will grow giving your monstera plant more dense foliage.
How to care for a leggy Monstera plant
Lighting is a big deal for your tropical plant. Their natural growing environment has them covered by trees and other foliage, so they are not in direct sunlight. So, if you’re looking for a leggy Monstera plant solution, move it somewhere it will get bright indirect light with lots of windows. Keeping your monstera in filtered or indirect light will help improve leggy monstera growth.
Can you fix a leggy Monstera?
Absolutely! Fixing a leggy monstera is not complicated! All you need to do is cut away any dead leaves and stems. Another great way to utilize any unwanted leggy growth is by making cuttings and propagating them.
How do I get My Monstera to grow more stems?
The Monstera plant is an easy plant to trigger new growth. Propagating from stem cuttings, air layering or division are great ways to create new growth and expand your indoor jungle! Just be sure that when you make cuttings they include a node. If your cutting does not have a node and axillary bud, like leaves, it will not be able to grow a new root system. For help on propagating your monstera plant click here!
Fixing a leggy Monstera can be intimidating especially when you need to cut off parts of your beautiful tropical plant! With the right step-by-step guide and knowledge on propagating you can use your leggy monstera growth and turn it into new monstera plants while keeping your current one big and beautiful! Remember to keep up with your leggy monstera care routine to help it become bushier and healthier!
