Monstera flowers planting and care. Monstera home - care, reproduction, transplant, photo. therefore, in order to support the stem of the plant, a support is needed. The leaves of the plant are unusual, they are dissected, have long cuttings, their diameter reaches half a meter.

Monstera is a tropical liana native to South America... It has large, heart-shaped leaves of a deep green color with cuts. Adult plant can reach a height of over six meters. Flower

Monstera is a cream-colored ear. At the end of flowering, it forms a fruit that is considered edible.

The name of the plant was formed from the Latin word "monstrosus", which in translation means - amazing or bizarre.

Monstera leaves ionize and purify the air... For this reason, it is a plant in large cities. When grown at home, the plant requires special care.

The basic rules of content are reduced to creating natural natural conditions where Monstera lives.

Lighting

For healthy growth, Monstera needs bright, diffused light. The plant does not tolerate shade in the same way as direct sunlight.

In low light, flower leaves stop growing and do not form cuts... And with an excess of light, a plant.

V winter period when the day is short, you need to provide additional source Sveta.

The optimal location in the house is one to two meters from the window.

The correct location of the monstera is next to the window

Temperature

Tropical liana loves warmth how more temperature, the faster the growth... Florists recommend maintaining the temperature within 17-22 degrees in winter and from 22 to 25 degrees in summer. Drafts are strictly prohibited for the plant.

Watering and humidity

Monster needs to be watered often and a lot, especially in spring and summer, when the stage of active growth begins. In winter, watering is reduced. The main thing is that the soil in the pot always remains moist.

For irrigation, take settled water room temperature... Spraying and wiping the leaves is mandatory once a week. If there is dry air in the room, a container with water is installed next to the plant.

Soil and fertilizer

The correct soil composition for Monstera must necessarily include equal parts:

1. Leafy land;
2. turf land;
3. humus;
4. peat;
5. sand.

A 5-7 cm thick expanded clay drainage layer is laid at the bottom of the pot.

Fertilize the soil with minerals and organic matter at least once a month.

This rule especially applies to the period from March to September. In winter, feeding is done less often.

Pot

The container for Monstera needs a wide one so that the air roots growing from the stem can take root in the ground in the future.

The material of the flowerpot does not matter... The depth of the pot should match the size of the root system. And one more rule when choosing a container is stability. Otherwise, heavy leaves and stems can knock it over.

How to properly prune a monster

Pruning the plant is optional. This procedure is carried out to achieve curvaceous forms and branching Monsters. To form several stems, on initial stage development of the flower, the top is cut off.

To avoid infection, the procedure is carried out with a sterile blade, and the place of the cut is sprinkled charcoal... Over time, side shoots grow on the stem.

After all the activities, you must thoroughly wash your hands, as Monstera juice has poisonous properties and can lead to skin burns.

When pruning, the vine will become more luxuriant, therefore, heavier. So that it does not break under its own weight, a support for the stems in the form of a pole is used.

How to transplant a flower

Aerial roots have grown a lot - the monstera needs a transplant

Monstera due to its impressive size needs a regular transplant... Such an event will help maintain the health and accelerate the growth of the plant.

Young plants up to 3 years old should be replanted annually.

This is done at the beginning of spring, until the active stage of growth has begun. Monsters, whose age has crossed the three-year milestone, are recommended to be transplanted once every 3 years. In this case, it is necessary each time to replace part of the old soil with a new one.

Before starting the transplant, you need to take care of the dishes, they should be at least 7-10 centimeters larger than the previous one. A drainage layer of small stones or expanded clay must be laid in the pot. Then half of the dishes are poured into ready-made fertile soil... A lump with roots and remnants of old soil is placed in it and covered with the second part of the soil. After the done actions, Monstera is poured abundantly with water.

Reproduction

There are several ways to breed vines:

1. Reproduction air layering ... To do this, there must be at least one aerial root and one leaf on the layer. The cuttings are cut off and placed in a bowl with nutritious and moistened soil. During this period, it is important to maintain the temperature at 17-22 degrees. You can cover the future flower with a film to prevent a draft. After the cuttings have taken root, they are grown according to general rules for care.
2. Propagation by cuttings... To achieve the result, the stem or lateral processes are cut off. First, the soil is prepared from equal parts of humus and sand. Then the cutting is immersed in it and poured abundantly with room water. After the manipulations done, the pot with cuttings is closed with glass and placed in a well-lit place. From this moment on, watering is done daily. As soon as Monstera gives roots, it is transplanted into a separate flowerpot.
3. Seed propagation... This method is recognized as the most successful, but long-lasting. First of all, you need to purchase seeds that are not more than 1 year old. They are soaked in herbal solution and sown in nutrient soil. From the moment of planting to the moment of the first shoots, it takes at least a month. All this time, the container with seeds must be kept in the shade, warmth and moisture.

Air layering

When the first shoots appear, it is required to increase the lighting.

For young Monsters to reach at least 9-10 sheets, at least a couple of years must pass. Florists claim that a vine grown in this way will be strong and beautiful.

Problems and illnesses

Like other indoor flowers, Monstera is susceptible to disease and pest attacks. In order to protect the plant from such problems, a number of rules must be followed:

Following the simple rules of care, you can grow a beautiful and lush Monstera, which will delight those around you with its beauty and will thank the house with clean and healthy air.

Young plant - annually, adult - every 2-3 years 10-20, from late spring to autumn - 20-25, When upper layer the soil is dry by 5-7 cm At low air humidity 12 hour daylight hours Should not be kept in the bedroom and nursery

Lighting

Contrary to popular belief, this liana does not at all like the dark corners of the rooms, where it is often placed. She is comfortable in a bright room near the window.

On the other hand, you should avoid placing the plant in full sun, because the leaves can get burned.

In low light conditions, the leaf of the plant becomes smaller, becomes whole, without irregularities and holes, the plant stops growing new shoots. It is worth noting that competent supplementary lighting with fluorescent or LED lights allows you to grow a vine even in the complete absence of sunlight.

A source artificial lighting placed no further than 40-60 cm from the leaves of the monstera while choosing lamps designed specifically for growing plants. The light interval is set within a 12-hour day, allowing the plant to breathe at night and approaching the natural rhythm of life.

Temperature

Being a native of the tropics, monstera nevertheless feels great at rather moderate temperatures from + 10 ° С to + 20 ° С. Moreover, such a temperature interval in winter, when the lack of light is especially acute, is optimal for the plant.

Starting in spring, the plant must be placed in more warm room(from +20 ° С to +25 ° С), while increasing the frequency of watering.

Watering

The plant is adapted to live with enough moisture. Therefore, rare or poor watering leads to crushing of the leaves, loss of turgor in them, the appearance of yellow-brown marginal spots.

How to water a monster: watered abundantly only when the top layer has dried by 5-7 cm, allowing the roots to breathe. Watering often, but in small quantities is not recommended, because it is easy to "flood" the plant.

In this case, the liana wilts, dark brown spots appear on the leaves, and a fungal infection of the stem may begin.

At low humidity, which is typical for our apartments, it is often necessary to spray the aerial roots of the plant, or direct them into vessels with water.

The soil

For planting, monsters use a mixture of garden soil with peat, sand and compost.(3: 1: 1: 1). Sand can be replaced with vermiculite or perlite. Be sure to lay a drainage layer (expanded clay) on the bottom of the container.

For planting the plant, you can use other earthen mixtures. It is important that they are nutritious enough, loose and retain moisture well. Good results are obtained by a mixture of garden soil of humus, sand and peat in equal parts... And here is another soil composition suitable for a plant in a ratio of 3: 1: 1: 1: 1:

• Sod land;
• Leafy land;
• Humus;
• Peat;
• Baking powder.

This article is often read:

The easiest way is to purchase soil for this plant in specialized stores.... There you can always find an earthen mixture for a monster, which contains all the components necessary for the growth and development of this vine.

Fertilizer

Fertilizing the plant is necessary to ensure intensive growth and effective appearance of the leaves.

In the summer, the plant is fed 2 times a month., using liquid complex fertilizers "For decorative leafy plants".

With its rapid growth, it will also respond to watering a mullein solution, which you can pamper a beauty with 2 times a season.

With the onset of autumn, the plant is monitored and, in the case of active vegetation, they continue to feed once a month.

If the wintering temperature decreases, then the frequency of irrigation of the monstera is reduced and fertilization is eliminated.

Humidity

If there is an opportunity to increase the humidity of the air, the plant will thank you with powerful beautiful foliage.

Moreover, it will actively absorb air moisture with numerous adventitious roots.

To preserve moisture, the monstera support is wrapped with a thick layer of moss(sphagnum) and placed next to the plant, fixing the "ropes" of the roots on it.

Moss perfectly retains moisture and releases it gradually. The option with coconut fiber is less successful, since its water-holding capacity is lower.

Peculiarities

All varieties of monstera have similar recognizable features:

The monster shouldn't be kept in the bedroom.

Trim / Support / Garter

How to prune a monster at home? Pruning a plant is not difficult. If the plant grows quickly and releases new shoots, then it does not need pruning.

But it happens that the liana greatly slows down growth. Then the tops of the long shoots must be trimmed to stimulate branching and the emergence of new shoots. Only the very top of the shoot is cut off, without affecting the aerial roots that the monstera lets out near each leaf.

Monstera - climbing vine... Only at a very young age does she need support. Usually, the support is placed in the center of the pot during regular plant transplanting. It can be regular or bamboo stick, which is wrapped on top with sphagnum moss. This coating absorbs moisture, stimulates the growth and formation of aerial roots. You can also buy a special support from a flower shop.

The plant stem can be leaned against a support. But in order for the vine to stick well to it, it is better to tie it up. The plant is fixed with a thick twine. It is attached to the support, not tightly tying the shoots.

In the future, with the growth of the vines, the support during transplantation can be changed to a higher one.

Diseases

Monstera are affected by bacterial and fungal origin. The most common causes of bacteria are stem rot and leaf blight.

When the trunk decays, its affected parts become soft and watery, acquire the smell of rotten fish. With spotting, black spots appear on the leaves of the plant, surrounded by a yellow rim. Plants heal copper-containing preparations (bordeaux mix, copper sulfate solution). All affected parts must be removed.

Diseases caused by pathogenic fungi are dangerous for the plant. The most common ones are:

• Anthracnose;
• Fusarium;
• Late blight.

With anthracnose, the leaves of the plant are covered with dark spots surrounded by brown and bright yellow halos. Fusarium causes rotting of the trunk with the appearance of red globular formations on it. Late blight causes rotting of the root system and trunk.

For treatment, antifungal drugs are used, with which the plant is treated until the symptoms of the disease disappear. The affected areas of the plant must be removed to healthy tissue.

Often harmful insects breed on the vine.... She is amazed spider mite, mealybug, scabbard. Insecticidal preparations are used to destroy pests.

Problems

It happens that the lower leaves of the plant begin to become covered with brown spots and fall off. This is often associated with overflow.

It is worth transplanting the plant into fresh soil by placing 1-3 tablets of the fungicide Gamair in the planting hole or spilling the vine with Fitosporin solution. Rotten roots must be cut, processing cuts with crushed coal.

Often the tips of monstera leaves dry out. This can happen for a variety of reasons. It is most likely that the plant is in a draft. Also, leaf tip necrosis can occur due to a sharp drop in temperature or very dry indoor air.

Monstera does not tolerate hard water... Because of this, its leaves can deform, and the growth rate of the plant itself is significantly reduced.

Dry brown spots sometimes appear on the leaves of a vine if it is in direct sunlight. it sunburn... You need to put the flower further from the window.

In the absence of a regular transplant, the plant begins to lose the lower leaves. If the vine is not transplanted into a spacious container with fresh soil, then it will lose its decorative effect, and over time it may die.

Reproduction

Monstera by sowing seeds and vegetatively.

There are several vegetative breeding methods for monstera:

• Division of the rhizome;
• Cuttings;
• Reproduction by layering.

Seed propagation at home is practically not used... The plant rarely forms seeds when home cultivation, and buying them is impractical, since they quickly lose their germination.

In the presence of fresh seeds, monstera are germinated in moist sphagnum under a film before planting. The temperature should not be lower than 25 ° C. After 35-60 days, sprouts appear, which are planted in the ground. They develop very slowly.

By dividing the rhizomes, only adult overgrown vines with many growth points are propagated. The procedure is carried out during the spring plant transplant. The rhizome is cut into several parts. There should be a growth point on each division. All sections are sprinkled with crushed activated carbon and dried for 2-3 hours. Then each part is planted in a separate pot.

When grafting in spring or summer, the adult monstera shoot is cut into pieces.... Each piece must have 1 node with a powerful, intact leaf. The cuttings are dried for 1 hour, and then put on rooting in boiled water with a temperature of about 25 ° C. They take root within a few weeks. After root formation, the cuttings are planted in separate pots.

Aerial roots are formed on each shoot of the monstera. It is enough to dig in such a shoot in a separate pot or container to get the cuttings. When it is well-rooted, it needs to be separated from the mother plant.

Transfer

Monstera transplant at home is carried out in the spring in mid-April. Young plants need to be replanted annually. Lianas 3-5 years old need a transplant every 2 years. Large adult plants need replanting every 5 years.

Plant by means of transshipment. Before transplanting, it should be watered so that the earthen lump does not crumble. A day after watering, the flower is carefully removed from the pot.

Before transplanting to a monster, you need to choose the right pot.

When choosing, you should not take too spacious. It is enough if its diameter is 2-3 cm larger than the diameter of the previous pot. Drainage is poured on the bottom with a layer of 4 cm, and on top - a little fresh soil.

The plant is placed in the center of a new pot.... The empty spaces between the earthen lump and the walls are filled with fresh soil, which is lightly tamped with a long stick or pencil. On top of the old earthen coma, no more than 2 cm of a new one can be poured potting soil... After transplanting, this flower needs to be watered well.

In order for the vine to take root better, it is removed from the windowsill in partial shade for a week.

During the first week after transplanting, it is not watered. Then the watering regime, which is usual for this plant, is gradually resumed.

Description of the species and varieties of plants

Several types of monstera are grown in room culture. The most popular ones are:

• Monstera oblique;
• Monstera punched.

- the most common type, grown indoors. This variety was so named because of delicious berries, which are eaten in her homeland. It has long, flexible shoots reaching several meters in length. Its leaves are round and large, they have a diameter of up to 50 cm and are strongly dissected.

Monstera oblique- a smaller and more compact plant. Its leaves reach a diameter of 30 cm. They are not so strongly dissected and have a more elegant pattern.

Monstera punched- not a common species. It can only be found in tropical vine lovers. The leaves of this variety are elongated, with a pointed tip, have oval holes different sizes, sometimes quite large. This shape of the leaves gives the plant a very elegant and unusual look.

Monstera is a fairly decent size plant. Differs in large leaves of a darkish green hue, and characteristic cuts on the sides on them. The second name of the flower is philodendron. It originates from the tropics of America and India. In its natural environment, it grows in the form of a liana, which can reach 40 meters, and also bloom and bear fruit. At home, monstera has no fruit and does not bloom. Two types of it are grown indoors: attractive and unequal.

The first type is characterized by large leaves that seem to be cut up. In the young period, they are light and even in shape, and with age they begin to darken and acquire cuts. Certain varieties of the species may have light stripes.

The second type of monstera has asymmetric leaves with holes on the sides.

Plant care at home

If you decide to keep this flower with you, then you must prepare for the fact that careful care is required. Otherwise, he will not look attractive and will start to hurt. To avoid this, you must observe the following rules of care.

1. Monstera likes diffused light or light shading, direct sunlight or strong shade is intolerable for her. At home, it is better to immediately determine the place where the plant is kept, so as not to move it any more. It doesn't like it.
2. Plant care consists in regular and abundant watering in the spring and summer. But don't overdo it. The bay threatens with decay of the roots, and the leaves will be covered with dark spots. Water for irrigation is used only when it has settled for several days. In autumn and winter, the moisture of the flower is significantly reduced. Spraying it is carried out year-round.
3. The flower begins to grow actively already at 16-18 degrees. But a temperature of about 25 degrees will be more comfortable for him. With temperature extremes, the growth of the monstera slows down, but does not affect it destructively. In winter, do not let her stay in temperatures below 12 degrees.
4. Monstera is a tropical plant, so humidity means a lot to it. During care, daily spraying should be carried out constantly, otherwise you will encounter drying of the leaves. When the room is cool, spraying is excluded during this period.
5. A mature plant needs fertilizing with mineral fertilizers. They are purchased from flower shops. Top dressing is carried out in the spring-summer period every two weeks. If you do not carry it out correctly, then the monstera will lose its attractiveness and its growth will stop. At home, the flower requires a support. For this purpose, sticks, ropes, trellises are best suited. They can also be purchased at specialized stores.

Transfer

Everyone who started growing a flower for the first time asked questions: “How to transplant to a monster? When is it better to transplant it? How to do it right? "

A young monstera requires an annual transplant. It is enough to replant an adult plant at home every 4 years. Only the top of the soil is replaced each year. It should consist of sand, peat, humus and turf. A large container is used to plant a flower.

Monstera has aerial roots that appear on the shoots. She needs them to get additional moisture from the atmosphere. During transplantation, they are not removed, but on the contrary, they are tied up in such a way that they are directed towards the ground. As a result, you can propagate the plant after they have rooted.

When you transplanted to a monster, then she should cut off the top. This will provoke the growth of side shoots. And you will start to have a large green mass. Young plants do not need to do this.

Reproduction

The flower is propagated by cuttings, seeds and shoots. The seeds are sown in hot areas and provide a sunny spot for germination. The first shoots will appear within a month. Caring for a seedling will mean picking it and planting it in a pot. Then the young must be replanted every year. This method is the most difficult, so it is rarely used at home.

The most popular method is propagation by cuttings, as well as by shoots. Better to spend it before the beginning of summer. For this purpose, take the lateral process or the top of the shoot. They are placed in a pot with drainage and substrate and create a greenhouse effect by covering them with plastic. The temperature during this period should be in the range of 20-25 degrees. Care consists in watering the cuttings twice a day. After the formation of their root system, they are transplanted into a pot.

Possible problems

The flower must be properly looked after. Only in this case he will not get sick. All her diseases are directly related to bad conditions content. Here are the main problems you might have.

1.Lack of nutrition can cause leaves to rot or dry out, leaving young foliage dull and small.

1. If the air is too dry, a spider mite appears on the monster. Lost because of him a large number of foliage. The pest is eliminated by washing with soapy water and spraying with water at room temperature. After that, the flower is treated with an insecticide.
2. The defeat of thrips is characterized by light specks on the foliage, which gradually become larger. After a while, the entire leaf is affected and takes on an ugly, dirty look. In this case, it is good to treat the monster with Aktellik.
3. If you notice that the leaves become lethargic, their shade changes to light tones, and then they completely fall off, then most likely your flower was struck by a scabbard. To get rid of it, the leaves are washed with soapy water and treated with an insecticide.
4. Active shedding of leaves can provoke a mealybug. It draws out the internal juices of the monstera. You can cope with it in the same way as with a shield - with soapy water and an insecticide.

Monstera is unpretentious plant, therefore, caring for it will not be difficult even for an inexperienced gardener. V favorable conditions it can reach a height of 5 meters, therefore this plant is perfect for large rooms... But also in small modern apartments it will look great. The most important thing in growing a monstera flowerpot is that care at home will not be difficult even for too busy people.

The most common type of monstera found in modern houses, is a gourmet monstera. It is a very large vine. Growing fast. In a young plant, the leaves are small and heart-shaped in shape. Over time, they can reach dimensions of 1 meter. Monstera leaves have a dark green glossy color. After a while, oblong symmetrical holes appear on each of them.

A feature of monstera leaves is that with a significant excess of moisture, they remove excess fluid... From the outside, it seems that the plant is crying. But this phenomenon is rare.

On the trunk of the monstera, opposite the leaves, aerial roots can form. In no case should you cut them off, because with the help of such roots, the plant receives additional moisture and nutrition.

Few people know that monstera blooms. Its flowers look like a white lily, which has not yet fully blossomed. Unfortunately, getting a flower is very difficult. But if you pay special attention to caring for the monster at home, you can achieve its flowering.

But at home, you are unlikely to see the fruits of monstera at home, since special conditions are necessary for their appearance, which can only be created in a greenhouse or greenhouse.

How to properly care for a monster

Caring for a monstera flower at home comes down to the need to create natural conditions for its habitat. It is worth noting that the monstera are home to the tropics of America. To keep your plant healthy and happy long years special attention should be paid to lighting, watering, temperature regime and feeding.

Monstera lighting

Monstera needs bright lighting, but it should be protected from direct contact with leaves. sun rays... It is best to place the monster on the east or west side of the room. You can put a flower in the southern part of the room, but then it must be shaded so that the light is diffused. If you place the flowerpot on the north side, then it will really miss the light.

In the case when the lighting is ideal, your monstera will have large beautiful leaves with cuts, if there is not enough lighting, the leaves will become small, the aerial roots will be too weak, thin, and will cease to perform their direct function. Therefore, it is better to immediately decide on a place for your pet and not rearrange it unnecessarily.

Temperature regime

First of all, you need to understand that the higher the temperature, the faster and more actively your plant will develop. The following modes are optimal:

• spring-autumn - 20-25 degrees;
• winter - 16-18 degrees (it is allowed to lower the temperature to 10 degrees, but only for a very short time).

During the autumn-winter period, drafts can be very dangerous for monstera, so it is better not to experiment and prevent their appearance.

The frequency of watering a monstera flower depends on the season. If in the summer the monster should be watered often, as soon as the top layer of the earth dries out, then in the fall, watering should be slightly tempered, and in winter, water only a few days after the top layer of the substrate dries up. For watering, monsters use soft, settled water.

You should not allow not only overdrying the earth, but also excessive watering, since with an excess of moisture, the roots begin to rot, and the leaves are covered with spots.

Humidity

Regular spraying has a very positive effect on the monster. To do this, use water at room temperature, which is pre-defended for some time. In addition, it is periodically necessary to wipe the leaves from dust with a damp cloth.

Top dressing and fertilization of monstera

For young plants, feeding is optional, but adult flowers must be fed several times a month (1-2) with organic and mineral fertilizers. This should be done from mid-spring to late summer. In addition to feeding, do not forget to prop up the monster in time with special sticks or grates.

Circumcision

If an adult plant begins to slow down its growth, its top can be cut off. This stimulates the development of side branches.

The process of caring for a monster at home includes a transplant. The age of the monstera depends on how often it needs to be transplanted. Experienced gardeners recommend adhering to the following scheme:

• young plants are transplanted every year;
• plants aged 3-4 years are transplanted every two years;
• monsters from five years old are transplanted every 3-4 years.

The pot must be taken spacious. Drainage is laid at its bottom. The type of substrate, oddly enough, also depends on the age of the monstera:

• slightly acidic and neutral soil is suitable for young plants. A mixture of sand, turf, peat and humus earth in a ratio of 1: 1: 1: 2;
• for adult specimens of monstera, a mixture of turf, peat, humus and deciduous soil in a ratio of 3: 1: 1: 1: 1 is suitable.

Breeding monstera

Monstera is propagated in several ways: by seeds, cuttings and the top.

Seed propagation is pretty tricky. First you need to soak the seeds, cover with a cloth on top and place in a warm, sunny place. Sprouted seeds are planted in a warm and well-lit room. They begin to hatch after about a month. The first leaves do not have cuts, and adult leaves appear only after five to eight months. Caring for a young plant is reduced to diving and annual replanting.

Propagation by cuttings carried out from early spring to early summer. For propagation, use lateral processes, stems or upper cuttings (stem with several leaves). Places of cuts are treated with charcoal powder.

Each stalk is planted in a pot and covered with glass. Water the cuttings twice a day. After they take root, the cuttings are transplanted into new temporary pots, and after a couple of years into large and spacious pots or tubs.

Propagation by air layers ... This is the easiest type of flower reproduction. You need to take a layer that has a leaf and aerial roots. Cut gently from the stem and plant in the ground as an independent plant.

The monstera flower looks very beautiful in any interior. It looks especially attractive in a room not cluttered with furniture.

Monstera(Monstera) combines about fifty varieties of tropical evergreen vines with thick climbing stems and shrubs that are part of the Aroid family. Some types of these decorative foliage plants have very beautiful carved leaves. Broad monstera leaves dark green reach a length of 50 cm and are decorated with intricate cuts and holes different shapes... Many indoor plant lovers are happy to grow a monster at home, the care of which will not cause difficulties even for beginners. You will find photos of domestic species of these luxurious indoor plants below. A useful tips for the cultivation and reproduction of indoor monstera will help you take care of the plant yourself, preserving the decorative value of the luxurious leaves.

Some monstera species can grow up to twenty meters in a large greenhouse or in winter garden... But there are unpretentious indoor views, reaching at home 1-2 meters in height. For example, the popular monstera is attractive (gourmet, Monstera deliciosa). This fast-growing vine has very beautiful dark green pinnately dissected heart-shaped leaves with symmetrical cuts that can grow up to half a meter in width over time.

Many phytodesigners are happy to use this home monster to form a floristic composition during interior decoration. Together with the lush monster, it will be interesting to look at such popular indoor ornamental-deciduous plants as rubbery ficus or Benjdamina, palm-shaped dracaena Marginata or yucca with long leaves, a bamboo palm tree chamedorea, as well as unpretentious bushy or woody plants (chlorophytum, zygocactus flowers, Decembrist flowers zamioculcas Dollar tree or Crassula Money tree, flowering Kalanchoe).

- photo: M. gourmet

Indoor subspecies:

Such popular subspecies of gourmet monstera (see photo below), such as Monstera deliciosa borsigiana (Monstera deliciosa borsigiana) for small rooms, monstera variegated (Monstera variegata) with graceful cream-colored spots on the leaves, punched monstera (Monstera pertusa) with perforated leaves, unequal monstera (Monstera oblique) with asymmetrical leaves. Against the background of these large-leaved plants, small flowering indoor plants will look interesting - the phalaenopsis or dendrobium orchid, indoor hydrangea with bright flowers, gerbera with chamomile flowers, Chinese rose hibiscus, European cyclamen, tuberous begonia.

Flower:

The flower of the gourmet monstera is a bit like the flower of the popular spathiphyllum (Women's Happiness). Small flowers white collected in an inflorescence-ear, around which there is an elegant cream-colored blanket. Flowers in a room monstera appear quite rarely, which usually indicates correct and careful home care behind the plant. By the way, it is not by chance that this monster was called a delicacy. Fruit purple ripen for a long time (about a year) and have a peculiar taste that can be compared with the taste of ripe pineapple.

- photo: flower and fruit

It is interesting!

Monstera is not only very beautiful, but also useful indoor plant... For example, some features of this plant can tell you whether it will rain during the day or not. The fact is that monstera meets cloudy weather with large drops that fall from the leaves.

According to the Taoist practice of symbolic space exploration (feng shui), growing a monstera at home helps absorb the energies of disorder and chaos. Does a person live with you who does not appreciate order, can never find the right thing, throws clothes around the apartment? Monstera - the best choice for your home. In addition, this houseplant helps to become a person more flexible, collected, restrained.

♦ WHAT IS IMPORTANT!

Location and lighting.

Dredge and top dressing.

An earthen mixture can be made in several ways. The first option: mix humus, garden soil, peat and sand in equal parts. The second option is to mix humus, peat, leafy soil and sand in a ratio of 2: 3: 1: 1.

An adult monstera needs feeding. In spring and summer, organic and mineral fertilizers should be applied once every two weeks.

Transfer.

For transplanting, choose a not high, but wide pot, on the bottom of which you need to pour a drainage layer of expanded clay. Up to the age of three, the monster is transplanted annually. Then it is enough to replant the plant once every 2-3 years. An adult plant needs a support. Many growers install a wooden support next to the stem of the creeper, which can be wrapped in sphagnum, wrapping the moss with strong threads. Moss can be moistened and a fertilized solution can be added to it, which will allow the aerial roots to additionally nourish the monster with moisture and fertilizers.

Reproduction.

Popular methods for breeding monstera at home are air layering of shoots, apical cuttings and cuttings from the middle of the stem.

First, you need to overlay the stem with moistened moss and then wrap it with cling film, securing it with threads or thin wire. Separate the wrapped part of the stem after the roots appear and plant it in a prepared pot with earth mixture.

Apical cuttings should have a stem fragment with several leaves and an "eye" -bud. You can root the cutting in sand or sphagnum. We moisten the substrate and cover with a jar, airing and moisturizing the cutting daily. Rooting will take place within a month.