Can You Propagate Monstera?

Monstera is a popular genus of flowering plants most commonly grown as houseplants (with the most common species being Monstera Deliciosa, Monstera Borsigniana, and Monstera Variegata).

These plants are known for their resilient and hardy nature, producing a fantastic array of large green leaves featuring distinctive holes. 

While Monstera plants are easy to buy anywhere thanks to their popularity, one question that beginner plant owners always ask is “can you propagate Monstera?”.

Propagation is a fun activity that encourages hobbyists to grow new plant babies from a mother plant. Thanks to the beauty of Monstera plants, it makes sense why people might want to propagate them! 

If you’re wondering whether you can propagate Monstera, you’ve come to the right place. Here is everything you need to know about propagating Monstera plants! 

Can You Propagate Monstera?

The short answer is: yes! You can propagate Monstera. Monstera plants are as easy to propagate as they are to grow – you’ve just got to know exactly how to propagate them. 

How To Propagate Monstera 

Make A Cutting

Before we go into the various propagation methods, it’s important to understand how to make a proper cutting for all methods. Firstly, sterilize a pair of scissors, shears, or a knife and wash your hands. 

Then, identify part of the Monstera plant that has at least one node. Take your scissors and cut about an inch below the node at a 45-degree angle. Ideally, there should be 1-2 leaves on this cutting.  

Remove any sheathing at the stem of the cutting because this will rot in the propagation process.  

Propagating Monstera In Water

Step 1: Prepare The Cutting

Once you’ve got your cutting, make sure to remove sheathing and aerial nodes. While you can technically leave aerial nodes on the cutting, this will help allow room for the roots to grow in the glass jar. 

Step 2: Prepare The Jar

Set up your propagation station (or glass jar) in a place that receives bright, indirect sunlight. An east-facing or west-facing window is ideal for this, so the cutting can receive morning and evening sunlight without the risk of scorching. 

Fill the jar with cool, clean water from the tap. You can also boil water and allow it to cool to room temperature to kill bacteria and chlorine. 

Step 3: Submerge The Cutting

When submerging the cutting into the water, make sure that the node is completely submerged and the leaf isn’t touching the water. If the leaf comes into contact with the water, the propagation might not be successful. 

Step 4: Change The Water 

Plants need fresh water to survive, so try to change the water as often as possible. We recommend changing it at least once a week.  

Step 5: Repot The Cutting

It typically takes about 2 weeks for the roots to appear, which is always fun to watch with the water method. Wait until the roots are at least 2 inches long, because this is a sign that the root system is developing and ready to move into a pot. Just make sure the roots aren’t rotten or rotting. 

Fill a small pot (with suitable drainage holes) with a potting mix of soil with well-draining organic matter, such as perlite or pumice. Plant the cutting into the soil and give it a good soak. 

Step 6: Care As Usual 

For the next 8 weeks or so, you will need to water the cutting once a week to ensure the soil is always moist. After this time, the watering frequency can slow down to how often you’d normally water a Monstera. 

After this, you can continue to care and repot the cutting as usual. 

Propagating Monstera In Soil 

Step 1: Prepare The Soil 

Propagating Monstera in soil starts off the exact same as propagating in water. You’ll need to make the exact same cutting, but instead of propagating the cutting in a jar of water, you will be planting it directly into the soil. 

Make a soil mixture in a small pot with drainage holes. This mixture should consist of normal potting soil with either perlite or pumice, as this will provide enough aeration to keep the soil moist but not waterlogged. 

In terms of the size of the pot, opt for something that is relative to the size of the cutting. A pot too small can restrict the roots from growing, while a pot too big can overwhelm the cutting. 

Step 2: Plant The Cutting

The best way to plant the Monstera cutting into the pot is to fill the pot halfway with the soil mixture, then plant the cutting and fill the rest with soil. This is the gentlest way to prevent accidentally ripping the cutting or the node while planting it into the soil. 

Give the soil a nice amount of water and allow it to drain properly. 

Step 3: Find The Right Place 

Place the pot in a position that receives bright and indirect sunlight. Exposure to direct sunlight can burn the leaves, so try to stick to east-facing or west-facing windows. 

Step 4: Mist And Water 

As with the water propagation method, your cutting will need to stay in moist soil until the root system has developed properly. This should be around 8 weeks of weekly watering, after which you can then care for the plant as you normally would.  

Step 5: Check The Roots 

The one downside to soil propagation is that you can’t see how the roots are developing (unlike with the water method). So, the best way to check how the roots are is by lightly tugging the top of the cutting.

If the plant shows resistance, it means the roots are developing just fine. Once the roots start to appear at the bottom of the pot, this is a sign that it needs to be repotted. 

Conclusion

So, there you have it! Not only can you propagate Monstera, but these houseplants are notoriously easy to propagate in either soil or water. Neither method is better than the other, but we typically prefer the water method so you can see the root system begin to form.

Happy propagating!