If you have had a monstera at home for a while, it will surely have grown on you. It is possible that many. So much so that you wonder when to prune a monstera to have more visibility.
If this is your case and you have already prepared the scissors to cut the monstera, what if we told you when you should do it and we help you know how to cut it so that nothing happens to him or suffers? Dark.
Contents
Why prune a monstera?
As you know, the genus of monsteras includes a large number of plants, more precisely, 45. Many of them have perforated leaves, which, perhaps, is what most attracts the attention of these plants. In addition, they grow quite quickly, adapt well to any climate and are not too difficult in care.
However, every x time it is necessary to subject them to a size because they need it. Remove dead, weak, crossing, downward growing leaves…are some of the tasks that are undertaken in pruning.
Keep in mind that a monstera can grow a lot, and sometimes wildly, invade the space that we don’t want, or that another plant occupies. When left to its own devices, it can run wild, become uneven, or even damage (grow on one side and not the other).
For these reasons, size matters. Not only for aesthetics, but also for health.
When to Prune a Monstera
While there is a quick answer to this question you may be asking yourself right now (in the summer the plant usually grows a lot more and you can see yourself struggling), the truth is that there actually is. another more complex answer.
The simple answer to when to prune a monstera is to tell yourself that they are always pruned in the spring. Not in late summer and early spring, but in this season, when the heat has not yet set in. This means that it is better to be in the middle of the season (for the month of April-May) because that way it does not suffer from extreme cold or heat.
Now we said there is a more complex answer. And that’s it, although it is in the spring when to prune a monstera; This does not mean that during other seasons you cannot perform maintenance pruning. That is to say, to remove a leaf because it fell ill, to cut it because it has a plague… These are minimal cuts, it is not a size in itself, but the objective is to clean up or avoid trouble.
How to Prune a Monstera
Now you know when to prune a monstera. So now the only thing you should be interested in is how to do it. If you just want to cut it, there’s really no mystery; but if you want to cut it and take cuttings (for example, to give to friends or family), then there are some points you need to consider.
What do you need to prune a monstera
Let’s start with the tools you’ll need to carve it. Much will depend on its size. But in general you will need some thick gloves. The reason is that, in case you don’t know, monstera is poisonous, and if you just touch it, when you cut the liquid in it, it can irritate you a lot, even more dangerous if it penetrates through a wound. Therefore, protect yourself well.
The next item you need are some gardening scissors. You need to make sure they are sharp to make clean cuts and also that they are sanitized. You can do the latter by wiping with an alcohol-soaked cloth. Be careful not to cut yourself.
Finally, we could recommend you have stairs within easy reach. If your monstera is already tall and has grown vertically, then you need to reach the top, and that’s where the ladders come in. At this point, if possible try to have another person by your side to watch them and thus avoiding accidents.
plan the cut
With all the tools ready, it’s time to look at the plant and see the leaves that have deteriorated (as well as the stems) and mark them for removal. Since it is a plant that usually has many stems, so as not to get lost among them and end up cutting off those that are not, we suggest you put a rope or a bow to the branches and leaves that you see fit to cut.
This way, you will later know how to direct the scissors to the correct parts.
This, yes, we do not recommend that you make many cuts, as well as not to shake it. The reason for this is that the monstera is a little sensitive to pruning and doesn’t like them very much (in fact, it’s not recommended to transplant it at this time as it will be very weak and can easily get sick at this time). stadium) .
where to cut
We have already told you how to mark the branches and leaves to be removed. But how to cut? Is it important to go higher? Or at the base?
The experts’ suggestion is cut just below the nodes. Why there? Because if you do it that way, the plant will have a better chance of recovering faster and also giving a stronger stem.
Cut to make cuttings
One of the reasons for pruning a monstera may also be that you want to take cuttings from it. In other words, reproduce your mother plant. This can be done, especially since several times, through these nodes that we mentioned before, aerial roots come out and these, in contact with the earth, develop the roots that allow a new plant to settle, small, but new and totally with the same behavior as the mother.
Some people prune monstera for this purpose, but instead of placing them in individual pots (or in other jars) what they do is put them in. This is done especially when the plant has run out of leaves and stems and therefore it is given a bulkier look. In general, they can survive together if they have the pot or enough space, so there would be no problem in this regard.
There are those who leave cuttings in water to develop roots; others plant them directly. It depends on each one because both methods work well.
And so far. You know when to prune a monstera and how to do it. Do you dare to take the scissors now?