Whenever I share a monstera cutting with someone who has never grown a monstera before, I always take good advice.
This ranges from lighting to irrigation and humidity regulation. And it makes it easier for budding monstera plants to know what to expect on their journey.
One thing I try to remember is the color of the plants. Most people have become accustomed to dark green monstera leaves and expect the same from their plants.
And although this is the norm, it is not always true, especially for young leaves. So I tell parents of new plants to calm down when your new monstera leaves are light green. Over time, the leaves should take on a dark green hue.
So what causes a light green tint in young monstera leaves? And is there anything that can cause mature leaves to turn light green?
The reason your monstera turns light green is because its foliage needs more light and isn’t getting enough water. Other problems include root binding and lack of nutrients.
A young monstera leaf starts out light green and darkens as it ages as the chlorophyll in the leaves increases.
I cover these crucial topics in this guide.
Contents
Why are young Monstera leaves light green?
A lot can happen when a monstera sprouts new leaves. At first, the leaves curl inward, which may surprise new parents a bit.
Second, the leaves take on a light green hue that contrasts with the other monstera leaves. And if I have a mature plant with young leaves, I usually show it to anyone taking a cutting so they can visualize these changes.
Let’s start with normal leaf growth. Monstera leaves are folded and remain folded for a week or more.
When the conditions are ideal (light, humidity and temperature), the leaves unfold and begin to take on an adult size. hardening.
Over time, the leaves will expand, causing the divisions characteristic of these plants (pattern visible only in mature plants). And once the leaves reach their adult size, they begin to darken like the chlorophyll increase in leaves.
There is a scientific explanation behind all of this. The green dye in leaves, known as chlorophyll, is most present in mature leaves.
This is because they are responsible for making the food that gives the plant the energy it needs to produce and maintain the leaves.
At this stage, the young leaf is dependent on adult leaves for food and energy, so it does not need a dark green dye. As the leaf ages, it begins to develop more chlorophyll, so it can also contribute to photosynthesis.
Why are my Monstera leaves turning light green?
Your monstera leaves will only remain light green in their developmental stages. But when mature, they should be a dark green hue.
However, sometimes they do not achieve this tone. Or catch it and lose it on the line. What causes these problems? See possible causes below:
1) The Monstera needs more light
The presence of light energizes monstera leaves and helps them convert water and nutrients into food. And all this is possible when the plant has enough chlorophyll, which can be seen in the dark green tint of the leaves.
However, when the plant receives little light, it cannot produce food. So you put certain activities on hold and instead focus on growing or leaning towards the light.
Such a plant not only has light green mature leaves, but can also display:
- yellowing on the leaves,
- bad or little leaf development,
- retarded or absent growth,
- A high degree of water retention in the soil despite a regular irrigation schedule
Such a plant will lack energy and chlorophyll production will suffer. If you don’t act fast enough, the plant will deplete its energy reserves and could die if it doesn’t reach a light source in time.
How to repair the lighting?
The first thing to remember is that the monstera grows filtered light In nature. So you don’t need bright, direct light.
Instead, it can survive in bright, indirect light. Second, the plant needs at least 10 hours of this light. That being said, you can bring it back to health by:
- Move the plant to an east or south facing window where it can get plenty of light. Avoid the west-facing window if SunAfternoon sunlight is often too harsh on the plant and can be wound its leaves
- Add artificial light near the plant if natural light is insufficient. This helps you achieve the minimum of 10 hours and therefore stimulates photosynthesis.
- Change the location of the plant if it shows signs of excessive light exposure, such as sunbathe on the edges or pendant due to excessive water loss, and
- Rotate the plant weekly to allow all sides to receive plenty of light.
In two to four weeks, the plant will regain its health and begin to produce more chlorophyll to continue producing food.
Always keep the plant in such lighting conditions and move it with the seasons, and you will almost never have a problem with lighting.
2) The Monstera has water problems
The monstera is native to tropical regions, so its water needs are a concern. You can fall short in two ways:
The Monstera needs more water
A stressed plant will barely produce enough chlorophyll and this may be visible on the leaves.
This is because the plant will focus on survival, which you can do by slowing down the plant’s other activities, pendant reduce the surface exposed to the sun, etc. Underwater, this can happen because:
- Does not follow a regular watering schedule, so the Earth stays dry for days or weeks,
- You used a soil with low water retention, or
- The temperatures are high, for example in summer, and you use the same irrigation regime.
These factors deprive the plant of water, so that it loses more water to the environment than it absorbs through its roots.
Monstera leaves, unable to produce food, take on a light green color. And if left unchecked, the leaves may turn yellow and begin to fall off the plant.
The Monstera needs less water
Underwatering is the least serious water problem. Overwatering can kill your plant before you are even aware of its existence.
Is that how it works. When a monstera receives too much water, the roots are in the water. And because the water is more than the monstera needs, the plant doesn’t use most of it.
As a result, the roots stay in oxygen-poor water for a long time, creating an ideal place for fungal diseases. These diseases begin to attack the roots and destroy the base of the plant.
Eventually, the monstera begins to die from the inside, causing problems such as slow growth, wilting, then yellowing leaves and leaf drop.
Excess water can be the result of:
- Use a soil with too much water retention,
- Not following a regular watering regimen, and
- Use the same watering schedule for all seasons.
Your monstera is better underwater than underwater.
Coping with water problems
You can solve and avoid the above watering problems by:
- Follow a regular watering schedule. Don’t water the monstera until the top two inches of soil are dry to the touch. If you don’t know how to check, you can check with your finger or use a moisture meter.
- Make sure the potting soil drains well so that drainage and retention are balanced,
- Adjust the irrigation schedule according to the seasons, for example, reduce during the colder months when water consumption decreases.
if your monstera has suffered rotten rootyou will need to remove it from its current boat and remove the affected parts with a sharp knife.
Then take care of the rest domain with a fungicide and replant the monstera in fresh potting soil in another pot. Water it and let the excess drain off before placing the plant in a spot with bright indirect light.
The plant should begin to regain its color two to three weeks after the watering issue is resolved.
At some point, the monstera will outgrow its current pot, leaving the roots no choice but to:
- turn around each other
- Get out of the waterholes, or
- Find space above the floor.
These signs indicate that the plant is rootbound and has no room for growth. domain grow. And such a plant does not have access to enough soil to provide it with water and nutrients.
So leaf bleaching is just the start of a long line of problems. You need to identify the presence of the root binder and treat it.
Dealing with Root-Bound Monstera
This is how you transplant your monstera:
- Check to see if the plant has attached roots by watering it the night before. Then slide it out of the pot and check the condition of the domain. If they are cramped, your plant needs more space to grow.
- Find a pot 2 inches (5.1 cm) larger than your current pot and fill it one-third full with fresh, well-drained potting soil.
- Place the monstera in the potting soil, fill the pot with the rest of the soil and water the plant.
Your plant should get used to its new home within a few days or weeks and will soon have dark green foliage.
4) Your Monstera needs more nutrients
Water, light and nutrients (drum roll)! Your monstera depends on nitrogen to develop chlorophyll and healthy leaves. When you first plant your monstera, it draws its nitrogen from the soil.
But over time, this nutrient is depleted and your monstera will struggle to produce chlorophyll. Thus, the growth takes a hit and the leaves turn light green.
Increase nitrogen in the potting mix.
There are two ways to do this:
- You can repot the monstera every two years and give it a fresh potting mix. In this case, it may depend on the nutrients in the soil mixture and grow quite well.
- You can fertilize it during the active growing season with a diluted, balanced 20-20-20 liquid food. Do this monthly and the plant should be fine.
Keep in mind that over-fertilizing can harm your plant. Therefore, you cannot test the measures below at the same time. Choose one and keep it. And always give your plant rest so it can use the food.
You may also be interested in: How to Care for a Monstera
final thoughts
Did you know Monstera can produce new leaves all year round at the right temperature.
If you can maintain a 70 degree range with at least 50% humidityyou can expect new leaves as the seasons change.
And if the plant has enough water, light and nutrients, the leaves will not lose their aesthetically pleasing dark green tint.
Happy gardening!