Monstera Siltepecana isn’t the most common houseplant. That’s because it’s a flowering plant native to the South of Mexico and most of Central America. Outside of the area, it’s only found if someone has imported and brought it over to their home.
This type of plant has to be planted in its own way, kept in the right conditions, and grown with care to ensure that the plant grows well. While this isn’t too much work, it’s always best to know the plant you’re going to be working with before you get it. That’s why in this guide, we’re going to be outlining everything you need to know about caring for your Monstera Siltepecana from the day you get it, so you can make sure that it grows right.
How To Care For Your Monstera Siltepecana
Even though the Monstera Siltepecana doesn’t require an extreme amount of handling, there are still things you need to do to make sure that it grows and thrives. When you take care of the plant, it’ll be able to grow fast and healthy at the same time.
Soil
The best time to plant the Monstera Siltepecana is during the spring (or growing season). When you buy the plant, it’ll most likely come in a small pot already, with lots of roots sticking out of the drainage holes. You should gently wiggle the plant out and unravel the roots just a little bit to loosen them up and then plant them in the new soil. Ensure that the soil is draining, and if you’re using pre-fertilized soil, make sure to leave it be for a few months, so you’re not overpowering the plant with fertilizer.
Light
Light has to be one of the most important aspects of growing plants. Some plants need lots of sunlight, and others will fry if they get too much. Monstera Siltepecana lies somewhere in the middle. This plant doesn’t like direct sunlight but can tolerate an hour or two of it a day. Generally, having it by a window that’s covered with a curtain or just placing it in the room away from the window altogether would be best.
Water
Monstera Siltepecana is a tropical plant. That means that it won’t need too much water because its roots can end up soaking too much and end up rotting because of it. Water this plant moderately. This means that you don’t really need to water it every day. Just do the one-inch test by sticking your finger, or a stick, into the soil when it looks dry enough, and make sure that the top layer, around one to two inches, is dry. Overwatering the plant could ruin it very fast.
Humidity
Since this is a tropical plant, it fares well in moderate to high humidity levels. So if you’re in a drier area, and notice that your Monstera Siltepecana isn’t looking too great, put a humidifier near it, and it should get back to normal soon enough.
Temperature
With plants, it’s always the best idea to make their environment as similar to their natural environment as possible. As far as the temperature goes, the plant wouldn’t really do well in super cold areas. To make sure it grows right, keep it in a warm area. Room temperature works too.
Fertilizer
Since the Monstera Siltepecana doesn’t start off too big, it doesn’t really need a lot of fertilizer. If you’ve planted the roots into simple soil, you can use a diluted version of general fertilizer for this one as well. Just make sure you’re only using it once or twice a year maximum to keep it from being over-fertilized.
Propagation
One great thing about the Monstera Siltepecana plant is that it’s very easy to propagate it. Once the plant starts to grow and rise, you’ll notice that a lot of the smaller leaves have little roots sprouting out of them. That’s also how the plant holds on to a stem. All you have to do is cut it right there and place the root in water for a few days. Once that root starts to grow and spread, you can remove it from the water and plant it in new soil. Just remember to wait long enough to let the roots grow long enough to be planted so it can actually grow right away once it’s in the soil.
Pruning
Even though you’d want to save every little leaf that grows out of the plant, it’s important that you’re also pruning the plant as it grows to make sure none of the resources are being wasted on dead leaves. The first thing you need to do is find the node on the leaf. That’s where the leaf is growing out of. First, see if you can twist it very gently. If it’s dead enough, it would just fall right off, but if it doesn’t, you can cut it. Place your plant scissors directly above the node, and snip in one clean snip. You’ll easily cut the leaf off of there, and the new one will be able to grow in from the same node without a problem.
You can also prune the plant if it’s grown in the wrong direction or is overgrowing. The same technique would apply either way.
Climbing
Since Monstera Siltepecana is a vining plant, it’s going to eventually grow long enough that it starts climbing out of the pot and grabbing the surfaces around it as it goes. In the wild, they just grab onto the other plants around them, and they all come together to support one another. In homes, they’ll start grabbing objects that are in their way, which also leads them to start growing in all sorts of different directions. Instead of letting the plant figure it out, use posts, poles, and threads to guide it in the right direction.
Monstera Siltepecana Growing Tips And Guide
Want to avoid some common problems with your Monstera Siltepecana? Here are some growing tips that can help you maintain your plant’s health.
- Make sure you’re planting it when the roots are ready
- Get draining soil
- Don’t over-fertilize or overwater the plant
- Keep it away from direct sunlight
- Ensure that the plant is around the right humidity levels
- Keep it in a warm room
- Dilute the fertilizer to half strength before using it
- Prune as required
- Guide it to climb right
Monstera Siltepecana Common Problems And How to Treat them
Although it’s fairly easy to grow a Monstera Siltepecana right, there are some problems you might face. Whenever the Monstera Siltepecana plant is having trouble, it’ll communicate those problems using physical signs. For every plant owner, it’s important to always stay on top of what your plant’s warning signs are, so you can step in and help immediately.
Below are four of the most common problems that your Monstera Siltepecana might go through and how you can treat them.
Leaves Browning
Since the Monstera Siltepecana can be a little sensitive to its surroundings, there are times when the leaves just don’t grow right. If you’re noticing that your perfectly healthy leaves one day turned brown or even had white spots all over them, then you’re doing something wrong. This is a clear sign that your plant is dehydrated. That doesn’t necessarily mean that you didn’t water it enough, although you might want to do the poke test to see if that could be the case. If it’s not, check where it’s placed. If the area gets too much direct sunlight every day, the plant might end up getting dehydrated because of it. Not only that, but if the place is too cold and doesn’t have the appropriate humidity levels, the plant feels extra dry. So check all three to figure out which one of them could be bothering the leaves, and then make the appropriate changes to the plant’s environment to fix that immediately.
Leaves Not Growing
Even though the Monstera Siltepecana is a vining plant and tends to grow quite fast, it’s still not an overnight change. The growth may still take weeks to become substantial. So if you’re noticing that the small, juvenile leaves on your plant just aren’t growing, there could be two things at play.
The first one is that it is growing but not fast enough for your eye to be able to notice it. If you’re going to check up on the plant over and over again in a span of days, you might just feel like the leaves aren’t growing, even if they are. A great way to not let that happen is by taking before and after photos and setting bi-weekly reminders to go check up on the growth. That way, you’ll know for sure if the plant actually isn’t growing out the way you’d want it to.
However, if even after that you’ve come to the conclusion that the leaves have stopped growing, see if the plant is placed in the right spot. If the plant is in the constant shade and hasn’t really been exposed to any sunlight for a while, it’ll stop growing. Make sure your plant is close enough to the window to get ample indirect sunlight and grow as much as it possibly can.
Dry Leaves
Touch the Monstera Siltepecana and see if the leaves feel soft yet sturdy because that’s what they’re supposed to feel like. If they don’t and you see them curling up from all sides, the plant may be dehydrated. Here you would first try to give it some more water and wait a couple of days before doing anything. If the leaves heal up and start to grow again, you’ll stop here, but if they don’t, there are two more things you can do.
The first one would be to use a humidifier and give the plant the added moisture it needs. If that doesn’t work, the dry leaves might be a goner, and you will have to cut them off and do a complete purge of your plant.
Yellow Leaves
If the leaves of the Monstera Siltepecana plant start turning yellow, there’s something wrong with the water again. This only happens when the plant is getting far too much water, so you need to cut back on that immediately and let the plant dry out, and then water it appropriately.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Monstera Siltepecana Grow Fast?
Yes, the Does Monstera Siltepecana grows very fast, and if it’s potted in a small pot, you’ll have to change the pot to a bigger one frequently for it to be right. If you do know how to care for plants, you’ll have a much easier time figuring things out.
Is Monstera Siltepecana Toxic to Pets?
Yes. Monstera Siltepecana is extremely toxic for pets. So if your pet likes to chew on everything, you might want to keep her away from the crime scene.
Where Can I Get Monstera Siltepecana?
While you could find one of these plants at a local garden center, it’s highly likely that you won’t. Instead of going local like that, go online and see if they have any power missions around to get one for yourself too.
When Will the Siltepecana Develop The Holes?
One of the most unique physical features of this plant is the holes. These holes really add to the overall look. However, if your Monstera Siltepecana isn’t getting the holes, it’s just not strong enough to do so. Give it some time to heal and fix the mess here because the healthier it’ll be. As long as you’re following all of the major tips named above, you’ll have a great time growing a grand plant.
Wrapping It Up
The Monstera Siltepecana is a plant that anyone can grow if they know what they’re doing. The good thing is that this plant isn’t very fussy and granted you’re doing a good job taking care of its water, sunlight, and humidity needs, the plant will be just fine! Just follow all the tips we’ve outlined in the post, and your tiny plant will be on growing big in no time!
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