How to Make Monstera Grow Fast

The Monstera plant is among the most iconic houseplants, judging from its prolonged use in house beautification. According to Wikipedia, there are around 45 species of the monstera plant, each growing to a height of about 20 meters. The most common household monstera plants are the Monstera deliciosa, which has large heart-shaped leaves and the Monstera adansonii (pictured above). 

Due to its incredible popularity, impatient Monstera owners the world over are desperate to know how to encourage their plants to grow faster. There’s no simple answer to this question but if you look after your plant well, giving it the best care and optimal conditions for good general health, you’ll have the best chance at fast Monstera growth. To encourage this growth you’ll need to ensure you have the correct soil, watering frequency, humidity and exposure to light. Adding to those basics with some fertilizer will also help make the Monstera plant grow as fast as it can.

What’s the right type soil for my Monstera?

There are many types of soils and combinations that will give you Monstera the food it needs to keep it healthy and give it the best chance for fast growth.

The most common soils and mixtures include:

• A combination of half potting soil and a half of coco fibre and peat moss
• A half of potting soil and a half of coco chips or orchid bark
• Three quarters of potting soil and a quarter of perlite or pumice

The above combinations will guarantee that the plant has enough nutrients to thrive. 

How much water does my Monstera need?

The Monstera roots should never lack water supply. There is no standard rule for how often to water it, but regular checks of the soil will help determine if it’s time to water the Monstera. 

The following ways will help in checking if your plant needs watering:  

• Dip a wooden stick into the soil: If the stick comes out wet, the plant has enough water. However, if the stick comes out dry, then the plant needs water. 
• Alternatively, you could use a houseplant moisture meter: This is a small gadget that can be found in hardware stores. When placed deep in the soil, if it reads as low as 3-4 it’s time to give it a drink.

Give your Monstera the right kind of light

Ensuring the plant gets adequate light is among the most vital things for the overall health of a Monstera and as we’ve mentioned, keeping your plant healthy will increase the chances of faster growth. To help with this, ensure that your Monstera gets plenty of indirect sunlight throughout the day. 

Exposing your plant to direct sunlight for too long will have dire effects on the plant. However, if direct sunlight is the only option, don’t exceed 3 hours and preferably make it morning sunlight so it is not too intense.

Using fertilizer to encourage faster Monstera growth

Fertilizer is a nice extra to help encourage faster growth, the most common fertilizer used is a water-soluble houseplant fertilizer with salt compounds. For instance, the Miracle-Gro all-purpose plant food will provide the right nutrients to ensure a nice and healthy Monstera. For optimal results should feed your plant every 7-14 days. 

The best time for adding fertilizers is in the summer and spring. Conversely, there’s no need to add fertilizer in the winter and fall seasons since the plants will be unlikely to grow during these seasons. In winter plants need to conserve their energy. Some do this by dropping leaves, if this happens don’t worry, your plant is not dying. Another critical point to note is that adding excess fertilizer might damage the soil and burn the plant’s roots. So don’t get carried away!

What about humidity?

Monsteras can survive in pretty much any humidity, but we’re here to talk about optimal conditions. we want them thriving! Monsteras come from the tropics where it’s hot and there is plenty of moisture in the air. Therefore the more humid you can make it the more the Monstera will like it. Aiming for humidity above 40% is good, around 80% would be ideal.

There are different ways of increasing the humidity of your plants. The easiest and cheapest way is spraying some water on the leaves every morning. Another option is using a humidifier that helps control the room humidity. 

Accelerating the growth and climbing of your Monstera

Adhering well to the points mentioned earlier will ensure the plant grows at least 2 feet annually. To ensure this isn’t just 2 feet of bulk we’d suggest adding a climbing stick to the pot so that your Monstera can wrap themselves around it and continue to grow tall and proud.

What if the Monstera is not growing? If the Monstera stays for months without any new leaves, it probably means it’s not getting enough sunlight. At this point, the plant needs good placement with indirect sunlight, as mentioned above. 

Wrapping it all up

The most vital things you can do to ensure the fastest growth possible is to ensure your Monstera is as healthy as possible. To do that you need to ensure you’re giving it the right type of soil, fertilizer, humidity, and watering.

To grow fast, Monsteras need nutrient-rich soil that should be watered as soon as the soil is about to dry. For optimal conditions try to achieve a high humidity of above 40%; however, the best humidity range for faster growth is between 60% and 80%. Adhering to the guide above will help guarantee the plants’ growth with about 2 feet annually.