Monstera is a spectacular exotic plant that is often grown in an apartment or office. The culture is valued for its unpretentious nature, fast growth and beautiful carved leaves. In the natural environment, it blooms annually, and after large buds, even edible fruits form on it. But in an apartment or office, it is not so easy to achieve this from a plant. Whether Monstera blooms at home and what needs to be done for this will be discussed below.
A bit of history
Monstera is a member of the Aroid family. In its natural environment, culture can be found in the tropical forests of Central and South America. Here the plant reaches 40–50 meters in length. But at home, its size is much more modest.
The flower got its name for its huge size and bizarre shape (from monstrum - "monster", "monster", monstrous - "amazing"). A few centuries ago, it was believed that this plant is dangerous and capable of strangling other trees, even animals and people, with shoots. BUTits aerial roots were taken by the discoverers for predatory tentacles. In addition, the shoots often sprouted through the skeletons of those who died in the jungle. And the obliging imagination of travelers painted gloomy pictures. Therefore, the title of "killer" was assigned to the plant, many were afraid to grow it at home.
But even now the monster is distinguished from others and attributed to it with magical properties. For example, Amanita Nightshade appeared from the vine bud in the popular animated series Monster High: Blooming Twilight.
Botanical description
The evergreen creeper has a thick stem and many aerial roots with which it clings to supports and trees. In addition, some appendages sink into the soil and receive additional nutrition from it. The main feature of the flower is large carved leaves, reaching up to 50 cm in diameter. Moreover, the young plates are solid, but as they grow, bizarre cuts appear on them. And the larger the leaves, the more holes on them.
Monstera is a flowering plant. In the natural environment, buds appear on it every year, resembling a corncob wrapped in a blanket. A photo of a blooming monstera is given in the material. After the buds, a fruit is formed - a berry up to 20 cm long. It is edible and tastes like something between a banana and pineapple.
In some countries, the culture is bred precisely because of the sweet fruit. But getting a harvest at home is not easy. Only experienced flower growers will be able to see how the monstera blooms, get its fruits, who will create optimal conditions for the tropical beauty.
Rules for crop care
Monstera is an unpretentious plant, easy to care for. It is enough to provide the culture with regular watering, fertilizing and spraying so that it takes root and goes into rapid growth.
But if you want to see the buds of a plant, you will have to make a lot of effort. After all, monstera blooms at home, only if she creates a comfortable habitat close to natural. And for this you need to plant the plant in a suitable soil and pot, put the culture in a place with certain lighting and do not forget about regular feeding and watering. It is also important to provide the flower with maximum free space. Therefore, it should be placed in really spacious rooms. Then the exotic guest will delight you with large buds and edible fruits. But keep in mind that they will have to wait 7-8 years. A photo of how monstera blooms at home is shown below.
Temperature
In order for the monstera to bloom, keep the temperature in the room from spring to autumn within + 22 … + 25 ° C. In winter, the plant tolerates a decrease to +16 ° C, but it is not worth bringing it to this mark. In cooler conditions, flower growth and development slows down, buds do not appear on it.
To make the monstera feel comfortable, protect it from drafts, cold air coming from the air conditioner. In addition, it is undesirable to install a pot with a plant near radiators and heaters.
Lighting
Do you want to see a blooming monstera at home? Then provide exoticbeauty optimal lighting. The plant prefers bright but diffused light, without direct sunlight. The east or west side of the room will do. If growing monstera near a south window, then hang tulle or gauze over the flower at noon.
But in the north, a tropical guest will suffer from a lack of light. She, of course, will not die, but here the culture will cease to develop and will never bloom. In addition, carved holes are unlikely to appear on its leaves.
Water and humidity
Monstera is a tropical and moisture-loving plant. And in the summer, she needs abundant and regular watering. It is advisable to keep the soil moist, but not wet, because stagnant water in the soil rots the roots, and unattractive spots appear on the leaves. In winter, if you keep the flower in a cool room, water the soil moderately.
You can understand that you overdo it with irrigation by the droplets of liquid that form on the edges of the plates. If you notice this phenomenon, then reduce soil moisture to avoid root rot.
For watering, use only settled, soft water at room temperature. And it is also important to filter the liquid so that it does not contain lime impurities. Water the flower in the morning or evening. When irrigated at noon or at night, the leaves of the flower will begin to dry out.
Monstera flower blooms if additional foliar spraying is provided. It is especially important to carry out this event in the heat, when large leaves of the crop actively evaporate moisture. In winter, in cool conditions, it is enough to confine ourselves to hygienically cleaning the leaves from dust.
Feeding
You can watch how the monstera blooms if you regularly fertilize the soil. During the period of active growth, from April to September, feed the culture once every two weeks. Use mineral complexes suitable for decorative leafy or variegated plants. In winter, when the flower has a dormant period, cancel top dressing.
Fertilize after watering, otherwise the roots will get burned. For the same reason, do not exceed the dosage of drugs.
Transfer
Replant young plants every spring. When the flower reaches 4 years of age, hold a similar event every 3-4 years. And replant adult specimens no more than once every five years, but change the top layer of soil (2.5 cm) annually. Carry out the procedure using the transshipment method:
- Water the soil 3-4 hours before transplanting. Then the plant is easier to get out of the pot.
- At the bottom of the container, lay out a layer of drainage from broken bricks, expanded clay or pebbles. Cover it with a little earth.
- Carefully remove the flower from the pot, being careful not to damage the regular and aerial roots.
- Replant the crop into a new container along with an earthen clod.
- Fill voids with soil, lightly tap the sides of the pot to compact the substrate.
- Water the soil and put the flower in the usual place.
You will learn about which monstera needs a pot and substrate in the followingchapters.
Ground
To see how the monstera blooms, it is important to plant a tropical beauty in suitable soil. The culture prefers loose, fertile and light soil. A purchased mixture designed for palm trees or violets is suitable. To create your own substrate, mix ingredients like:
- two pieces of sod land;
- one piece of peat;
- part of perlite or coarse sand;
- one part of leafy soil or humus.
Add some charcoal, sphagnum and bark to this mixture. Before planting a flower, it is necessary to disinfect the soil. To do this, pour the substrate into the basin and pour boiling water over it, mix the mixture thoroughly. When the soil has cooled, spread it on a baking sheet in a 5 cm layer and bake in the oven for 30 minutes at 70-90 ° C.
Pot
When purchasing an exotic beauty and wanting to see how the monstera blooms, you must remember that this culture reaches an impressive size in a short time. Therefore, she needs a lot of free space and a large pot. It is advisable to choose clay containers with a glazed surface inside and out. Powerful monstera roots destroy plastic pots.
Grow young specimens in a regular bucket. But adult monsters will need spacious tubs. Keep in mind that in cramped pots, the plant lacks nutrients. And from this, its growth slows down, and its decorative qualities deteriorate. And even regular feeding will not fix the situation. Therefore, for a flower, choose voluminous tubs and pots.
Support
Don't forget that the plant is a creeper, so it is important to build a support. It is better for adult specimens to install hollow tubes with holes next to the containers. It is desirable to wrap their outer surface with coconut fiber, and fill the inner surface with moss, which must be kept moist. Then the plant will receive additional moisture. Guide the aerial roots of the flower into the holes of the tube to improve the stability of the crop.
Cutting
This event is held only for old specimens that have slowed down growth and development. During pruning, remove the top of the vine to encourage the growth of side shoots. Carry out the procedure with a sharp and disinfected knife. Sprinkle the cut with charcoal.
The cropped top, on which there is a leaf and a root, transplant into a new container. So you get another copy of the tropical beauty.
Aerial roots
Aerial roots come from each monstera leaf. These appendages cannot be cut. On the contrary, direct them to the soil. It is advisable to install additional pots with a nutrient substrate and root air shoots in them. So the culture will receive more nutrients and release buds.
Possible problems
Problems with the monstera only occur with improper care:
- In winter, the leaves of a tropical beauty turn yellow massively? This means that you are moisturizing the soil. Reduce watering, the plant will recover.
- If an exotic creeper leaves turn yellow and on thembrown spots appear, then the plant suffers from a lack of moisture.
- Do Monstera turn yellow and leaves fall off? This means that the flower suffers from insufficient air humidity. Spray the foliage frequently and place a container filled with water next to the pot.
- If the leaves turn pale, then the plant suffers from sunlight. Move the culture to a shady area.
- The tips of the creeper dry out if it gets cold air from the air conditioner or drafts. Moisture stagnation in the roots also leads to this phenomenon.
Now you know if the monstera blooms in the house and what the plant needs for this. Follow the rules of care and create comfortable conditions for an exotic beauty. She will thank with attractive buds.
