Bloomsprouts: Learn How to Care for Your Houseplants

Imagine growing your Monstera in water with beautiful clear vase. It will become a unique centrepiece for your home. But, can Monstera grow in water? Monstera can grow easily in soft water that is replaced at least once a week. Rinse the roots to avoid bacterial developments and use liquid hydroponic fertilizer to promote growth. This article will cover in detail considerations for growing Monstera in water. Also, the ideal conditions to make sure your water-grown Monstera can thrive. Let's get started! Also Read: How to Care for Your Monstera (Complete Guide) Why Grow Your Monstera in Water? Over time, it is less expensive to grow a Monstera in water, and you can avoid messes from potting soil and reduce problems with houseplant pests like soil gnats. In addition to easier plant care, it's also an attractive and unique way to display your plants. Use any vessel you'd like, from a clear drinking glass to a colorful, decorative vase. Benefits of Growing Your Monstera in Water There's no mess from the potting soil. This aspect is especially beneficial if you have pets that dig in your potted plants on occasion.You don't need to remember to water, meaning it takes less time and effort to care for your plants. Simply change the water every couple of weeks.Water is significantly cheaper than potting soil. Monsteras tend to be fast growers, and transplanting them into larger pots so that they don't become rootbound is messy and expensive over time. When you keep your Monstera in water, you can conveniently move it to a larger container as it grows, or divide the vine to propagate it into a new plant.Plants grown in water tend to have less frequent problems with pests, such as gnats that feed on organic matter in potting soil and lay their eggs in the soil. It's fun and intriguing to watch your plant's roots grow along with the leaves, and an eye-catching way to incorporate transparent or opaque vases into your home decor.Growing your plants in a glass or vase takes up less space than a pot full of soil. How To Clean the Monstera's Roots The first thing you should do when getting ready to grow a Monstera in water is thoroughly clean the roots. Be as gentle as possible, but don't worry if a few roots snap off in the cleaning process. It's crucial to remove as much excess soil as feasible to prevent root rot. Use an old toothbrush to softly scrub the roots and clear away potting soil from the joints and crevices. The Monstera will soon start to grow new water roots, which are lighter in color than soil roots. The plant will eventually shed the old soil roots. What To Do About Root Rot If you ever notice black or slimy roots, be sure to prune them off immediately to stop root rot from spreading further. Then wash the remaining roots with a 3% hydrogen peroxide solution to kill the bacteria, and rinse with fresh water. Disinfect the container and replace the plant in the vase with clean water. Also read: How to Fix Monstera Suffering from Root Rot? How To Change the Monstera's Water Aside from cleaning the roots, changing the water often is the most critical part of successfully growing a Monstera in water. While there's no set rule for this, you should give your Monstera fresh water at least once a week. When changing the water, you should also rinse your Monstera's roots under a strong water stream. This allows you to remove any lingering potting soil and discourages bacterial growth. What Kind of Water is Best? The best water to propagate Monstera is rain water. Besides being natural, rainwater is usually soft, which makes it a good option. However, regular tap water is adequate for growing a Monstera. If you have hard water, the excess buildup of minerals will sometimes prevent the plant's root system from absorbing enough oxygen. In this case, using distilled or filtered water instead of tap water is an effective solution. How To Choose the Best Fertilizer When Monsteras are growing in water, you need to provide them with the micronutrients that they usually get from the soil and macronutrients that they get from traditional fertilizer. You need to select a fertilizer that is designed for hydroponics to make sure that your plants get the proper balance of nutrients that they need. When Monsteras grow in traditional potting soil, they absorb nutrients from organic matter in the soil. Using regular liquid fertilizer when you left Monstera in water will cause it to lack nutrients in certain areas while overloading them in others. Also Read: How to Choose Fertilizer to Encourage Monstera Growth? Monsteras and Fish If you have an aquarium or fish tank, use the fish water for your Monstera when you clean the tank. The fish droppings are a superb fertilizer for plants, and you won't have to add any extra hydroponic fertilizer. However, it would be best if you did not keep a fish living directly in with the Monstera's roots. Fish need to live in a heated and filtered tank. Most people find that Monsteras are too large and fast-growing to be a suitable aquarium plant. Considerations for Growing a Monstera in Water While there are many advantages to growing a Monstera in water, there are also various considerations to keep in mind when deciding if it's the right option for you. Several factors to look at are the amount of available space in your home, your aesthetic preferences, and your personal schedule. Here are a few points to think about when determining whether or not to try growing your Monstera in water. Drawbacks of Growing a Monstera in Water Algae Growth in Water Algae growth is inevitable. Although it's not harmful to the plant and is actually a sign of healthy water, some people find algae unsightly. Using an opaque vase helps to make the algae less noticeable. Rinse the Monstera's roots off each time you change the water to keep the algae growth minimal. Use an old toothbrush to gently scrub the roots if the algae do not come off by rinsing. Slimy Monstera Roots You do need to remember to change the water regularly to keep the plant healthy. If you do forget to change the water for a while, your Monstera may develop slimy roots. This is the result of bacterial growth. Remove the plant from the water and rinse all roots thoroughly under a strong stream of water. Next, you’ll need to trim off any dead or damaged roots and rinse the roots in a 3% hydrogen peroxide solution to kill any remaining bacteria. Don’t forget to disinfect the glass or vase before refilling it with fresh water and replacing the plant. Slower and Smaller Growth Growing Monstera in water sometimes results in slower growth. That being said, a healthy Monstera in water will still grow faster than an unhealthy one in potting soil. Here’s the kicker, Monsteras kept in water do not grow as large as those grown in potting soil. If you have limited space, this might be an advantage. However, if you want a full-size Monstera, you may need to transplant it into a pot with soil after a while. Everyone has a unique situation and perspective, and there's no right or wrong answer for how to grow a beautiful Monstera. A perfect option for one person might not be right for another. If you try keeping your Monstera in water and discover that, after a bit of time passes, it's not working out for you, that's fine. It's simple enough to transplant it into some potting soil. Ideal Growing Conditions for a Monstera Deliciosa Growing a Monstera in water is very straightforward. The best way to set yourself up for success when growing any kind of plant is to make sure that you're giving it the proper levels of light, temperature, and humidity. Monsteras thrive in bright, indirect light. They should be kept out of direct sunlight to avoid burning the leaves. If your Monstera is not getting enough light, you will notice elongated, "leggy" growth. Also Read: How Much Light Does a Monstera Need? Monstera needs high humidity to flourish Monsteras will tolerate average room humidity levels, but they do best in higher humidity if possible (around 60%). If you live in an arid climate, using a humidifier will help keep the leaves from developing brown, crispy tips. Monstera love warm temperature Monsteras grow best in moderately warm temperatures, between 65-85F/18-29C. They can go outdoors in warm climates but should come back inside if the temperature gets below 60F/15C. Also read: How to Care for Monstera during the Winter?

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