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Why Is My Monstera Drooping – 3 Easy Ways to Fix the Wilt

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Drooping leaves in Monstera plants is the most common issue that people face.

The plant parents that are new to Monstera world are not very well-versed with the plants’ care. And being a little offhand with a few caring conditions can lead to droopy Monstera leaves.

If you had bumped into the same situation, you are most likely wondering: “Why is my Monstera drooping?”

It is respectable that you worry for your plants and want to give your best in caring. But let me tell you, drooping of leaves in Monstera is a mutual problem for most Monstera owners.

You need to take proper care of your little green buddies. So, today in this article, we will tackle some of the most common hitches people face in Monstera species.

Let us first take a brief look at the genus Monstera.

Monstera

Monstera is a small genus of about 50 accepted species of the most exotic houseplants. It originates from the flowering plant family Araceae.

Monstera plants have gigantic, deeply-divided, and perforated leaves. These plants are also popular as Cut-leaf-philodendron, Fruit-salad-plant, and Swiss-cheese-plant.

People usually grow Monsteras as indoor ornamental plants due to their stunning foliage. Some of the species also produce delicious edible fruits.

Yet, the leaves are toxic to mammals. You must not ingest them and should keep them away from your pets and children.

Monsteras are native to tropical regions of the Americas. Including Mexico, Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Panama.

Why Is My Monstera Drooping
Monstera vin Unsplash.com

On that note, let us get straight into our topic.

Why Is Your Monstera Drooping – Causes

There are a couple of causes for your Monstera to become long and leggy. These plants are pretty hardy. But a little neglect on a few caring domains can cause them to become droopy.

Therefore, if you find your Monstera leaves drooping or wilting, look at your caring techniques to get an idea of the root cause.

Examine your Monstera and observe the conditions you are providing to the plant. This will help you discover the part you are careless about.

In my experience, the most critical aspect to look over is water. Or, I must say, ‘Moisture.’

Thus, you might be making mistakes in one, or more, of the caring realms that can alter the moisture levels for the plant.

Therefore, a couple of caring expanses, those you are a little offhand with, can cause your beautiful Monstera leaves to droop.

As watering is directly associated with the moisture available to the plant,

Cause #1: Not Proper Watering

I didn’t use the word ‘more’ watering or ‘less’ watering because both can cause your Monsteras to droop. You must make sure you provide the plant with proper watering.

Please do not go constantly hydrating your plant after reading just this. Make sure you read the fixes for a thorough understanding.

Although they thrive in water, this does not mean soaking them in tons of water. You can cause your plant to become sad and limp if you are either giving them excess water or are not providing them with an adequate amount of it.

Cause #2: Less Humidity

Most Monstera plants do fine in humidity levels between 40-60%.

If we look at the native zone of the plant, we see that the average humidity levels in these regions are around 56%.

You can also take a look at these stats,

If you are keeping your Monstera lower than at least 40 percent moisture levels, that might be the case.

Cause #3: Bad Potting Mix

An unhealthy potting mix is the last thing you need for your lovely Monstera species. A soil mix that’s not well-draining can cause the plant to retain more moisture leading to waterlogging.

Waterlogging is lethal for the plant as it can cause root rot. On the other hand, a breathy mix does not hold much dampness and dries out rapidly.

Being a little tight-hand with watering your plant that’s potted in a bone-dry mix can easily result in the ‘sadness’ you see on the leaves.

These are the leading causes of droopy leaves in your Monstera plants. Yet, there are other underlining reasons for your plants to wilt.

These include insufficient light, excessive use of fertilizer, and a small-sized pot. All of these might be the reason why your Monstera is drooping.

Why Is My Monstera Drooping 2
Monstera Drooping via Reddit

Now that you have diagnosed the ‘disease’ of your Monstera. Let us head towards the fixes.

Why Is Your Monstera Drooping – Fixes

Most of the time the drooping occurs because of improper watering, so let’s take a look at that.

Fix #1: Soaking the Plant and Proper Watering

You can apply this fix if you have discovered the problem is with underwatering.

So, what you must do is: you must soak the plant in water. I do not mean literally 😅.

This does not mean to drench your Monstera in a pool of water. There is a professional way… these are the steps:

  • First, check the drainage holes under the plant’s pot. See if there is a blockage or not and if they can soak up the water.
  • Now, take a water tray that is a few inches deep. Fill 2-3 inches with water. You can also use your sink or a plant saucer. Just make sure you prepare the same setting.
  • Place your Monstera in the water and let the soil soak it up. Leave the plant in water for at least 45 minutes.
  • After that, touch the top 2-3 inches of the soil to check the moisture levels. If it feels damp, the roots have entirely soaked the water.
  • Finally, keep the water on schedule afterward.

This was the solution for underwatering. But if you found out that the problem was with overwatering, you may have to take the plant out of the pot. Check the roots if they are still healthy and there are no signs of root rot.

If roots are looking pretty good, getting back on a proper watering schedule will do the work. Just wait for the top 2-3 inches of the soil to get completely dry before giving another shot of hydration.

How to Treat Root Rot

On the contrary, if the roots are infected with rot, follow these steps:

  • Remove the infected media from the roots. Some awfully spoiled roots will spontaneously break off and be washed away with the soil.
  • Cut off damaged parts of the roots. Make sure you use sterilized scissors. Purify the remaining portion of roots with rubbing alcohol.
  • Repot the plant in a fresh potting mix.

If the rot is severe, you should propagate the plant from healthy cuttings.

Check out this easy tutorial.

Fix #2: Increasing the Humidity

Monstera species are native to tropical regions that have high humidity levels. Pretty higher than the normal household levels.

The leaves of your Monsteras can become droopy due to excess water transpiration in low humidity. This leads to lower moisture levels causing the plant to become sad and limp.

There are many ways to notch up the humidity levels.

  • Weekly misting your plant is a really good idea to keep it humid.
  • You can also keep your plant on a pebble tray filled with water.
  • Grouping all tropical plants near areas like the kitchen or bathroom can absolutely do the job.
  • Operating a humidifier.

These are all the measures that you can take to raise the humidity levels in your home.

Fix #3: A Perfect Soil Mix for Monstera Species

A perfect potting mix is key to healthy plant growth and maintenance.

Almost all the tropical plants coming from the Araceae family love their roots tangled in a well-draining, breathy, chunky, and barky aroid potting mix.

I am going to give you my golden recipe for the best aroid mix.

  • We are making the whole blend in four equal parts.
  • For the first part, we are going to use a premium potting mix for indoor houseplants.
  • For the second one, we are adding sphagnum peat moss.
  • For the third part, add perlite.
  • Fill up the rest part with bark. You can use orchid bark or pine bark, both work fine.

This makes a perfectly draining soil mix for your Monsteras to thrive at their peak level.

I want to add some points regarding other issues.

  • Keep your plant in proper lighting. Do not keep them in complete shade. Monsteras can tolerate medium lights but they can become droopy in insufficient lights.
  • If you are using fertilizer, use it monthly only during the growing season. Preferably use a liquid fertilizer diluted to 1/4th strength.
  • Use a balanced-sized pot and do not go for a big one. Keeping your Monstera plants in gigantic pots can also cause the roots to dry out, causing the limp leaves.

Conclusion

With all that said, please conclude this talk by letting us know if you enjoyed today’s article.

It is sad to see our beautiful green buddies not flourishing at their best. That’s probably why we are keen on taking as best care of them as possible. Monstera species are one of the most stunning indoor ornamental plants.

The striking foliage on these plants can easily steal the show. Therefore, we should try our best to keep them fresh and healthy.

On that note, let’s end today’s post here. Make sure to share this unique info with your friends and family.

Regards, Mahad H.