Monstera
Monstera deliciosa, climber, evergreen
Water a monstera when the top few centimetres of soil are dry, which indoors means every 5–10 days in summer and every 10–20 in winter. It wants plenty of light but not the hot midday sun, and starts to suffer below 15 °C (59 °F).
Updated 12 October 2026. How we write these pages
Monstera at a glance
Water, indoors
5–10
days in summer
10–20
days in winter
When the top few centimetres of soil are dry.
Month by month
Minimum temperature
10–15 °C
It starts to suffer between 10 and 15 °C (50–59 °F).
Humidity
It likes humid air.
Cats and dogs
Toxic to dogs and cats.
Chewing the leaves can make them ill: keep it out of their reach.
Growth
Fast. It’s a climber.
Feeding
Quite a lot while it’s growing.
Follow the dose and frequency on your fertiliser’s label.
Repotting
When the roots fill the pot.
Pruning
No regular pruning needed. If it gets too big, cut back the tallest branches before it starts growing again.
Where does your plant live?
Pick its place and see what changes.
What changes
- Indoors, near the window. The light is right, as long as the hot midday sun doesn’t hit the leaves through the glass.
- Indoors, away from the window. With less light it grows more slowly and new leaves come in smaller. If you can, move the pot closer to the window.
- Outdoors, in the shade. This suits it: outdoors, bright shade is the light it likes best.
- Outdoors, in the sun. Full sun scorches its leaves, so move the pot into the shade, at least for the hottest hours.
- Indoors, summer. In July it usually needs water every 5–10 days. Heat dries the soil faster, so feel it more often.
- Indoors, winter, heating on. In January it usually needs water every 10–20 days, and more often near a radiator, because warm air dries the soil.
- Indoors, winter, heating on. It likes humid air, and the heating dries it out. Stand the pot near other plants or on a tray of wet pebbles.
- Indoors, winter, cool room. In January it usually needs water every 10–20 days, and less often in a cool room, where the soil stays damp for a long time.
- Indoors, winter, cool room. It starts to suffer below 15 °C (59 °F), so the room has to stay warmer than that.
- Outdoors, summer. Outside the soil dries faster than indoors, where in July it needs water every 5–10 days, so in the sun feel it often.
- Outdoors, winter. It starts to suffer below 15 °C (59 °F). Bring the pot indoors before the first cold nights.
How often to water a monstera
Indoors, month by month. Tap a column.
In October
Every 8–17 days
Usually every 12 days. Feel the soil first, and water when the top few centimetres are dry.
Every month in a table
| Month | Usually | Usually between |
|---|---|---|
| January | every 14 days | 10–20 days |
| February | every 14 days | 10–20 days |
| March | every 12 days | 8–17 days |
| April | every 10 days | 7–14 days |
| May | every 9 days | 6–13 days |
| June | every 7 days | 5–10 days |
| July | every 7 days | 5–10 days |
| August | every 9 days | 6–13 days |
| September | every 10 days | 7–14 days |
| October | every 12 days | 8–17 days |
| November | every 14 days | 10–20 days |
| December | every 14 days | 10–20 days |
Typical intervals indoors in the northern hemisphere: light, the pot and the season stretch or shorten them. How to tell when to water, with a finger and the weight of the pot.
Soil, propagation and problems
Soil
An all-purpose potting mix that holds a little moisture but drains well: if it’s very dense, add some perlite. It likes it neutral or slightly acidic.
Propagation
From a cutting: cut a piece of stem with at least one node and stand it in water or damp soil until it roots.
By layering: let a stem grow roots while it’s still on the plant, then cut it below the roots and pot it.
Common problems
The most frequent: Scale insects · Aphids · Mealybugs · Spider mites · Thrips
When you feel the soil, look under the leaves too: pests show up there first.
Monstera: good to know
Young Monstera leaves usually have no holes. Holes usually come once the plant is a few years old.
In very low light, leaves tend to have fewer holes.
Monstera is a climber: a moss pole gives it support. The roots on its stem grip a support. Once it climbs, it often makes bigger leaves with more holes.
Monstera: questions and answers
How often should you water a monstera in winter?
Indoors in January, usually every 14 days (between 10 and 20), compared with every 7 in July. The longest gaps run from November to February.
How can you tell when a monstera needs water?
When the top few centimetres of soil are dry.
How much light does a monstera need?
Plenty of light, without the direct midday sun, which can scorch the leaves. Indoors it does well near a bright window, and further from the window it grows more slowly.
Is a monstera toxic to cats and dogs?
Toxic to dogs and cats. Chewing the leaves can make them ill: keep it out of their reach.
How much cold can a monstera take?
It starts to suffer from the cold somewhere between 10 and 15 °C (50–59 °F). If it spends the summer outside, bring the pot in before nights drop below 15 °C, and in winter keep it away from cold glass and draughts.
When should you repot a monstera?
When the roots fill the pot.
How do you prune a monstera?
No regular pruning needed. If it gets too big for its space, cut it back in spring. The new stems will have smaller leaves with fewer holes, until the plant settles down again.
How can you tell if a monstera is getting too much water or too little?
Too much water often shows as leaves turning yellow, soft brown patches on the leaves and leaves drooping even though the soil is wet. Too little shows as leaves still drooping in the morning and leaves starting to curl or fold.
How much humidity does a monstera need?
Wants humid air: indoors, keep it away from radiators and close to other plants, or on a tray of wet pebbles.
What soil does a monstera need?
An all-purpose potting mix that holds a little moisture but drains well: if it’s very dense, add some perlite. It likes it neutral or slightly acidic.
How do you propagate a monstera?
From a cutting: cut a piece of stem with at least one node and stand it in water or damp soil until it roots. By layering: let a stem grow roots while it’s still on the plant, then cut it below the roots and pot it.
Which pests and diseases affect a monstera?
The most frequent are scale insects, aphids, mealybugs, spider mites and thrips. When you feel the soil, look under the leaves too: pests show up there first.
Can a monstera live in a north-facing room?
Yes, if it’s close to the window. It grows more slowly and drinks less, so there are more days between waterings.
Can a monstera go outside in summer?
Yes, in bright shade and out of the wind. Bring it back in before the first cold nights.
Why don’t my new monstera leaves have splits?
On a young plant that’s normal, as the splits come with bigger leaves. On a mature plant it’s usually short of light, and moving it closer to the window helps the leaves that come next.
Read next
Every plant has its own rhythm. LINFA keeps track for you.
It looks at the light where your plant stands, its pot and the season, and tells you when to check it.
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