How to Grow Monstera
Monstera At a Glance
Difficulty
Easy
Category
Houseplant
Sun Exposure
Partial Shade
Frost Tolerance
Frost Tender
Cold Hardiness
Survives to 12°C
Plant Family
Araceae
Growing Season
Year Round
Plant Lifecycle
Perennial
How to Start It
★ Recommended for beginners
Cut a piece of stem with at least one node (the bump where a leaf joins the stem, often with a brown root growing in the air), since new roots only grow from a node. Stand it in a jar of water or push it into damp potting mix, in bright light out of direct sun. Roots appear in a few weeks: pot it up once they are about 5 cm long.
Monstera, also called Swiss cheese plant, is an easy houseplant whose leaves grow bigger, with more holes and splits, as it matures and climbs. It needs warmth all year, at least 12°C (54°F), so here it lives indoors, though it can spend summer outside in a shady spot. A moss pole to climb gives the biggest leaves.
When To Start
Monstera grows all year in the right spot, so there is no window to wait for.
We do not have exact sowing dates for this one yet.
When should you plant Monstera?
Your planting dates depend on your local climate. Sign up and add your location to unlock personalized dates.
Your Monstera Planting Window
Start planting
May 15, 2026
Last chance
Sep 10, 2026
Your Monstera Calendar
Set your location to turn these into exact dates and reminders.
Pot up your monstera in bright light, out of direct sun
About 0 days after you plant it
See if your monstera needs a bigger pot
About 365 days after you plant it· every year· optional
Take a monstera cutting with a node to make a new plant
About 120 days after you plant it· every year· optional
Check the soil of your monstera: water when the top 3 cm feel dry.
About 7 days after you plant it
How is your monstera settling in? Keep it in bright light out of direct sun and let the top of the soil dry between waterings.
About 30 days after you plant it
Your monstera has had time to settle. Wipe the leaves with a damp cloth now and then so they soak up more light.
About 90 days after you plant it
The Journey Ahead
Monstera's Lifecycle
Seedling
Mature Plant
Seed Production
Step 1
Prepare Your Space
Vertical Growing
Yes: climbs a moss pole, which improves the leaves.
Succession Planting
No.
Good Companions
Bad Companions
Step 2
Planting & Sprouting
Growing Tips
- 1Give monstera bright light but no direct midday sun, which scorches the leaves, and avoid deep shade, which gives small leaves with no holes.
- 2Plant it in a chunky, fast-draining potting mix with some compost, in a pot with drainage holes.
- 3Water when the top 5 cm of soil is dry, and less often in winter.
- 4Feed with worm castings or compost tea once a month from spring to late summer.
- 5Give it a moss pole or sturdy stake to climb, and tuck the aerial roots (roots that grow in the air) into the pole or pot.
- 6All parts of the plant are toxic to cats and dogs and can irritate mouths and skin, so keep it away from pets and small children.
Seedling Phase
Step 3
Growth & Maturity
250 cm
Mature Height
150 cm
Mature Width
Pests to Watch For
Diseases to Watch For
Mature Plant
Step 4
Harvesting
How to Harvest
- 1Wipe the big leaves with a damp cloth every few weeks to clear dust and spot pests like scale or tiny mites early.
- 2Cut off yellow or damaged leaves at the base with clean scissors.
- 3Turn the pot a quarter turn every few weeks so the plant grows evenly toward the light.
- 4Repot every year or two in spring, one size up, when roots circle the pot or poke out the bottom.
- 5Trim a plant that gets too big in spring, and root the pieces you cut as new plants.
Step 5
Saving Seeds
Seed Production
Still have a question?
Ask your coach about your monstera.
This page covers what we thought to write down. Your monstera will do something it never mentions, and that is the day a coach beats a guide. Ask Coach Lumen one question right now, free, no account.
