Monstera.

Monstera is a representative of the large Aronnikovs family, this species combines about fifty species. In its natural habitat, the plant grows on the territory of two continents of America, North and South.

Peculiarities.

The name Monstera in Latin is written and pronounced as "Monstera deliciosa", which means "Monster" in translation, this is justified by its size and rather peculiar appearance. Monstera is an evergreen tropical plant and is represented in nature by shrubs and vines. Their thick and dense branches are climbing, and in 60% of cases aerial roots. Leaves of large size, marsh-green color are attached to the stem with long petioles, the surface structure of the leaf plate is leathery with tactile contact, and throughout the area there are cuts and holes of various shapes and sizes. The inflorescence is cylindrical in shape, rather thick in girth, at first there are flowers that are not capable of reproduction, but in the upper part of the two sexes.

Monstera is on the list of leaders in indoor and at home... Scientists have conducted studies proving the ability of a room monster to cleanse the air of harmful bacteria, which is one of the advantages when choosing a houseplant.

Basic principles of cultivation.

1. Growing monstera as a decorative, deciduous species in indoor or outdoor gardening conditions, the culture blooms very rarely.
2. The plant must necessarily receive a sufficient amount of bright and diffused light for normal development and growth.
3. The ideal temperature conditions are from twenty to twenty-five degrees Celsius, during the period from spring to autumn, in the cold season at a break of 16 to 18 degrees. It is important not to allow the heat to drop below + 10 degrees.
4. The culture requires fairly frequent watering, it is important to monitor that the top layer of the soil in the pot is dry. With the arrival of the autumn period of the year, the frequency of watering begins to decrease, and from December to spring, the soil is moistened only after it dries out by a fourth.
5. Mostera prefers well humidified air. With the onset of summer and especially dry and hot weather, the bush is moistened with a sprayer every 24 hours, but experienced gardeners advise wiping the sheets with a damp cloth.
6. Young monstera does not need additional fertilization. Adult bushes are fed regularly from mid-April to late August. The composition of the fertilizer alternates between organic and mineral.
7. The culture needs additional support during planting or transfer to another pot.
8. The monstera has no obvious rest period.
9. For normal growth and development of the plant, in the first three years it is recommended to transplant it every year, then up to five years this manipulation is performed once, and from the age of five the monster is transplanted once every five years. It is important not to forget that the top layer of the earth is required to be renewed every year.
10. Soil mixture. Young plants are grown in soil of the following composition: turf + humus + peat + sand in a ratio of 1 + 2 + 1 + 1. Fortified adult plants prefer the same composition, but in a ratio of 3 + 1 + 1 + 1.
11. There are 3 breeding methods: cuttings, seeds and top.
12. Scabbards, aphids and spider mites can be a threat to healthy growth.
13. Monstera can only get sick under conditions of inappropriate care.
14. The plant is poisonous.

Home care.

Lighting conditions.

For normal growth, the culture should receive a lot of bright light; for beginner gardeners, the light should be diffused. In accordance with these characteristics, choose a window on the east or west side of the house to place the plant pot. When located on the south side, the monster will need to be protected from the sun, while on the north side, it may need additional lighting. If the plant receives the right amount of light, then it will delight you with large foliage and characteristic holes or cuts. With a lack of lighting, young leaves grow smaller, and aerial roots are frail and thin. You should not move the container with the monster to a new place unnecessarily.

Ambient temperature.

A flower grown at home does not require any specific temperature conditions. But since the monstera is a resident of hot zones, it has a peculiarity, the hotter it is in the room, the faster the bush grows. Throughout the year, except for the winter period, the best air temperature is between 20 and 25 degrees. For the winter, it is better to move the flower pot to a cooler place, where the temperature will be 16-18 degrees. Do not let it fall below +10 degrees. The main danger for the monstera is drafts.

Watering.

Between March and August, the monster is watered frequently and abundantly. An indicator that it is time to moisten the flower is the drying of the upper third of the soil. Water for irrigation is not suitable for hard and settled. With the arrival of autumn, the frequency decreases; in winter, the plant is watered two days after one quarter of the top layer of the earth has dried. When moistening the soil, it is important to observe the golden mean and not to dry out the substrate or excess and stagnant water in it. With constant overflow, rot forms on the root system, and the leaf plates become stained.

Spraying.

The culture gives a positive effect in development with periodic moistening with a sprayer. This method of care is included in the list of mandatory procedures. For irrigation of foliage, use lukewarm water that has settled. It is also periodically necessary to wipe the green mass of the monstera from dust with a soft sponge.

Food.

Young monstera bushes do not feed, but an adult plant needs additional nutrition. In order to prevent the flower from inhibiting its development, from mid-April to the end of August, fertilizers are applied to the soil once every two weeks, alternating natural organic with non-organic compounds.

Sanitary pruning.

Growing a bush in indoor conditions, a monstera is created a support, for this a home-made or purchased lattice is suitable, and you can also use a stick. Large sheets are pulled with a tight rope. If you notice that the intensity of flower growth has slowed down, it is recommended to shorten its top, this action will contribute to the activation of the growth of the lateral processes.

Aerial roots.

Aerial roots grow from each individual leaf, it is absolutely impossible to remove or cut them off. This part of the root system is carefully lowered into the pot in which the monstera grows, or they take a separate container with the substrate and place them there. Such actions improve the nutrition of the plant. If above, these parts of the root system develop slowly and do not grow to the soil surface, they should be tied with moistened peat moss or dipped in a container of water (bottle). Some craftsmen purchase a plastic pipe, wrap it myself with plant material, such as palm fiber.Further, several holes are pierced in the pipe, and the soil is laid inside the composition corresponding to the substrate for a young monstera. The air roots gently guide or guide the holes made. Drops of water may appear at the ends of the leaves in anticipation of rainy weather; in winter, such a feature will be a sign of an impending thaw.

Flowering period.

In its natural habitat, the plant blooms every year. Growing this culture in indoor and home conditions, the flowering period will come very rarely. With proper care and receipt of all the substances necessary for the development, the flower will give a large inflorescence with male and female flowers, which are on the cob of a pastel beige color. During the ripening process, the outer side of the cover hardens and falls off. The length of the dark lilac stem is about twenty centimeters and resembles corn. Consists of small and juicy fruits tightly planted next to each other. Their taste is sweet, and the smell combines the aromas of strawberry and pineapple.

Transfer to a new location.

In the first two years, the young plant must be replanted twice with a gap per year. The next transplant into the new container will be once every two years, that is, in the period from three to four years. When the plant reaches the age of five, the monster is transferred to a new pot only once every three, or even four years.

But it is important to know and, accordingly, carry out that it is obligatory to replace the top layer of the soil with a fresh one every year. The acidity of the substrate is chosen neutral or weak, and is equally suitable for both a young plant and for transplanting an adult monstera. The composition of the soil should consist of the following components in the ratio 1 + 1 + 2 + 1:

1. peat soil
2. turf soil
3. humus
4. sand

For constant normal growth of an adult bush, the acidity of the soil should be slightly higher, and the composition: peat, turf, humus, foliage, sand. All elements in one part and 3 parts of sod land. When choosing a pot, give preference to the larger ones and be sure to lay out the drainage at the bottom.

Danger from the poison contained in the plant.

The poison is contained in monstera juice and causes irritation of tunica mucosa or skin. If you eat an unripe fruit, then the poison contained in its juice can cause bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract or provoke inflammation in the oral cavity.

Reproduction methods.

Seeds.

The container with the sown seeds of monstera is placed in a warm place with sufficient light. The first shoots will appear within thirty days. There are no cuts on the first lower leaves; the foliage characteristic of an adult plant is formed in the period from five to eight months. Seedlings are first transplanted into small individual containers and transplanted from them according to the above-described schedule. In a two-year-old plant, there are four adult leaves per bush and no more than five lower juvenile leaves.

Cuttings.

The grafting method is used from March to early June. Breeding of the described culture is possible by cuttings taken both from the stem and side shoots, and from the upper part of the bush. For the cutting, parts of the stem are cut off, so that one or two leaves remain on them. Ash or ground coal is applied to the cut section. In order for the stalk to take root, it is planted in an individual container, and transparent glass is placed on top. It is recommended to cover the bottom of the pot with a drainage layer of finely chopped bricks, lay out a layer of two centimeters of peat or humus for traces, then fine sand with the same thickness. It is necessary to water the soil constantly 2 times a day, and the air temperature should be in the range from twenty to twenty-five degrees. As soon as the root system is formed and grows in the cutting, it is transplanted into an intermediate container, and after three or four years (depending on the development of the bush) it is transferred to a larger container.For better rooting of the cuttings, give preference to the parts of the plant where aerial roots have formed.

Breeding with the tip.

With age, old fitters lose their inherent decorative effect, since their lower leaves fall off. For this reason, it is recommended to take two aerial roots and fasten them to the trunk of the plant with the help of moss or twine. After new young roots grow on the fixed roots, a piece of the trunk with two leaves is cut off, the cut section is processed in the same way as during grafting. The cut off part is placed in a pot, and the roots are covered with soil mixture. After this procedure, the treated bush will give young leaf shoots, and the plant will become more voluminous.

Possible damage to the flower and insect pests.

All possible problems that threaten the grower during the cultivation of the fitters directly depend on improper care.

Let's list the main causes and their symptoms.

- Falling leaves is a sign of a lack of light, in addition, with a lack of light, growth is also inhibited.

- Signs of spider mite damage to the plant will be rusty spots on the outside of the leaves.

- With a lack of nutrients and minerals necessary for the plant in the soil, the leaf plates of the monstera begin to turn yellow.

- Another reason for the change in the color of the foliage to yellow is the formation of rot arising from the periodic stagnation of water in the soil.

- A change in the color of the green mass to brown, and their drying will indicate a lack of moisture in oxygen, and in addition, they speak of a lack of space in the pot.

- Dull and faded foliage color indicates burnout, that is, too bright lighting. In addition to the pallor of the color, yellow spots may appear.

- Monstera can start to stretch strongly in case of lack of light. In addition to the fact that the shoots of the plant become longer than the standard, the stem begins to spiral, and the new leaves are pale and small.

- If you notice that the leaf plates do not have characteristic cuts, and grow in one piece, you should pay attention to feeding and, again, lighting.

- Falling dry foliage. This can happen at the end of the life cycle of this leaf, which will be normal. But if initially the leaf turned brown, then dried up and fell off, this will be a signal that the air temperature in the room drops.

- Monstera can infect such insects as: aphids, pseudo-scabbard and spider mites.

Types of culture.

"Punched".

"Punched" in nature grows in the hot forests of America, or rather, at the level of the tropical belt. Leaf plates are oval-elongated, leaf length 90 cm and twenty-five centimeters wide. The area of ​​the sheet is covered with chaotic holes, the shape expands at the bottom. The ear of the monstera is ten centimeters, covered with a snow-white twenty-centimeter cover.

Borziga.

Grows in Mexico. A distinctive feature is thinner stems, in comparison with other types of monstera and a smaller area of ​​leaf plates, only about 30 cm.This representative of the culture grows great indoors.

Espilata.

The homeland of the monstera espilat is Brazil and Guiana, the culture loves places with high levels of humidity. Unlike the previous types, the espirates are solid, lanceolate in shape. The leaf is attached to the stem with a petiole (13cm), reaches twenty centimeters in length and only six in width. During the flowering period, a peduncle is formed with a length of 8 centimeters, a four-centimeter ear with a small number of flowers is located on it.

"Attractive".

The species develops well even at a height of a thousand meters. Freshly grown leaves are heart-shaped, and there are no characteristic cuts around the perimeter of the plate. All the characteristics corresponding to the monstera, the plant acquires in the process of growth.Having reached 60 centimeters, the texture acquires leatheriness, dissection and culture-specific holes. The ear, which measures twenty-five by twenty centimeters, is covered with a snow-white cover. The fruits of this type are edible and have a taste and smell similar to pineapple. Growing this plant in a greenhouse, it can stretch up to twelve meters, while in indoor conditions it is only three meters. This monstera, with proper care, can enter the flowering period annually.

Adanson was formerly Friedrichstahl.

It grows from the Costa Rican massifs to Brazil. The plant stretches up to eight meters. Not very thick, but dense leaves are ovoid, and the width and length of the plate varies from twenty to forty, and from twenty-five to fifty-five centimeters, respectively. The entire surface of the sheet plate is covered with many holes. Growing "Adansonda" in apartment conditions, there is almost no flowering, but if it does, the plant produces a short peduncle and a beige-yellow ear of about 10 cm in length and 1.5 in width is formed at its end.