Cheese plants produce leaves 'three times faster' with simple potting trick that helps stems 'push out' foliage
The Monstera plant thrives in humid conditions
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Houseplants can beautify any household interior, but they have peculiar needs that must be met for optimal growth.
The main concern for most plant owners is getting foliage to develop at a healthy rate because tropical climates are hard to mimic at home.
The Monstera plant - commonly referred to as cheese plants - is native to the rainforest of Central and South America.
It has been known to thrive in colder countries too, but the rate of leaf development may be down to the size of its pot.
The YouTuber advises using a smaller-sized pot
YOUTUBE / SHEFFIELD MADE PLANT
Fortunately, experienced gardeners have shared a wealth of information to promote better flowering of these houseplants.
Youtuber Sheffield Made Plants claimed he knows a method that helps Monstera produce leaves "three times faster" in a recent YouTube clip.
“Keeping a monstera in a pot that is just a little too small can be the trick for getting it to push out new leaves much faster," he said.
“The problem with Monstera is that they love to grow roots. Give them a nice big pot with plenty of soil to grow in and they’ll happily fill [that pot] all day long.
“The problem is that the plant focuses its energy on producing roots and forgets about the leaves."
The gardener discovered the problem after repotting his Monstera in a container that was far too big, causing leaf growth to stall.
“Before the Monstera police come out to get me, I’m not saying we should all be keeping our Monstera in tiny pots where they come so root-bound," he said.
“This would be unhealthy for both you and the plant, and would actually lead to slower growth. But if you give your Monstera tonnes of room to grow roots it will do just that.
“Basically, your Monstera wants to be in a pot that is a little snug. For your Monstera to be a little snug, it wants to live in a pot that is big enough to fit everything in."
To encourage the plant to produce beautiful green leaves, lighting conditions also have to be right.
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Cheese plants will produce more leaves in smaller pots
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Sarah K Benning, a big fan of the Monstera plant, claims it does best when placed near a window covered by a sheer curtain.
"This plant has lived between South and West facing windows covered by thin curtains for the past four years," said Benning.
"These lighting conditions have allowed the plant to grow enormous leaves with lots of fenestrations (the holes in the leaves)."
To help the plant reach its full potential, gardeners can also feed it potassium, which is abundant in household ingredients like coffee.