Monstera houseplants produce 'enormous leaves' with 'lots of holes' when positioned by certain windows
Monstera plants rely on the nitrogen in ground coffee to use
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The Monstera plant is native to the rainforest of Central and South America, but it will thrive in colder countries if its needs are met.
To encourage the plant to produce beautiful green leaves, lighting conditions have to be right.
Sarah K Benning, a big fan of the Monstera plant, claims it does best when placed near a window covered by a sheer curtain.
"Monsteras thrive in bright indirect light," she wrote on her blog.
The cheese plant loves indirect light
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"This plant has lived between South and West facing windows covered by thin curtains for the past four years.
"These lighting conditions have allowed the plant to grow enormous leaves with lots of fenestrations (the holes in the leaves)."
Aside from lighting, plants also need the right nutrients to reach their full potential.
Among these is potassium, which is abundant in household ingredients like coffee.
"Coffee grounds are an excellent source of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, which are all essential nutrients that plants need to thrive," notes the Blooming Jungle.
Once broken down, the ingredient encourages the growth of microorganisms in the soil that use nitrogen to grow and reproduce.
Another benefit of using coffee grounds as feed for houseplants is that they help sustain ideal temperatures needed to break down organic matter in a compost pile by releasing nitrogen, which produces heat.
How often should I water and fertilise my monstera plant?
The cheese plant should be watered every one to two weeks, allowing the soil to dry out between waterings.
What's more, the plant should be fertilised monthly during its fast-growing seasons of spring and summer.
Plant enthusiast Bob Vila states that a balanced houseplant fertiliser such as one with an N-P-K ratio of 6-12-6 will "stimulate deep leaf colour and robust growth".
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The Monstera plant thrives in humid conditions
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The expert notes: "Monstera plants prefer temperatures of 60 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit and 50 to 60 per cent humidity.
"A furnace can dry out the air during the cold season, so consider misting Monstera with water every week or so.
"For more consistent humidity, run a humidifier in the room."
When pruning the plant, experts advise trimming the vines back above the leaf node to avoid leaving the stems bare.
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