Repotting Your Monstera

So big mama needs an upsize? Or perhaps you purchased a one of a kind bespoke pot for your monstera and you’re ready to repot?! Well sit back, shut out the world, and let a soft flurry of knowledge sprinkles tantalize your brain!

There are a few reasons to repot your Monstera!

1.) They’ve outgrown their current pot and all soil has been devoured and converted into root growth.

2.) You found a new pot and its time for a change!

3.) The soil is desolate and drained of nutrients. The calcified remains do little to serve your plant.

4.) Minerals have built up in the soil and are beginning to coat the pot.

In any of these cases, you’ll want to start with some base ingredients to prepare the new soil for a transplant. My go-to aroid mix right now is a healthy blend of (2 parts) Ocean Floor mix soil, (1 part) perlite, (1 part) horticultural charcoal, and (1 part) orchid bark.

When mixing these ingredients you need to be mindful of the particles and dust! I’d recommend doing this outside and in a well-ventilated area or with a mask perhaps. The dust from the pumice can cause silicosis with repeated and prolonged exposure and the dust from the charcoal can be nasty as well.

Make sure to mix the ingredients evenly. You’ll also want to avoid any soil additives that are “enriched”. Products like perlite are often “enriched” with nutrients and can be an unnecessary and sometimes sickening addition.

absolutely sickening.

All of the amendments we will add to our Ocean Floor mix will serve to break up the soil and enhance drainage which is arguably one of the most important qualities when concocting your soil recipe. I’ve personally noticed that enhanced drainage leads to larger and more robust root systems and helps the plant establish that root system much quicker. It also deters rot and allows the roots to breathe easier. This is also an excellent mix when repotting freshly rooted cutting!

Once your soil is ready, you’ll want to carefully remove the plant that you will repot. I say “carefully” because often times the Monstera roots will have clung to the inside of its current pot. You will want to reach your hands down and around the roots and gently shake/ shimmy them loose. The more roots you can preserve the better! You should also anticipate a little bit of shock but by maintaining the integrity of the root system, you can hopefully minimize the shock of transplanting.

Once you’ve removed the plant from its pot, you will need to “tickle” the roots to remove any old clumps of soil and material that may be keeping the roots bound.

Your monstera should be ready for its transplant! You'll start by filling your new pot 3/4 full with the new soil mix and nestling it into the pot. Fill the rest of the pot with soil and help stabilize the plant- since you loosened the root ball, you may need to compact soil around the surface and plant to help it stand in its new pot.

Once your Monstera is repotted and stabilized, its alway safe to give it a good drink to help settle your plant and also help the soil settle into place! If your Monstera begins to wilt a few days after transplanting, don’t worry- its most likely just shock and it will acclimate to its new home in due time. You can also utilize a well draining top dressing as well such as volcanic rock, turface, pebbles, smooth glass, etc.

You’ll want to note that the best and only time you should be transplanting your Monstera is during the active growing season. Here in Oklahoma in the northern hemisphere, I usually transplant my Monstera from late Spring to late Fall. Its during this period that my plants are regularly producing leaves (every 3 weeks or so) and are actively and readily producing aerial roots. Its when ever part of the plant is thriving and growing that I deem it a good time to transplant. You can always risk transplanting when growth has slowed down (if its an emergency) but this could result in stunted growth or sometimes complete stasis. The only time I’ve lost a Monstera was due to transplanting during early winter when the plants should be going into a seasonal rest.