Monstera underwatering

Under watered Monstera can be more damage than you think. we all know one of the most basic rules that every Monstera owner should know is proper watering, and we also know that the number one and quickest way to kill a Monstera or any plant is overwatering.

Some Monstera owners are so afraid of over watering their plant that they accidentally underwater them, which it is as damaging as overwatering.

In this article we are going to talk about what are the signs of underwatered Monstera and how to solve the problem before it is too late to save the plant.

Signs of under watered Monstera

Proper watering is one of the fundamental principles of monstera care, as everyone knows, and overwatering is one of the easiest ways to kill a monstera (or any plant, really).

However, a lot of us monstera owners are so terrified of overwatering that we unintentionally submerge our monsteras, which can do just as much harm. So let’s discuss several indicators that your monstera is submerged so you can address the issue before it becomes too late!

Drooping

As all plants if you have under watered  Monstera it will droop. If you ever notice that your Monstera`s leaves are loose and weakened first you have to tm id to check the soil of the plant and if first two or three inches is dry then water your plant. Those loosened leaves will perk back up in few hours.

Dry Leaves

Severely underwatered Monstera will get crispy and light brown leaves which is sign of a dying plant, so for preventing that outcome first thing is to water your plant properly and wait for few hours after that if any of those places that were light brown didn’t become better you need to proceed to next step which is to cut down all those light brown and crispy parts of the leaves, because that only happens to two groups of Monsteras, under watered Monstera or over watered Monstera.

All you need to do is take a sharp knife and cut them down at the base of the stem.

Growing Slowly

Slow grow of your Monstera could be another reason that you have underwatered Monstera, but it is tricky to say exactly if it is the reason or not and reason of slow growth of the plant can also be lack of lighting and not required amount of fertilizer, but if you sure that you fertilizing regularly and your plant is in bright spot that can absorb good amount of light then most likely your watering routine isn’t right and pay close attention to your watering pattern.

Curling leaves

Another sign which tells you that you have under watered Monstera is curling leaves, however humidity can cause the same problem too.

For finding it out, be sure your plant is not near a heating or AC vent and after that check the soil regularly, if the soil retains moisture then you need to use humidifier in order to fix plant but if the soil looks compact or just dry, underwatering can be the problem.

Yellowing

 If your Monstera plant has yellow leaves it can indicate that your plant is underwatered, but if it is with brown spots your plant is overwatered, so pay attention to both to see if its underwatered Monstera or overwatered Monstera, because that`s important.

Many of these signs are similar to each other so you may ask how should be decide if plant is overwatered or underwatered.

The answer is soil only, if you suspect that your plant is overwatered or underwatered only look at soil will tell you the answer, if the soil is dry and compact and cannot absorb water well it indicates that it is underwatered and if soil soaks wet when you touch and even if you can pull the plant out of it it shows that then soil is overwatered.

If none of these happened and your soil is in perfect condition your Monsteras problems stem from something else.

Overwatering in Monstera

Give your plant an opportunity to dry out a little before watering it again if it is a little overwatered but not exhibiting symptoms of root rot. You might need to repot your monstera into a pot with greater drainage if the issue persists.

If you suspect root rot in your monstera, cut off any afflicted leaves, use our Root Supplement to aid in the healing of the roots, and reduce watering. Make sure to repot your monstera into fresh, quickly draining soil and a clean pot (you may use a new one or clean the old one) if you see additional spots, mushy stems, or an unpleasant smell coming from the soil. Remove any mushy, black, or foul-smelling roots.

Comparing  Overwatered and Underwatered Monstera

A lot of signs and symptoms between over and under watering are in fact very similar. you can feel the soil with your finger or a device called moisture meter, all you have to do is to stick you finger into the soil and if the soil is wet and shows the mentioned signs above, the chance of you over watered your plant is really high.

and if the soil feels dry and shows the signs then its more likely that you under watered Monstera.

Under watered Swiss Cheese Plant

Swiss Cheese Plant or Monstera Deliciosa are the same plants just their names are different, so as we can say their symptoms are actually going to be the same.

all the signs that mentioned above will be exactly go for Swiss Cheese Plant too, all the cares and all the watering routines are same as Monstera Deliciosa and all the under water and over water symptoms are going to be same.

Be sure to check out other topics about apartment plants that can be useful to you related to “Monstera underwatering”

1. Monstera turning yellow
2. Is Monestra a Philodendron?
3. Is Monstera poisonous to touch?
4. planting succulents in containers without drainage
5. Can succulents stay outside in rain?here you can download this article (Monstera underwatering) in PDF: