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Monstera Leaves Curling: Causes + Fix Steps

Is your monstera plant leaves curling? Curling leaves is a common problem for these houseplants. Besides watering and fertilizer problems, factors such as unfavorable house conditions and care-related issues may contribute to leaf curl. These factors include low humidity, dry indoors, drafts and pest infestation.

Monstera, also called Swiss Cheese Plant, is a houseplant with heart-shaped leaves that split naturally at maturity. It is widely grown as a decoration for dull indoor spaces. This plant is important for indoor gardening.

A healthy Monstera deliciosa plant

This post highlights where leaf curling problems arise from, steps to correct and how to fix them.

1. Overfed Monstera (Toxicity)

Monstera is not a heavy feeder but requires useful nutrients throughout the growing season. Feeding your plants heavily with fertilizers can easily damage the roots.

If you apply fertilizers infrequently anyhow, accumulation of excess soluble salts occurs. These salts will no longer benefit the potted plant. The roots get stunted instead. Such a situation results in toxicity.

White crusty deposits lining up on the edges are a clear sign of over-fertilizing. Water impurities can have a hand in the build-up of salts. Outer plant signs that the overfed plant exhibits are foliage curling, brown leaf tips or margins, especially in winter.

These signs appear 1 -2 days after, for water-soluble fertilizers. If you apply granular and slow-release fertilizers, signs are expected even after 2 weeks.

How to Fix Over Fertilizing

The best time to start fertilizing is before the first spring frost is expected.

  • Go for a more balanced N:P:K fertilizer ratio (20:20:20 is an ideal fertilizer for any indoor low-light plant)
  • During their active growth, you may opt for an N:P:K fertilizer ratio 5:2:3
  • Choose a liquid feeder fertilizer over granular ones
  • When you start, (in spring) reduce to half the strength of the recommended application rate
  • Fertilize every fortnight in the first 3 months of active growth in spring and summer (when new leaves and buds form)
  • Fertilize regularly, once every 4 weeks in spring and summer
  • When fall is around the corner reduce fertilizer to half of the labeled rate
  • Stop feeding your houseplant as early as 6 weeks before the winter frost

Otherwise, continue fertilizing in the winter months without frost. People who live in warm tropical climate zones should also stick to a half-strength application schedule.

You should stop fertilizing when have figured out salt accumulation. This is a handy tip if you have addressed other possible issues highlighted in this post.

2. Low Indoor Humidity

Many indoor plants do well and grow perfectly in room humidity conducive to human living. These levels range from 30 pc to 50 pc. Humidity is measured on a scale of relative humidity (RH). Low-light indoor plants cannot tolerate RH which is way low.

For the monstera, the humidity level should never go lower than 40% or higher than 60%. If you want to be sure of these levels, rely on hygrometer scale readings.

Is RH Lower Or Higher for Your Monstera?

If your monstera is subject to low humidity, you should take note of these symptoms:

  • Wrinkle-like (shriveled) that co-occur with leaf curling
  • Browning or crisping leaves
  • Burnt leaf appearance
  • Wilting leaves and stems

TOP TIP: With low RH but good soil moisture, your plant may mimic signs of overwatering.

When you place these indoor plants in rooms with too high humidity the following is evident:

  • Molds start growing on the plant, pot sides, or the soil mixture
  • Monstera developing signs of a fungal infection

TOP TIP: With little or lack of airflow, the signs of high RH on indoor plants can worsen.

How do RH problems result in indoor plants’ leaf curling? Well, the science behind leaves curling is simple. Rh levels dictate the rate of water loss by plants (transpiration). In case of low humidity, houseplants often curl their leaves downwards. This means transpiration increases as relative humidity goes down.

Solving Humidity Problems

Here are tips on how to help maintain optimal humidity for your monstera and other houseplants:

  • Keep indoor plants in a companion but get to know individual plant needs first.
  • You can plant them in a single container or place your plants close together in small groups.
  • Pothos, philodendron and Schefflera are good indoor companions
  • Place your monstera pot or planter over wet pebble trays, saucers or drip trays with stones. By so doing, it helps raise the plant’s humidity
  • Place a humidifier and a hygrometer
  • Remove older, affected leaves and stems
  • Frequently treat your monstera leaves with a fine-mist water spray.

This boosts relative humidity for the individual plant. And lasts shortly, so do it often during the drier months. With misting you don’t want to put monstera health at stake. So keep an eye out for signs of fungal growth. Pests may attack and infest your plant.

3. Indoor Temperature Stress

A sudden shift in indoor temperature is another stressing factor for houseplants. Hard to guess but houseplants grow happily under a certain (optimal) temperature range.

Sources of heat can cause a sudden rise. For instance, exposing indoor space to direct sunlight contributes to a rise in temperature. Indoor plants respond to such sudden change by curling their leaves inward.

Signs to Watch Out For

  • Scorched leaves
  • Leaves tips may turn brown
  • Leaves curling up

How to Stop Temperature Stress

To prevent curling leaves due to temperature stress observe these things:

  • Keep houseplants in different rooms without air conditioners, heat emitter devices, kitchen or fireplaces
  • Avoid placing your plants in open doors or windows with cold drafts
  • Keep your monstera to face the East window during summer
  • Keep indoor temperature averaging between 70°F -75°F

For them to thrive keep it around 65°F but nothing under 60°F or over 85°F (20°C-30°C). Work harmoniously with a hygrometer and temperature tools to achieve this.

TOP TIP: Under 20°C, most indoor monstera growth slows down (stunted growth).

4. Monstera Root Rot

The most common disease that discourages indoor gardening is root rot. More often, poorly drained pot soil and over watering are the main reasons behind its occurrence. 

Root rot is not easy to identify at an early stage. Symptoms are limited to roots but visible signs show up in stems and leaves. These signs include:

  • Dropping leaves
  • Leaves yellowing

Sometimes when you’re not sure, inspect the roots. Healthy roots feel firm and look white.  Infected roots or root portions turn brown and feel soft (mushy). With severity of root rot, a foul smell emanates from them.

How to Fix Root Rot in Monstera

You can stop and prevent root rot by caring for and taking charge of indoor gardening properly. The core care here is correct watering practices and repotting.

Start by diagnosing the plant –examine the stems, smell the roots, drooping leaves, etc. Follow these simple repotting steps to fix root rot in monstera.

  • Turn the pot to its side, tap the bottom and slide your monstera out
  • Remove as much soil as possible then rinse the roots with running water
  • Cut off and remove all of the mushy roots and smelly portions
  • Then allow the plant to sit in a dull-lit, cool room for 10 – 20 hours to let it dry
  • Prepare fresh repotting mix or purchase ones composed of vermiculite, peat moss and perlite
  • If you have to reuse the current pot, ensure to clean it thoroughly before you repot

You can do hand DIY pot mixes yourself. You have to have perlite (20%), orchid mix and aquarium charcoal. Choose either pot mix composition then DIY.

Potting mix DIY to use for saving your root rot

We recommend you get a new porous pot or ones with drainage holes for repotting.

5. Under Watered Monstera

Underwatering produces nearly similar signs for indoor plants to overwatering. That may prove stressful to figure out.

Here are other tips to help detect under-watered Monstera:

  • Carry out a simple soil moisture check with a dry stick
  • A more sure way is to use water sensors
  • Alternatively, let a moisture meter do the work for you
  • Another diagnostic attempt is to feel the relative weight of your potted plant
  • Dipping your finger 2 or so inches of the topsoil is quite helpful

Using sticks or your finger to check soil moisture may not be very reliable at all times.

Another step to take is then to look at the leaves for signs. Notably, you will notice leaves turning brown, or firm and dry (crispy) leaf edges, or browning tips. Leaves of monstera curl downward.

Monstera deliciosa leaf curl
Brown curling leaf margins of a Monstera deliciosa

What happens if you underwater your monstera? Like any plant, little water means that the plant’s natural processes shift to enable the stressed plant to save water. As a result, there is reduced transpiration. And this is the same process through which the plant cools itself. To enable it to cool down, this plant has to curl its leaves.

6. Overwatered Monstera

Apart from denying your plants enough water, flooding them is another danger. As stated above, signs of overwatered or under watered monstera are look-alikes.

Steps to Fix Monstera Overwatering

Here is how to fix and revive monstera from problems with flooded pot.

First things first – check the moisture level to ensure you water when it’s necessary only

  • Use a sprinkling tool to ensure water is evenly spread
  • As soon as the water starts to drip from the holes stop adding more
  • Use containers with drainage holes to rid of excess water
  • Add perlite or sand to potting mix to aid water movement after every repot
  • Use chemical filters if you have to use tap water
  • Opt for rainwater or go for melted snow

If you have skipped watering your monstera while away, shower the pot soil lightly until air bubbles stop

7. Monstera Pests Infestation

Monstera is prone to pest attacks when it’s very humid or you wet it very often. Common pests are spider mites, thrips, and aphids.

As they feed and multiply, your plant gets infested. Consequently, infestation deprives the plant of key nutrients that promote plant vigor. Hence leaf curling and yellowing with dark spots.

The leaf curling due to pest infestation has no clear patterns. Depending on the level of infestation, they may appear twisted, cupped or look pinched and stressed.

Stressed Monstera deliciosa
Spots on leaves are signs of Monstera pest infestation

Spider mites are tiny crawling pests. You may not see them with naked eyes. Look for signs of spider mite webs under leaves, leaf bases or curly leaf tips. Be keen enough for little dark spots and soft-body tiny creatures under leaves.

How to Stop Pests on Your Monstera

Among the common household products and treatment methods to use include:

  • Gently wash leaves with liquid soap using cotton balls
  • Wipe leaves with rubbing alcohol using cotton balls
  • Apply neem oil onto the leaves for two weeks
  • Avoid splashes of water directly onto the leaves

The earlier you start treating your plant the better the chances of picking up and start thriving again. In case of infestation, go for chemical treatment options.

Sources and References

  1. Repotting Houseplants. PennState Extension. https://extension.psu.edu/repotting-houseplants. Accessed online 29 October 2021
  2. Perrott, R. and Graf. Alfred Byrd (2021, September 13). houseplant. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/science/houseplant. Accessed online 29 October 2021
  3. A Hobby for All Seasons: 7 Science-Backed Benefits of Indoor Plants. https://www.healthline.com/health/healthy-home-guide/benefits-of-indoor-plants. Accessed online 29 October 2021

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