Monstera Borsigiana Care Tips

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The name of the genus Monster is derived from the word “monstrum”, which translates as “monster”, this is due to the large size of the plant and its frightening appearance. Representatives of this genus are evergreen lianas and shrubs. Their thick shoots are climbing, often present aerial roots. The dark green, long-petioled, large leaf plates are leathery to the touch, adorned with slits and holes of various shapes and sizes. The inflorescence is a thick, cylindrical cob, with sterile flowers at its base and the sexes at the top.

Monstera borsigiana is among the most popular plants cultivated at home.

It is scientifically proven that the room monster is able to ionize the air in the room, which is a big plus when growing such a flower.

monstera borsigiana

A brief description of growing monstera borsigiana

  1. Flowering. Monstera borsigiana is grown as an ornamental and deciduous plant. When grown at home, it blooms very rarely.
  2. lighting monstera borsigiana. Needs a large amount of bright but diffused light.
  3. Temperature control. In the spring and autumn period – from 20 to 25 degrees, in winter – from 16 to 18 degrees. Make sure that the temperature in the room is not below 10 degrees.
  4. Watering monstera borsigiana. During the growing season, watering is carried out immediately after the top layer of soil mixture in the pot dries out. With the onset of autumn, a gradual reduction of watering is carried out, and in winter the soil mixture is moistened only after it dries to 1/4 of the depth.
  5. Air humidity. It should be elevated. On hot days moisten the bush from a sprayer every day, but it is better instead to wipe the leaf plates with a moistened sponge.
  6. Fertilization. While the plant is young, it is not necessary to feed it. But adult specimens are fed regularly from the second half of the spring period and until the last summer weeks. To do this, alternately use organic and mineral fertilizers.
  7. Monstera borsigiana support. It should be fixed in the container during planting or transplanting the flower.
  8. Dormancy period. Not pronounced brightly.
  9. Repotting. Up to three years of age, the bush is transplanted every year, from 3 to 5 years – the procedure is carried out once, and from five years of age, the plant is transplanted into a new pot once every 4-5 years. However, the top layer of soil mixture in the container should be changed to a fresh one every year.
  10. Soil mixture. Young bushes are grown in a substrate consisting of sod and humus soil, as well as peat and sand (1:2:1:1). For adult plants, a soil mixture consisting of deciduous, hummus, sod and peat soil, as well as sand (1:1:3:1:1) is suitable.
  11. Propagation. By cuttings, apex and by seed.
  12. Pests. Scabies, aphids, and spider mites.
  13. Diseases. All of the problems that can occur when growing a monster are due to improper care.
  14. Properties.
  15. The sap of the plant contains poison.

Monster care at home

Illumination

Monstera borsigiana needs a large amount of bright light, but it must necessarily be scattered. In this regard, it is recommended to grow it on a western or eastern windowsill.

monstera borsigiana

If the flower is on the southern window, it will need to shade it from the sun, and on the northern – it will lack light. If you provide the plant with a sufficient amount of diffused light, its foliage will be large and with spectacular holes or slits.

If there is little light, the new leaf plates will grow small and the aerial roots will be thin and weak. It is recommended to move the flower to a new place only as a last resort.

Temperature regime

Cultivated in room conditions, the monstera borsigiana, does not need any particular air temperature. He has been noticed one feature – the warmer in the room, the more intense the growth of the bush.

From spring to autumn, the optimal air temperature for monstera borsigiana is 20 to 25 degrees.

In wintertime it is recommended to place the bush in a cooler place (from 16 to 18 degrees), but make sure that the room is not colder than 10 degrees. The greatest danger to it is drafts in the fall and winter.

Watering

In spring and summer watering should be abundant, it is carried out as soon as the top layer of substrate dries out. Soft well-drained water is used for this purpose. With the onset of autumn, watering is gradually reduced, and in winter it is carried out only after 2 days from the drying out of the top layer of the soil mixture.

Remember that the plant reacts equally negatively to both over-drying the ground ball and stagnant water in the substrate. With regular overwatering, rot may appear on the roots, and spots may appear on the leaves.

monstera borsigiana

Spraying

Monstera borsigiana responds positively to systematic moistening from a sprayer, in connection with this, it is recommended to conduct it necessarily.

To do this, use settled water at room temperature. The leaves should be dusted off systematically with a moistened soft cloth.

Fertilizer

While the bush is young, it can not be fertilized. To ensure that the growth of an adult flower does not slow down, fertilization is carried out from the second half of the spring period to the end of summer once every 15 days, for this purpose alternately use organic and mineral fertilizers.

Pruning

When growing at home, the shrub should be propped with a trellis or stick, or the leaves should be pulled up with a rope. After the growth of the old monster slows down, it is recommended to cut off the top to stimulate the growth of side shoots.

Air Roots

Each leaf plate grows aerial roots, they must not be cut off or cut off in any way. It is advisable to put these roots in the same container as the flower itself or in an additional pot of fertile earth. This improves the nutrition of the entire flower.

If these roots grow very slowly and do not reach the surface of the substrate in the pot, then it is recommended that they be bound with moistened sphagnum or immersed in a bottle filled with water. If desired, you can buy a plastic tube, which should be wrapped with dry palm fiber, several holes are made in it, and a nutrient substrate is poured inside.

The air roots of the flower should be directed into these holes. Droplets may form on the tops of the leaf plates on a cloudy day before the rain or in winter before the thaw.

Monstera Flowering

Growing in natural conditions Monster is characterized by annual flowering. If the shrub is grown at home, however, it will bloom very rarely. If it receives a sufficient amount of nutrients regularly, after a couple of years it will be able to produce a large inflorescence with monster cobs with a creamy sheath and its unisexual flowers. When the fruit is mature, the sheath turns woody and falls off.

The purple inflorescence is about 7 inch long and looks similar to a corncob. They form small, juicy fruits that are pressed together.

They are very sweet and have an aroma that is both pineapple and strawberry-like.

monstera borsigiana

Transplanting the monstera borsigiana

During the first two years, the young plant is transplanted every year, from 3 to 4 years – once every 2 years. When the bush is 5 years old, it is subjected to this procedure once every 3 to 4 years. However, the top layer of substrate in the pot should be replaced every year with a fresh one.

For transplanting or planting young plants use a neutral or weakly acidic soil mixture (pH 5.5-6.0), which should consist of peat, turf and humus soil, and sand (1:1:2:1). An adult bush should grow in a soil mixture with a pH of 6.5-7.0, which consists of peat, humus, sod and leaf soil, and sand (1:1:3:1:1).

The pot should be taken large, with a good drainage layer made at the bottom of it.

Poisonous monstera

In the juice of such a monstera borsigiana there are substances that cause inflammation of the mucous membranes and skin irritation. The juice of not fully ripe fruits can cause bleeding in the stomach and intestines, as well as inflammation of the mucous membrane of the mouth.

Propagation methods monstera borsigiana

Growing from monstera seed

Sown monstera borsigiana seeds are placed in a warm and well-lit place. The first seedlings should show within 30 days. The first leaf plates are juvenile and there are no slits on them. The first adult leaves will form at 5-8 months.

After 2 years, the bush will have no more than four adult leaf plates and up to 5 juvenile ones. Seedlings are first pickled by planting them in individual pots, and then they are transplanted every year.

Cuttings monstera borsigiana

Cuttings are carried out throughout the spring to early summer.

Monstera borsigiana can be propagated by stem or apical cuttings, and also by lateral sprouts.

A cutting is a section of the stem with 1-2 leaf plates. The cutting places are treated with charcoal powder. For rooting, the cuttings are planted in a separate pot, and from above it is covered with glass.

At the bottom it is necessary to make a drainage layer of pieces of bricks, and then fill it with a two-inch layer of peat or humus soil, and then pour 0.3 inch of sand.

Watering is carried out regularly in the morning and evening hours, and the air temperature should be 20-25 degrees. After the cuttings grow roots, it is planted in an intermediate pot.

After 3 or 4 years of overgrown bush transplanted into a tub or a larger pot. To make the cuttings rooted faster, you should choose the one that has aerial roots.

monstera borsigiana

Propagation of the top

Old bushes lose their decorativeness because their lower leaf plates fall off. You can therefore wrap the 2 top aerial roots in moistened moss or twine and fix them to the trunk of the flower. After the roots have grown roots, cut off a part of the trunk with 1-2 leaf plates and treat the cut with charcoal powder. Plant the cuttings in a pot and cover the roots and the cut area with the substrate. The old shrub should also put upside shoots and it will become lusher.

Possible problems

If the monstera borsigiana is not cared for properly or not provided with optimal growing conditions, then it can have problems.

  • – Leaves will fall off. If the lighting is too poor, then the plant begins to drop its leaves, and there is also a suspension of its growth.
  • – Leaf spots. Brown spots may appear on the underside of the leaf plates if spider mites have settled on the shrub.
  • – Yellowing of the leaves. The leaves turn yellow if the monstera feels a lack of nutrients. Also, the leaves can become yellow, and also rot appears on them due to the regular stagnation of liquid in the substrate.
  • – The foliage turns brown. Leaf-blades turn brown and paper-like if the humidity level is too low or if the flower is very crowded in the pot.
  • – The color of the young leaf laminae is pale. If the light is too intense, then the faded leaves appear on the bush, and also on their surface yellow spots can form.
  • – The bush will become elongated. If the monstera borsigiana lacks light, then its shoots become elongated, the stem is curled, and the new leaf plates grow faint and small.
  • – The foliage is solid. There may be no slits on the young leaf plates because the monstera feels a lack of light or nutrients.
  • – Leaves will wither and fall off. If the foliage turns brown and withers before it falls off, the room is very hot. Leaves also fall off as they age, but in this case they do not turn brown.
  • – Harmful insects. Aphids, scales, and spider mites are the most common pests on the monstera borsigiana.

What is the difference between Monstera Deliciosa and Monstera Borsigiana?

Perhaps you didn’t know, but Borsigiana is a sub-specie of Deliciosa.

So, the only real difference between these two is the fact that Borsigiana develops much faster, and its size is smaller.

Is Monstera Borsigiana toxic to pets and people?

Yes, Monstera Borsigiana and Monsteras, in general, are classified as moderately toxic to both people, and pets (cats and dogs).

Some of the irritation symptoms include vomiting, too much drooling, mouth swelling, and similar.

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monstera borsigiana