Yes! There are so many beautiful and interesting Monstera species to grow. This is our favorite semi-hydroponic growing medium! This reduces the risk of pests significantly. If your roots are sitting in water all the time, the risk of root rot is quite high. Give them a try and let us know what you think! Roots should start to form within a few weeks for most plants. Preventing Pests and Other Problems in Monstera. If you’re totally confused, here’s a quick rundown of these terms: Hydroponics refers to any method of growing plants without soil. Let's get into it and migrate this Monstera to Leca. There will still be soil left behind on the roots and if you don't remove this, it could cause problems later on. To propagate your monstera using this technique, you will need a sharp knife or other cutting tool, a toothpick, a handful of long-fibered sphagnum moss, twine or strong string, a sheet of clear plastic (like a plastic sandwich bag or a piece of plastic cling wrap), and optional rooting hormone. Now you also have the option to pull out your plants to check on their roots without the soil in the way if you so choose. This \"Swiss cheese plant\" is an excellent example of why using common names with plants can be confusing. A Monstera is a perfect plant to grow in Leca, because it's quite sensitive to overwatering and Leca helps you to avoid overwatering your plants. If you're using Leca that you've already washed before, you can skip to the next step. Step 3: Water and fertilize when the LECA dries out. Leca doesn't contain any nutrients by itself, so adding this to the water is important. 2. When they're clean, move them into the second bucket, leaving the dirty water in the bucket you used to clean the clay balls. To do this, get a bucket and get enough clay balls to fill your pot up until about 2.5 cm (1 inch) from the top. Just make sure you cover all the roots by Leca, so they're not exposed to light. The video (above) shows the process of culturing Monstera deliciosa in labs. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. I’ve had one for months and was pretty nervous about making any big changes like repotting or switching locations in my apartment for the first few months. save hide report. After you boil it for 30 minutes, … They have to be a clone from the mother plant. The last couple of cuttings I’ve gotten have had great aerial roots and I’m thinking this one would as well. LECA balls are small porous clay balls used as a growing medium to prevent root rot, acidity, and pests. I ordered a monstera cutting and plan to root it in leca (first go-around with soil didn’t turn out so well). I gathered some tools and started by chopping off one giant stem and chose the rooting method. Stem Cuttings. Happy growing! How to Grow Monstera Plants with Hydroponics, The Best Monstera Moisture Meter: How to Use a Moisture Meter to Water Your Monstera. Preparing LECA (Clay Pebbles) For Plant Propagation. When the LECA balls dry out, water and fertilize your plant. No more overwatering (or root rot!). The base layer of Leca protects your plant from this. Propagating a Monstera: Since my monstera is pretty mature and very healthy, I have several options when it comes to selecting cuttings to propagate. ", Fill the nursery pot with a base layer of Leca, Read more about using Leca to take care of your plants, Read more about taking care of a Monstera. Matte - Hand-painted Ceramic Pot - Turquoise - Bohemian Modern - Clay - Minimal $ 15.00. When planting outdoors, establish in part-shade in well-draining soil. It had a very very tiny node and today, I'm finally seeing some new growth. Hydroponics and semi-hydroponic growing methods are increasing in popularity among houseplant owners, and many monstera lovers are starting to grow monstera plants with LECA balls. Also known as Hydrotron, LECA is widely used in hydroponics using media bed or Dutch bucket techniques because of its lightweight and other favorable features. Origin. The leaves will stay in their juvenile form if grow in a terrarium or in a hanging basket. It often means growing plants in water only! (Yes, it’s possible!) To get started, clean the soil off the roots with your hands. Finding the Node: The nodes are brownish circular rings on the stem from where a leaf used to be; this is the junction where new leaves and roots will form. Now that one bucket is filled with the Leca, get a second bucket that's clean and empty. It often means growing plants in water only! If the Leca you're going to use for this project hasn't been used before, there will be a lot of dust on the clay balls. The same applies for tissue culturing Variegated Monstera Deliciosa. This plant hails from the rainforest, so it will love a little summer heat and humidity. Note: If you weren’t able to get ALL the soil off your monstera’s roots, you’ll want to remove your monstera from the pot the first 2 or 3 times you want and rinse the roots and LECA to remove any lingering fungus or bacteria. If you're unfamiliar with Leca, you should have a look at "What is Leca and why is it useful for plants?" Monstera deliciosa can be propagated easily via leaf bud cuttings. You can also grow a Monstera from seed. You can try to do the water propagation method but it’s very difficult to keep the wetstick moist without submerging the whole thing. When is the best time to propagate monstera deliciosa cuttings. We love LECA and we’re sure you will too! We love LECA and we’re sure you will too! I tend to propagate most of my plants in water . Take a cutting from the mother plant by cutting off a leaf just below the aerial root. LECA balls are also sterile, so the fungus and bacteria that can cause infections like root rot aren’t present. share. You can grow this plant in a hanging basket, climbing up a support, or even in a terrarium. Cuttings should be taken just after a leaf node, removing the bottom-most leaves. LECA stands for “lightweight expanded clay aggregate.”. When you've reached a certain point in the process where your roots look a little like the image above, it might be very difficult to remove more soil with your hands. LECA is completely sterile, so it’s important to add fertilizer to your water to provide your monstera with nutrients. 1 part LECA (Aliflor, compressed clay pellets), 1 part hydrated coconut husk chips) Water once, then water judiciously, maybe once a week. How to Grow Monstera Plants with LECA Balls. Place your plant in the container and fill the remaining space with pebbles, then add another inch of LECA balls, leaving about 0.6 inches of space on top for water. This method is similar to propagation with leca. A monstera’s rapid growth and resilience makes them it the ideal plant to propagate from – that means taking cuttings from a mature, mother plant to create smaller, new plants. Get your own products from the links below and support us Back to top There are a couple ways you can propagate a Monstera deliciosa, also called a Swiss Cheese Plant. When you're watering your Monstera in Leca, it's important to include hydroponics fertilizer in the water. However, Variegated Monstera Deliciosas are almost exclusively produced from stem cuttings as the propagation from seeds is not deemed to be successful. After they’re clean, let them soak in water for a couple of hours. Monstera is a tropical plant native to Central America. Back to top How to Propagate Monstera. LECA is short of “light expanded clay aggregate” is a processed ceramic lightweight aggregate composed of small pebbles of the size of peanuts. Bucket filled with water at room temperature. Insects like the dark, damp conditions you often get with soil, but they won’t last long in LECA. “As long as you have one exposed node available, any cutting will have the chance to form roots,” she explains. As we have learned the node is controlling the growth of new leaves, shoots, and buds. When the LECA balls dry out, water and fertilize your plant. Say goodbye to pests. You may need to use a heavy object to hold them down during this process. When you order through these links, we receive a small commission. Now we can see the healthy roots on the plant and we can see how much soil we'll need to remove from the roots. You'll have helped to reduce the risk of pests on your Monstera significantly by converting it to Leca. Cleaning them is very important. Now you can carefully clean the roots inside of the water and you'll see that you're able to remove a lot more soil this way. It's impossible to clean the roots completely at this point and that's okay. Once you've converted one plant from soil to Leca, it'll very a very easy and straightforward process. This doesn't cost you anything and helps to keep our plant guides free. Keeping your node dry will help prevent node rot; Just keep an eye on the water levels of your container and you’ll be able to see the roots grow between the leca balls. Semi-hydroponics is a similar term that usually describes a method of growing plants in an inorganic growing medium. If you’re up for a new adventure with your monstera plant and struggle with overwatering, you just might fall in love with LECA! Then, add a 1-inch layer of LECA balls to your plant’s new, clean container (choose a waterproof plastic or glazed ceramic pot for this). We've got it out of the pot, cleaned its roots, prepared the pots and Leca for use, and planted the Monstera in Leca. Article by Sara. Just water your plant when the Leca is no longer able to absorb the water in the waterproof pot and that's it. This process is very similar for any Monstera, so if you don't have a Monstera Deliciosa you can still follow along with the steps we've outlined in this guide. Since my monstera is pretty mature and very healthy, I have several options when it comes to selecting cuttings to propagate. LECA balls are reusable. donate a plant in order to get a guide for the plant you have trouble with. This makes sure the plant is never sitting in the water and the Leca will regulate the water in the pot for you. Be sure to grab your essentials here: Houseplant Propagation Promoter, Monstera Plant Food, 3-in-1 Moisture Meter, Premium Potting Soil, Houseplant Leaf Armor (which protects your houseplant from bacteria, fungus, and insects—and also cleans and adds shine to its leaves!) As you can see we are all about plant… Explore. Clay pebbles are very popular among aquaponic farmer too. Growing your plants in Leca is easy and helps you to water your plants properly. It works because the clay pellets (LECA) provides two essentia… Monstera Q&A Monstera Deliciosa can also be propagated using seeds. Sample Bag - Leca Clay - Plant Propagation - Semi Hydro - Hydroponics - Propagate Houseplant Cuttings - Plant Propagation $ 7.00. Houseplant cuttings - plant propagation $ 7.00 with a base layer is here to tell you, there ’ no... Hardy in USDA zones 10 through 12, it will come in soil to Leca above node! Give them a try and let us know what you think 1 Gallon - 4 quarts - soil Amendment indoor! 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