It ’s always vexing when you go to bed one night with a thrive green houseplant and awake up to your Monstera leaves turning brown . After all , you ’ve been doing everything correct and giving it all the TLC it needs , right ?
Well , mayhap not . In fact , while not always the case , sometimes too much TLC can actually do problem for your Monstera which often just like to be impart alone instead .
Fortunately , you ’ll see that it ’s usually very easy to fix dark-brown Monstera leaves . count on the precise effort in your case , a few tweaks to your flora maintenance routine should normally do the trick .
However , it ’s also important to rule out more serious potential perpetrator , like disease or pest , not to mention ensure that the problem , whatever it is , does n’t add up back . This is why you should keep reading to notice out the possible causes of Monstera developing chocolate-brown smear , what to do about these and even whether you should cut browned leaves off your Monstera .
Table of Contents
Easy Monstera Care Guide 🌿
⭐ wishing one?Grab aclassic Monstera hereor asmaller Monstera Adansonii here !
💧 Water : Water when the top 2 - 3 inches of soil feel dry . Monsteras choose uniform moisture but do n’t like seat in torpid soil .
🌱 Soil : Use a well - draining potting mixture -I personally usethis tropic potting mix . A mix with peat , perlite , or coco coir is outstanding for nullify torpid roots .
☀ ️Light : burnished , indirect light is ideal . Direct sunlight can sear their leaves , while modest light may slow down growth .
🌡 ️Temperature : Monsteras thrive between 65 - 85 ° F ( 18 - 29 ° coulomb ) . Keep them away from drafts and sudden temperature change .
🌿 Fertilizer : Feed with a balanced , piss - soluble fertilizer ( my top pick isthis Miracle - Gro one ) once a calendar month during spring and summertime . Skip feed in in tumble and winter .
Why are myMonstera leaves turning brown?
Your Monstera leaves are turn dark-brown likely because you are either overwatering your plant or discover it to excess unmediated sunshine . That say , other reasons could be due to underwatering , disease , and low humidness .
Let ’s take a look at each of these in turn to give you an reading of what may be the specific issue with your own Monstera industrial plant .
1. Overwatering
Overwatering is one of the most common rationality for Monstera leave to turn brown . This mostly happens when the soil does not ingest pee right , head to your Monstera plant roots stay in H2O for a longer prison term . The redundant water supply and moisture can have the root to rot , leading to the plant have gloomy brown spots and , sometimes , even leading to yourMonstera modernize black spots .
If the soil is still slopped , it is all important to hop tearing for a twenty-four hour period or two because knockout rot of the roots can kill the plant . In addition , extra water hinder efficient absorption of moisture and nutrients and makes the industrial plant watery . As a resultant of the dehydration , the leave turn browned .
Overwatering a Monsteradoes not happen after one tearing but from someone giving their plant excess water over some time . Some plants need the land to dry out between waterings than others . However , for most tropic plant , include Monstera , you only need to ensure the top of the soil is teetotal between the waterings .
2. Underwatering
Monstera plants will not spring up well in teetotal soil . want of sufficient water adversely affects the absorption of nutrient . If you encounter your Monstera grow light chocolate-brown patches or dry , crispy edges on the leaves , it is possible that you are underwatering it .
While it is good to permit the stain mostly dry before water to avoid piddle flooding , you should not wait until it ’s completely parched . Otherwise , if your Monstera ’s soil is too dry , the roots can go , leading to the leaves turning brownish and crispy .
The best way to test this is to see if the soil is crumbly or overly compacted . In either instance , it ’s potential time to give your houseplant a good drink and reassesshow often you water your Monstera .
Miracle - Gro Tropical Potting Mix
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Thebest grunge for Monstera plant , specially made for tropical verdure . bundle with nutrients and lava rock for great drainage , it keeps your Monstera healthy and thriving
3. Excess sunlight
exuberant sunlight is one of the other most common causes of Monstera leaves turning John Brown . Monstera plants naturally thrive under brilliant and collateral sun . Therefore , photo to direct brightness might lead in yourMonstera being sunburnt .
As a plant owner , you should always watch out for yourMonstera ’s light requirementsas burn leaf belike wo n’t recuperate . you may lay aside the foliage from turn brown or burning by place the flora about three feet away from your southern - facing windowpane to ensure it gets an optimal amount of visible radiation without being exposed to direct sunlight .
or else , pluck a window that has a different orientation course where the light may be softer and thus more appropriate for a Monstera . you could also use windowpane blinds to interpenetrate the sunshine .
Keep in nous as well that inordinate sunshine is typical during summertime when the sun shines stiff for most of the day , compare to the wintertime season when the pants can stand some hours of unmediated sunshine . As such , you may demand to consider shifting your plant life depending on the season .
4. Low humidity levels
Monstera is aboriginal to humid places and thrives under extreme humidness . If the leafage border of your plant have begun to embrown and yourMonstera is drooping , your plant may be unhappy with the humidity level in your home where the moisture in your indoor air could be quite grim .
This is because , in these cases , your plant will turn a loss a lot of its wet due to transpiration . That , in turn , can cause your Monstera leaves to turn brown
There are several pace you’re able to take toincrease humidness levels for your Monsterain your plate , such as adding a pebble tray , grouping houseplants together or using a humidifier .
5. Disease
sure fungous infections are comparatively common among Monstera plants . This peculiarly includes ocellus disease ( spilocaea oleagina ) , which is also sometimes look up to as peacock eye as the spots on the foliage wait similar to eyes . You will realize that your Monstera could be affect by this if you see some chicken halo or rings around the brown spots of the leaves .
Anthracnose , a collection of associate fungous disease , could also head to your Monstera leaves turning John Brown . In this case , you ’ll belike first notice yourMonstera leaves turning yellowand brown before , , eventually , falling off as the plant dies .
One of the main causes for these is wet foliage . As a result , you should never allow for the plant wet for a long clock time . However , if you do detect these dark-brown spots constitute , take a cutting note of the leaf to narrate whether they are affected by the disease and take appropriate action at law immediately .
6. Poor water quality
The lineament of urine you use to water your plant life matters is essential fornew growth on your Monstera . As a result , if your plant life are have consequence and it does n’t appear to be due to any of the other potential causes on this listing , you may want to reckon essay the water to see if that ’s the perpetrator .
In peculiar , it ’s beenfoundthat water containing fluoride can direct to fluoride perniciousness in houseplants , which can often be seen by the tip of leaves going brown .
There are plenty of reasonably priced fluoride mental testing kits online if you would like to essay the water system coming out of your taps but you may also want to view using rain or distill water while watering your plants .
Why are my variegatedMonstera leaves turning brown?
Your variegated Monstera leaves are turning brown likely due to either a deficiency of lighter or a buildup of saltiness in the body of water . Since the white section of this plant ’s leaf lacks chlorophyl , those parts ca n’t photosynthesize . As such , the variegate Monstera need more Christ Within than a non - variegated one .
Furthermore , since thistype of Monsterais vulnerable to salt accumulation , you should conceive leaving spigot water supply out and expose for 24 hours before using it to water yourvariegated Monsteraplant . This will allow at least some of the mineral and compounds to evaporate which can , in twist , avail to prevent the farewell from call on Robert Brown .
How do you fix brown Monstera leaves?
Once you have determined the likely cause of why your Monstera leaf are turn brownish , there are certain steps you may take to prevent this going fore . Some of these tips include the following :
1. Do not overwater
The bulk of the hoi polloi have a day-after-day fix watering schedule they strictly travel along without paying attention to the condition of the industrial plant and the soil . However , checking the state of the dirt is crucial in insure that you do n’t overwater your plant .
In exceptional , make certain you reserve the top column inch or two of soil to dry out before you irrigate your Monstera again .
If , however , you realize that the grunge seems to be stay too wet for too long , you may want to contain if your houseplant ’s lot is the right size . A container that ’s too small-scale for the plant will not only be a likely cause of piss - related problems , but there are other issues that can get up , like yourMonstera becoming root stick to .
2. Provide enough water
It ’s also important to create a watering subroutine that look at the soil with the destination of avoiding under watering , not just over watering . That is , see to it the soil to verify it ’s not becoming too ironic and adjust consequently .
If you think this is an proceeds with your plant , give your plant a good soaking . From there , expect until the top two to three in of the dirt is ironical before watering it again .
3. Providing sufficient fertilizers
Just like any other plant , Monstera flora also ask sufficient nutrient to thrive . The plants do not bet on sun alone ; they also need the correct balance of mineral to flourish . plant food provide the required vitamins for your plant to stay healthy .
If you feed your plant with enough nutrient , they maturate large with beautiful green leaf , making them perfect for your home or office interior decoration . Conversely , lack of sufficient nutrients causes stunted maturation and folio stain , including that this can be a premier cause of yourMonstera leavesturning brown .
To raise level-headed ontogenesis , a goodMonstera fertilizershould contain balanced phosphorus , atomic number 19 , and nitrogen , either in limpid or substantial form . Most of these fertilizer are added during watering so that they can be incorporate in effect in the territory .
Miracle - Gro Water Soluble All Purpose Plant Food
Thebest fertilizer for Monstera plants , further bold , healthy leaves and steady growth . An gentle - to - utilize , balanced formula for tropic houseplant .
Another important thing to mark when planning to fertilize your works is exactly when you do this . That is , the best clock time to fertilise your Monstera is when they are at the active growth stage . In gain , consider how often you plan to fertilize your houseplant , as this is going to for the most part depend on the type of fertiliser you are move to practice .
4. Conduct routine pest and disease checks
Pests and disease on your Monsteracan have spartan damage to your flora . Notably , family pest like spider , mealybugs , scale , fungus gnats , aphid orthrips on your Monsteracan cause problems . These organisms suck moisture from the leaves result to the Monstera leaves turning brown due to being dehydrated .
To avoid this , find out the leaves thoroughly while tearing or cleaning your plant to notice any infection on its leave or stem , so that you may ideally take appropriate discourse legal action as presently as possible . You should also keep an optic out for the presence of web , cottony materials , and light viscous goo indicate the front of pests .
To avoid pest contagion on your houseplant , keenly inspect works before buying them and quarantine new plant before mixing them with the others in your accumulation to prevent the spread of diseases .
Where pest are becoming a consistent issue , view using an appropriate pesticide to get rid of them once and for all . It can also help if you houseclean your quite a little to essay to keep the fungus away . You could do this byrepotting your Monsterain a smart pot , allow you to deal with the older one consequently .
5. Check the light situation
As mentioned before , Monstera need smart , indirect Inner Light to flourish . If they get too much light source , this can burn the works which can then lead to brown leaves and , in uttermost cases , the plant go .
This is why , if your plant is currently next to a window , you should moderate both the volume and the length of spark that your flora is receive . For example , a southern - facing window will be too much for a Monstera , so debate moving it to another position in your sign .
Alternatively , you could move it away from the window by a few infantry or add a sheer curtain to filter the luminance and make it more favorable to your houseplant .
6. Introduce some moisture
There are several way to manage the humidness stratum around your plant life . first of all , you may obnubilate the folio of the industrial plant frequently with fresh water , although this is only a irregular solution so may not be the best long terminal figure option .
A better one that you may lend oneself to keep the humidity levels somewhat higher , as per your Monstera ’s preferences , involves setting up a pebble tray at the bottom of the mass . You should also protect your Monstera against melodic phrase drafts from air conditioner and radiators by keeping your flora well away from any of these .
Using a humidifier can also be a near direction of increasing indoor humidness for your works . It ’s also good to keep in creative thinker that different room in your family will have dissimilar levels of moisture . For most people , basement and bath have the best humidness tier suitable for the increment of Monstera plant life .
For many people , it is challenging to determine the best elbow room for your Monstera based on its humidity spirit level . For this reason , you could purchase a hygrometer to serve you measure the humidity and choose the in effect place for your plant .
7. Combat leaf infections
Bacterial and fungal infections are hard to contend , although they can be fend off . If all other cause of the brown spots have been harness out , your Monstera may have a fungal or bacterial infection . For example , bacterial folio spot on Monsterais an nettlesome , yet pretty common problem with this houseplant .
The most efficacious way of life to manage this is by removing the affected leaves . If you discover the infection early enough , you could tucker them before they overspread . To do this , incorporate the following into your works care routine :
Should I cut brown leaves off Monstera?
You should reduce chocolate-brown foliage off your Monstera . This is because affected parts of the leafage can no longer photosynthesize and so can not produce energy for your plant . They also have no resistivity against decline and infection as liken to sizeable leaves . Removing brown leaves can also help to protect the rest of your flora .
That is , bacteria and fungus consume nutrients receive in decaying flora cells and also proliferate on the surface . To help protect the oddment of the plant from these diseases , you should remove any brown or damaged leaf tissue .
And that ’s not even to mention that your Monstera will simply depend better when its brown leaf are removed !
How to cut brown leaves off Monstera
To reduce Monstera leaves that are diseased or die from other reasons , apply acute blade to cut them off at their stem turn , being careful to not damage the industrial plant ’s main stem where new leaves will form . For less damaged folio , carefully cut off the small brownish part to conserve the healthy part of the folio .
If you believe a fungous or bacterial infection caused the damage to your Monstera leaves , clean your cutting pawn before and after use . I often clean the blades with rubbing alcohol .
scathe from other cause , such as overwatering is not infectious and can not be passed to healthy leave-taking by mite . In this instance , you may proactively disinfect the cutting tool to avert any source that may be feeding on the utter tissue from entering the deletion . That say , it ’s hard for a flora to get infected after a routinepruning of your Monstera .
leave the remain green morsel of the leaf in stead , except when involve by transmission , can benefit your Monstera since they can still issue food through the process of photosynthesis .
You should also be careful not to murder too many leaves at once , even if the harm is quite extensive . This is because a works may not be able to recuperate if you cut off too many folio given that it wo n’t be able-bodied to photosynthesize . Instead , hack off those leaves that are dead or highly damaged first . If demand , more can be removed down the track if their situation gets worse .
Related : When Do Monstera Leaves Split ?
Final thoughts on brown Monstera leaves
Monstera leave turn chocolate-brown is often one of the first indicators of a problem with this flora . Fortunately , however , most of the government issue that make this can be lick with some simple adjustments to your plant care subprogram .
Where it gets more difficult is with pests or disease . It ’s for this reasonableness that it ’s practiced to keep a close middle on your Monstera to ensure that if one of these concern raise its ugly caput , you could treat it as quickly as potential before the situation gets out of control – or , bad , spreads to other plants in your home .
That said , by far the most uncouth reasons for this are overwatering and too much visible light . These are also basically the easiest houseplant problems to mend so you should find in almost no prison term that you ’re back to having a happy , thriving Monstera .
