Why Is My Monstera Droopy?

Monstera, also called Swiss cheese plant, is a beautiful tropical plant with natural fenestrations (holes) in the leaves that give it a distinct look. If these beautiful leaves are drooping, the first step is to figure out what’s making your Monstera plant unhappy.

7 Most Common Causes of Drooping Monstera

Under-Watering

If a Monstera plant’s leaves are wilting, it could be that it is not getting adequate water. Lack of water is the most common cause of drooping leaves in this particular plant. Droopy Monstera plants often just need water!

Solution:

Put your finger into the potting soil to check the moisture level. Are the top 2-3 inches dry? Water your plant until you see excess water coming out of the drainage holes in the bottom of the pot.

In addition, you need to prune back any dry, brown, curled or dead leaves that do not bounce back. If they do not recover relatively quickly, they won’t.

Low Humidity:

The ideal humidity level for this plant is between 60-80%. If the moisture meter is not where it should be, this plant will fail to thrive. Signs that your plant needs more moisture are drooping, curling, dry, or brown Monstera leaves

Solution:

You can use a room humidifier or pebble tray to increase the humidity level. If you don’t have a humidifier, consider moving your plant to a room with more humidity, like the bathroom. Misting the plant between waterings can also help. You can also group your Monstera with other houseplants, especially tropical varieties, and the combined respiration of the plants will increase the humidity in the area.

Over-Watering

Many plant owners are surprised to hear that over-watering can have the same impact as under-watering. Too much water can cause root rot, which impedes the ability to absorb nutrients from the soil. Signs of too much water include yellow leaves, droopy leaves, brown spots, and falling leaves.

Solution:

When caught early, you can attempt to fix over-watering by withholding water until the plant dries out. The top 2-3 inches of soil should be dry before watering again.

You may need to repot your plant if you suspect root rot. Remove the Monstera from the pot and look at the roots. Prune away any damaged roots. When you repot your Monstera in dry soil, be sure that you use well-draining potting mix with perlite and a pot with drainage holes.

Monstera plants do not like to be root bound, so choose a pot size slightly larger than the root system when repotting.

Plant Shock

When any indoor plant is repotted in fresh soil, plant shock can result. Taking a plant out of its environment really puts a lot of stress on the plant. Try not to panic if the plant looks worse before it looks better.

Solution:

When repotting any plant, try to minimize shock by not damaging roots and water after replanting. It may take a few days for your plant to bounce back.

Heat Stress

Although this tropical plant does well in heat, it can suffer from high-temperature stress. Signs of this include leaf burn and curling or droopy leaves.

Solution:

Move the plant to cooler spaces in the house (or move it inside during heat waves), but avoid cold drafts from air conditioner vents.

Too Much Light

When a Monstera gets too much light, it can droop. The perfect growing conditions include plenty of bright, indirect light. Avoid direct light, especially during the hottest parts of the day.

Solution:

Move your plant out of bright light. Choose a window that gets indirect natural light, or use light-filtering sheer curtains to block the sun.

Keep in mind that too little light can also be problematic. While Monstera can tolerate short stints in shady areas, they will not thrive. Variegated varieties, like the Thai constellation, will lose some of their white color without sufficient light.

Pests

Many pests can cause problems in your Monstera plant. Quick action is important whether you are dealing with an infestation of mealybugs, spider mites, thrips, aphids or some other insect.

Solution:

The solution to the pest problem can depend on which one is bothering your Monstera. Some pests are best handled with insecticidal soap or neem oil, whereas others can be remedied simply by hosing the plant off in the shower or wiping the bugs off with a cotton swab dipped in alcohol.

How Do You Get Your Monstera To Stand Up?

As a plant with aerial roots, the Monstera plant can be trained to climb. A Monstera that is growing up can begin to droop due to a physical lack of support. This is where a moss pole comes in.

A moss pole is a moss-covered pole pushed into the soil right next to a plant to encourage it to grow straight. The plant can be tethered to the pole with twist ties or small strings.

Read more: 16 Different Types of Monstera Plants