Prune Monsteras: [Importance, Season, Tools, Considerations and Steps]
The Monstera genus has about 45 species of plants, which are commonly found in the tropical forests of America and India.
These plants became famous for decorating interiors in the 1960s, maintaining their popularity to this day.
Among its most striking characteristics is that its leaves are dark green, maintaining some perforations during its youth.
In adulthood, these perforations become deep cuts, with stems that can measure between 30 and 50 cm. This size usually makes it necessary that, on occasions, you must perform maintenance pruning, as when you want to reproduce the plant.
For this reason, today we will talk about everything you need to get you to prune the monstera in the best possible way and without problems.
Why prune monstera?
Because its growth can be a bit overgrown in the best conditions, it is recommended to prune it to reduce the space it uses. In addition, pruning is used as a method to reproduce the plant, giving rise to specimens of the same type, useful for interior and exterior decoration.
However, monstera pruning is not an activity to be taken lightly, and needs to be done for the right reasons. In this case, we can tell you that it is not convenient to prune it if you do not notice it very vigorous, since it will take too long to grow back.
When is it better to carry out pruning of monsteras?
The best time to prune a monstera is during the spring, when the weather is cool, but not yet hot.
In this season, the plant can be pruned to reproduce it in a positive way, since the cuttings can develop very well.
However, it is important to point out that it is better to do it during the middle of spring, to avoid excessive cold or heat during the process.
What tools should we use when pruning monsteras?
To start, it is essential that you use gardening gloves or at least gloves that are thick and that protect your skin well. This is because when cut, the monstera secretes a sap, which can be quite toxic, especially in people with high sensitivity.
Once you have the gloves, it is essential that you get a sharp blade or garden shears. These tools are ideal for achieving a clean and direct cut, avoiding having to make more than one cut and causing damage to the specimen.
Keep in mind that these tools must be adequately clean, being necessary to wash them with alcohol before pruning. In this way, you can avoid problems with bacteria or diseases that can wreak havoc on your plant.
What considerations should we take into account when pruning monsteras?
When pruning the monstera, it is necessary that you follow some initial considerations, which will favor the final result. At this point, we must tell you that one of the main things you must do is plan the cuts that you are going to make to the plant.
For this, it is important that you analyze the plant in question. Determine which leaves you want to remove, as well as any problem stems. This way you can ensure you get the job done properly and promote the health of your monstera.
On the other hand, make sure you use the right tools at the time of pruning, it will save you problems in the future. Also consider that it is not recommended that you transplant just after pruning. This is because the plant will be weak and may not take the change of environment well.
Wait a few days before doing the procedure. Finally, keep in mind that some of the cuttings you take with pruning can be used to reproduce your plant and have many more copies. Be careful during the cut and above all treat her with kindness, since she can be very sensitive at that moment.
How to prune monsteras without damaging the plant?
During pruning it is essential that you be careful not to damage your monstera, so we recommend that you do not pull or make too many cuts.
It is best that you first focus on removing the leaves that are dry or weakened, since they can give it a bad appearance.
You can do this with scissors with a single diagonal cut, without exerting too much force and avoiding sawing the stem. Next, you can make the cuts on the stems you want to remove, taking care to cut just below the nodes.
In this way, the plant will be able to recover more quickly and make way for a new stem that is much stronger and healthier.
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