Monstera Plant Dying? (How to Revive it)

A monstera plant frequently dies as a result of low humidity, being underwatered, and cold weather. Tropical monstera require thorough watering every seven days, temperatures between 60°F and 85°F, and regular misting. Drought-related death of the monstera is indicated by brown, curling, or drooping leaves.

It’s critical to mimic the environment of a dying monstera, including temperatures between 60°F and 85°F, a 30% humidity level, intense indirect sunlight, and a watering cycle that involves thorough soaking followed by a brief period of drying out for the top inch of the potting medium.

Continue reading to find out the causes of your monstera plant’s (Swiss cheese plant) demise and how to put the answers into practice to bring it back to life.

Monstera Leaves Turning Yellow

• Symptoms. Monstera leaves frequently turn brown or have brown patches in addition to turning yellow.
• Causes. Insufficient light, compacted soil, lack of fertilizer, overwatering, and underwatering.

Overwatering and poorly draining soils are the most frequent causes of yellowing and dying monstera leaves. Between waterings, the top 2 inches of the soil must somewhat dry out for monstera. Regularly wet soil encourages root rot, which causes the monstera leaves to become yellow and look to be dying.

Hemi-eptite plants Monstera Deliciosa, Adansonii, and Obliqua have both ariel and terrestrial roots. The soil in rainforest conditions, such as those found in Panama and Costa Rica in central America, is well-draining, porous, aerated, and made of organic materials, where the roots can flourish.

When the monstera is watered too frequently and the soil is always damp, oxygen from the potting soil escapes, which restricts root respiration and hinders the roots’ ability to efficiently absorb moisture and nutrients from the soil and the humid environment around them.

The monstera leaves turn yellow as a symptom of stress if the roots are unable to absorb moisture or nutrients to transport them around the plant.

Long-term saturation of the monstera’s soil encourages root rot, which causes the plant’s leaves to turn yellow and droopy and look to be dying.

Take into account the possibility that the soil is overly wet due to:

• Because of the excessive soil compaction, which has resulted in the removal of all the air, there is poor drainage.
• The base of the pot lacks drainage holes.
• The tray or saucer under the plant has amassed a pool of water, which makes it difficult for water to drain properly and allows the soil to remain wet.

Yellow monstera leaves may potentially be a sign of underfertilization or underwatering. Monstera plants have a high demand for nutrients and can quickly deplete their nutrition supply because of their enormous leaves.

To stop the monstera leaves from turning yellow in the spring and summer, regular fertilizer application is necessary.

In its natural habitat, the tropical plant monstera typically grows in filtered light or strong, indirect light.

If the monstera is kept in a dark or shaded spot indoors, this is against its natural environment and may cause the leaves to yellow.

How To Revive a Dying Monstera with Yellow Leaves

• When the top inch of soil seems a little bit dry to the touch, water monstera. Depending on the climate and conditions, the exact frequency can vary, but generally speaking, watering monstera once every seven days with a deep soak maintains the ideal moisture balance. If you’re unsure, feel the soil with your finger to check for moisture. Water the monstera thoroughly as soon as the top inch of soil feels a little dry.
• Always water deeply enough for any extra moisture to flow out of the drainage holes in the pot’s base. As a result, the soil is guaranteed to be evenly moist and the water will have reached the roots where it is needed. If you water monstera too lightly, it may experience drought stress, which causes the leaves to become yellow. Monstera leaves that have become yellow from dry soil typically recover rather fast following a watering cycle.
• Regularly empty the trays and saucers under the pots. Avoid letting water gather under your monstera for an extended period of time as this might lead to root rot.
• In pots with drainage holes in the base, always plant monstera. Water must be allowed to readily drain from the pot’s base since monstera plants need proper drainage.
• If the dirt feels too heavy or compacted and you can’t stick your finger into it, repot the monstera. Because there is not enough oxygen for root respiration when the soil is compacted, the leaves will become yellow. The optimum soil for monstera growth is one that is easily aerated so that oxygen can reach the roots and water can drain efficiently. In order to more closely resemble the permeable soil of the monstera plants native environment, repot the monstera in potting soil or compost and add around 1/3 succulent and cactus soil or orchid potting media.
• Place your Monstera in a spot with strong, filtered light. The pierced leaves of the monstera vine, which grows like a vine in the canopy of tropical forests in Central America, spread out widely to absorb as much light as possible. The leaves can become scorched by direct sunshine, and too much shade turns the foliage yellow (in rooms with north facing windows for example). A room with good lighting and perhaps an east or west facing window is ideal for monstera growth.
• When it’s growing, fertilize your monstera once every month. As a result of their big leaves, monstera plants are relatively nutrient hungrier than other plants. The roots of the monstera may deplete the soil of nutrients if it has been in the same container for a long period. Additionally, the starting potting soil may not have been extremely nutrient dense. Use an all-purpose houseplant fertilizer at half strength once a month from Spring through Mid-Summer (do not fertilize in the Fall or Winter) if your monstera has yellowing leaves with weak development and is not suffering from overwatering or underwatering. This should revive the yellow foliage.

If your monstera has turned yellow due to a lack of water, it should quickly recover following a thorough soak and a regular watering plan, usually once every seven days.

However, if your monstera is overwatered and the leaves keep turning yellow and beginning to droop and seem dead, it may be very difficult to preserve the plant.

Roots that have root rot appear soft, rotten, and smell bad, whereas healthy roots should feel firm.

You can take immediate action in this situation by removing the monstera from the container, emptying the dirt, and using a clean pair of pruners to trim back any diseased roots and encourage healthy development (wipe the pruners with a cloth soaked with disinfectant after every cut to prevent spreading any pathogens to otherwise healthy root).

However, this causes a lot of harm to a plant that is already unwell. Take a cutting of a monstera leaf for propagation, which is what I would advise you to do first.

The easiest approach to save a monstera plant is to propagate it if there are some healthy-looking leaves and stems still present.

Watch this instructive YouTube video to learn how to grow monstera quickly:

Monstera Plant Sweating

• Symptoms. The leaves and stems of monstera seem to “sweat.”
• Causes. excessive watering, poor drainage, compacted soils, and water collecting in saucers and trays surrounding the pot’s base.

If their potting soil is overly wet, monstera plants frequently “sweat” in. Monstera wants the top inch of the soil to dry out between waterings and needs a soil that drains effectively. If the monstera is perspiring, stop watering right away and reduce the amount.

If you allow the growing media dry out for a few days to a finger’s depth, the sweating effect should go away. Reduce watering immediately since the sweating effect could be a sign of root rot if you continue to water without letting the potting soil somewhat dry.

Make sure the potting media is not excessively compacted or dense and that water can properly drain from the pot’s base.

Remove any saucers or trays of water from beneath the container so that the potting soil can drain properly and the monstera will stop looking like it is sweating.

(See my post on watering monstera plants.)

Monstera Turning Brown or Black

Low humidity and high interior temperatures cause the edges of monstera leaves to become brown. Tropical plants called monstera prefer high humidity and temperatures between 60°F and 85°F. Browning of the monstera leaves is caused by dry air sucked from the leaves by indoor heating and high temperatures.

Monstera is a plant that is indigenous to the tropical woods of Central America, where it thrives in humid environments with comparatively consistent year-round temperatures.

Thankfully, the optimum temperature range for monstera is typically similar to that of room temperature. However, extreme heat, low humidity, or drought stress can cause monstera leaves to turn brown.

• Too much heat from a radiator, forced air, or any other source of heat can cause the potting soil to evaporate and the leaves to become dry.
• The leaves lose too much moisture because of the reduction in humidity brought on by air conditioning, drafty locations, and convection currents from heat sources.
• The leaves may turn brown if exposed to too much direct sunshine (monstera leaves are especially sensitive to bright direct sunlight).
• failing to water frequently enough or watering too little.

In general, low humidity, high temperatures, or dry soil cause monstera leaves to become brown at the margins and start to curl; however, if the leaves are turning brown in areas or even black, there is too much moisture around the roots, which fosters the growth of fungi that cause fungal illnesses.

Monstera leaves can become brown or black due to a variety of fungal disease infections, but they all result from wet soil and over watering.

How to Revive Dying Monstera with Brown or Black Leaves

It is crucial to mimic the circumstances of the monstera’s natural environment by raising the humidity to at least 30% and keeping the temperature between 60°F and 85°F in order to resuscitate a dying monstera plant with brown leaves. After giving the soil a good bath, let the top inch of soil dry off before watering again.

• If the monstera leaf margins are browning and curling, spray the leaves with water. This promotes a humid microclimate around your monstera and lessens water loss from the leaves. I suggest watering the foliage every day if your monstera has curling leaves caused by drought stress.
• To boost humidity in arid conditions, use a humidifier. A plant humidifier is an excellent alternative if your air is extremely dry due to the environment or the need to use indoor heating frequently (which lowers humidity), as they can raise the humidity to a specific level to suit your monstera plant. If your home has extremely dry air, this is the most practical and efficient technique to replicate the humidity of the monstera’s natural environment. Plant humidifiers can be found in garden centers or on Amazon for a reasonable price.
• Locate the monstera away from air currents and drafts. Move your monstera plant to a more stable environment if you suspect that forced air or air conditioning is robbing it of moisture.
• Make sure the monstera is between 60°F and 85°F in temperature (monstera plants prefer temperatures around 68°F, or 20°C). This is the temperature range that monstera normally like in their natural habitat, so keep them away from heat sources that quickly dry out the soil and zap moisture from the leaves. Avoid putting monstera leaves near chilly windows. In cold weather, leaves that are touching windows may become black since windows are much colder than the rest of the home.
• Put monstera in a spot with strong, indirect light. Monstera are climbing vines that develop in the bright or partially filtered light of a forest canopy. Their leaves might scorch yellow or brown depending on the intensity of the sun since they are susceptible to full sun, which can cause the plant to dry up and turn brown at the leaf margins. Sunburned leaves should be pruned back as they won’t heal.
• When the top inch of the potting media feels dry, water monstera well. To avoid overwatering, it’s crucial to wait until the top inch of the soil feels relatively dry. Always water with a generous soak, though, so that any extra water drips out of the drainage holes in the pot’s base. By doing this, the soil is guaranteed to be consistently moist and the moisture will reach the roots where it is needed. When the soil is watered too lightly, the top inch or so is only moistened, which causes the roots to develop shallowly and experience drought stress.

There is no need to prune back the leaves of the monstera if the drought stress has caused the margins of the leaves to become brown. Cut your leaves back to the plant’s base if, however, they have been burnt by too much sunshine.

Sunburned leaves do not hurt the monstera in and of themselves, but trimming them back should encourage new development because the leaves do not restore their former green color.

If you have been watering your monstera more than once a week, the soil and potting soil are continually damp, and the monstera is becoming brown or black in places, root rot or a fungus is to blame for its demise.

The technique for saving the plant is the same, so just follow the instructions for yellowing monstera leaves above.

As it can be challenging to resuscitate a plant once it has a fungal root condition, I would advise taking leaf cuttings from any healthy-looking growth if your monstera is afflicted with fungus.

Monstera with Drooping Leaves and Stems

• Symptoms. sagging stems and leaves.
• Causes. A lack of support for the monstera to adhere to, an excess of fertilizer, insufficient hydration from watering too lightly, cold temperatures, insufficient sunlight, overwatering, transplant shock, or any of these factors.

Lack of soil moisture is typically the cause of droopy monstera leaves. Monstera require thorough watering until excess water drips from the bottom of the container, followed by a one-inch dry period before next watering. The monstera leaves get droopy if the soil entirely dries up.

This method of watering simulates the average soil moisture conditions seen in the monstera’s natural environment.

Only the top inch or two of the soil stays moist when you water too lightly, and the water does not go to the roots where it is needed.

Droopy leaves and browning leaf margins are sometimes seen together, although if the humidity is high enough, the margins may still be green even if the leaves are droopy as a result of dehydration.

In the growing season, monstera in pots do need fertilizer, but if you apply too much or fertilizer with a high concentration, the plant will create too much sap, which will cause the leaves to droop.

Excessive fertilizer application can also result in salts building up in the soil, which can hinder the monstera’s roots from effectively absorbing water and causing droopy leaves.

The leaves of your monstera may momentarily droop after a recent move or repotting as a symptom of stress.

The monstera acclimates to the precise temperature range, humidity, and light conditions of its surroundings, thus even though they are rather robust and adaptable plants, when they are relocated to a different location, the abrupt disparity in conditions can induce shock and result in droopy leaves.

If the monstera is replanted, the new potting soil and interference with the roots may make it difficult for the monstera to absorb moisture, which results in droopy leaves.

The ability of the roots to breathe and absorb water is hampered by moist soil from overwatering, slow draining or too compacted soil, or pots without drainage holes in the base.

Before root rot takes hold, drooping leaves might serve as an early warning indication.

Monstera does not enjoy direct sunshine, but if the space is not sufficiently lit, this can also contribute to droopy leaves, as can nighttime lows around 60°F.

A support for the monstera to climb, such as a trellis or bamboo canes that are ideally covered in moss, is necessary because monstera plants are climbing vines that naturally grow up trees in their original environment (available to buy from garden centers or online).

This keeps the monstera from drooping and mimics the growing circumstances of the plant’s natural habitat.

How to Revive a Droopy Monstera Plant

• Reduce the amount of fertilizer you use. Although it is recommended to use fertilizer, avoid adding any more while the plant is wilting. Once the top inch of the soil feels fairly dry (after about a week or two), water your monstera with a nice bath under the facet (or tap) to help dissolve extra salts that can build up due to fertilizer. This should also help to rehydrate the monstera’s droopy leaves.
• Always give monstera a good soak, allowing any extra water to drip out the bottom of the pot. Give the monstera a good watering to ensure that the soil is evenly moist because drooping leaves are one of the first symptoms of drought stress. However, if the monstera’s soil is already moist, do not water because doing so could promote root rot, which would explain the plant’s drooping leaves.
• Place your monstera in a location with strong, indirect lighting. Too much shade might result in drooping leaves and stems, while full light is too intense for leaves that are sensitive to the sun. The monstera should come back to life if you put it in a room with direct light that is bright, simulating natural lighting.
• Make sure the room is between 60 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit. Extreme heat makes the leaves lose more water, which makes them droop, and low temperatures stress the monstera, which can also make the plant droop. To mimic the temperatures in the monstera’s natural environment, keep it away from sources of indoor heat or air conditioning.
• By frequently spraying the leaves, you can raise the humidity. When the monstera has suffered from drought-related stress, spraying the leaves helps the plant recover by reducing water loss. In order to reach the ideal level of humidity for your monstera to revive, either spritz the plant frequently or buy a plant humidifier. Monstera typically demand around 30% humidity.
• In between waterings, let the top inch of the soil dry out. If the soil is persistently damp, overwatering rather than underwatering is to blame for your monstera’s drooping. Before watering again, let the top inch or so of soil dry off. As monsteras need good drainage, make sure the monstera pot has drainage holes in the base and empty saucers and trays beneath the pot frequently to prevent water from pooling there.
• After repotting, give the monstera a good drink and check that the potting soil is well-draining. Any plant that has been replanted may have experienced considerable root damage, which temporarily impairs its capacity to adequately absorb moisture. After repotting, thoroughly moisten the potting soil to help reduce any drought stress that might have caused the leaves to droop. For monstera, use a light, well-draining potting soil. To improve drainage and mimic the soil conditions that monstera are suited to in their natural habitat, I personally enrich the potting soil with succulent and cactus soil or orchid potting mix.
• After transplanting your plant, recreate the natural environment for monsteras to rejuvenate drooping leaves. Your monstera should come back to life once it adjusts to its new environment if you give it plenty of bright indirect light, a regular watering schedule (typically once every seven days), increase the humidity by misting the leaves frequently, keep it away from heat sources, and avoid air conditioning.
• To protect your monstera from drooping and to keep it growing upright, use a bamboo support. Ideally, get a particular monstera support, which is generally wrapped in moss to replicate the growing circumstances of the monstera’s native environment. Monsteras tend to climb and can droop over without support. Naturally, the monster develops upward while clinging to the support.

Why is My Monstera Not Growing?

• Symptoms. Poor growth and stunted leaves with fewer perforations (or no perforations at all).
• Causes. a lack of light, cold temperatures (below 50°F/10°C), a supporting structure, and fertilizer.

A monstera’s failure to grow is typically caused by inadequate amounts of intense light, a deficiency in fertilizer, or an absence of support. Monstera plants need a lot of nutrients to grow well, and they love bright, indirect light. Monstera plants are climbers that need a base to expand upward.

The enormously huge leaves of monstera plants need a lot of nutrients to flourish properly. The roots of the monstera may run out of nutrients if it has been in the same pot for an extended period of time.

To revitalize your monstera so that it starts growing properly, apply a half-strength standard houseplant fertilizer once a month throughout the growing season.

When the plant is dormant in the Fall or Winter and should not be fertilized, the leaves may droop as a result.

Tropical plants called monstera thrive in warm climates and noticeably stop growing at temperatures below 50°F (10°C).

In order to develop, monstera also needs direct, bright light. Place the monstera in the room with the most natural light in your home so that the plant has enough light and energy to support the huge leaves. Too much shade can lead to stunted leaves with fewer perforations and poor growth.

Avoid the sun’s direct rays since they can burn the delicate foliage.

Always include a support while planting monstera. This could be a trellis, bamboo, or, preferable, a particular monstera support item that is typically covered in moss.

In order for Monstera to grow, it must climb, thus giving it something to cling to mimics its natural surroundings and allows the plant to ascend.

Monstera Dying After Repotting

In order to prevent root rot, monstera also need potting soil that is well drained, porous, and aerated.

The roots’ ability to soak up moisture and nutrients is hampered if the potting soil is overly compacted or absorbs too much water, which can cause the leaves to become yellow.

When you repot your monstera plant, be careful not to compact the dirt around the roots too much because doing so will force the oxygen out of the soil, which is necessary for root respiration, and will also make it difficult for water to drain properly after watering.

To boost aeration and improve drainage when repotting monstera plants, I advise enriching the potting soil with succulent and cactus soil or orchid potting medium. This aids in simulating the natural environment’s soil composition for monstera.

To ensure proper drainage of excess water, it’s crucial to repot the monstera into a container with drainage holes in the base. Regularly empty the trays and saucers under the pot to avoid water gathering there, which can lead to root rot.

Key Takeaways:

• Low humidity and dry soil are the usual causes of a monstera that is dying. Tropical plants called monstera need at least 30% humidity and a thorough watering once every seven days. The leaves turn dark and look to be dead or drooping if the humidity is too low or the soil dries up completely.
• The overwatering or inadequate drainage causes the soil to get overly damp, which causes the monstera leaves to become yellow. Between waterings, the top inch of the soil must somewhat dry out for monstera. Because of root rot, monstera leaves will turn yellow and droop if the soil is always moist.
• A monstera plant will sweat if the soil is too wet, thus this is a good sign. Between waterings, monstera plants need the top inch of soil to dry off. The monstera begins to sweat as a symptom of stress if the soil is constantly wet from overwatering or poor drainage.
• Low humidity and dry soil conditions cause monstera leaves to turn brown at the margins, while over watering and moist soils can also cause fungal disease pathogens that cause monstera leaves to turn brown or black. Tropical forests with high humidity and moist, but well-draining soil are the natural habitat of monstera.
• The usual causes of drooping monstera leaves include dry soil, excessive fertilizer, or a lack of support. Monstera are climbing vines that need a support structure to climb in order to keep the plant upright. When given too much fertilizer, monstera has weak, drooping growth. Large leaves on monsteras require a lot of moisture. The leaves and stems get droopy when the soil is dry.
• Insufficient light, a deficiency in fertilizer, or a lack of a support structure are the causes of monstera’s slow growth. During the growing season, monstera need bright, indirect light and frequent fertilization. The leaves of the monstera cannot grow in low light conditions or in the absence of fertilizer.
• A dying monstera can be brought back to life by simulating the conditions of its native habitat, which includes placing it in bright, indirect light, letting the top inch of soil dry between watering sessions, and spraying its leaves daily to promote humidity.