Monstera deliciosa: the friud salad plant

Monstera deliciosa, also known as fruit salad plant. It is very resistant to temperatures and bad weather, in fact it can grow practically anywhere and be placed everywhere. It is part of the species of philodendrons, which are the most widespread types of plants grown in the apartments, as they are very ornamental and are easily cultivated. Being a plant of American origin, it needs a lot of light, but be careful: exposing it directly to sunlight could cause stains on the leaves.
Being very durable and lasting many years, the size it can reach can be a problem, especially in the apartment, as it develops as a kind of bush and the leaves are dark and all jagged. The characteristic name is due to the monstrosity of the dimensions it can reach, each leaf can reach 1 meter in length and over 60 cm in width; the second part of the name, deliciosa, is due to the tasty and sweet fruits, similar to pineapples.
It is ideal, in fact, to be used as a houseplant thanks to the beauty of the leaves, especially the young ones: whole and heart-shaped. Each has a very long duration that can be up to 5 years, after which it will start to yellow, wither and finally fall: it is very important, therefore, not to damage the leaves, as the marks will remain indelible as a scar on the human body, unless that does not cut entirely from the plant.

Chatacteristics

The Monstera deliciosa comes from Asia and from tropical America, where it began to spread in the 800’s, the fruit is produced by the plant exclusively in the areas mentioned above. The areas where the tropical forests of Guatemala have spread more, its development is bushy and has unique, jagged, dark-colored leaves. The American bread plant needs to be moistened very often. To make sure to water it properly, you can control the soil: it must be moist but not full of water and you must remove the one in the saucer.

Cultivation

The plant resists well even at low temperatures, but below 12 ° C could be in difficulty, the recommended temperature for its habitat is that between 18 and 22 ° C, for this reason it is very good to live in homes. The high temperatures could damage it, in particularly hot periods it is appropriate to reduce the intervals between irrigation and another, moreover, it should always “breathe” fresh air. Monstera deliciosa needs little land, the transplantation must take place only when the plant has become disproportionate. It is good to use the universal soil with the addition of polystyrene to pellets, in order to drain the water and lighten the mixture, attention: drainage is fundamental to avoid water stagnation, lethal for the plant. It needs fertilizer in the period from March to September, it must be introduced into the soil through the water used for irrigation every 30 days, a specific fertilizer is used for green plants.

Diseases and cures

Monstera deliciosa is rarely affected by pests, in case it happens they will be green aphids, to eliminate them simply use specific pesticides to be sprayed directly on the plant infested.

Curiosity

Monstera deliciosa develops very quickly and forms aerial roots that allow it to support itself as a climbing plant, when these increase it must be provided with a brace to allow the roots to anchor. The brace must be covered with moss, to help the roots to support themselves better. If the American bread plant begins to make yellow leaves, it must be repotted by increasing the drainage of the soil and reducing watering. If on the contrary the leaves start to burn, it needs more water.

Articoli simili