The Best Pot Sizes For Monstera and What To Avoid

Choosing the right pot can affect the health of your plant and its ease of care. Important factors to consider when choosing a pot for a plant include its shape, size, material, drainage capability, and whether the plant will be movable or not.

The pot size should be proportional to the size of the plant. You can choose different pot sizes for your monster, and you should always ensure your plant roots leave a half-inch to one inch around the pot.

Since the pot size is a critical consideration from the moment you plant your monstera seedlings. As your plant grows, you need to remember the right time to change the pot to fit the needs of the growing plant. Monsteras can grow to a considerably big size, with some reaching more than ten feet.

Are you growing or re-potting your Monstera plant? This post will help you decide on the appropriate pot size for your plant. Read on and find out.

The perfect pot size for growing monstera plants

The ideal monster pot size should be 2 inches larger than the plant root diameter. Consequently, the size of the pot varies depending on the plant size.

For instance, you can choose a small pot of eight inches when growing a young plant. This pot size is also perfect for growing monstera cuttings. If you are growing seeds, the pot size varies depending on the number of seeds.

What happens when the pot size is too big?

When the plant pot is too large, the roots have plenty of room to breathe and grow. A large pot also offers the plant sufficient nutrients for its growth.

However, it is always best to get a pot proportional to the plant size, as using a larger pot will not promote the plant’s growth; instead, it will encourage more root development instead of the shoot. All in all, too-large pots are not the best for monster plants.

Some studies suggest that increasing a plant pot size can increase the rate of growth by over 40%.

A large pot increases the risk of root rot from overwatering. This problem occurs because the plant cannot take up all the water in the pot. It is also challenging to maintain the appropriate watering schedules for the plant.

The air cannot penetrate the soil for too long when the roots remain in water-saturated soil.

Plant roots have hairs that take up the air between the soil particles, and too much water in the soil drives out air. Also, the air cannot flow through the soil particles for these soils.

Plant roots carry out cellular processes like other cells in the plant. During respiration, cells generate carbon dioxide released into the soil through diffusion.

Accumulating this gas increases acidity levels in the plant roots, killing the cells.

More plant roots die and rot when the gas builds up, killing the entire plant.

Plant roots also require oxygen for metabolism, which diffuses into the soil’s root hairs. Monstera plants naturally grow in well-drained soils with plenty of airspaces, and a shortage in oxygen supply limits the cellular processes and the growth of roots.

Roots are essential as they perform critical plant functions, such as supporting and taking up water and vital minerals. 

Therefore, the health of roots also has an overall impact on the health and life of the plant. As we grow monstera plants, we must ensure the soil is not too compact.

Other ways of ensuring this are by using well-drained soils and a pot with sufficient drainage to allow excess water. 

Finally, since people grow Monstera for its beauty, having a large pot for smaller plants will not look proportional, which is not the image you want to have of your potted plants.

What if you choose a smaller pot size?

When you grow monstera plants in a smaller pot, you limit their growth for various reasons. First, the roots will be pot-bound with limited space for growth. Also, it is essential to note that as potted plants grow, their roots run out of room for developing their roots.

When this happens, you will notice some plant roots coming through the draining holes of the container. In other cases, the roots will grow in overlapping circles inside the container and then run out of space, forcing them to surface above the soil.

Also, it becomes challenging for the plan to absorb sufficient water because the roots fill up the container, leaving no room for the container to hold water.

As a result, the plant will show stunted growth. Under normal conditions, you should expect your plant to grow one to two feet yearly. When this situation is prolonged, the plant will die as the roots gradually die.

Another severe problem that plants grow in small containers is insufficient nutrients. Since the soil is the only food source for the plant, a smaller container holds less soil which is not likely to provide the required amount of food.

If the container you grow your monster is smaller than the recommended size, your plant will likely trip over as the pot will not take up its weight. For this reason, you need to re-pot your plant as it grows. Repotting boosts your plant’s health, giving it more room to expand its roots.

Also, potted plants are likely to exhaust the mineral content in the growing substrate, and when you re-pot, you provide it with fresh nutrient-packed soil. For this reason, you should re-pot your plant annually to allow it to acquire maximum growth, and the best re-potting season is spring, just before the plant shoot begins to develop.

As we saw earlier, keeping Monstera in a smaller container restrains the plant’s growth. Some people use this strategy to maintain their Monstera from growing too big.

Nonetheless, it would help if you were also cautious not to let it become root-bound, which may kill or affect its health.

Also, remember that this is more applicable to mature monstera plants as the problem adversely affects young monster plants.

How else can you tell if your pot is too small for your monster plant? As we saw above, a small pot will not hold enough water for the plant.

Consequently, if the pot is too small, you will notice that the soil will dry up faster than expected. Ideally, monstera plants require watering every seven to fourteen days.

If you find your plant thirsting more often, it could be because the growing pot is too small and unable to sustain water. You will notice the leaves curling up and drooping with crispy edges whenever the plant is thirsty.

What to avoid

Monstera plants grow best in deep, right-sized pots with enough drainage. In this section, we will be looking at what to avoid when choosing a pot for your monstera plants:

Material and depth of the pot

The depth helps the plant establish its roots and supports the stake. The choice of plant pot depends on the environmental conditions. Hot weather, for instance, causes the soil to dry out faster, while cold temperatures increase the risk of overwatering. As a result, when choosing the pot for your plant, you need to factor in retaining moisture. For instance, metal, glazed terracotta, and dry plastic containers are perfect for hot weather as they are more likely to retain moisture.

If you live in a cold region, you must use terracotta pots and wooden pots, which absorb excess moisture while keeping your plants healthy.

You can also choose this material if you risk overwatering plants. A plastic pot will help retain more moisture if you habitually neglect plants. However, plastic is light and will easily trip over.

Ceramic pots are beautiful, but they lack drainage. For this reason, you should avoid growing monster plants in them at all costs. All in all, they can be used as cachepots.

If you have a giant monster plant, you might want to grow it in a concrete pot. These pots are suitable for both indoor and outdoor plants. However, as you buy, choose concrete pots with suitable drainage holes. It is also essential to remember that the pot will be too heavy, and you will not need to move it often.

Drainage

Proper drainage is critical for monster plants since they prefer well-drained soils, and waterlogging can kill them. Depending on size, the pot should have suitable drainage holes, and you should always use a well-drained potting mix.

Also, indoor monster plants have different potting requirements than those outdoors. Indoor plants are protected against harsh weather, and the soil will likely dry less quickly.

For this reason, you must ensure a good watering schedule and only water the plant when the soil is dried.

Monstera plants growing outdoors with plenty of rain also require sufficient drainage. Adding more sand or perlite for such plants can boost the soil’s drainage.

Clay or terracotta pots are perfect for plants growing outdoors in rainy regions as they don’t retain much water. Perfect for plants like Rhaphidophora Tetrasperma

If the plant is growing in a windy area, you will need a stable pot to prevent it from falling over often. Wherever possible, you must avoid placing your monstera plant in such areas as the strong wind will likely damage its leaves.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you know when Monstera needs water?

Leaves that start to curl, droop, or crisp up at the edges are common signs that your Monstera plant needs watering.

How fast does a Monstera grow?

With bright indirect light and consistent moisture, Monsteras can grow 1 to 2 feet annually in ideal conditions.

How do you get more leaves in Monstera?

Although monstera plants are often advertised as low-light plants, they thrive in medium-bright to bright indirect light. Placing them near a south-facing window will prevent the plant from growing leggy. It will also help with new leaf production, making the plant look fuller.

How long does it take for a Monstera leaf to unfold?

It can take one to seven weeks for your monstera houseplant to unfurl fully. If you’ve provided the perfect environment and proper monstera care, the new leaf may unfurl quicker, like under a week, depending on how old it is and what kind of monstera plant it is.

Is rice water good for Monstera?

Rice water is a nutritional kitchen byproduct that can fertilize plants and promote plant health because of the minerals and vitamins it contains.

Conclusion

The recommended pot for monstera plants should leave half an inch of room around the pot. You need to avoid growing monstera plants in a too-large or too-small pot, which affects plant growth.

A larger pot encourages waterlogging that causes root rot that might kill the plant, as the plant roots cannot take up all the water in the soil, and the soil takes too long to dry, encouraging mold growth.

On the other hand, using a smaller pot doesn’t retain sufficient water and dries up too fast, and it also keeps the plant roots congested with little room to grow, among other problems.

Finally, the potting material is also an essential factor to consider, as the material should retain the right amounts of moisture for your plants.