The Monstera deliciosa houseplant is also called the Swiss-cheese plant. It gets this name owing to one unusual characteristic of its leaves— they have numerous little holes.
This plant is not just beautiful; it is fairly easy to take care of, which is why many people love it.
For plant owners getting the monstera plants for the first time, you might wonder how long you have to wait for their beautiful leaves to unfurl.
We’ll teach you all you need to know about your monstera leaves and their unfurling pattern.
More About The Monstera Plant
The Monstera green plant is native to the tropical forest of Southern Mexico, Southern Panama, and other Central American nations.
It has also been introduced to other tropical areas like Hawaii and Seychelles. The plant gets its name because of how big the leaves can get (Monstera- akin to a monster) and the delicious fruits it produces (deliciosa).
Since the plant is tropical and meant to be grown outdoors in a specific climate, it will hardly flower or produce leaves outside its native habitat.
However, it can thrive indoors provided sufficient humidity is maintained along with several other growth factors.
Monstera plants complement the overall aesthetics quite well when you place them in your home because of their exotic outlook.
Maintaining them can be a little challenging as any direct or indirect contact with the tongue, mouth, or lips causes irritation or stinging.
Also, if your pet takes a little bite out of the leaves, it may experience some discomfort and pain. To prevent this from happening, hang your plants far from your pets.
How Long Do Monstera Leaves Take To Unfurl?
It’s entirely normal for monstera leaves to curl when they are new. But after they unfurl, they should be opened flat. But how long does this usually take?
Monstera leaves take several days up to a few weeks to fully unfurl. This unfurling process will lead to the leaves becoming their whole majestic selves in the future.
Waiting for this to happen is the hard part, and sometimes, it might take longer for it to happen. You can take certain steps to speed up the process, but do not try to unfurl the leaves yourself.
The reason is that they are quite delicate. They need to open out at the appropriate moment, and doing that yourself negatively affects their growth cycle.
However, you can speed up the unfurling process by following the below steps.
1. Appropriate Temperature
A temperature of about 60-80 degrees is what the plant needs to ensure it grows rapidly. Anything less than that will cause it to deteriorate slowly.
2. Appropriate Humidity
Appropriate humidity levels will speed up the growth of the plant. On the other hand, too much moisture can cause mold to grow on the plant.
60-70% level of humidity is what your plant requires. The leaves can turn yellow or brown if it’s lower than that.
3. Right Sunlight
Place the plant close to a window where it can get enough indirect sunlight. Exposure to direct sunlight can cause the leaves to curl and dry out.l
Reasons Why Your Monstera Leaves Haven’t Unfurled
Like we’ve said before, monstera leaves shouldn’t be curling.
Any of the factors highlighted below could be the reason. Use the solutions mentioned next to them to relieve the plant.
1. Low Humidity
The humidity level plays a huge role in the photosynthesis of plants. Since the monstera plant is tropical, it needs high humidity, similar to the forest.
The indoor environment only accounts for 30% of this requirement. However, there are ways you can increase the moisture level, such as:
● Misting
Pour water into a misting bottle and spray the plant’s leaves. Do not mist a lot— just until the leaves do not feel too dry to touch.
It would be best if you misted in the morning to give the plant enough time to dry before nighttime to prevent mold growth.
Misting is a great way to improve humidity, especially during winter.
● Use A Humidifier
You can buy a humidifier that can maintain the humidity around your plants. It is beneficial to the plants as well as you. Let the humidifier run for about an hour each day.
● Place Your Plants Together
Plants go through what is called transpiration. Transpiration is the evaporation of water vapor through the stomata of the plant.
You can take advantage of the process to allow for more moisture around the plants. Simply keep several of them together.
It is important to note that only similar plants that require the same humidity should be kept together.
● Place Them In Humid Areas
Some parts of the house are more humid than the rest, like the bathroom and kitchen. These are ideal places to put your monstera plant, where they can get just enough moisture.
Precautions To Take
Remember that too much humidity is bad for your plant. Before you decide to use any of the solutions, check if the humidity level is what is causing your plant to curl in the first place.
You can do that using a hydrometer. If the moisture is high enough, then lack of humidity is not the cause of your leaves curling.
2. Watering Issues
Houseplants require enough water for proper photosynthesis, which is how plants get energy from the sun to produce food.
If the monstera plant isn’t getting enough water, it won’t grow, and its leaves will keep curling and drying up. The plant needs moderate watering every one to two weeks.
To maintain a proper watering regime, follow the steps mentioned below:
●Inspect The Soil
Always check the soil to see how dry or wet it is. To check if your plant is adequately watered, put a finger into the soil to feel at least the top two inches.
If it’s very dry, you’re not watering your plant enough. However, drenching the soil with water wouldn’t solve the problem— slowly increase the watering frequency.
●Use A Soil Moisture Meter
Insert a soil moisture meter halfway into the soil. If it reads less than three, the soil is dry. If it is more than four, it is overwatered.
The importance of using a moisture meter is that most of the time, even if the top layer of the soil is dry, the bottom might be soaked with water.
3. Inappropriate Soil pH Levels
Minor variations in your soil’s pH level is not something to stress too much about for houseplants. But when you use the wrong soil or one with a pH that is too low/high for planting, it can affect the overall growth of your plants.
Nutrients can get stuck in the soil rather than going up to the plants.
Some soil moisture meters can also check the soil’s pH level (or you can use a pH meter).
Monstera houseplants need fast-draining, moist, and humus soil with a pH ranging between 5.5 and 7.0.
4. Inappropriate Water Source
Monstera plants are not very picky about the type of water they get. Despite this fact, there are certain things you need to know about the water you use. These include:
● Before using tap water, leave it for about a day for the chlorine and fluoride to break up and clear out.
5. Harsh Temperatures
Tropical plants like Monstera deliciosa benefit from higher temperatures during the day to boost the photosynthetic process and growth of the plant.
During the day, their growth continues, but at nighttime, metabolism slows down. A sudden drop in temperature during this time can be very harmful to the plant.
Make sure to maintain the right temperature levels through any of these ways:
Conclusion
Monstera plants are relatively easy to maintain as long as you provide them with the right growing conditions.
If your new monstera leaves haven’t unfurled, there’s no need to panic. Give it time, and monitor your plants constantly to ensure you have the right growth conditions.
Use this handy guide to identify and tackle any problem-causing factor.
