Did You Get Overwatered Monstera? Ways To Prevent It

Monstera is a tropical plant that thrives in humid environments and needs lots of water. However, overwatered Monstera may suffer terrible results.

Are your Monstera leaves wrinkled and old? Read the following article instead of putting it to rest, and I’ll show you how to revive your Monstera when it absorbs too much water.

What does an overwatered Monstera look like?

Yellowing foliage, wilting, black patches on leaves, and a bad stench coming from the soil are the most typical signs of overwatered Monstera.

Yellowing leaves

One of the earliest symptoms of overwatering is yellow leaves, which leads to a shortage of oxygen in the plant. Therefore, the plant’s photosynthesis will also be problematic, resulting in the plant not receiving enough nutrients. The absence of micronutrients like iron and manganese contributes to the yellowing of leaves.

Root rot is brought on by overwatering and water retention in the soil. As a result, the root won’t be able to operate correctly, and the plant’s other components won’t receive enough nutrients. You will immediately see the foliage of Monstera fade if you saturate it with water. This plant has been absorbing excessive water for some time, and it is already clear from the decaying and foul roots that it is nearing death.

In summary, the waterlogged Monstera looks wilted and shrivelled, and the glossy green leaves have been replaced with leaves that have yellow and brown tones. Root rot is one of the most visible indicators of a plant that is moving badly. The rot is identifiable by its dark brown colour, which is the result of decomposers at work, and by its unpleasant smell.

Continue reading for an explanation of each of the symptoms of overwatering Monstera Deliciosa, along with advice on how to deal with these issues.

Dark Brown Spots

Large brown specks on the leaves with yellow rings around them are an evident indicator of leaf wilt brought on by nutritional deficiency. If you give your Monstera a lot of water, the root ecosystem will also become hypoxic, and oxygenation problems will get much worse. Brown patches may also appear to scale as a consequence of the foliage tissue’s neurons starting to expire.

Wilting Leaves

It should come as no surprise that the soil will continue to be damp given your excessive watering. What does the sign of a Monstera receiving too much water look like? is in danger of dying because of this moist, muddy soil.

When the roots rot, the plant will be invaded by fungus. Fungus loves the moist environment and thrives there. Now, the root rot will gradually erode your Monstera’s root system without first manifesting any signs. As a result, the roots will be unable to absorb water and nutrients from the upper section.

Mould on soil 

Mould in the soil is an obvious sign that your plant needs to be watered less frequently and is probably dormant (if it is the appropriate season). Allow your plant to dry out further in between waterings after utilising one of the aforementioned procedures to remove the mould. This event resembles some sort of acidified and flooded soil characteristic. Not to mention that mould creates mycotoxins, which are hazardous to people as well and result in respiratory problems for Monstera plants.

As previously indicated, when all soil pores are filled with water, the soil environment will become soggy and deoxygenated. This environment is not suitable for optimal plant growth. However, this is an ideal habitat for mould.

Root rot (smelly roots)

This root rot status is not always visible, and it might be challenging to respond promptly. If your Monstera looks dried out and its leaves are falling off, try to remember if you gave it too much water. Examine the dirt. It’s fine if it’s damp, but if it’s been wet for a while, you’ll undoubtedly find some rotting, foul-smelling, and slimy roots underground. The ideal environment for the propagation of fungi is moist soil. Fungi, which are saprophytes, break down the root tissue, causing it to rot.

Water dripping

If you see regular guttation, you are probably overwatering your plant. Overwatering causes a plant’s leaves to accumulate water since the roots can’t absorb it all. Your Monstera now sweats out this extra moisture.

Other overwatering indicators include wilting, yellowing leaves, or a general lack of development. If your Monstera plant receives an excessive amount of water, you can also see insects, pests, or fungus-related ailments. Reduce watering and allow the soil to completely dry between waterings if you believe you are overwatering your Monstera. In order to ensure that water is not collecting at the bottom of your pot and rotting the roots, you should also inspect the drainage system.

How To Prevent Monstera Overwatering?

Withdraw water for some time

For Monstera plants that have a slight waterlogged condition but still have the ability to recover, you should proceed to withdraw water for some time. This will help to aerate the soil to provide enough oxygen to the roots. However, it is important to do this gradually, as too much water loss can also stress the plant and attract thrips. Once the soil has dried out slightly, you can start to water the plant again more regularly.

Trim off dead leaves

Cut away any dead leaves, dormant stems, or brown areas of the leaves that you observe. When feasible, it’s okay to remove dead leaves or stems with your hands; just be careful not to pull too firmly, or you risk damaging the healthy section of your plants. Utilise trimming clippers as well as cutters for cutting through harder stems or to remove brown leaf margins and tips.

Repot or change the soil

The size of the pot may also influence how often you water it. A larger pot will require more soil. If you are growing your Monstera in a large pot, you should decrease the frequency of watering to allow the soil to flow out and increase the water volume to adequately moisten a larger area of soil.

However, if you want to grow it in a smaller container, you should water Monstera more frequently and with less water. Due to its expanding air root system that allows it to climb on surfaces, it is considered optimal to plant a mature Monstera in a large pot.

When repotting Monstera, it is important to do so carefully to avoid causing repotting shock. Repotting shock occurs when the plant is stressed by being moved to a new pot. To avoid this, you should repot Monstera when it is actively growing and the soil is dry. You should also use a pot that is only slightly larger than the current one.

How do you avoid watering your Monstera more than they need?

Apply the correct watering schedule

As a defence mechanism against torrential downpours in tropical forests, Monstera has holes in its leaves. The other factor is a leaf’s flat surface, which helps raindrops slide off the leaves with ease. The issue with top watering, though, is that the root may not receive enough moisture. Bottom watering ensures that the water is distributed evenly throughout the soil and that the roots receive enough. So, by bottom watering, you may ensure that the root receives sufficient moisture without root rot.

You should water it once a week, maybe twice a week, and maintain it in a humid climate. Water the plant once you see that the soil has gotten dry.

Use a good pot

The fact that Monstera grows in an environment with frequent rainfall showers, like all other members of the Arum family, does not imply that it enjoys large amounts of water. There would only be one medium-sized water dish required. Use just enough water to evenly moisten the soil and ensure that the roots receive an adequate supply.

Therefore, you should use good pots for your Monstera plants. A good pot with drainage holes will help excess water drain out more quickly, avoiding stagnant water at the bottom of the pot and causing root rot, soggy soil, and other problems for the plant. Besides, you should also use a well-draining potting mix for better drainage.

Use good soil 

Tiny-grained soils that resemble clay have a tendency to clump and consolidate, especially while you’re watering. Certain soils have poor drainage and cause wet soil, root rot, and other types of infected roots if not treated promptly. Such soils are also air-impermeable. When transplanting, people frequently compact the soil at the very last moment, although this is bad practise.

Better yet, you should check regularly to see if your potted plants are experiencing waterlogged conditions. If so, you should remove the potting soil and replace the soggy soil as soon as possible with fresh potting soil for plant growth. You just need to use as much soil as there was in the old soil.

Bottom-watering

A technique for watering potted plants where you water them from the bottom is called bottom watering. Water is pushed up through the pores at the bottom of the pot by capillary action when the plant is placed on a tray or other container filled with water. This watering technique will assist the plant in effectively avoiding excess water. These are the major justifications for watering your plants using this method.

Consistent irrigation: Bottom irrigation distributes moisture uniformly throughout the whole mass of soil. Dry patches may occur from upper spraying. However, this is not a problem when water is gently absorbed from the bottom. Your plants are receiving adequate water, so you can be confident about that.

Bottom watering is an effective method for avoiding both over- and under-watering. It completely soaks the soil, letting the plant dry down to the appropriate amount before you water it again. Let’s combine, using a potting mix, to increase efficiency.

Conclusion

We appreciate you reading this article. So we sincerely hope we were able to assist you in saving your plant and moving forward without overwatering issues.