Monstera Adansonii Houseplant Care Guide [AKA Swiss Cheese Plant]

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Any time someone comes to my house, they always tell me their favorite houseplant of mine is the Monstera Adansonii. I got this plant from a Lowes clearance rack for less than $3 (it was a rehab plant, but now it’s thriving and huge).

Monstera Adansonii main care directions.

Light. Place in bright indirect sunlight (south, east, west facing windows) or under plant grow lights. Can also live near a north facing window but will grow slower.
Water. Water once the top 1-2 inches of soil dry out. Check moisture level with pointy finger or moisture meter.
Soil. Plant should be in well-draining soil. Fox Farm Ocean Forest is a high quality well-draining mix.
Humidity. Can live in regular household humidity (20%+) but you have the option of giving it 50%+ humidity to encourage faster growth.

Monstera Adansonii thrive in the home with these care tips.

Light

Monstera Adansonii do the best under bright indirect sunlight. Bright indirect sunlight means a lot of things, but the best spot for this plant would be near a south, east, or west facing window.

If you’re not sure which direction windows you have, use a free compass app on your phone. Understanding what kind of lighting comes into your home is crucial, especially if you’re growing a ton of plants in your home.

Morning sun typically comes into north and east facing windows, and it’s known to be the weakest, least amount of sun. West and south facing windows get a ton of intense sunlight making this a great spot for plants. However, if you put a plant right next to a south or west facing window, make sure to place a sheer curtain on the window to create some dappled sunlight. You never want your houseplants sitting in direct sunlight (unless it’s a cactus, of course).

Don’t have a lot of sunlight coming into the home? No worries, use plant grow lights like I do. I have two greenhouses and one shelf that store about 100 plants. They’re all growing under T5 Barrina plant grow lights. T5 Barrina plant grow lights is a full spectrum sunlight replacement.

They are incredibly easy to install and haven’t raised my electricity bill a noticeable amount. You can even use these lights for plants in a seedling, vegetative, or flowering cycle. These lights include double-sided tape, clips, and cable ties. I use the double-sided tape to stick the lights on.

Water

Water Monstera Adansonii when the top two inches of soil dry out. This is typically once a week for most people. There are two common methods for checking the soil moisture level.

The first method and most used is sticking your finger into the soil. Simple, effective, and free. If the soil feels wet, hold off on watering and come back in a few days. If the soil feels dry, it’s time to water.

Whether you bottom water or top water is up to you. People prefer bottom watering because the soil takes the amount of water it needs. Whereas with top watering, your plant is getting water and maybe even way more than it needs.

If you have trouble knowing when to water your plant, I find a moisture meter really helps. I use this moisture meter and it’s easy and convenient to use. This handy tool doesn’t require batteries and helps me check plants in hard to reach places. Insert the moisture meter probe about 2-5 inches into the soil. If the meter reads on the dryer side, it’s time to water the plant.

Soil

Monstera Adansonii thrive in well-draining soil just like any other houseplant. I can’t think of one houseplant that thrives in dense, compact soil. When a plant lives in well-draining soil, this allows oxygen to flow around the plants roots, leading to a healthier plant.

What does well-draining soil look like? Something like Fox Farm Ocean Forest potting mix is a great option for those of us that don’t want to make our own potting mix. This potting mix has a blend of earthworm castings, bat guano, sea-going fish and crab meal, forest humus, moss, and other key ingredients.

If you do want to make your own potting mix, an easy recipe calls for 40% coco coir, 25% perlite, 25% orchid bark, and 10% vermiculite.

If you have a ton of houseplants you need to repot in new potting mix, your money goes further if you make your own potting mix instead of buying a pre-made bag.

Temperature

Monstera Adansonii thrive in temperatures between 60°F and 85°F (15°C and 29°C). You can place this plant outside if outside temperatures are within that range. Do not place this plant in direct sunlight.

Fertilizer

Monstera Adansonii get massive in the home. To encourage growth, regularly fertilize either every watering, bi-weekly, or once a month. It’s totally up to you how often you fertilize.

There are many fertilizers on the market to choose from and it can get a little confusing, so I’m going to keep things as simple as possible. You can choose from a granule-based fertilizer, liquid fertilizer, or natural fertilizer like worm castings.

It doesn’t really matter which fertilizer you use, but there are key things to know. If using a synthetic fertilizer (you’ll know if it’s synthetic if the NPK ratio is something like 20-20-20) you need to dilute the recipe in half. This is because synthetic fertilizers are really strong and can damage your plant.

It’s also important that you only fertilize during the active growing season. This is typically March through October for many of us.

You’ll notice some plants need fertilizer more than others. For example, Monstera Deliciosa is one of those plants that are heavy feeders.

I use both Liqui-Dirt (plant food, not technically a fertilizer but it has everything your plants need to grow healthy) and Dyna-Gro fertilizer. With Dyna-Gro, I get a spoonful and mix it into a gallon of water. I use this gallon to water my houseplants.

Humidity

Monstera Adansonii doesn’t need high humidity. However, this is a tropical houseplant so you’ll notice faster growth on your plant if you boost the humidity.

Best tips for raising humidity.

Group plants together which creates a microclimate of higher humidity
Place a humidifier next to the plant and run it daily
Put a pebble tray full of water underneath the plant
Place the plant in a greenhouse or cabinet

Propagation

Propagating a Monstera Adansonii is simple and it will only take a few weeks for your new plant to grow.

Steps to propagate Monstera Adansonii

Find a node on the plant and cut right below the node.
Let the cut dry out for an hour to harden off.
Place the node submerged underwater and put it near a spot getting some dappled sunlight.
In a few weeks, this cutting will have a few inches of roots. Then you can transfer the cutting to your preferred substrate.

Don’t fertilize the propagation water as your plant doesn’t need this extra stress during this process.

Is Monstera Adansonii rare?

Monstera Adansonii is not a rare houseplant. Like I mentioned earlier, I bought my plant at Lowes. You can find this plant almost anywhere.

How much is a Monstera Adansonii?

Monstera Adansonii is affordable. A 6 inch pot of this plant goes for about $20.

Is Monstera Adansonii hard to take care of?

Monstera Adansonii is not hard to take care of. This plant doesn’t even require humidity! Any time a plant doesn’t require humidity, it typically means it’s not a hard plant to take care of (at least in my book).

How do you care for Monstera Adansonii?

To properly care for a Monstera Adansonii, place the plant in a spot getting a decent amount of sunlight throughout the day (south, east, or west facing window). You could probably place this plant next to a north facing window, but know that this spot gets very little sunlight and you’ll notice slower growth on your plant.

Regularly feed your plant fertilizer. You can feed every watering, every other watering, or once a month. It’s really up to you. I feed my plants fertilizer every watering (so I don’t have to remember the last time I fertilized). This doesn’t hurt the plants when you fertilize this often.

Water when the top inch or two of soil is dry. Check the soils moisture level by sticking your pointy finger in the soil or by using a moisture meter.

Is Monstera Adansonii a fast grower?

Monstera Adansonii is a fast grower once given the best growing conditions. When I first brought my plant home, it was going through a rehab stage (I got my plant from the Lowes clearance rack in bad condition). Now that it’s been acclimated and growing in the best conditions, it’s growing rapidly.

Can I put Monstera Adansonii in leca?

You can grow Monstera Adansonii in leca. I love using leca for many of my houseplants because it makes watering super easy.

Can Monstera Adansonii grow outside?

You can probably grow Monstera Adansonii outside if you live in a tropical region. These leaves are pretty delicate so I personally wouldn’t put this plant outside, especially since I live in the desert.

Should I mist Monstera Adansonii?

You can mist your Monstera Adansonii but you don’t have to. This plant lives in regular household humidity. However, you can boost humidity around your plant by putting it next to a humidifier. This will probably encourage your plant to grow.

How big do Monstera Adansonii get?

Monstera Adansonii can get up to 8 feet tall in the home. I think they can get even longer than that if you let the plant trail and have it sitting in a good spot.

How do I make Monstera Adansonii bigger?

Encourage growth on Monstera Adansonii by placing this plant in a south facing window and regularly fertilize during the active growing season. You can also take cuttings of this plant and place them back into the same pot to create a bushier look.

Does Monstera Adansonii climb?

Monstera Adansonii do climb. You can encourage your plant to climb with a support pole or trellis. This plant grows fast so if you want your living room to look like a jungle, get this plant.

Is Monstera Adansonii toxic to pets?

Yes, this plant is toxic to pets. You can get more information on toxic and pet-friendly plants at ASPCA here.

Prevent Pests

Monstera Adansonii are prone to pest pressures just like any other houseplant. I haven’t had any pests on this plant and it’s been almost a year. Before bringing any plant home, do your best to check for pests. Check the foliage (both sides, especially the backside) and the petioles, soil, etc. I even turn my phones flashlight on to check for bugs.

Best tips for preventing pests:

Sprinkle Bonide Systemic Granules on top of soil to prevent pests
Use a food-grade pest killer like Azamax to prevent pests
Do your best to inspect plants regularly
Don’t overwater your plants (this leads to fungus gnats)
Quarantine plants before putting them with the rest of your plants

Common issues

Brown tips: If your Monstera Adansonii has brown tips, this may be a sign that your plant is getting too much sunlight. Move your plant to a different spot in the home that is getting less sunlight or use a sheer curtain to create dappled sunlight on a window.

Curly leaves: If your Monstera Adansonii has curly tips, this may mean your plant is thirsty or lacking humidity. These aren’t plants that require humidity, but depending on where you got it from, it may have come from a place that was getting 50%+ humidity. Boost humidity around the plant by placing it next to a humidifier.

Yellowing leaves: If your Monstera Adansonii has yellowing leaves, this may mean that you’re overwatering your plant. Always check the soils moisture level before watering your plants.

Key Points To Remember

Monstera Adansonii is an easy plant that doesn’t need too much to thrive and grow like crazy in the home. I basically have a museum of plants in my house and people always gravitate toward this one. This plant is incredibly affordable and gets huge in the home.

Main things to know for Monstera Adansonii.

Place in bright indirect sunlight (south, east, west facing window) or under plant grow lights
Feed fertilizer during the active growing season
Water once the top one or two inches is dry