Given that the plants in question are Monstera deliciosa I would question whether any artificial lighting is necessary.
They are shade-loving forest plants and providing the temperature is suitable I’d have said a north facing aspect would be quite suitable.
I thought that would be the case but I keep getting quite a few new leaves that brown, wither and die before they open up. The temperature in the lounge is between 16-18Celcius so should be warm enough. They dont get overwatered either.
1. Do you mist the plants regularly? They like humidity in the air.
2. Does anything touch or brush against them? (People, pets, curtains?)
3. Do they get shut behind the curtains at night? If so it might be colder there than you think (as well as possible bruising if the curtains touch the plants).
Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
Don't think that would be down to lack of light ... I've seen many healthy monsteras in dimly lit basement and attic student flats ...
Is the temperature constant or does it go down noticeably at night?
No, the temperature is a constant 18 throughout the day and 16.5 from midnight to 7am. The temperature in the house is monitored by a Nest thermostat and maintained constant.
1. Do you mist the plants regularly? They like humidity in the air.
2. Does anything touch or brush against them? (People, pets, curtains?)
3. Do they get shut behind the curtains at night? If so it might be colder there than you think (as well as possible bruising if the curtains touch the plants).
The plants are in a sort of indoor trough in front of the window. No curtains, just plantation shutters, no pets. So temperature is constant, no one touches them. The only thing I dont do is mist them but I have been told that these plants can survive without misting? Humidity in the lounge is around the 60% mark.
The rest of the plant is green and healthy and there are new leaves which come out perfectly. But recently about 30% of the leaves have been blackening and withering without even being able to unfurl.
The monsteras are still in their 12cm pots they came in if that matters.
I have moved the plants to the back window sill which is south facing however I am worried I might be doing more harm since in summertime they will be getting rather a lengthy blasting of sun and the radiator is under that window too.
Here are a couple of pics. One of the plants' location and the other that shows an example of the leaf withered.
When you said "mini monstera", are they a dwarf variety or just plants sold young? If the latter then they probably want to grow much bigger and will need bigger pots - gently remove the pots and check to see if they're pot-bound (pot full of roots, not much compost visible, possibly roots circling round the inside of the pots). If they are, they need bigger pots and fresh compost - maybe go up an inch or two in size.
And double-check to make sure they never sit in water - it looks as if the outer pots don't have drainage. You should let them dry out a bit between waterings (so the top inch or so of compost is dry - check by sticking your finger in up to the first knuckle), and when you water, you should leave them until the water stops draining through before putting them back into the outer pots.
Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
No, they are the mini ones. Known as Monstera Obliqua or Monstera Monkey Mask. The size of the leaves is usually the same as a child's palm.
The plants definitely dont get overwatered. There's a stone quarter of an inch thick that sits between the inside of outerpot and the base of inner pot. I take the inner pot out, water at the sink and then leave to drain for a bit.
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They are shade-loving forest plants and providing the temperature is suitable I’d have said a north facing aspect would be quite suitable.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Monstera deliciosa.
We have a number of these in the flat with a south west aspect. The best growing conditions we find are the following:
"You don't stop gardening because you get old, you get old because you stop gardening." - The Hampshire Hog
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
https://succulencelondon.com/shop/mini-monstera-deliciosa-plant-with-concretpot
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.