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Leggy Monstera

richjamesturnerrichjamesturner Posts: 70
in Problem solving
Hi. I have two Monstera which are very tall (180cm) but leggy. There's not much growth low down, if the stems are straight they're probably 2m+ but then the bottom half is very thin. I've tried to improve the look of one of them with a taller pole but now it looks rather thin.

Are they likely to thicken out once properly attached to a pole? Or do they need cutting back to ground? I've seen a couple of other posts where they suggest cutting right back but I'm reluctant to do that as it will obviously mean we have no plant for quite a while.

If anyone can advise on what to do to make them look thicker over the next few months I'd be grateful.

Posts

  • B3B3 Posts: 27,505
    Site closing tomorrow. If you don't get a reply - nearly everyone's gone to Gardeners Corner forum. Try there.
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • B3B3 Posts: 27,505
    PS I assume poking a hole in the ceiling isn't an option😉
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • AsarumAsarum Posts: 661
    You could perhaps cut down one of the shoots, say 8" above the compost, and see if you get a new shoot from there.  But that low down in the position the pots are in it won't get much light and be leggy.
    East Anglia
  • CeresCeres Posts: 2,698
    As monsteras are climbing plants, yours aren't going to shoot from the base unless you cut them back drastically. Right now they are hell bent on climbing another storey, as per their programming.
  • thevictorianthevictorian Posts: 1,279
    I agree they will produce their growth from the top as they reach for the sky. You could take cuttings from the top or grow something else up them like a pothos as they do well in low light, can be hacked back when needed and their leaves aren't dissimilar to small monstera leaves.
  • richjamesturnerrichjamesturner Posts: 70
    B3 said:
    PS I assume poking a hole in the ceiling isn't an option😉
    Not the ideal solution! 😂
  • richjamesturnerrichjamesturner Posts: 70
    Asarum said:
    You could perhaps cut down one of the shoots, say 8" above the compost, and see if you get a new shoot from there.  But that low down in the position the pots are in it won't get much light and be leggy.
    That's a fair point. I'm thinking I might unhook it all again, wrap as much around the bottom as I can and then carry on up, hopefully giving the impression of more density in the process.
  • richjamesturnerrichjamesturner Posts: 70
    Ceres said:
    As monsteras are climbing plants, yours aren't going to shoot from the base unless you cut them back drastically. Right now they are hell bent on climbing another storey, as per their programming.
    Yeah, I thought that was prob the case. I don't really want to do that if I can avoid it as it will leave a serious bare area in the room
  • richjamesturnerrichjamesturner Posts: 70
    thevictorian said:
    I agree they will produce their growth from the top as they reach for the sky. You could take cuttings from the top or grow something else up them like a pothos as they do well in low light, can be hacked back when needed and their leaves aren't dissimilar to small monstera leaves.
    I think I'll go with the cuttings approach. I have a couple already. Once they reach a reasonable height itb should look better.
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