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Going through some gardens or plant shops you must have run into a plant that immediately took your attention. Because of its popularity, I decided to help you, and teach you how to care for Monstera Siltepecana.
Elegant, easy to grow, and stunning Monstera Siltepecana often steals people’s admiration. In this article, you’ll find out about the soil, humidity, and watering this plant needs and enjoys.
What is Monstera Siltepecana?
This rare yet resilient tropical plant is from the Monstera genus that comes from Mexico and some parts of Central America. It is the rarest out of more than 50 different types of Monstera.
What is so special about it is that regardless of her rareness, it is not needy at all, and lucky for you it is easy to grow.
You can’t define its greatness by its leafage alone, because it is special for so many reasons.
Monstera Siltepecana has a unique color of its leaves. Although they are mostly green, the leafage canals are darker green but the upper part of a leaf is covered by light-blue, silver film.
It is beautiful, right?
This houseplant is very versatile.
Since Monstera Siltepecana is trailing you can make her vine anywhere you want to. There are plenty of options – you can put support in her pot or put it on a shelf so she can hang from there and grow her leaves downwards.
This is what makes it so easy to take care of it. It is also great for offices, terrariums or any room in your house.
In her natural habitat in the tropical areas of Mexico, Monstera Siltepecana grows from the ground and then starts creeping up the nearest tree.
This beautiful tropical plant gives life to any room you put it in, so if you choose to buy it follow these tips on how to grow it properly.
There are different types, but some of the most popular ones are:
- Monstera Dubia
- Monstera Deliciosa
- Monstera Borsigiana
- Monstera Epipremnoides
- Monstera Adansonii
- Monstera Obliqua
- Monstera Thai Constellation
- Monstera Pinnatipartita
- Monstera Acuminata
- Monstera Karstenianum
- Monstera Standleyana
Watering Monstera Siltepecana
Watering is one of the main reasons we gardeners say Monstera Siltepecasna is easy to be grown indoors.
Even though it comes from warmer and more humid areas, this plant does not need too much water to live healthily.
There is no need for you to water it every day and you can even wait until the first inch of soil is dry to water it again.
Since it likes its soil drained and moist but not wet you would have to get a pot with holes for draining the soil for your Monstera Siltepecana if you decide to get one and make your home lovely.
To check the moisture of your plant’s soil you can simply stick a finger in the pot and see which layers of soil are dry and which ones are moist.
Remember to drain the pot regularly so your plant doesn’t drown.
Another big condition you have to meet when it comes to this plant is that you have to set the right humidity in the room you put your plant in.
Monstera Siltepecana likes high humidity, more than 50%. If you notice yellow leaves on this plant of yours make sure to water it properly and to increase the air humidity.
By misting your plants, they will get higher air humidity that will last for few minutes only but you want to keep the right level of air humidity, right?
If you want to use the most effective way to keep the room humid you should get a humidifier. This practical device will give your Monstera Siltepecana prosperity because of its surrounding.
In case you want to save money and put a bit more effort into taking care of your plants you can put them in a room which is by its nature humid – like bathroom.
Light and Temperature requirements
Light is the most important aspect of growing plants indoors because the consequences of doing it poorly can be shown over the leaves of your plant.
This Monstera likes bright and indirect kind of sunlight. Because of the way it grows in its natural habitat, it is used to getting less light in its lower parts and more of it on the higher ones.
It is also acceptable for your Monstera Siltepecana to get some direct sunlight if it is in the early hours when the solar radiation is not that strong and dangerous.
Your plant can burn if it gets too much sunlight, so make sure to have some thinner curtains to provide your plant with indirect sunlight. This problem usually occurs when you situate your plant on some of your windows.
The ideal temperature for Monstera Siltepecana goes from 50 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit. In this temperature range this plant thrives the fastest.
This is the temperature it lives in in her natural habitat, so try to keep the conditions in your room similar.
Monstera Siltepecana can do well at lower temperatures too, but not for too long.
Soil requirements
Monstera Siltepecana enjoys a well-drained soil mix. Aroid mix with perlite, pumice, and usually a few bark pieces is also great for this tropical plant.
Well-drained, moist to dry soil is the best for this plant – don’t forget that. It would be a good idea to check the best potting soil for indoor plants before buying random soil.
You can also try using a soil mix that has sphagnum moss since it provides the roots with just enough oxygen and long-term humidity.
Since this plant grows as an epiphytic creeper, try to avoid dense soil. This plant doesn’t like to have its roots covered in dense soil (at least not fully).
Dry and sandy soil mixes can dry out the roots and thus the whole Monstera Siltepecana, so make sure to avoid these soil mixes. As a result of using them, you will see that the leaves started browning.
Fertilizing Monstera Siltepecana
Whether you are using a liquid fertilizer or any other, the best is to dilute it to only half of its strength.
When the months are colder – like in winter and autumn – you don’t need to fertilize your Siltepecana. You can do it sometimes, but make sure it is not as often as in warmer months.
In summer and spring, when it’s the growing season for this plant you would need to use the fertilizer once a month.
Make sure your fertilizers have phosphorus, potassium, and nitrogen.
A slow-release fertilizer is also an option when deciding on which fertilizer is the number one for your Monstera Siltepecana.
Yet, if you decide to use Dyna-Gro Grow fertilizer that improves blooming and is great for flowering plants, make sure to mix one quarter-teaspoon per gallon. No need to fertilize with this during the winter months.
This fertilizer also gives healthier look to your Monstera Siltepecana.
Monstera Siltepecana Pruning
Monstera Siltepecana thrives really fast and climbs any support you put in its pot. Since the velocity of growth is quite high, Monstera Siltepecana needs pruning more often than most of your other houseplants.
There are no specific indications that you should prune your Monstera Siltepecana.
Usually the best way is to cut off yellow leaves or the edges of the ones that started wilting. You can also prune your plant when you want to give it the right shape or to make her look neater.
No matter what the reason for pruning is, the right place to cut the leaf off is where the pedicle connects with the plant’s scape.
Mostera Siltepecana repotting
Repotting your plants is necessary because they eventually grow big and once they get too big their roots can intercross and cut one another, thus stopping the import of nutrients from the soil to the leaves.
You might not be aware of it because all you see is this beautiful silver-blue foliage but you can’t forget about the roots.
This plant grows really fast if it is in the right conditions so don’t forget to check the drainage holes every once in a while.
The right time for you Monstera Siltepecana to be repotted is when its roots start getting out of the draining holes. This is a clear and obvious sign that your plant is lacking the proper space to breathe and grow.
This is what you should do when this happens. The process is quite simple.
Get a new pot that is bigger and that you think will fit your Monstera Siltepecana when its has grown this big.
Put some soil mix in the first few inches of the pot. Try to use the soil mix you had read about in some of the previous chapters.
If there is a risk that you’ll damage the roots when pulling the plant out of its pot you can cut the plastic off in the bottom of the pot and gently remove it so the roots don’t break.
Loosen the roots a bit once you pulled it out gently and carefully and then put your Monstera Siltepecana in the new pot you had prepared.
In the end, add some more soil, tuck it in and add some water so the soil so it can be moist enough.
You can repot this plant every 2 to 3 years, depending on the size of the pot and the speed of her growth.
The best time to repot is around thriving season – spring (when this season begins) or late summer (when it is about to end).
Mostera Siltepecana propagation
As repotting, propagation should be done at the same time of the year if possible. The steps are really simple.
First cut the leaf at the leaf node (the same place you should cut when you are pruning your plant). If you are not sure about the angle of the knife or scissors while cutting just try to cut it so that the cut off parts can absorb as much water as possible.
Fill the container you found with water almost to the top of it. The best would be to have a transparent container, for example, made of glass, so you can monitor the process of your plant’s growth.
Make sure that the nod is completely under the water surface.
Like the mother plant, this one should be situated in a place where the sunlight is not too bright and direct.
When it comes to temperature, the range is the same – 50 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit. Water should be changed every 2 to 3 days.
Once the roots start showing and growing visibly, you can put the new young plant in a pot with drainage holes.
Make sure to have the right soil that has the proper moisture. As a supplement, you can also use compost.
When you put the young plant into its pot pay attention to it being straight and use your hands to firm the soil around it.
This way your Monstera Siltepecana will thrive healthily. Even though it will vine, creep, and bend over the cabinets or tables (once it grows bigger and develops those beautiful leaves) you should still plant it straight.
As far as the temperature, humidity, and light go – everything that you read previously about can apply (high humidity, indirect bright light).
When you reach this point, you should treat your new Monstera Siltepecana the same way as the mother plant – you can apply some liquid fertilizers and water it regularly, as explained.
To have a better idea of this plant’s growth, let’s check the timeline.
In the first two weeks, you will notice that the roots started growing. Two to four weeks later what used to be a leaf is now starting to look like a small Monstera Siltepecana. The shoots that started appearing will become beautiful leaves in two to four months.
After a while, you will see that your plant developed spathes which are not really flowers. They are more of a base for flowering.
Spathes look like leaves with a spadix in their center. At this very place in the center grow flowers of Monstera Siltepecana,
Not so often these spathes can grow seeds and fruits if being pollinated.
Monstera Siltepecana problems and solutions
Since this plant is not needy and can go through drought-like conditions, as well as through the humid ones, there are not too many problems occurring while you are growing it indoors.
Some of the most common ones are usually regarding pests and discoloration of the foliage.
The leaves are turning dry and curly
You don’t need to be an expert to know that you have a problem with your plant if its leaves don’t look good and healthy.
One of the most obvious reasons your plant looks like this, is that it is not getting enough moisture and humidity.
The easiest way to fix this is to improve your watering schedule. This plant likes its soil moist but not wet, and even though it can endure some drought-like conditions it doesn’t mean you should neglect it in this manner.
If you are too busy with your work think about moving your Monstera Siltepecana to your office. This way you will keep it in your sight and water it more often (but not too often).
Another action you could take to recover your plant’s leaves is to mist your plant regularly. This way not only that you will refresh it, but you will also clean it and thus preventing her to get some decease.
Make sure that the room your plant is situated in is humid enough. In case it isn’t, you probably won’t be able to recover its brown leaves.
In case none of these actions are helping your plant improve her brown and yellow leaves, you can cut them off.
You should cut at the place where a leaf node is connected to the internode.
Fungal diseases can also make foliage yellow or darker, like brown discoloration.
The leaves are not getting big enough and don’t have holes
It takes a bit of experience to notice that your Monstera Siltepecana is not thriving properly.
In its earlier stages of growth, this plant should have green leaves with a light-blue, icy look in the middle of the leaves.
After the leaves start to get bigger and bigger, they are supposed to change their coloration from these silver shades to lighter green foliage and dark green veins.
If you notice that this process is not happening (properly) think about the location of your plant. Is it getting enough light?
The sunlight this plant needs should be bright but indirect. If you expose it to direct light or stronger sunlight, its leaves will start to burn. They will become brown and dried out.
The lighting is really important for any plant to grow properly, but only Monstera plants can reward you with these remarkable leaves if you take good care of them.
The leaves are turning brown or white
As you have probably realized until now – many factors can affect the well-being and health of Monstera Siltepecana.
The leaves can turn brown if this plant is getting direct light, if it is not watered properly, etc. Some of the not so obvious reasons for browning are salts in the soil or water.
When you are watering your plant, you don’t want to use tap water, because it has chlorine, fluoride, and some elements that are hurting the plant.
The best water to use for this purpose is to buy some filtrated water from which these elements are removed.
In case you forget to but distilled or filtered water, you can let tap water rest for around 12 hours so the chlorine and fluoride can evaporate from it.
Salts and minerals are usually good for the plants because they improve the absorption of nutrients and water from the soil. They are also giving the plant exactly what it needs.
In this case, you don’t want to use the soil that has too many salts in it because it can damage and dry out the Monstera Siltepecana.
Another obvious sign that the salt is negatively affecting your plant is that your leaves are turning white. The tricky thing is to notice this kind of whitening when appearing on the young leaves which are light-blue.
White patches can also be seen in the soil because of the salt that is collecting near the plant’s roots. In this case, just change the soil or repot your Monstera Siltepecana.
FAQ
How to save my Monstera Siltepecana from pests and disease?
Fungal diseases are mostly caused by Colletotrichum and Gloeosporum. These diseases are shown as dark-brown spots with yellow shades.
Bacteria can also attack your Monstera Siltepecana and cause similar spotting on the foliage.
Root rots and stem rots are infections also caused by fungi, this time Botrytis or Pythium. Either way, you can improve the health of your Monstera Siltepecana by pruning the dead leaves and roots and finding the best place to isolate it.
You can prevent these diseases by regularly cleaning the plant with a mist or you can mist it with fungicides.
When you notice brown spots know that they can even turn black, so make sure to repot the plant using sanitized tools.
Is Monstera Siltepecana toxic to pets?
If Monstera Siltepecana is ingested it can be very dangerous for pets and children.
This is why you should keep it away from your four-legged friends or kids when they are too young to know that they shouldn’t touch or pick them.
Is Monstera Siltepecana expensive?
This plant is one of the rarest Monstera plants. This is why you can often only buy two at the same time and they are more expensive than most of the house plants.
Final thoughts
Monstera Siltepecana is a rare and beautiful climbing plant from the Monstera genus. You don’t need to be an expert to have and take care of one.
It can stand different types of temperature and humidity, but bad lighting could be fatal for her.
Get one to make your space beautiful and to freshen up your room and air.