We love Monstera Siltepecana for its undeniable beauty. This houseplant is an ideal choice for hanging baskets and terrariums where its leaves will remain their juvenile form with beautiful silvery patches.
That said, the plant isn’t easy to grow as it requires special growing conditions. It is advisable to have a good grasp of essential information, from the suitable soil, moisture, light to fertilizers, before taking a Monstera Siltepecana home.
What Is Monstera Siltepecana?
This trailing foliage plant belongs to the group of Monstera Genus that includes at least 50 flowering plant species, not to mention those growing in the forests that are not given official names.
The plant is native to the Central and South American parts. It is a significantly strong vine and loves to climb.
While the juvenile Monstera Siltepecana is a happy terrestrial crop, the mature form is likely to be an epiphyte.
That’s why when growing this plant, you will need to provide it with some support for its climbing.
A mature Monstera Siltepecana features lance-shaped and more giant leaves with dark green veins. Besides, the silvery patches vanish while some slits and holes begin to show up.
In today’s video, we’re going to learn about How to propagate monstera siltepecana:
Monstera Siltepecana Care
Soil
This tropical plant needs an appropriate potting mix with suitable drainage holes. The regular aroid blend with chunky bits like pumice and perlite provides the best foundation for growth.
Besides, you can utilize sphagnum moss in the soil mix. Thus, it can retain a specific humidity level for a long time.
Also, it is essential to utilize chunky bits and air pockets as they facilitate the root growth of your Silver Monstera. They require oxygen to survive, or they’ll rot.
Importantly, if you provide it with too dense soil, you can run into trouble. As an epiphyte, this plant is not familiar with having the roots fully covered in dense soil.
Watering
A general rule is to water it once per week. Besides, make sure there is enough drainage to avoid soggy problems.
If not, the roots of your plant can rot quickly. So remember to water it when the soil starts to turn dry.
The slightly moist soil provides the best conditions for Monstera Siltepecana to grow. You may want to water more frequently if you live in a dry area.
Light
The indirect light is ideal for the Monstera Siltepecana. It also grows well in the natural habitat with partial shade and even full shade.
That said, if you grow it as an indoor plant, we highly recommend you put it near a window where it can get indirect sunlight.
Doing so will give the plant the amount of light that it needs to thrive while you do not risk its leaves getting burned by direct afternoon light.
Humidity
This beautiful tropical plant prefers high humidity levels. With that said, it can also survive in an area with 50% lower humidity.
But once again, if you want to provide perfect humidity conditions for it, you will need to increase the humidity one way or another.
- Densely put the Monstera plants together to increase the level of humidity by some percent.
- Place a water-filled pebble underneath the plant.
- Daily spray your plant’s leaves
- Use a humidifier
Temperature
The Monstera Siltepecana grows best temperatures from 50°F to 95°F. Besides, they can be planted outdoors in the 9b-11 according to US Department of Agriculture Hardiness Zones.
Fertilizer
To boost the Monstera growth rate, you can apply houseplant fertilizer or liquid fertilizer with half strength. If not, use slow-release fertilizer as an alternative.
It is best to fertilize your plant once per month in the spring and summer and lower the amount of fertilizer in the fall and winter.
Common Problems With Monstera Siltepecana
White Or Brown Leaves
If the beautiful leaves of your plants start to turn brown or white, it is probably a sign of excess direct sunlight exposure or lack of water. Too much bright light can burn or scorch the leaves, making them turn brown and then fall off.
Meanwhile, insufficient watering or wrong water types like well or tap water can lead to white leaves. These types of water typically contain chlorine and fluoride, which are poisonous for plant foliage.
Dry Or Curled Leaves
You might encounter this problem when you do not provide enough humidity or moisture level. The Monstera’s roots need to stay moist.
That’s why you have to water it as soon as the topsoil has an obvious sign of dryness but avoid excess water as it can lead to root rot.
Common Pests
Though the spiky or armored leaf exterior can keep the pest away, some creatures can upset your plant.
- Scale bugs: these pests have two varieties: the soft and the armored. They are harmful as they take all nutrients from the plants.
Handling scale bugs will be easy if there’re not many. And if there are only 1-3 infested leaves, it is advisable to cut them off.
You can use insecticidal soap or neem oil to kill the stragglers to prevent pest infestations for optimal results.
- Fungal diseases: Though fungus gnats are tiny and don’t bother the stems or leaves, they can lay eggs in the moist soil, and their larvae damage the root growth.
If you do not solve this problem soon, your plants will have wilt or yellow leaves. You can use gnat dressing to prevent infestation or a yellow sticky trap when they want to lay eggs.
Conclusion
Monstera Siltepecana is a happy terrestrial crop with lance-shaped leaves with dark green veins. You should keep in mind our growing guide to create the optimal conditions to keep your plants healthy.
