First, hi all! I'm new to this forum. I tend to 'run the rabbit' so to speak. I will try my best to stay on topic and keep my questions (doubt I'll have an answer for anyone, experience yes, but correct knowledge to help I doubt). Ok, my questions. Is keeping nitrogen low essential in keeping my variegated monstera deliciosas variegated? Is this the case with other plants that are variegated? And why. And please if the answer is technical, give it to me, I'll go look up what I don't understand. I'm here to learn as much as I can. Growing and propagating plants is a lifelong venture for me. I will learn til the day I pass from this world. TIA, Beth
Welcome Beth, and I like your attitude about learning also, as I feel the same!! I don't think keeping nitrogen low helps keep the variegation. I'm someone else will know Ed
Hi Ed, Thank you very much for replying. I've learned more about aroids than I have in the past 30+ years from word of mouth and reading misleading articles (if you will). I'm surprised at myself as I know better than to go by some of the things I read. Been there, done that...chuckle... Someone recently gave me about two dozen or so variegated monstera that have minimal variegation. I purchased 6 that have good variegation. Most of the minimal variegated ones are in buckets of water, which I now know is a no no with monstera. If you come back and read this, might I ask what is the best way to get rid of mealys on monstera? I was also given three 6" pots full of M. pinnatipartia. I don't think I need to say what I was told this is. I only today found out it is monstera. I also noticed today, they are full of mealys. Thank you in advance, Beth
can't help with the nitrogen question...i would think the variegation would be more affected by sunlight or lack of it... as for mealy bugs, q-tips dipped in rubbing alcohol and then rubbed on the bugs will kill them. i always do a second round of treatment (right away) and make sure to get some of the r-a all along the stems were the adults were AND down at the base of the leaves where they meet the stems...the eggs aren't visible and this second go-over, gets most of them. the r-a gets rid of the bugs straight away and evaporates before doing any damage to the plants, so using it full strength is fine.
Hi joclyn, Thank you for replying. Guess I should have said I know this method, I used it earlier on a hoya gotten from the same place but a whole lot less foliage. I did a few leaves & axils in this manner, but to do all three 6" pots some with vines over three feet in length would be more time than I have. I thought maybe safer soap? Or some diluted dawn? Di-syston maybe? I'm attaching a picture so you can see. They need assistance PDQ. I'm going to repot them into more appropriate medium, give em a pole, and treat at the same time. One of them is soggy wet. I wanted to know how I was going to treat them prior to removing them from their pots and dirt. Since I found the UBC site and this forum, I have been reading like crazy. Even if I had started prior to birth, I couldn't learn enough about plants... :-) Aroids have always held a special fascination for me. Anywho, thank you so much for the info and your time in giving it. I appreciate it. Any further opinions or advice or knowledge would be GREATLY appreciated as well. Thank you again, Beth
Re - the variegation thing. I'm not aware of any soil nutrient requirements for maintaining variegation with monsteras. I do not personally grow them, but have talked to a number of people here who do, and they do nothing special to maintain the variegation. It's a genetic trait, not a soil-dependant one. This said, if you have the patience to let them get big enough to bloom, you can cross the ones with strong variation with those with weak, and see what happens! An excellent article can be found at http://www.exoticrainforest.com - look for the link that says "pollinate your own aroids - find out how!" Actually, the whole site is fantastic, and a fount of ACCURATE aroid info.
Hi Beth (is it?) :-) Thank you for the info. I've seen the site and I LOVE it. I love propagating and would love to be able to cross monsteras. I will most definately give it a try. I am disappointed, I tried to show the person (who's been in the retail and wholesale plant business for 35+ yrs) what the M. pinnatipartita is. That it isn't a philo at all, and she promptly told me she sells them as what she's identified them as. Which is silver queen philo. I won't try to show her again....sigh... anyway, thank you for the info, I really appreciate it. Hopefully I will get them to grow large enough to bloom. Where I got them from, she had them in buckets of water and in mainly 6" pots with no larger than an 8 or so inch plant growing. None climbing. I am in the process of making it so they have the correct growing medium and a 4' pole to climb for starters. I read to put no more than two to a pot because of the size they will eventually attain, could I possibly put them three to a pot. I have so many of them. I'd have over a dozen LARGE pots if I only put them two to a pot. This is going to be FUN!! Thank you again, Beth
Well, Monsteras will really grow on you if they're happy. I had an M. deliciosa that took over an entire acacia tree in my backyard. A thought on the rubbing alcohol for the mealies - you can put it in a spritz bottle and then just spray it onto the vines, if you need fast coverage for lots of area. And a thought on your growing monstera collection - maybe build a greenhouse or similar on the south wall of your house. This will hold your aroids, give them room to climb and get big, and also function as a solar heater in the wintertime. (and yes, it is Beth. Do I know you from somewhere?)
Hi Beth, LOL..no ma'am, we've never met. As I said, I'm an avid reader. Prior to and after joining and posting here, I read alot. I'm in the middle of something right this minute, so I can't think, but I do remember you are in Ecuador, I'm in awe. I don't like leaving the house much less country. :-) I'll never get to see it in person, I also talk to someone who frequents the Amazon, I'm in awe of him as well. :-) I just remembered, I saw some of your pictures, escapes the brain where just now, but your copyright was Elizabeth ??, I'll remember when I get back to work.. :-) Got to get back to work, just had to come reply to you. Thank you for the advice on the mealys and the south side. I made a 4' pole for a batch of monsteras last night...sigh...I'm carpentry challenged...it's floppy, there's no way it can support climbing, getting ever larger as they do, monsteras....have to figure something else out... Thank you again, God bless, Beth
What I have used for "mealy bugs" I spry them with soft detergent diluted in water, and repeat the spraying in 2 weeks, that, in my case, kills all the mealy bugs. If a plant is variegated it will always stay variegated, no need to add things. Maybe more light/sun or less light/sun will make the variegated more noticeable Good luck
Hi Sigtris, Thank you very much for sharing your knowledge. And thank you for the good luck wishes, I'm gonna need them.. Beth
Hi all, The diluted dish soap thing seems to have worked like a charm. Took forever to spray all the nooks and crannys, but I got em, the pots, the roots, everything!! Then I removed them from their improper medium, let them air for a bit and fixed them up in the 50% Miracle Grow Moisture Control, 20% Orchid mix, 20% peat (ducking), & 10% Perlite. I made two batches and on the second one I added 10% more Orchid mix. Just looked better to me. :-) I gleaned that mix off of exotic rain forest.com...believe it was the mix they used for Philodendrons. Hope I did well by these beauties. I will be using this mixture for all the monsteras and philos. I used it on a jewel orchid that has been in the original dirt for four + years. I believe I'll do the zz plant in this as well. :-) If anyone sees any flaws in what I'm about to do, please, please, tell me, I'm here to learn. I'm a newbie when it comes to growing plants (30+yrs). ;-) God bless, Beth
Beth, I am glad the soap worked to get rid of the mealy bugs. Since I breed exotic birds in my garden I can not use any chemicals, the only thing I use and works perfect is detergent diluted and spray it in all my plant including trees.
Hi, I know about that one, inside I have to be careful because of tarantulas, hissers, and a sun conure. At one point we had a sun conure, an eclectus parrot and a blue and gold macaw along with bunches of reptiles, aquariums, and the bugs. Outside I can be more um...hmmm...aggressive?? with the chemicals. I can just move something outside if I have to use the strong stuff. You take care, Beth
