Identification: What kind of tropical plant is this??

My friend just purchased this plant but there was no tag on it so we have no idea what it is. Thank you and can anyone tell me if this is a hard plant to care for?

 

Juvenile Monstera deliciosa.

 

it's an aroid - either a philodendron or a monstera.

generally pretty easy care. indirect bright light and keep warm (nothing under 50 and they do best at temps over 75). they come from the rainforest, so, like humidity - you can spritz with water every day or so or set the container on a tray that has pebbles and water in it (just make sure the water doesn't touch the bottom of the container the plant is in.

soil should be something very well-draining that retains a bit of moisture. i use a mix of orchid bark, regular potting soil and orchid soil (mix of ceramic bits, charcoal bits and bark bits). you can use aquarium soil or perlite if you can't find the orchid soil. water thoroughly and allow to dry slightly before watering again.

 

Thank you. When does it need to be repotted and also, does it need to be fertilized?

 

best time to repot is really spring time...although, this type of plant can certainly take repotting at this time of year with ease. and you do need to repot it since it doesn't look like there's a plastic container between the soil and the ceramic - and the ceramic probably doesn't have drainge holes.

the soil it's currently in isn't all that bad - has fairly good drainage. no telling how long it's been in it though, so, best to start from scratch with all new stuff.

you can fertilize using a general/all purpose food (i like peter's brand). i wouldn't do any fertilizer for a bit though - allow it to get settled in the new soil/container for a month or so and then give a light dosing. pretty much once a month for fertilizer until spring/summer hit and then you can give it every couple weeks.

 

What kind of soil is best? Also, the ceramic pot has a slit at the bottom. Here's a picture: Is this okay?

 

I grow mine in a clay pots and use a bagged "orchid bark mix" which can be found at places like, Walmart, Home Depot, or Lowes. I also added a few handfuls of "Perlite" so it drains even faster.
If the slit in the bottom lets water drain out quickly, it should be fine, just don't keep the soil wet.

 

I agree on the juvenile monstera. These are great plants and easy to care for as long as you don't keep them too soaked.

 

The juvenile form of Monstera deliciosa is certainly correct but water isn't a problem if you keep the soil loose and add compost, orchid bark, peat and Perlite. These plants love water and line streams in southern Mexico and Central America. I have several that are now over 10 feet tall and they are watered 10 minutes every other day during the summer from an overhead water system. Even though the species is very tolerant, more people kill them by starving them for water than by giving too much water. They need to climb and they love bright light.

It is important to make sure they drain quickly! You can't see them in this shot but they are just to the right of the camera position and the leaves are now well over one meter long. Both Joclyn and Bluewing are growing some plants that were taken as cuttings off my plants.

This link will tell you more: http://www.exoticrainforest.com/Monstera deliciosa large pc.html

Don't be afraid to water your rain forest plants. They came from a rain forest!

 

Hey, it's been a few months and this plant is getting so big! A lot of new growth, and the old leaves are getting so large they are starting to bend down. Im not quite sure what to do with it. Would a bigger pot help with the fact that all the leaves are leaning over? Do I need to tie them up or something? How big will it get? Thank you!!!

 

The plant is begging for support. Monstera deliciosa can climb as high as 60 feet or more up a rain forest three. Their roots attach to the trunk of the tree and if they don't have a support the stem will eventually bend until it reaches the ground. Eventually each leaf will be close to 3 feet wide so you need to find it a tall totem, rough stake, or rough pole to climb.

Eventually it will need larger pot so you may want to consider moving it up now.

http://www.exoticrainforest.com/Monstera deliciosa large pc.html

 

I am not quite sure what to do with the stake once I put it in there....Do I tie them to it?

 

You can use garden plant tie material available at almost any garden center or simply use electrical tie wraps. Just don't tighten up the wraps to allow the plant room to grow.

The stake is best if it is rough so the roots can grab hold.

 

When I put the stake inside, how do I make sure its not hitting the roots?

 

Don't worry about them. You would have to use one enormous stake to do any damage.