I recently ordered two Monstera deliciosa variegata cuttings (albo and Thai constellation). They were quite pricy, but both very large with two aerial roots a piece. I've had them in a solution of distilled water and Hormex concentrate (liquid B! + hormone). After 6 weeks, I've seen no progress in the root system. If this is normal, that's totally fine. I'm just very amateur with propagating this type of plant and after paying $150 USD each, I'm anxious to make sure I'm doing whatever is healthiest for the plants. I've read where a lot of people will propagate them directly into soil, but I'm afraid to shock them. Any thoughts or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
The following thread deals with propagating Philodendron bipinnatifidum but may be useful as it is related to Monstera: Help: Rescue Philodendron Selloum (BIPINNATIFIDUM/Tree). More information on this plant: Monstera deliciosa Liebm., Monstera deliciosa, Exotic Rainforest rare tropical plants
Forgive my ignorance, but I'm unclear if your prop roots are "roots" that act in the way that we think of roots as feeding components. I've had one of these for about ten years, and every time I stick the tip of the prop root into the soil it rots off at the tip. I grow ~a dozen kinds of ficus that will root a prop root in the lint in your bellybutton if you stand still too long, so I'm familiar with the process which I think is a horse of a different color. I re-potted a Philodendron bipinnatifidum last year and it had a tiny offset on the root which I broke off and planted. (You should look for a likely bud on your crown (?).) It makes a really neat accent plant (the pot is about 2" tall). If you have a bud low on the side of the stalk that is close to the roots, and you cut a slice of the stalk with the bud and one rootlet and it should root. I would immediately dust the whole cut surface and the rootlet with rooting hormone, put it into a plastic bag and blow into the bag (CO2), seal it, and leave it for a few days, after which I plant it in rich soil. No direct sun until you see a new bud swelling. This whole procedure is effectively the same as tissue culture which is tissue with some differentiated bud parts and some differentiated root parts, but here all are advanced enough to go straight into dirt. Sphagnum moss would probably be safer. Can somebody please state categorically whether or not prop roots of your critter have the same function as banyan figs?
Well, I have never grown any type of figs so I cannot tell you. But I grow a lot of vining and climbing aroids and I have to propagate them every so often to keep them within their allotted space. I have not ever had the aerial roots rot when they were planted, on any plant. These are some photos of a propagation I did last October of one of my variegated Monsteras. There were a few side shoots coming off that there was really no room on the existing totem for, because it is a shared totem that has other climbers on it and all need their space, so I took them off with their aerial roots, planted them in one gallon containers, and once they get larger I will decide where to start a new section of this plant and plant them in the ground. The first photo is one of the plants they came from, it is a long established plant, this is an older photo of it. It has been in place now for over 8-9 years. The second pic is cuttings taken October 3. They were dusted in Rooting Hormone with fungicide (more for the fungicide than the RH) and all their aerial roots planted along with a couple leaf nodes. The third photo is the cuttings on October 26, rooted, growing well and putting out new leaves. Didn't miss a beat, haven't taken any new photos of them since then but they are still doing fine. I propagate all of my Philodendrons, Rhaphidophoras, Epipremnums, scindapsus, and vining Anthuria the same way. I have seen people before say that they prefer to root cuttings in water first before they plant them in soil. I don't do this, because I read many years ago (and have been told by many growers more experienced than me) that water roots and soil roots are not the same, and that the roots made in water are fragile and frangible and not suited to up taking nutrients from soil when transplanted. The plant then has to go through another step to try and form soil roots. I prefer not to stress my plants by doing that, and since I have never had any problems just plopping the aerial roots right into soil, it seems pointless for me to even try it.
So, my roots started doing well and then suddenly turned brown and very soft on me. The guy I bought them from said that they had fungal infections and needed to have all the brown removed. Even one of my new unfurling leaves had started turning brown. So, I cut off the brown, removed the soft brown part of the roots, rinse them, sprayed with fungicide, and let them air out for about 12 hours. Since then, I filled glass jars with seed starter mix with the cuttings and decided to try and just keep that moist. I had two plain Monsteras that I tried wrapping the nodes with straight spaghum moss and twine (moistening them with distilled water twice a week). All of these grew sturdy roots. So I’m hoping for the best, especially since I paid so much for these two cuttings.
@Dot, have a look in the following thread in which someone reported seeing them at a local nursery: Wanted: Variegated Monstera Deliciosa. I can't say for sure but I may have seen them at Hunters Garden Centre in Vancouver some time ago as well.
