The Monstera adansonii belongs to the Araceae family and is sometimes known as Monstera Friedrichsthalii.
This plant is famous for its fenestrations and is grown for its unique-looking leaves.
However, the plant does not easily achieve these fenestrations that it is so well known for.
To achieve this, your plant needs to be provided with good care, and the leaves need to mature further and remain healthy. But if your plant is wilting, it indicates it’s unhappy.
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Why is My Monstera adansonii Wilting?
Monstera Adansonii wilts mostly due to underwatering. However, other factors also cause its leaves to start wilting. Reasons include overwatering, low humidity, fertilizer, pest, diseases, and temperature stress. The best thing to do is to change its watering schedule and see if the wilting stops.
Reasons Why Your Monstera Adansonii is Wilting
There are several reasons why your Monstera adansonii care might not be on point.
1. Underwatering
Underwatering is the main cause behind why your Monstera Adansonii is wilting. Underwatering causes the soil to dry up, and your plant will not have enough water to survive.
The plant will continue to lose water through transpiration, but it will not have a replacement for this water loss. Eventually, the leaves will become so dry that they snap off your plant.
2. Overwatering
Just like underwatering, even overwatering will cause stress on your plant. An overwatered Monstera adansonii plant has leaf edema and yellowing of the leaves.
If you constantly provide your plant with unnecessary water, the roots will suffer, rot and die. If the root system stops working, the plant will not be able to receive any nutrients anymore.
Excess water in the soil causes it to become waterlogged. This prevents enough oxygen from entering the roots, causing root hypoxia.
You need to look at early signs of overwatering as your plant will end up completely dying if this issue is not solved fast. It is easier to recover an underwatered plant compared to an overwatered plant.
3. Temperature
The constant fluctuation of temperature surrounding your plant can cause stress to your Monstera Adansonii. If your plant is provided with excessive amounts of heat, then this will damage the plant tissues.
This causes your plant to start wilting since the transpiration rate increases and water loss occurs. This causes your roots to demand more water when there is no supply.
Monstera Adansonii can only survive in the temperature range of 64°F to 81°F (18°C to 27°C). Thus, anything above or below this range can be detrimental to your plant.
Cold drafts can also cause damage to the roots and leaves of your Monstera Adansonii. Any damage to either part of the plant can cause wilting.
4. Humidity
Monstera adansonii thrives in high humidity and enjoys up to 90% humidity. But as a general rule of thumb, a humidity level of 60% or higher is perfect.
However, anything below 60% is not good for your Monstera Adansonii since they thrive in areas with high humidity in the jungles and rainforests of planet Earth.
Low humidity levels mean the transpiration rate will increase, which will cause your plant to lose more water and will lead to wilting leaves on your Monstera adansonii.
5. Pests
Pests often suck out the sap from your plant. The most common pests in a garden are mealybugs, aphids, spider mites, thrips, and scale. The same is true for indoor plants.
These pests gather in large groups and can suck out your plant’s sap. Once the sap has been consumed, your plant also suffers from water loss, which leads to wilting.
A few bugs would not be an issue for Monstera Adansonii, but large numbers of these pests will lead to wilting leaves or worse, as they can bring an early end for your plant.
6. Diseases
Diseases can cause your Monstera adansonii plant to wilt in two ways. The first way is by impacting the health and normal functions of the roots.
The second way is by affecting the flow of water and nutrients through the xylem tissue. This results in the loss of turgor pressure in your Monstera Adansonii and causes it to wilt.
The two most common diseases in Monstera adansonii are the Alternaria leaf spot and the Septoria leaf spot.
7. Fertilizer
Over-fertilizing your Monstera adansonii can cause chemical damage and toxicity in the roots. Once your plants’ roots are damaged, water uptake is affected, causing the leaves to wilt.
Solutions for a Wilting Monstera adansonii
Provide a Proper Amount of Water
You need to ensure that your Monstera adansonii plant is getting enough water. You can easily identify if your plant is being underwatered.
You need to check the soil. If the top layer of the soil has become completely dry, then this shows your plant is underwatered.
You may also see that your leaves have started to have crispy brown edges or brown tips.
The leaves can also drop or look shriveled if your Monstera Adansonii does not receive enough water. All you have to do in this situation is water your plant.
However, saving an overwatered plant is a more difficult task. This is because overwatering directly affects the root.
If the roots have started to rot, your plant can still be saved. But if several roots have rotted, you should take a healthy cutting from the plant and grow it again.
You will have to cut the rotted roots for overwatered plants, but this solution does not always work.
Keep Stable Temperature Levels
You need to keep temperature levels around your Monstera Adansonii between 64°F to 81°F (18°C to 27°C).
To check if wilting has occurred due to heat damage, you will notice scorch marks, leaf drops, and brown tips on the leaves.
The cold temperature usually causes the leaves to droop or look crisp. The solution for this issue is to keep your plant away from open windows and doors.
Do not keep your plant in a room with air conditioning or have them directly in front of a heater.
Stabilize Humidity Levels
You should provide your plant with stable humidity of at least 60%. This can be achieved with the help of a humidifier.
You can also place a tray with pebbles and water in it. Keep it close to your plant so that once the water evaporates, the humidity levels around the plant increase.
Another trick you can use is to take a large pot and place your plant pot in it. Then fill in the space with sphagnum moss.
This will further increase the humidity levels around your plant.
Control the Spread of Pests
You can control the spread of pests by using insecticidal soap spray. You can also use simple liquid soap and create your spray.
Simply take one tablespoon of liquid and 3 cups of water. Then spray the leaves of your Monstera Adansonii and let it remain there overnight.
The next day wash off the leaves. You may have to repeat this procedure several times over 3-4 weeks as pests may hide in the soil and have laid eggs.
Prevent Diseases
The treatment for Alternaria leaf spot and Septoria leaf spot is liquid copper fungicides. You must apply it every seven to ten days to reduce the spread of Alternaria and Septoria leaf spots.
If you apply liquid copper fungicide two weeks before it spreads, your plant will recover faster. You could also prune off highly damaged leaves to prevent their spread.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do I do if most of my Monstera Adansonii has wilted?
You can look for a healthy stem on your Monstera Adansonii and propagate it. Look for a stem section with at least one node and at least one leaf. Leaves are not necessary but will speed up the propagation process.
Should I cut off any drooping leaves on my Monstera Adansonii?
Drooping leaves can be recovered since they are still attached to your plant and have a chance to recover. Cutting them off won’t kill your plant, but it should not be done before you try to remedy the cause, such as underwatering.
Daniel has been a plant enthusiast for over 20 years. He owns hundreds of houseplants and prepares for the chili growing seasons yearly with great anticipation. His favorite plants are plant species in the Araceae family, such as Monstera, Philodendron, and Anthurium. He also loves gardening and is growing hot peppers, tomatoes, and many more vegetables.