There are several plants under the genus Monstera, and the majority of these are popular houseplants. While the Monstera Deliciosa is the plant that comes to most people’s minds when the genus is mentioned, the Monstera Adansonii is fairly popular, particularly the Monstera Adansonii var Laniata.
Caring for the Monstera Adansonii var Laniata is similar to caring for the rest of the Monstera genus. It needs a warm, humid environment with rich, well-draining soil. The plant also benefits from a regular watering and fertilizing schedule to ensure that it can grow well.
In this article, I’ll discuss the common problems seen in the Monstera Adansonii var Laniata and the plant’s environmental requirements, so read on!
Monstera Adansonii var Laniata Plant Care
The Laniata is easier to care for than most Monstera but remains sensitive to light and water changes. Ensuring that the plant has access to exactly the right amount of sunlight and water is crucial to its good health.
Here’s a guide to what the Laniata needs to survive.
Sunlight and Temperature
Unlike the Monstera Deliciosa, the Monstera Adansonii v Laniata doesn’t need direct sunlight. The Laniata thrives in partial or dappled shade.
Ten to 12 hours of indirect, dappled sunlight, like the light through the branches of a forest canopy, suit the Adansonii best. You can place your plant outdoors underneath an overhang, larger plants, or next to a wall or hedge. You could also place your Laniata near a bright window covered with a sheer curtain.
The Monstera is native to the tropical forests of the American continents, so it prefers to stay warm. The lowest temperatures that the Laniata can stand range around 60° Fahrenheit (15.56° Celsius).
Hydration and Humidity
The Monstera Adansonii v Laniata prefers about 55% humidity in their environment. This humidity can be maintained by using a humidifier as well as misting the leaves daily. If you’ve given your Laniata a moss pole or any other such support, you can mist those as well.
The misted supports will contribute to the Laniata’s need for humidity, particularly since the aerial roots will be attached to them.
When it comes to a watering schedule, it is important to be careful about underwatering and overwatering the Laniata. While the plant needs a lot of water, it can easily get waterlogged.
The Monstera Adansonii v Laniata prefers the topsoil to dry out about half an inch to an inch (1.27 to 2.54 cm) between waterings, usually once a week. This will need to change in the winter when evaporation is slower. The potting mix should stay slightly moist throughout but shouldn’t be wet.
If the soil is dark, wet, and slimy to the touch, it means that the plant has been overwatered, and you’ll need to report your Laniata and change the soil completely.
Soil Type and Quality
The best potting soil mix for a Monstera Adansonii v Laniata is a well-draining peat-based Aroid mix with good bark and perlite to ensure that the soil doesn’t get soggy. The mix should also have some amount of peat moss and charcoal.
The plants of the Monstera genus tend to be sensitive to any salinity in their soil, so be careful to ensure that the potting mix is free of any heavy salts.
Laniata can survive soils with a pH range from mildly acidic at around 6.1 pH to mildly alkaline, reaching about 7.8.
The soil needs to be rich since the underground roots absorb the majority of the nutrients. The aerial roots are only used for anchoring the plant as it climbs.
Potting and Support
The Laniata plant is happy to grow in small pots because it is smaller than the Monstera Deliciosa. And, like other plants in the Monstera genus, the Laniata prefers to be pot-bound as well.
A pot that’s too large makes it easier to accidentally overwater the plant and cause the roots to suffocate and drown.
To prevent overwatering, the pot you choose must have a clear drainage hole that isn’t obstructed with pebbles or potting mix that is too packed to allow water to drain out.
The Laniata won’t need to be reported frequently. Juvenile plants may remain in the same pot for about three years, and once the plant starts climbing, you only need to report it after the roots start poking out of the drainage hole, which might be once every two years.
When choosing a pot, don’t pick a pot that is more than one size larger than the original one to ensure that the plant can still feel contained.
While repotting, be careful with the root ball, and use a brush to gently dust away from the excess soil before transferring the Laniata into a new pot with fresh potting mix. The best time to repot your Laniata is right before the growing season begins in spring.
The Monstera Adansonii v Laniata grows aerial roots like every other Monstera. But since it’s smaller and has more delicate stems than the hardier woody stems of the Deliciosa, it can be hung up and allowed to grow as a trailing vine.
Nevertheless, if you do want the plant to climb, you can support its growth by putting in a bamboo stake or moss pole that the aerial roots can hold on to. As the plant climbs, it’ll grow larger leaves and might also develop more perforations or holes.
Fertilizer
Monstera plants tend to grow pretty quickly and need a lot of nutrients to sustain their growth. Since the Monstera Adansonii v Laniata is smaller than its cousin, the Monstera Deliciosa, it doesn’t need to be fertilized as often.
Monstera Deliciosa typically needs to be fertilized once every two to four weeks. However, you should be more sparing with the fertilizer for the Laniata. This plant will be happy with being fertilized once every four to six weeks. Additionally, the Laniata only needs to be fertilized in the growing season, from spring to fall.
Ideally, you should be using a water-soluble fertilizer that is well balanced. This means that the ratios of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium should be more or less the same. To prevent fertilizer burn, make sure the fertilizer is diluted before applying.
If the potting mix comes with added fertilizer, then you can avoid adding any fertilizer for about six months or so.
Common Problems in the Monstera Adansonii var Laniata
The Monstera Adansonii var Laniata is the smaller cousin of the Monstera Deliciosa. It’s a perennial vine frequently found in the river valleys in the tropical forests of Mexico and the American continents.
The Laniata doesn’t need as much sunlight as the Monstera Deliciosa and doesn’t grow as large or climb as high up the forest canopy. These light requirements make the plant easier to care for, but there are still some common problems that can be seen in these plants.
Yellowing and Browning of Leaves
One of the most common problems seen among all species of Monstera plants is the yellowing or browning of leaves.
Leaf discoloration can be caused due to several factors — sunlight, water and humidity, and nutrients. While these plants thrive best when they receive an abundance of all three factors, they’re sensitive to how much sunlight, water, and nutrients they receive at once.
Intense sunlight can cause brown burn marks. Yellowing and wilting of leaves can be caused by overwatering. On the other hand, yellowing leaves that turn crispy brown at the edges are usually caused by underwatering.
Brown spots on leaves can be caused by nutrient burn when the plant is fertilized too much or too frequently.
Holes Not Developing
The Monstera Adansonii var Laniata is also known as the Swiss Cheese Plant due to the beautiful lacey holes on the surface of the leaves. Unlike the Monstera Deliciosa, these perforations don’t split fully into fenestrations but remain as oval-shaped holes on the leaf.
Some studies suggest that the holes on the surface of the Laniata leaves are caused to ensure geometry in the plant’s growth as it climbs up. The holes allow the light to reach the plant evenly.
These holes only develop on older plants, typically after they reach 1-3 years, so young plants won’t develop holes. Additionally, leaves only start developing holes after they’re a bit grown.
If you’ve moved your Laniata to a new location, the plant might need time to adjust to the light in the environment. Giving the plant time and offering it a moss pole or bamboo stake to use as support to climb will both encourage the development of the Laniata’s characteristic holes.
Final Thoughts
The Monstera Adansonii v Laniata is easier to care for than the other plants in the Monstera Genus. Avoid common problems of yellowing or browning of leaves by ensuring that the plant isn’t overwatered or underwatered and is potted in a well-draining potting mix. Any browning caused by nutrient burn can be avoided by using a well-balanced diluted fertilizer.
The other factors to consider are the sunlight and warmth of the environment. The plant should be placed in a warm, humid area with plenty of dappled sunlight to ensure it grows well.
Sources
- Saint Lucian Plants: Monstera adansonii
- Brooklyn Botanic Garden: What’s Wrong with My Monstera
- JSTOR: How Did the Swiss Cheese Plant Get Its Holes?
- Garden: Houseplants forum→Monstera deliciosa no longer producing fenestrations leaves in brighter light?
- Garden: Monstera adansonii subsp. laniata
- Britain’s Best Guides: Can Monstera Adansonii Live In Water
- Garden: Houseplants forum→Monstera adansonii care