What is a Swiss Cheese Plant?
If you're wishing for a tropical vacation and can't go yet, bring the jungle home! Add this climbing evergreen vine to your house without the high maintenance. It survives best with a little less water than most. Allow the topsoil to become dry between watering. Don't let the roots sit in water and add humidity to its surroundings. Monstera's thick, perforated leaves and vining nature will grow to heights of 9 feet tall, giving you that natural lushness.
Interestingly, the perforated leaves make it better suited for heavy rainfall and high winds to pass through. Add moderate to bright indirect light in a southern, eastern, or western facing window for maturing fenestrations (splits and holes) to occur in its leaves.
It's thick, aerial roots form to assist the plant in propagation and to climb upward on trees and shrubs in the rainforest. Join the climb by setting up the hammock, sipping your umbrella drink, and enjoying the tropics at home!
Toxicity Level
If eaten, this indoor plant will induce burning and irritation to the mouth, tongue, and lips to cats, dogs, and humans. Drooling, vomiting, and trouble swallowing may occur.
Air Cleaner
This plant encourages deep breathes! Your Monstera Plant is rated by a NASA study as removing toxins like formaldehyde. Enjoy the fresh, clean air wherever you locate this plant!
Great for people:
- Plant beginners.
- With busy lives.
- Who like wild, full, and tropical plants.
- With lots of space and height.
- Who just came home from the tropics and are inspired to live on an island.
How to Care for a Swiss Cheese Plant
Light preference
Your new Swiss Cheese Plant will produce larger leaves and make more fenestrations in moderate to bright, indirect sunlight. It can tolerate lower light, but its leaves will stay smaller with no splits, as its know to display.
Water/Humidity
The Swiss Cheese Plant is a low maintenance plant for newbies. It can thrive on less water. Water your Monstera when the top two inches of the soil is dry. Flush the plant with water and let the water drain completely. Don't let extra water stand in the plant saucer! Repeat this watering schedule when the Monstera's soil gets dry again.
Monitor your indoor conditions to determine a timely schedule for watering. Water your indoor plant with lukewarm, filtered, bottled, or tap water that has been sitting out for a day to dissipate the chlorine and fluoride. Overwatering can be the death of these beauties, so keep it low maintenance and don't drown it with too much love!
In addition, this lush tropical loves humidity. Place it on a pebble tray, or by a humidifier and spritz it each day to keep the moisture content high.
Ideal Temps
18°C-29°C/ 65°F-85°F.
Plant Food/Fertilizer
Fertilize with our organic fertilizer once per month for optimum growth and plant health. The fertilizer is easy to use. Measure your container and scoop out ½ TBSP per 1" container width and sprinkle on top of the soil. Water in and continue your watering schedule. The fertilizer is activated when you water your indoor plant Wash hands after handling plants, soils, or fertilizers.
Repotting Frequency
You can let this one get a little root-bound, and it won't mind. During the late winter or early spring, repot in a bigger container moving 2" wider in size. Use a well-drained container soil. If the soil already has fertilizers mixed in, wait for 3-6 months before adding again. At that time, top dress the soil by tilling it in a little, and as you water, it will release nutrients to the plant.
The Monstera typically has the aerial roots coming out of the container. You can leave them be or cut them off; it's your preference. In their native habitat, they use these roots to attach to trees and grow upward. You can even tuck them back into the soil for nourishment. Another option is to connect then to a climbing cedar pole to train it upward. They can fill your headspace upwards of 6-9 feet, so choose a tall pole for best results.
Cleaning
Keep your Swiss Cheese Plant dust-free, by delicately wiping the leaves with a damp cloth. Never use spray leaf shine; this may clog the pores.
Common Issues of the Swiss Cheese plant
- Overwatering can kill this plant. Keep the roots from sitting in water. Use a good draining soil and pot with adequate sized drain holes.
- If your Swiss Cheese's leaves aren't growing bigger, move it to a brighter spot near a window with indirect light.
- Mealybugs, spider mites, and thrips can attach this plant if it is under stress. Remove these insects by using neem oil or horticulture dormant oil.
Complimentary Plants with your Swiss Cheese Plant
Another tropical to surround your green space is the Fabian Aralia Stump. Coming from the Tropical Pacific Islands, no wonder! Add this to the at-home vacation spot. It's another low maintenance plant with lots of super-star qualities like it's colorful leaves on the underside and thick trunk.
Add the Burgundy Rubber Tree right beside the Monstera and Fabian Aralia Stump. It will be on the same watering schedule as the Monstera. Place it in medium to bright light alongside the others for a great trio.
For more information on caring for your new indoor plant, check out our comprehensive care guide here.