5+ Mistakes that Leads to Monstera Leaves Curling

The Monstera plant is exceptionally tolerant of water and Sunlight, making it an excellent addition to the plant arsenal.

However, like any other plant, it also renders a possible obstruction. The infamous “Leaf Curl.”

So that you can address the underlying issue of leaves curling rather than just applying a corn plaster treatment that will only assist temporarily—or worse, make the situation direr.

Continue reading the article to learn more.

Why is My Monstera Leaves Curling? [Causes & Solutions]

When new leaves emerge, they are normally coiled up quite tightly before gently unfurling. It means your Monstera is healthy and growing, and you shouldn’t be worried!

You should not blame others or yourself regarding the curling Monstera leaves only due to insufficient care. Old age may also make your plant get those sick leaves. 

Besides, the following are the possible reasons if your plant is not old. 

1. Improper Watering

If you don’t give the Monstera enough water, the plant will react by rolling a leaf. This is the most common cause of Monstera leaves curling.

So how can you be sure that this is due to a lack of water?

Look for parched soil, brown, crispy leaf tips and edges, and signs of wilting. Likewise, the pot should be much lighter than usual, as water is scarce.

While underwatering is relatively simple to deal with, overwatering can do significant damage to your plant.

Overwatering may easily lead the soil to become waterlogged, inhibiting vital aeration and leaving the root system useless if not addressed soon.

It swiftly progresses to root rot, which inhibits the plant from gaining nutrients and ultimately kills it.

We’ll be able to tell the scenario apart using several signals.

Solutions to Underwatering  

• Water the plant gently until the drainage hole overflows.
• Do not wet the leaves and water directly into the soil. Set aside time every 2-3 days to check the soil’s condition.
• In between waterings, make sure that your soil is dried out.
• Water every 1-2 weeks. Watering should be done more often in better light and less frequently in lower light.

Solutions to Overwatering  

• If the plant is in an inner pot, make sure the excess water in the outside pot is removed, and the roots should not be submerged. Gravel is also recommended to keep the plant from sitting in the water.
• To water your Monstera, use the alternative drying process.
• If the soil does not dry on time, you may need to enhance your drainage holes or replace it with aerated, well-draining soil to avoid repeated curling.

2. Quality of Water

If you water your Monstera with tap water, you may be causing a problem that results in wrinkled and curled leaves, among other issues.

The best is to use the filtered water or water that has been put out overnight for Monsteras.

Fluoride, chlorine, and excess minerals in tap water can kill many beneficial bacteria and cause soil build-up.

Furthermore, frequent use of tap water causes salt build-up, which kills the root tips of your Monstera and makes them more prone to root rot.

Because tap water has collected contaminants in the soil, you must entirely replace it.

Allow the tap water to rest for at least 24 days to ensure the chlorine dissipates. You might also use filtered or rainfall as an alternative.

3. Over-fertilizing Issues

Monsteras, like other plants, require nourishment. Though they get their energy from the sun, but they also need the appropriate mineral balance to be healthy.

Fertilizer gives your Monstera the nourishment it needs to produce fresh, big, deep green leaves. However, fertilizing the plant more than it requires might result in curling and yellowing of the leaves.

In addition, the root systems of these plants are vulnerable; a strong fertilizer can quickly burn them and cause them to suffer.

Here’s how to tell if your Monster leaves are curling because of too much fertilizer:

• The excess salt build-up from over-fertilization causes the yellowing of lower leaves, browning and crispy leaf tips, and even leaf foliage.
• Fertilizing too much can result in crusty accumulates around the edges of your pot or even on the soil’s top.
• It is most likely due to over-fertilization if the roots are scorched and damaged.

Practical Solutions 

• Fertilize at half the recommended rate every time.
• Use a slow-release organic fertilizer to avoid burning the plant’s roots.
• Reduce fertilizing significantly or completely during the winter months, when growth flags.
• Use a fertilizer that is nitrogen-free and free of harsh chemical additives.
• Stick to the manufacturer’s recommendations, and don’t use too many slow-release organic fertilizers.
• If your plants have already been over-fertilized, you may save them by watering them many times to remove the extra nutrients from the pots.
• Trim any seriously burnt or damaged roots and repot it into fresh well-draining soil and a new pot to cure an over-fertilized Monstera plant that has started to curl up.

Note: The build-up salts in the old pot are tough to remove, so don’t reuse them.

Here are some commercial fertilizers suitable for Monstera plants.

• Miracle Grow – Indoor Plant food
• Monstera Plant Food
• Organic Monstera Plant Food

4. Low Humidity

 When a room’s humidity is low, Monstera plants’ leaves lose more water than usual and curl up.

It’s also worth noting that some unique Monstera species require a high degree of humidity to seem healthy and happy.

Here’s how you can learn if the plant is suffering from a low-humid environment or not. 

Solutions to Low Humidity Problem

• To avoid curling leaves, Monstera should be kept in a room with a humidity level of 40-60%.
• A pebble tray beneath the container can assist in draining surplus water that can be utilized to offer additional humidity to the plants.
• An electric humidifier is the best solution to cope with low humidity. However, putting your plant in a group can also help, but be sure the other plants aren’t infected with pests or illnesses.

You can also purchase an electric humidifier such as Levoit Humidifiers or Raydrop Humidifiers.

5. Temperature Extremities

Extremes of temperature are harmful to all plants, including your Monstera.

Monsteras thrive at temperatures between 65 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit.

The plant responds to a change in temperature by curling its leaves. Curling the leaves is a defensive strategy to keep some moisture in the leaves as they lose moisture more quickly.

Your plant will begin to curl inwards in a hot climate to prevent excessive transpiration.

On the other hand, low temperatures cause the water molecules within the plant to freeze.

Solutions to Temperature Problem

• To keep the room temperature stable, keep an eye on it regularly.
• If your plant is too close to a heater or it’s too hot outside, move it. Your Monstera may encounter temperature stress, especially in the scorching summer heat.
• Keep the inside temperature steady and keep the plant away from air conditioners, furnaces, and poorly ventilated windows.
• When contemplating the location of your plant, you should also avoid cold and drafty regions.

6. Light Issues

Your Monstera will inform you if it isn’t receiving enough light. Here are several obvious indicators that your Monstera desperately needs extra light. 

• It may require additional light if your Monstera’s leaves aren’t splitting.
• Your plant may want extra sunshine if the soil takes an eternity to dry.
• Give your Monstera more light if you see leaf discoloration.
• It’s possible that your Monstera needs more light if it’s not growing as swiftly as you’d like.

However, your plant’s leaves may turn yellow and curl if exposed to direct sunlight for an extended period. Sun exposure will also cause the leaf tips to become brown.

Therefore, the Monstera should constantly be kept in bright and regulated indirect Sunlight.

Practical Solutions

• Relocate your plant if it is not receiving the optimum amount of Sunlight.
• Monstera plants will get plenty of light if you position them near a window that faces the morning. If you keep them inside, you may use an artificial grow lamp to augment their light.
• It would be best if it were in a room with east-south facing windows, which would provide indirect strong, filtered light.

7. Root Bound Pot

If your Monstera has grown enormous but is still in a tiny pot, it may quickly use all the water. It’s possible that your plant has gotten rootbound, making it considerably more difficult to satisfy its watering requirements.

Roots that are root-bound cannot grip onto the soil, resulting in a lack of water retention for timely absorption.

Identify if your Monstera plant is rootbound in the following ways.

Practical Solutions

• Repot into a 1-2 inch bigger container to allow the roots more room to develop and more soil to store water and nutrients between waterings.
• Use a potting mix that drains effectively. To promote soil aeration, add perlite or lava rocks as needed.
• Be aware that incorrectly repotting a Monstera plant might result in twisted leaves. While repotting your plant, be careful not to stress it.
• You should repot your Monstera plant every 2 to 3 years.

Monsteras thrive on fast-draining soil with a pH range of 5.5 to 7.0. This has a subtle acidity to it. 

Monstera may grow in soil with a pH of 5.0 to 7.5, which is less than optimum.

If you reside in a warm enough climate to grow Monstera outside, you may need to take extra precautions to alter the pH level of your soil if it is alkaline.

8. Repotting Stress

Houseplants can sometimes have an adverse reaction to repotting, resulting in transplant stress.

If the roots were in poor condition before repotting, or if they were injured during the repotting procedure, the leaves of the Monstera would curl.

Plants are more sensitive shortly before they bloom, so avoid transplanting in the spring if possible. Some of the causes of transplant stress from repotting are:

Solutions to Repotting Stress

• Check to see if the new pot has enough drainage holes. If it doesn’t, try drilling a few holes while the plant is still in its container.
• Place the plant in the same location as previously, with the same temperature and illumination.
• Give the plant a dosage of all-purpose, water-soluble plant nourishment.
• Snip off any dead leaves and stem ends to make room for new parts to grow.

Have you recently repotted your Monstera? Is your Monstera drooping after that? 

9. Pest and Disease Infestation

Some pests, including thrips, spider mites, and scale, are responsible for the water loss from Monstera leaves, causing the curling of Monstera leaves.

Although the plant absorbs plenty of water and nutrients from the earth, the pests that eat on it deplete them before reaching the leaf’s perimeter.

Here’s how to identify pest infestation in your plant.

Solutions to Pest-Infestation 

• To begin, separate your Monstera plant from other healthy plants.
• Choose a nonchemical or organic solution to get rid of insects on houseplants. This dishwashing liquid detergent, rubbing alcohol, and neem oil also respond well to soft-bodied bugs.
• If there is a severe infestation, you should use the chemical approach.

Besides infestations, powdery mildew, a fungal disease, is one of the causes of leaf curling.

The fungal illness appears when wet or stagnant water is in the container. Excessive irrigation and inadequate drainage are the main causes of this condition.

Signs that your plant is suffering from bacterial or fungal disease:

Solutions to Disease Problems

• Remove Monstera from its container and clean the root system.
• To inhibit the spread of the fungus, use a sulfur-containing fungicide.
• Remove any infected leaves, stems, or branches using a sterilized pruning scissor.
• Make sure that anything you trim off your plant is properly disposed of.
• Allow the plant to dry completely for one day.
• Repot the plant with new soil in a new pot.

FAQs Regarding Monstera leaves Curling 

Will curled Monstera leaves uncurl?

If the Monstera leaves curl due to aging, you may nothing in hand to revert it to the previous state. But if the leaves curl because of insufficient care, you can revive your leaves from curling. 

How do we fix the curling leaves?

There are many factors curling leaves, including improper light, temperature, watering, and others requiring individual treatment to fix the sick leaves.