5 Ways You Can Care For Monstera Subpinnata [Updated 2023]

Deeply lobed leaves of the tropical Monstera Subpinnata are a unique trademark that only a handful of aroids own.

But along with a unique set of foliage features comes a tedious list of special care routines. 

Here is a guide to help you learn more about Monstera Subpinnata and how to best take care of them.

Overview of Monstera Subpinnata

Monstera subpinnata is an all-embracing tropical aroid with signature rich green and deeply segmented leaves.

Hence, its leaves closely resemble the leaves of Palm Trees, but Monstera Subpinnata doesn’t belong to the same family.

However, the plant has some interesting features, which you can view from the table below.

Monstera Subpinnata for Sale

This rare tropical aroid is not easily available, but you can purchase one from these trustworthy sites. 

Complete Monstera Subpinnata Care

Warm temperature and humidity with plenty of dappled light are what you need to grow your Monstera Subpinnata.

But, you must also be heading up for watering and maintain a feasible soil with periodic fertilizer application for your plant.

To get a deeper look at the complete care tips, keep reading.

1. Daily Light & Temperature Needs

Extreme light & temperature effects

• Progressive yellowing and browning of foliage
• Crispy leaf tips and margins (sunburns)
• Wrinkled and saggy leaves and petioles
• Probable leaf drops

Low light & temperature effects

• Stalled growth rate and leggy petioles
• Leaf and bloom fallouts
• Irregular flowering incidences
• Smaller and fewer leaves and flowers

Steps to Maintain Correct Light & Temperature

• Situate the plant near a curtained east-facing window or 3-5 feet from an open south-facing window.
• Prevent temperatures below 55°F by using frost blankets as a shield from winter breezes.
• Keep the plant away from drafty vents indoors and about 3 inches from window panes.
• Use UV shields to screen direct sunlight on the plant leaves.
• Rotate the plant quarterly every week to ensure uniform light incidence to the foliage.
• Alternatively, place them under an LED grow light for at least 10-12 hours to boost growth.

2. Weekly Watering & Daily Humidity Needs

Overwatering & High Humidity Signs

• Soggy and stenchy soil
• Black pulpy or mushy roots (root rots)
• Precocious yellowing and browning of foliage
• Floppy leaves, petioles, and stems
• Mold growth on the stems near the soil

Underwatering & Low Humidity Signs

• Brown, crispy, and curly leaf tips and edges
• Foliar and leaf drops with inconsistent flowering
• Creased leaf surface and petioles

How to Maintain Watering & Humidity?

• Lower watering constancy during fall and winter by checking 1-2 inches of the topsoil.
• Uproot the plant to inspect for root rots, and remove the decaying parts using sterilized pruners.
• Place a layer of pebbles at the pot’s base to improve drainage while repotting or transplanting your plant.
• Unclog the drainage holes weekly to keep a porous potting environment.
• Avoid heavy or clayey soil, and add organic perlite to encourage porosity.
• Don’t over mist the plant, and wipe any leaf drops from the leaves to prevent fungal infection.

3. Soil & Fertilizer

Effect of Using Wrong Soil & Fertilizer

• Hindrance during root growth (effect of heavy or hard soil usage)
• Salt build-up in the soil and chemical root burn
• Fewer air pockets and low oxygen inside the pot
• Yellow and brown leaf tips and margins (overfertilization)
• Foliar color change (underfertilization)

How to Offer Proper Soil & Fertilizer?

• Keep the soil mineral-free by flushing out the excess salts with distilled water monthly.
• Encourage using organic fertilizer blends like fish emulsion and coffee or tea grounds to maintain the soil pH.
• Don’t feed the plant during fall and winter, when the plant enters dormancy.
• Schedule feeding the plant after each watering session monthly so that the nutrients reach deeper soil layers.
• But dilute the fertilizer to the required strength as instructed per pack.
• However, change the potting soil with a fresh mix if the mineral buildup persists.

4. Pruning Care

Pests and Diseases

Some obnoxious visitors of Monstera Subpinnata include pests like spider mites, brown scales, aphids, and mealybugs.

Additionally, diseases like blight, wilts, rots, distortions, mosaics, etc., are some common diseases caused by bacteria, viruses, or fungi. 

However, you can prune the plant parts or use other immediate measures to control the pest and disease outbreaks.

Tips To Prune & Prevent Epidemics

• Isolate the infected plants to prevent the spread of infection or pests. 
• Use sterilized pruners and cut the infected leaves as close to the soil as possible.
• Collect the plant parts and burn them to kill all the liable pathogens.
• Use neem oil-laced Q-tips to dab the pests or install sticky traps around the plant to keep hovering pests at bay.
• You can also employ copper-rich fungicides to subside the symptoms. 

5. Repotting Tips

Signs of Repotting

• Roots crowding in the topsoil
• Protrusion of roots from the drainage holes 
• Quick drainage of water
• Compaction of the root ball
• Droopy leaves and petioles

Tips to Repot

• Water the plant 1-2 days before repotting for easy access.
• After, take out all the soil from the pot, grab the stem close to the soil surface, and tug out the plant.
• Untangle the roots inside a bucket of water and clean out any wounded roots.
• Prepare a new pot, lay a few pebbles at the base, fill it one-third with fresh potting soil and hold the plant at the center.
• Then, add more soil from the sides to fill the pot about an inch below the brim.
• Further, keep it in bright indirect sunlight with regular watering until new growth.  

Monstera Subpinnata [Growth & Flowering]

Like most Monstera plants, Subpinnata is a tropical epiphytic aroid known for its showy and deeply partitioned green leaves.

As a moderately fast-growing aroid, Subpinnata only grows during spring and summer as it needs bright sunlight.

The plant’s growth slows during fall and ceases completely in winter, but you can upkeep its growth by offering a warm temperature, light, and high humidity.

Regardless, the plant blooms comfortably just before going dormant in summer, bearing spathe and spadix as inflorescence or combined flowers.

The yellowish-orange spathe is a leafy structure veiling over a deep orange extensive spadix.

Moreover, the vibrant spathe lures in pollinators, while the spadix is bisexual and bears tiny male and female flowers. 

Propagating Monstera Subpinnata

Monstera Subpinnata is easy to propagate through stem cutting.

Although the plant produces seeds, it rarely does so indoors, and they are hard to get by from online stores.

Once you are done, you can root the cuttings in the water and then transplant the cuttings into the soil. 

1. Taking Stem Cutting

• Cut the stem 4-6 inches long just below a node.
• Remove the lower leaves to expose the nodes or growth points.
• Snip all but 2-3 leaves at the top.

2. Rooting the Stem Cutting in Water

• Prepare a rooting hormone solution in a clean glass jar and plunge the cuttings into the water.
• Next, place it in a warm location with bright, indirect sunlight.
• Change the water every 2-5 days or when it turns slightly murky.
• Feeder roots will develop within 2-3 weeks and become an inch long in another few weeks.
• Once you witness a 1-2 inch long feeder root, transplant it into a potting medium.

3. Transplanting in the Soil

• Fill a 6-inch wide terracotta pot with potting medium and thoroughly moisten it with water.
• Additionally, plant the stem cutting into the potting medium and place the container in ample indirect sunlight.
• Use a self-sealing plastic bag to cover the pot to secure warmth and temperature.
• Let it sit for 3-8 weeks for new feeder roots and growth.
• Finally, repot the plant in a wider and deeper planter with all the cultural conditions provided.

Toxicity of Monstera Subpinnata

Monstera Subpinnata is a toxic houseplant for humans and pets.

The severity of the toxicity would depend on the intake dosage and whether it has reached the respiratory tract.

Touching the plant sap on the skin may lead to itchiness, rashes, and stinging or irritation in humans.

While consuming the plant leaves, fruit, or stem could cause oral and gastrointestinal irritation, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.

Similarly, mild poisoning may cause nausea, and intense mouth, tongue, and throat burns in pets, especially dogs and cats.

Contact America’s Poison Center at (800) 222-1222 immediately if you suspect poisoning in children. For pet poisoning, contact ASPCA Poison Center at (888) 426-4435.

Monstera Subpinnata Vs. Pinnatiapartita

Many growers confuse Monstera Pinnatipartita with Monstera Subpinnata because both plants boast similar-looking foliage.

Even in the case of leaves, many varieties of both plants exhibit similar variegated patterns with only a slight difference.

However, there are only a handful of differences between the two Monsteras, which are also related to the leaves.