When you overwater your Monstera Thai Constellation and keep it in a damp or cold place, fungal infections or diseases may occur.
Continue this article to know how to best care for your Monstera Thai Constellation without suffering.
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Overview of Monstera Thai Constellation
Monstera Thai Constellation is a tropical plant native to Southern Mexico and Panama.
Thai constellation is a particular cultivar of the classic Monstera deliciosa with typical dark green leaves with a speckled and splashed texture with white and cream.
Here is a brief overview of this plant.
Scientific Name | Monstera Deliciosa 'Thai Constellation', |
Other Names | Swiss Cheese Plant, Monstera Thai, Thai Constellation, Split-Leaf Philodendron |
Native | Variegated Swiss cheese Vine, Variegated Cheese Plant and Variegated Salad Plant |
Family | Araceae |
Genus | Monstera |
Growth Zones | USDA zones 10b-12 |
Plant Type | Evergreen Perennial |
Growth Rate | Slow growth |
Growth Size | Up to 8 feet in length and 3-12 inches in width |
Foliage | Cream and green leathery split leaves |
Blooming Period | Spring and Summer |
Flowering and Fruits | Spadix flower, Scaly edible fruit |
Toxicity | Mildly toxic to humans, toxic to pets |
Common Pests | Spider mites, white flies, soft scales, and mealy bugs |
Horticultural Diseases | Powdery Mildew, Anthracnose, and Monstera Leaf Blight |
Monstera Thai Constellation for Sale
This beautiful Monstera Thai Constellation has a huge demand for indoor houseplants; you can expect these plants to range from $135 to $1,000 at prices.
If you need to get one for yourself, visit the following online nurseries.
Places to Buy | Delivery Time |
---|---|
Etsy | 8-16 business days |
Carnivero | 3-5 business days |
Plant Buys | 3-7 business days |
Amazon | 5-7 business days |
Grow Jungle | 2-3 business days |
Monstera Thai Constellation Care Guide
Also, the growth of Thai Constellation, both in terms of height and new leaves or foliage, heavily depends on the quality of care it receives.
So, you need to mimic the tropical environment!
6-8 hours of indirect bright sunlight | Once a week in spring and summer Once in two weeks in fall and winter |
Well-draining, nutrient-rich potting mix pH level: 5.0 to 7.5 | Balanced all purpose fertilizer Once in spring and summer |
64°F − 70°F | 60% and 80% of humidity |
Once every 2 years in spring or early summer | Propagate Stem Cuttings, plant separation and air layering |
1. Light & Temperature
Monstera Thai Constellation might survive under low light, but cannot thrive well.
Monstera Thai Constellation needs adequate 6 to 8 hours of indirect bright sunlight.
Leggy growth, a lack of split, and holes in the loss of leaf variegation can result from insufficient light.
Besides, the scorching sun can make the plant turn yellow and suffer from sunburn.
Also, any temperature lower than 64º F will slow the plant’s growth, while temperatures lower than 50º F will eventually stop its growth.
When your plant is too cold, root and stem rot might occur. Frost adds excess moisture, so the pot might be soggy and wet to cause root rot.
Besides, very low temperatures can also cause yellow patches on the leaves.
Though Monstera loves warm temperatures, you should not leave your plant under 90 degrees Fahrenheit. It will cause plants to dry up, and wilt.
Tips to Maintain Ideal Light & Temperature
- Place the plant near the south or west-facing windows under bright indirect sunlight.
- If a window has crowed with unfiltered light, you can cover the plant with a curtain to reduce 30% to 50% light.
- Misting with a cup of water can be another way to neutralize the effect of the excess light and temperature.
- You can also apply a grow light with the red-blue light spectrum instead of white.
- Also, you must remove the plants from the chill window during winter.
- You can also grow the plant in a greenhouse. Make sure you have enough heating capacity to grow the plant in winter.
2. Water & Humidity
Though Mosntera is tropical plant, avoid watering it frequently.
If going overwatered, the common signs appear, such as bacterial root rot, brown spots on leaves, molds growing on soil, edema on the leaves, and wilting.
Generally, Monstera Thai Constellation will need water once a week in summer and every 10 to 12 days in winter.
However if you forget to water the plant, spots appear on the leaves, and the plant droops.
So, use rainwater or filtered water for Monstera. Unfiltered or dirty water can cause the browning of tips and edges.
Expert Tip! Combine potting soil with perlite and a few chunky pieces of bark or sphagnum moss to retain the excess moisture.
Group your plants together or use a humidifier or make a terrarium to increase the humidity.
Besides, you can fill a tray with 1-inch pebbles and fill it with water halfway up the pebbles or place the plants in the bathroom or kitchen.
Low humidity causes the plant to wilt, and the leaves turn crisp and yellow with brown tips.
3. Soil & Fertilizer
If you have excessively dry compost, the Monstera leaves will turn brown.
Normally, Monstera Thai Constellation grows best in well-aerated or draining soil with a pH of 5.0 to 7.5.
You can make DIY potting soil by mixing 1 part peat moss/coco coir, 1 part perlite, and 4 parts pine bark fines.
Monstera Thai Constellation is a slow-growing plant that does not need a heavy food supply.
Like other Monstera plants, Monstera Thai Constellation needs the monthly general-purpose fertilizer during spring and summer.
Tips for fertilizing Monstera
- Do not apply liquid fertilizer directly to dry soil. Only fertilize your Monstera after watering it and leaving it the whole night.
- Dilute the liquid fertilizer to 1/4 of the recommended strength and pour it directly onto your plant’s soil.
- Ensure the fertilizer does not directly touch flowers, fruits, leaves, or stems to avoid fertilizer burn.
4. Potting & Repotting
Monstera needs a pot with a proper draining system. Likewise, the pot should be big enough to support a stake or moss pole for the Monstera to climb.
If you have a baby Montera, consider getting a pot no more than 8 inches(20 cm). A mature Monstera may require a pot about 2 feet wide (60 cm).
You can plant your Monstera plants in pots of any material, such as ceramic, plastic, concrete, clay, and wood.
You can know the repotting time considering the following signs including outgrown plant, fungal or bacterial infection, rootbound, stunt growth.
- Choose a good pot according to the size of your plant. Prepare the required soil mix and get a moss pole.
- Cautiously remove the Monstera from its pot with gentle hands. Cut off aerial roots if they are extremely long or infected and turn the pot over and gently coax the roots.
- Check if the roots are too packed for this and dig a narrow, deep hole into inserting the pole if it has a similar condition.
- If you are repotting the Monstera with its old moss pole, hold the plant over the pot, firmly stake the pole into the pot, and narrow the roots down.
- Use rain or filtered water for watering. For once, water the plant until the water comes out of the drainage holes.
If your Monstera is drooping after repoting, learn the signs and practical fixes.
5. Regular Pruning
Monstera generally does not require much pruning, making it a low-maintenance plant. However, you should consider pruning if you see dead and dried-up foliage attacked by pests and diseases.
Monstera usually falls prey to bugs such as thrips, scale, mealy bugs, and spider mites. To get rid of mealy bugs, simply dip a cotton ball in alcohol and swab the leaves.
You can also mix liquid dish soap with water and spray on the bugs.
Besides, fungal diseases also disturb plant growth, including Powdery Mildew, Anthracnose, and Monstera Leaf Blight.
To treat the diseases, wash the infected pots with a bleach-water solution. You can also use mancozeb, Anilazine, or copper octanoate for fungal control.
Ultimately, you must prune every year, especially in spring or summer.
- Start by cutting diseased or dead plant parts first.
- Throw the cuttings away when you’re done. If not, Monstera can easily root in the ground. Avoid accidental propagation.
- Do not prune too much or more than 1/3 of the plant to make the plant younger.
Monstera Thai Constellation: All About Growth Rate
Monstera Thai Constellation is a slow-growing climber that reaches maturity in about two years.
Monstera can grow anywhere ranging from 10 to 15 feet tall indoors and stretch 8 feet wide.
It gets an ambient growth environment and can grow up to 2 feet tall annually.
When kept indoors with proper care, the Thai Constellation can grow up to 8 feet in length (2.5M).
Foliage Profile
The plant has a signature shape of the paint strokes of Jackson Pollock on the leaves.
The leaves showcase a beautiful pattern of cream splotches against green to dark green leathery leaves. The leaves’ size varies, but mature foliage usually is 18 inches or more.
Flower and Fruit
Monstera Thai Constellation produces a large white flower that rarely blooms throughout spring and summer.
Flowers are off-white in color, lightly scented, and non-showy, and the size of each flower is about 6 to 12 inches.
These blossoms produce a fruit that looks like an ear of a cob covered with green hexagonal scales. It can reach up to 12 inches in length and 2 inches in width.
The fruit is edible and tastes like pineapple and jackfruit, but you should not consume the unripe fruit.
Toxicity of Monstera Thai Constellation
Monstera Thai Constellation is mildly toxic to both humans and pets.
The toxicity levels of the Monstera Thai plant reach 3 or 4, which is slightly toxic and slightly irritating.
Following will be the symptoms developed if the pets consume.
- Oral irritation
- Intense burning and irritation of the mouth, tongue, and lips.
- Excessive drooling
- Vomiting
- Difficulty swallowing
In this case, you should contact the animal poison helpline immediately.
- ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center, 888-426-4435
- Pet Poison Helpline, 855-764-7661
Propagation Methods for Monstera Thai Constellation
Monstera Thai Constellation has multiple ways to populate itself into an entire mini jungle.
1. Propagation via Stem Cuttings
To continue propagating a Monstera Thai Constellation, you need to identify stem cuttings having at least one leaf and a visible aerial root.
Cuttings need to be ½ an inch to an inch below the node. You can also propagate Monstera without node.
- Select a mature, healthy stem node and cut right below a node with sterilized pruning shears.
- Remove all leaves except one or two.
- Dip the cut end in root growth hormone to stimulate plant growth.
- Fill the pot with potting mix, then plant the cutting with the node in the soil.
- Water the cutting and cover it with a sealable plastic bag to preserve humidity. You can also poke a hole or two to facilitate respiration.
- Keep the pot under indirect bright sunlight and remove the bag after a week, and your plant will start rooting after 3 to 5 weeks.
- After the root grows over 3 inches, you can transfer the plant to another pot.
The steps in growing the plant in water, are similar to soil propagation, but you dip your node in water. Do not cover the plant with a plastic bag and make sure you change the water every few days.
You can transfer the plant to the soil after 4 to 6 weeks.
2. Propagation via Air Layering
This process does not require cutting nodes and propagating in any medium. For this, you will need peat moss.
- Take a healthy stem and make a small cut at the node with sterilized shears or a knife.
- Take some moss in your hand and wrap the cut with the moist peat moss, and seal it with a plastic bag.
- Make some holes in the bag to allow air circulation
- Mist the area regularly; after a few weeks, you can withdraw the plastic.
- When there is an outgrowth of roots, you can cut the new stem and plant it in a new pot.
3. Propagating via Plant Separation
Monstera Thai grows in dense, so separating the plant helps in keeping your plant a manageable size and apart from giving the free plants.
- Add water to the Monstera plant and let the soil dry.
- Gently transfer the Monstera plant from the planter into an open space.
- Grab a pair of scissors and cut the pot through the soil, and gently divide the roots into two or more new plants.
- Make sure you perform it without cutting any stems and leaves.
- Now take a new pot a few inches bigger than the root balls of each new plant.
- After that, you can plant the stem cuttings into a pot with rich soil.
- Now, place the young plants under the bright spot.
- And water the plants regularly according to the soil condition.
4. Propagation via Seeds
As Monstera Thai is among slow-growing indoor plants, it takes the plant to take up to 2 years to mature fully. However, variegated leaves will not come from the seeds.
Seeds can produce the plant, but they will still require parts of the stems of leaves to produce the same variegated coloring.
The most preferable method for seed propagation is the Paper towel method. Here is how you can do it.
- Spread the seeds on a paper towel.
- Lightly cover the seeds with another layer of paper towel.
- Spritz with water until the towel and seeds are moist.
- Put it in a bright area, avoiding direct or prolonged sunlight.
- Spritz the seeds daily, and you will see growth within 3-6 days.
If you own mini Monstera, learn the best tricks to propagate and care.
Monstera Thai Constellation Vs. Albo
The main difference between these two Monstera plants is the variegation in the leaves.
Let’s look at the different features of Monstera Thai compared to Albo.
Monstera Thai Constellation | Monstera Albo |
---|---|
Yellow variegation on leathery green leaves | White variegation on leathery green leaves |
Consistent variegation. Almost all leaves show variegation. | Inconsistent variegation. Either half white-half green leaves or fully white or fully green leaves. |
They grow wider instead of taller. | They grow taller instead of wider. |
Leaves can easily reach 2 feet or more in length. | Leaves do not grow more than 12 inches long. |
Short internodes, thus more bushy | Nodes are 6 inches apart, so the plants have an elongated look. |
Easier to propagate | Harder to propagate |
FAQs about Monstera Thai Constellation
Does a Thai Constellation require a moss pole?
We recommend Moss poles, but they are not strictly required. Moss pole does provide support to this climbing plant and may provide nutrients and moisture as well.
Why is Monstera Thai Constellation too expensive?
Monstera Thai is expensive because it is rare and highly popular with demand.
This species grows more slowly than any other standard Monstera Deliciosa, and it is also more difficult to propagate. Thus, suppliers can run out of stock extremely fast.
From Editorial Team
Conclusion!
Growing Monstera does not require anything fancier than your average houseplant, but you might need adequate space as it grows a lot bigger.
If you already have a healthy plant collection, you will do great! You can easily grow Monstera as it is low maintenance.