Do you have a monstera and noticed that its leaves are getting wet? Don’t worry. We can help you fix the problem without damaging your plant with the weird TkiTok methods, such as using the hair dryer!
This article will go through all the factors that may cause your monstera to become wet and give you a specific solution for each situation. Additionally, we will provide you with valuable tips to help you get rid of this problem once and for all.
Let’s get started!
Table of Contents
Why Are The Leaves of My Monstera Getting Wet?
Monstera leaves get wet for two main reasons. One is guttation, a natural process that allows plants to release excess water they hold inside. The other reason is dew, the water droplets that form on the plant because of high humidity.
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Let’s explain each factor separately to get a complete picture of this situation.
Guttation
Guttation is a process in which plant cells secrete water droplets on their surface. This usually happens when the roots absorb more water than the plant needs. In this situation, the leaves will try to get rid of the excess water by expelling it from the leaf cells through tiny openings called stomata.
Stomata have two functions: absorbing water and releasing it.
Guttation happens in three stages. The first stage is absorption. This is done by opening the stomata and letting water enter the plant. Then the stomata close, and the second stage begins. This is called transpiration. In this process, water passes to the leaf surface.
Guttation is not a disease or a sign that the plant is ill but rather a healthy response to something. Most people are concerned when they see guttation on a leaf or stem. But guttation is very useful to plants because it helps flush out harmful compounds from their body, keeping the plant healthy and preventing diseases.
Guttation is tremendously beneficial for monstera plants because it helps keep the soil dry and prevents overwatering.
To learn the difference between guttation and transpiration, watch the following video:
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Dew
Dew is a water droplet that gets formed on a plant’s surface when the air temperature decreases below the dew point. Dew is actually water vapor in its condensed form. As the temperature increases, dew will evaporate.
Generally, dew is formed on monstera levels at night and evaporates during the day. But the amount of dew formation depends on the temperature.
Dew can also be formed on monstera leaves when the humidity is extremely high. In fact, as the air around us becomes increasingly humid, the atmosphere around us becomes saturated with water vapor. These water vapors sit on plant leaves or any other surface.
The most important thing to note here is that dew formation is entirely normal. It is a part of nature and is not harmful to the plant.
However, if the dew formation is excessive, it can cause problems for the plant.
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What Should I Do When the Leaves of My Monstera Are Getting Wet?
When the leaves of your monstera become wet, you should check if the cause is dew or guttation. When the issue is caused by condensation, you can solve it by reducing the humidity around the plant or increasing the temperature. However, if the wet leaves are caused by guttation, you should not worry or do anything. Generally, guttation is a healthy plant reaction toward excess water that it holds in its cells.
To determine if the wet leaves are caused by dew, you will need to measure the humidity and temperature around your plant.
You can measure the humidity of your monstera using a hygrometer or a humidity gauge. If you get a value around 100%, then you can conclude that your monstera is becoming wet because of dew.
In this case, you will need to use a dehumidifier to decrease the humidity around your plant. But ensure you don’t get below 70% because monstera is a tropical plant that thrives only in high humidity (70% to 85%).
You will need an infrared thermometer to measure the temperature around your monstera. To use this device, first, get it in front of the densest part of the foliage. Then press the button on the front of the thermometer to turn it on. You should then be able to read the temperature in Celsius or Fahrenheit.
If the thermometer indicates a temperature below 32 degrees Fahrenheit, you should immediately move the plant to a warm location or use a heating pad.
When the temperature of your monstera reaches the level mentioned above, you should react quickly because this plant cannot survive in temperatures below 50°F. Monstera grows best in temperatures between 65°F and 85°F.
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How to Prevent the Leaves of My Monstera from Becoming Wet?
To prevent the leaves of your monstera from becoming wet, you should avoid dew and reduce the likelihood of guttation. Dew can be prevented by keeping the plant warm and the humidity around 90% at most. On the other hand, guttation can be avoided if we give our plant the exact amount of water it needs and prevent any fertilizer or product with high salt content.
Here are the main actions that will help you keep your monstera from getting wet:
Don’t Give the Plant More Water than It Needs: when you give your plant more water than it needs, you will force it to get through the process of guttation to get rid of the excess moisture. To avoid this, you must reduce your watering frequency to the minimum. Generally, monstera is a plant that doesn’t appreciate overwatering, so watering it only when the soil feels dry would be enough.
Avoid Fertilizers That Are High in Salt: when you feed your monstera with a fertilizer containing a high salt amount, you will force the plant cells to absorb more water. The plant will use this water later to trigger the process of guttation and push the salt outside through the water flow. To avoid this, you should read the label of your fertilizer and check for the salt index. A product with a salt index above 20 should never be used for monstera.
Control Humidity: To avoid dew formation, the room where you are growing your monstera should be kept at a maximum of 70% relative humidity. This can be easily achieved if you use a humidifier and set it to this value.
Control Temperature: If you grow your monstera outdoors in winter, you should bring it inside to prevent guttation from making it wet. Additionally, it would help if you kept the temperature around 70°F by using a heater or heat mat.
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Conclusion
In summary, we have discussed what causes the leaves of your monstera to get wet and how to solve this problem depending on the factors that cause it. Generally, if you control the humidity and temperature of this plant and water it correctly, you will have a minimal chance of seeing it wet.
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