Do you want to buy a pot for your Monstera? Are you confused about which pot material and size suit this plant? Don’t worry! We can help you with this. Just read this article, and we will assist you in picking the best pot for your Monstera.
Monstera grows best in pots that offer good drainage and can support the weight of the plant. Therefore, concrete and clay pots are the best options for this plant.
This article will answer all your questions regarding choosing the best pot for your Monstera.
Let’s get started!
Table of Contents
What Is the Best Pot for Growing Monstera?
Many factors influence whether a pot is suitable for your Monstera plants, such as the size, capacity to offer good drainage, hardness, and design.
You will have to decide on the pot size before purchasing it. It is recommended to choose a small pot (8 inches) for a young monstera and a 20 feet wide pot for larger ones.
When it comes to drainage, you will need to choose a material that prevents water from sitting at the bottom of the pot. In fact, when the roots of monstera sit in water for a long time, they start rotting. This may cause the roots to die and the leaves to lose color.
The best materials that offer good drainage for monstera are ceramic and clay.
Ceramic pots offer good drainage for monstera because of their porous nature, which allows excess water to drain out quickly. Additionally, ceramic pots provide good air circulation for your monstera’s roots, making it easy for them to breathe.
Alert: Read This Before Misting Your Monstera
Clay pots will benefit you if you live somewhere where the climate is cold, or the sun is not available in abundance. In such a climate, monsteras tend to get overwatered quickly because water takes longer to evaporate. Therefore, using a highly draining material such as clay can significantly help.
If you grow your monstera in a clay or ceramic pot, ensure it is unglazed. In fact, a glazed pot can cause the roots to rot because it does not enable air circulation.
If you don’t have access to the kinds of pots mentioned above or find them expensive, you can use a plastic pot, provided you drill drainage holes in it.
Plastic pots are not porous, which causes them to hold water in the bottom and cause root rot. However, if you add drainage holes in the bottom of these pots, they can work fine for monsteras. But make sure that the drainage holes are not too big as they can let too much water through.
If you want to learn more about choosing the best pot for monstera, check out the following video:
Using Coffee Grounds Good for Monstera. Here Is a Quick Guide
Does a Monstera Need a Deep Pot?
Monstera needs a deep pot because it has a deep root system. If the pot is not deep enough, this plant may become stressed, and the roots may get a spiral shape or grow outside of the soil.
A deep pot will help monstera to promote root growth and ensures that the plant receives enough water and oxygen. This will positively impact the foliage shape and color as well as the growth rate of the plant.
Deep pots will also provide a better foundation for monstera. In fact, the monstera plant needs a deep pot to grow on a stable base, allowing for more robust and healthier roots. This will be highly beneficial when this plant is young and still vulnerable to environmental changes.
Is Your Monstera Growing Small Leaves? Click Here to Fix This Issue.
Another benefit of growing monstera in deep pots is their ability to hold stakes or any support to help the plant grow upright. In fact, monstera is a plant that can fall over easily when it grows taller, and the leaves become heavy. When this happens, staking the plant becomes necessary.
When the pot is deep enough, it is easier to dig a stake or a wooden dowel into the soil to support the plant.
Finally, a deep pot will make it easier to maintain moisture levels for monstera. This will be beneficial to this plant if you grow it in extremely hot regions such as Florida or Arizona.
Is Your Monstera Falling Over? Read This Guide to Get Rid of This Issue.
Do Monsteras like Terracotta Pots?
Monsteras like terracotta pots because they offer good drainage and air circulation for the roots.
Terracotta pots are porous, which allows air and water to pass through easily. This property is significant for monstera because it has dense roots that require a lot of oxygen and don’t tolerate being soggy.
Another advantage of terracotta pots is that they are inexpensive. In fact, the process used to make terracotta pots is fast and does not cost a lot of money, allowing for mass production.
Terracotta is made from clay, making them more environmentally friendly than clay and plastic pots.
Terracotta pots are also easy to clean, making them a better choice for the household.
Is Your Monstera Leaves Getting Wet? Here Are the Causes & Solutions
The only thing you may not like about growing monstera in terracotta pots is their ability to crack easily outdoors. In fact, when terracotta pots are exposed to extreme weather, they are very prone to cracking and breaking.
The main problem occurs when the pot dries out, causing the surface to become extremely weak. This is especially true in humid climates.
As the pot dries out, it shrinks, putting extreme pressure on the outside edges of the pot. This stress causes the pot to crack, and the cracks can become more significant if the weather is very hot or cold.
So, while terracotta pots are great for monsteras, protect them from extreme weather conditions and observe them during the dry season.
Warning: Before You Bring Monstera Outside in Summer, Read This Guide
How Do I Know If My Monstera Needs a Bigger Pot?
Monstera will need a larger pot if the roots start growing out of the top of the oil or when the roots begin to grow in a spiral shape. Other indicators of a little pot are the color and growth rate of the plant. Discolored, slow-growing leaves often indicate that you must repot your monstera into a larger pot.
Let’s go over all the factors that indicate that your monstera needs a bigger pot and check everyone separately:
Roots Start Growing out of the Top of the Soil: monstera roots, when in the right environment, will grow down into the soil. But if the pot is not large or deep enough, the roots will start to grow out of the soil.
The Roots Start Growing in a Spiral Shape: as the plant matures, the roots will grow until they no longer fit the pot size. If the plant is not reported into a bigger pot, then the roots will have no choice but to grow in a spiral shape to stay inside the soil and get nutrients.
Do You Want to Have a Bushy Monstera? Here Is Our Secret Method
Discolored Leaves: Small pots cause the roots to be very close to the soil’s surface. This deprives the roots of water and nutrients from the soil, which leads to the leaves turning yellow.
Stunted Growth: A too-small pot will limit the amount of water and nutrients your plant can absorb and use. This will reduce the growth rate of the plant.
The plant Gets Dehydrated Faster Than Usual: When your plant outgrows its current pot, the water available to it through the soil becomes insufficient. As a result, the plant will quickly become thirsty after watering. A larger pot will hold more soil, allowing the plant to absorb a quantity of water that is adequate for its size.
Wondering if Monsteras Are Heavy Feeders? Check out This Resource Before Overfeeding Them
