Usually a Monstera grows vertically upwards on a single shoot. Especially when older plants become a little bare at the bottom or you want a bushier appearance, the question arises as to whether a Monstera can branch. You can find out whether this is possible here.
Can a Monstera branch?
A Monstera does not normally branch, but with good care it can occasionally form side shoots from dormant eyes. For a bushier appearance, it is recommended to plant cuttings in a pot with the mother plant.
Does a Monstera form branches?
A Monstera is a climbing plant and like most others of its kind,branching is rather rare Normal growth consists of the plant forming a new leaf on the youngest leaf and grows upwards on its trellis. Only bare aerial roots sprout from the sides.
Do monsteras branch if you cut off the top?
If you cut off the upper part of a Monstera for a cutting, it will sprout again, but there is usuallyno branching. The cut activates a so-called sleeping eye, a dormant bud located on the stem, usually near a leaf. The sleeping eyes are often difficult to see because they are the same color as the trunk itself. Sometimes they already have a small bulge.
Is there another way to wake up sleeping eyes?
This process isvery difficult to help Some hobby gardeners experiment with the branching of their Monstera by applying Keiki paste (€14.00 on Amazon). apply to sleeping eyes. This paste is widely used in orchid care to stimulate child development. With good care, it sometimes happens that the Monstera develops a side shoot from a sleeping eye on its own and thus branches out.
Tip
Optical illusion thanks to offshoots
Since the Monstera does not branch in most cases, you can achieve a bushier appearance with a simple trick: Plant your offshoot together with the mother plant in a sufficiently large pot. It looks as if the Monstera is growing wide on several shoots.