When brown or blackened spots appear scattered over a monstera’s leaves, it’s sunburnt. If the leaves start to wilt and turn entirely black, it’s badly sunburnt!
Too much direct sunlight can burn a monstera’s leaves, which is why they prefer a spot with indirect sunlight in the home.
Burning a monstera’s leaves happens easily when it’s left in too sunny of a spot or if the window is open, leaving a monstera exposed to direct sun rays all day long.
Keep reading to learn what to do when monstera leaves burn, if you should cut them off (spoiler alert: you should!), and how to cut off burnt monstera leaves.
Should I Cut Off Sunburnt Monstera Leaves?
When a monstera’s leaves burn, they won’t ever fully cover. If the sunburn isn’t bad and the plant only has a few spots on its leaves, the sunburnt leaves may survive for a couple of weeks or even months, but they’ll eventually blacken and die.
Trimming dying monstera leaves helps the plant focus its energy on new growth, rather than struggling to keep the dying leaves alive. So, it’s best to cut off sunburnt monstera leaves, even if the burn isn’t that bad.
If the monstera leaves have turned completely black and are wilting, remove them immediately. Keeping dead leaves on a monstera only saps vital energy from the plant, which can stunt new growth temporarily until the dying leaf falls off.
How Do You Treat Burnt Leaves on Monstera?
Unfortunately, there is no treatment for burnt leaves on a monstera. When the leaves burn from too much direct sunlight, your only options are to cut off the leaves entirely or wait for them to die and fall off on their own.
It’s important to remember, however, that sunburn on a monstera can look like overwatering. Small dark brown spots on the leaves can be a sign that you’re watering the monstera too much or that the soil isn’t draining properly. This is highly likely if the leaf has a yellow tint to it, too.
In these cases, try repotting the plant to treat the brown leaves. Use fresh, acidic, well-draining soil, like coconut coir, and a decent-sized pot with a drainage hole. Remember, monsteras don’t need a large pot to grow tall, so often a smaller pot works best for keeping the plant a reasonable size.
Make sure to water your houseplant less often if you suspect overwatering is causing the leaves to turn brown. A good test is to put your finger into the soil to see if it’s moist. If it is, it doesn’t need watering. If it’s dry, you should water it.
Where Do You Cut Burnt Monstera Leaves?
When trimming monstera leaves, it’s best to cut as close to the stem as possible. Cutting off the leaf (not the stem) will only lead to the stem dying of its own accord, so you’ll need to cut it off later or wait for it to eventually fall off.
If the burnt monstera leaf is dying, you can leave it to fall off by itself. Just remember that the plant will keep sending nutrients to the dying leaf and its stem, which is wasted energy since the leaf will never recover. Cutting it off sooner rather than later will conserve the plant’s energy and ensure it uses it to grow existing leaves and sprout new shoots.
Instead of cutting, you may be able to pull a burnt monstera leaf gently at the base and it will fall off. Be careful with this approach, however, as you can damage the healthy stem or other leaves if you tug too hard.
What Happens If a Monstera Gets Too Much Sun?
When a monstera plant gets too much sun, it can get sunburnt. This only happens when the plant is left in direct sunlight for long periods. A monstera kept in the shade or indirect sunlight won’t ever burn, no matter how bright the surrounding areas are.
If a monstera is not in direct sunlight, but experiences too much heat, the worst that can happen is that it’ll simply dry out. When a monstera doesn’t have enough water, its leaves will stay green, but they’ll wilt or curl at the edges.
This is because the plant is trying to conserve moisture by taking it from the leaves. Watering the monstera should perk the leaves back up pretty quickly.
Summary
When a monstera’s leaves burn, it’s best to quit while you’re ahead and chop those leaves off. Leaving sunburnt leaves on a plant, particularly a monstera, isn’t going to do the plant any good. The leaves won’t ever recover, but they’ll slowly drain the energy from your plant, stunting growth until the sunburnt leaf eventually dies. Keep monstera plants in a shaded area with indirect sunlight to prevent sunburn.
