No one likes wasting a good monstera cutting on a failed propagation attempt. When you’ve cut a thriving leaf from your houseplant, you want to make sure it’s worth it!
Propagating a monstera cutting in water is the most common way to create more of your beloved houseplants. It’s fairly easy, but it can still go wrong, leaving you with an unrooted cutting (the horror!).
Some things are more important to do than others, so if you just want to give it a go, I’ll tell you the real essentials when it comes to monstera propagation in water!
I’ve done this more times than I can count, so here’s my tried and tested method to ensure your monstera propagation in water actually works.
How to Propagate Monstera in Water: 6 Simple Steps
Essentially, to propagate a monstera, you should:
- Cut below the node or aerial root
- Use clean scissors
- Cut in one swift motion
- Spray rooting spray close to the node (optional)
- Fill a clean glass with water
- Change the water frequently
- Wait for roots to grow
Here’s more detail to guarantee monstera propagation works the first time:
1. Cut in the right spot
This is the most crucial step. You have to cut below the node and the aerial root. This is the part of the monstera that will sprout new roots and (eventually) give way for new leaves to sprout.
2. Use clean scissors (optional)
Of course, you shouldn’t use dirty scissors, but I’ve used any scissors before and my monstera cuttings have rooted perfectly. But if you want to ensure the propagation works the first time, it’s better to be safe! So clean those scissors or sterilize them with boiling water before cutting.
3. Cut in one swift motion
Hacking away at your monstera isn’t going to help the cutting. It may still root, but there’s a chance that it won’t. Use sharp scissors or cutters to ensure you make the cut in one go – not in chunks.
4. Spray rooting spray (optional)
You really don’t have to do this, as I’ve managed to root many monstera cuttings successfully without using rooting spray. But it won’t do any harm. In fact, it can speed up the rooting and help the new leaves grow faster.
Follow the instructions of your rooting spray. It’s usually as simple as spraying 2-4 times directly on the node.
5. Fill a clean vial with water
Make sure your vase, jug, old spice jar – whatever it is – is clean and sterile (this is important!). It’s better to use a glass container of sorts, as plastic will release microplastics, which isn’t good for monstera propagation.
Ideally, you want to place the cutting in filtered water, but I’ve propagated monstera with regular, UK tap water before with no issues at all.
Pro tip: Don’t add too much water. The node should be in water, but there’s no need for the aerial root to be in water, too. The moisture and humidity within the glass should be enough for it to sprout.
6. Change the water frequently
How often? It varies. Sometimes, I change the water daily, but usually, I’ll leave it for 1-2 weeks before swapping it out for new water.
Definitely change the water if it starts looking murky, cloudy, or green. Ideally, you want to change it before it reaches this point, so once a week should suffice.
7. Add fertilizer (optional)
You should only do this after a long period of the monstera cutting being in water. It will sprout new leaves without any fertilizer, but – in my experience – it probably won’t grow bushy without some nutrition.
It should only need a drop or two in the water during the growing season, or every couple of weeks after changing the water.
FAQs
How Long Does It Take For Monstera to Root in Water?
Very quickly! Monstera roots can begin to sprout from a cutting in a couple of days or a week. At most, you’ll have to wait 2-3 weeks before you see roots. If you’ve used a rooting spray, the growth will be even faster.
Wait until the roots are fairly established before moving the cutting into soil. A good sign that your plant is ready to transplant is if there are lots of long roots that wind around the glass.
Can I Propagate a Monstera In Just Water?
Yes, propagating monstera in just water is the best way to do it. You can use fancy extras, like rooting spray and filtered water, but these aren’t really essential. They will, however, help speed up monstera propagation.
You can leave a monstera cutting in water for as long as you like. It will survive comfortably in the water, provided you change it regularly.
If you want it to shoot new leaves, you should apply fertilizer to the water. Otherwise, the cutting may simply remain as one leaf with no new growth.
Can Monstera Grow In Water Permanently?
Yes! You can grow monstera in water permanently, and I’ve done this many times before.
It looks so, so pretty, and growing it hydroponically like this can sometimes be better for your houseplant – as it prevents pests and common houseplant problems (like overwatering and underwatering).
The only two things you have to do are 1) make sure you change the water regularly (before it turns green) to prevent bacteria and 2) fertilize the water every two weeks during the growing season.
How Much Water Do I Need to Propagate Monstera?
Make sure the cut end of the stem is submerged in water. Ideally, you want to cover the node, but don’t let any leaves touch the water.
If your leaves are too close to the cutting, remove them so only the stem stays in water. Leaves resting in water will turn moldy, which can lead to propagation not working.
Summary
Monstera propagation in water is one of the most common ways to propagate a monstera. It’s easy, fast, and you’re unlikely to experience any issues (like mold, underwatering, overwatering, or pests) – which you can get when you propagate monstera in soil.
Once you’ve propagated your houseplant, you can leave it in water or transplant it into soil. When you’re ready, you can repeat the process again and end up with as many new monsteras as you like!
