La Adam's rib It is a plant widely used for interior decoration. Its large leaves up to 45cm in length are a very beautiful green color, and as it has a non-invasive root system, it can be grown in a pot throughout its life without having to worry about anything. If you also want to have one in your home, follow these tips to always have it perfect.
In this article we are going to tell you all the characteristics, care and curiosities of Adam's rib.
Key features
It is a very decorative type of plant because it has an exotic appearance. There are some plants that go unnoticed when they are in homes, but it is not the case of the adam rib. It is a plant that comes from the tropical jungles of Mexico and although it is originally an outdoor plant, it is capable of adapting quite easily to indoor conditions. However, it is a plant that takes some more delicate care and we must pay special attention to them.
Adam's Rib, scientifically known by the name of Monstera delicious, is easy to grow, which means that no matter what experience you have in plant care: she will always surprise you. Of course, to keep it in good condition and get more leaves every year, some special care must be taken into account.
Adam's rib care
These are the care that must be given to Adam's rib if we want it to grow in good condition.
Location and temperature
The location is the most important thing about this plant. Since it can't stand the cold, you have to place it inside the home, in the room that you like the most, since it grows well both in areas with little light and in those that are very bright. By not withstanding the cold, temperatures need to be above 5 degrees. Typically this will be indoors, so the average temperature in almost any home can be perfect for it.
You have to think about this plant as if it were in its natural habitat. In the case of the amount of light it receives, you have to find a place where the plant does not receive direct sunlight. Since this plant has its natural habitat in the tropical jungles of Mexico, in these places there are a large number of trees with high crowns that allow the solar radiation to reach the base. Ideally, place this plant in a bright room that can be sheltered from direct sunlight.
Irrigation and substrate
The watering of this plant should be more occasional. You only have to water it once or twice a week. In winter you have to wait at least several weeks, depending on the area where we have it. Being protected from direct sunlight, it does not need too much rainwater. If we go to the place of the natural habitat of this plant we realize that it is not only protected from the sun's rays, but also from the rain. This plant will appreciate if you move the heating or conditioning away from the area where you have it located. Excess air can dry it out. In winter, watering it once a week is more than enough. On the other hand, in summer, if the weather is quite dry, it can be watered twice a week.
As for the substrate, it is not very demanding. If you have and can get compost it can grow much better. Otherwise, you can use a mixture of black peat with 10% worm humus and another 10% perlite.
Compost and transplant for Adam's rib
Once we know the requirements, we are going to give you some tips to be able to maintain and multiply it. First of all is the compost. The compost is used for the amount of leaves it produces. You can now from spring to late fall it must be paid with a liquid compost every 20 days. This compost can be specific for green plants or you can use a natural compost. One of the most used fertilizers for Adam's rib is guano.
The transplant of the plant should be done when the pot is too small. As soon as you see this plant it will be tight or when the roots come out through the drainage holes, we know that it is the signal to change the pot.
Another trick to keep this plant in lower humidity conditions is a humidifier.
Pests and diseases of Adam's rib
On the other hand, we also have to talk about the pests and diseases that you may have. As for the former, the mealybugs, Mites and trips are the parasites that most often affect you, but can be easily treated with systemic insecticides containing Chlorpyrifos or Dimethoate, or with natural insecticides.
One of the methods to eliminate mealybugs is to use the chemical remedies or insecticides they are highly recommended when the plague is already very advanced. We will use a product whose active ingredient is chlorpyrifos which acts by contact, ingestion and inhalation, and also remains for a long time on the leaves. The frequency will tell us the container itself: but in general it is usually every 15 days.
We must spray the whole plant well: both sides of the leaves, trunks / stems, flowers, ... and I even recommend that from time to time you add a few drops (or a spray) to the irrigation water to eliminate any that may be in the root system.
And if we talk about diseases, the fungus Phytophthora and bacteria like Pseudomonas or erwinia they can harm our Monstera. To combat them, you have to do treatments with broad spectrum fungicides for fungi, and cut and eliminate the affected parts if you have bacteria. Unfortunately, there are no really effective bactericides that can combat them.
I hope that with this information you can learn more about Adam's rib, its characteristics and care.
Hi, my rib worries me a bit. On the ground a kind of cobwebs grow and some roots that are on the surface of the ground are covered with a kind of grayish velvet. Other plants that I have had that hair has grown and they have ended deaths and I do not want the same to happen. ?
I would be very grateful if you could give me a remedy that I can try because I have no idea about these things.
Greetings and thanks for the article, I loved it?
Hello Monica.
My freshly bought monstera (1 month) begins to have brown spots on the leaves (and the texture looks like when a lettuce is gone)
For what is this?
I have it inside my house and it does not give it direct light.
Thank you ?
Hi Estefania.
Do you have it near a window? It is that even if the sun does not shine directly, if it is next to a window the light that passes through the glass also burns the leaves, since they make the magnifying glass effect.
If it doesn't get light at any time, can you spray / mist it with water? This could cause them to rot.
One more question, how often do you water it? From the symptoms it seems that he has excess water. Every time you water, you have to pour water until it comes out through the holes in the pot; but it is also important that if a plate is placed under it, it is emptied after each watering.
If in doubt, contact us.
Greetings.
Hello. When transplanting, can two pots be divided at the root?
Hello Elsita.
In spring yes, it is possible. But it has to be a large, adult plant.
When in doubt, upload an image to tinypic or another image hosting website, and copy the link here.
A greeting.
Hello Elsa !!!
The truth is that I think my monstera died. And the fact is that the leaves are fine, but some dark spots have appeared on the stems. And I think it is because I have been away from home for a long time and have neglected it? If I prune it and change the pot with new soil… I could resurrect it?
Hello Silvia.
Well, I think you have the wrong name, but it doesn't matter 🙂
Dark spots on the trunk can be due to burns or fungi.
If the sun has hit her, you should keep her away from him. But if you have not moved it, I recommend treating it with fungicides following the instructions specified on the package.
A greeting.
Hi! I have a very large rib, it measures more than two meters and I would like to empty it a little but it is full of roots, there are roots that will reach me completely down to the ground. Can I cut them?
All the best
Hello alba.
No, the roots cannot be cut, as they serve as an anchor for the plant. What you can do is prune it a bit, remove some leaves, in spring.
A greeting.
Hello, my monstera has stopped growing, it always had 12 to 15 leaves or more, it is a plant that is about forty years old, all these years new leaves grew and others fell, since a year ago it stopped growing and the last leaf It was small and it has not grown any more or new leaves have come out, it worries me because at this time of the year, here in Argentina we are in summer, it has a leaf curled on this last leaf that came out before "the leaf that was small" and It barely moved a few millimeters in 3 months, what could my plant have? I have always taken care of it from the sun that does not give the rays directly to it, from watering once a week etc. What if almost all the leaves have fallen Gradually they began to turn yellow at the tips and after 2 or 3 days the leaf was all yellow, until I went to the nursery and they told me to pass a fungicide on the leaves and now more or less I am controlling it, but as I said I It worries that it does not grow or take aerial roots through the trunk, it is also I am fertilizing and I am giving it rooting hormones, I don't know what to do, if you are so kind, could you send me an email to know something about this wonderful plant? It is a Monstera Delicisa Philodendro, castilla de adan from what I was seeing on the internet .From already thank you very much
Hello Martin.
Have you ever changed the pot? It is possible that the soil has run out of nutrients and, even if you are fertilizing it, the roots simply cannot continue to grow because they do not have more space.
You can send photos to our Facebook, anyway.
A greeting.
Hello, I just bought a rib from Adam and I have noticed that in the morning there are drops of water on the end of the leaves. I imagine it is due to guttation. Does it harm the plant? How can I avoid it, I have it in a bright area but without direct incidence of the sun.
Thank you!
Hello Teresa.
Those droplets won't do you any harm. Do not worry. 🙂
A greeting.
Thank you very much Monica.
Greetings!!! ?
Hello, I have one of these plants and every so often the tips of the daughters are put brown on some leaves and that grows upwards no more than 1-2 cm, will they be fungi ?, because I have tested with the amount of water and the same thing keeps happening. I trim those brown, dry ends and it appears again as 0,5 cms.
Hello Romina.
They may be drafts too. In any case, I would recommend treating it with a spray fungicide to eliminate any fungus it may have.
A greeting.
And I acquired a stem that a friend gave me from his Adam's rib, he gave it to me with roots from the airs, it has been sown for about 4 months and it is very green and beautiful but I do not see it growing the earth is good worm humus and peat with pyrite mixed everything and pyrite in the bottom for drainage, I want to think I did it right, how long should I wait to see what grows without problems?
Hi carlos.
Sorry, you can't tell how long to wait, as it will depend on many factors (weather, irrigation, location, etc.). If all is well, it is normal that in one year there is hardly any growth, but from the second it should grow normally.
A greeting.
Hello,
My plant is very large, but with very few leaves, the roots are large, the pot is large, I just fertilized it. It is indoors near a window but medium heat, I do believe that its leaves begin to turn brown at the tips. But I am concerned that it does not have that many leaves and is very large.
Thanks for the help
Hi Annelice.
Has it been in the same pot for a long time (years)? If so, I recommend moving it to a larger one, since when a plant stops taking leaves, it is usually because the roots lack more space to grow.
If it has been in the pot for a short time, fertilizing it once a month or every fortnight should bring out new ones soon.
Greetings.
Hello, good afternoon and may the quarantine not prevent us from being happy ... I have Adam's rib at home, I didn't know it was a houseplant and when I moved to this house I was here in the backyard, seeing after the winter that was getting very dry, the leaves were like roasting, I decided to bring it into the living room a long week ago I saw that it has roots outside the ground but they are very short, they are like stems that come out, but I don't They arrive to put them in a pot, I have it in a large floor pot but it is not elongated in width. Anyway, I don't know what to do with her, hope you can help me. Thank you
Hi Gigi.
Well, actually there are no indoor plants as such, but it is true that there are some that, due to the climate, it is better to have them indoors. For example, Adam's rib is grown indoors in areas where winter is cold and frosty.
With regard to the burned leaves, if they are completely dry you can cut them. The rest is better left.
Those roots sticking out, no problem. In fact, many people grow it that way 🙂 Although if you don't quite like it, you can look to get a large rectangular planter, and create a beautiful composition of plants, with Adam's rib and tapes for instance. Something like this in a bright room can be very beautiful.
If you have questions, contact us.
Greetings.
Hi there! I found in the street a monstera or horse skeleton that was without soil, lying around. Those remains that I found have very large leaves (about 50 cm) and very large roots too. I put them a few days in a jar with water and now I will plant them in a pot. I wanted to know if there is any way to make this plant have the smallest leaves because it is huge and I live in a small house. I don't know if I can take a cutting and plant it to grow smaller. I have two pieces of the plant: one with two giant leaves and the other with a single leaf, both with huge roots.
I really appreciate your help! Greetings!!
Hi Lucia.
I'm not sorry. Monstera leaves are large and there is no way to make it grow smaller. What you can do is not fertilize it, or at least not use fertilizers rich in nitrogen. Also, growing it in a small pot will control its growth.
Greetings.
Hi good morning!
My Adam's rib leaves are turning yellow and then black, also today when I watered it I realized that it has worms (the ones I saw are already dead), I just moved it a week ago since I thought it was due to lack of air current the color of the leaves, but I think it is because of the worms, could you tell me how I can help you please.
Greetings.
Hi miguel.
I recommend treating the soil with an insecticide that contains 10% Cypermethrin. This will finish removing the worms.
How often do you water it anyway? Do you have a plate under it or in a pot without holes? Too much water can also give these symptoms.
Greetings.
Hi there! I have had a Montserrat Adansonia for a month and something or two. I have it in the kitchen and at no time does it give direct light. At first I watered it once a week and sprayed it, but I noticed that the leaves dropped a bit and were rough. I started to water it on Wednesdays and Saturdays, but without spraying. I also stopped opening the window through which air could enter to avoid drafts. Some morning I have seen water droplets on the leaves, which I have already read that it is guttation and that as you explain it is normal. But the texture of some of its leaves is still rough. Now I also see that two of its roots come out of the pot. Should I transplant it?
Thanks!! I just discovered the blog
Hi Asun.
Yes, if the pot has never been changed, it is probably in need of a transplant. The lack of space in the roots affects the leaves, which can cause their texture to change, so it is almost certain that with a larger pot it will improve.
Greetings.
Hi there! I have a Monstera Deliciosa that I bought a month ago. When they brought it to me it came with a broken and weak blade. Today it is strong and standing still because I was very careful ... But, there is another sheet that arrived well but it is rolling and it worries me. I don't know why he's making out. What I can do? He is also half weak. The other 4 sheets are fine, except that one.
Hello isabela.
Have you checked if it has any plagues? Does the light shine directly on it?
You can clean the leaves -all- with diluted neutral soap and water, or treat it if you prefer with a universal insecticide. If you get direct light on any occasion, even through a window, it is advisable to move it away a bit.
regards
Hello Monica, I have had a monstera for 3 months but it has already been about 1 month with its fallen leaves, although they are still green, they are not so bright. I tried to look at the irrigation part but there is no change. No new blades have come out and the ones that do have become brittle and weak. What should I do?
Hello Xiomara.
If the leaves become brittle, it is usually due to lack of water. At the time of watering, you must add water until all the soil in the pot is thoroughly soaked. If the soil is not able to absorb it well, to the point that the liquid runs off the sides (between the soil and the pot), you have to put the plant in a basin for about 30 minutes.
In this way, when you have to rehydrate it, irrigation will be more efficient.
In any case, if you want, send us some photos of your plant to our Facebook in order to help you better.
Greetings.
Hi there! First of all, thank you for your post.
Second, my monstera produced very large and healthy leaves. But the last ones he's putting out are half as big. I have also noticed that thrips are attacking her. I don't know whether to apply neem oil and potassium soap or insecticide. I transplanted it a year ago.
Thank you very much!
Hello Irene.
Thrips can give some headaches. Since they are already causing a lot of problems to the plant, I recommend using anti-thrips insecticide, since the effectiveness will be faster.
You can also try placing a yellow sticky trap (you can get it here if you want). This will attract insects, which will stick to it.
Greetings.
Hello greetings.
I have a delicious monstera that has grown a lot, messy and ugly.
It has three trunks with enough leaves each, but fallen to the sides defeated by their weight, with what the appearance is ramshackle.
When the plant was young, I gave it some wands as tutors, but they are out of date and are of no use.
The leaves are fine, although some I see a little "like squishy."
I have thought that:
-Maybe I could remove some of the logs and transplant it, but how to do it.
- Train the entire plant. But there is no room for so much support.
- In any case, the thicker stems are very heavy and not flexible.
How to handle them so they don't break?
I have extended a lot and I want to thank you for your attention.
Hello Maria.
The best thing is that you send us photos of your plant, so we can help you better. Write us if you want to Contact@jardineriaon.com
From the outset I tell you that separating the logs is not a good option, since it is most likely that it will not survive the transplant. But you could prune the plant.
regards
Hi Monica, I hope you help me with my Adam's ribs, it happens that I have it for 1 month and I water it 2 times a week and I have it on my balcony. Currently there is no sun, it is a temperate "humid" climate but some of the leaves are wrinkling and do not have a nice shape and others are brown at the tips. What can you advise me to make it look better? Thank you very much, I send you many vibes, Greetings! ?
Hello Solmaria.
When that happens you have to see if the earth is wet. In principle 2 waterings per week are fine, but if the plant is in a pot without holes or if it has a plate underneath, the water stagnates and rots the roots, which would lead to the symptoms you mention.
You should also look for any pests, such as mealybugs o Red spider. If so, they can be cleaned with water and a little mild soap.
Regards!
Differences between Monstera Deliciosa and Borsigiana
Hi Ricardo.
borsigiana monstera is considered a synonym of Monstera delicious. In other words: they are both the same plant.
Greetings.
Excellent information
Thank you very much
Thank you very much, Norma 🙂