I just noticed this, what should I do? Sorry for the vague question but I can't find any good articles on what this is.
Everything I find starts the same way "top 8 reasons for brown leaves". Then says too much water, not enough water, too much light not enough light too much fertilizer not enough, wrong kind of fertilizer and so on and so on. That isn't helpful! Do I just have to guess? Why is all plant knowledge basically voodoo?
I'm tempted to take a cutting so I have a spare to try again if it all goes wrong, but the plant only has 5 leaves, so I'm stressing out.
Please do not cut off the leaf. Removing a leaf before it is completely brown inhibits it's growth. Plants relocate mobile nutrients from older/dying leaves to newer ones. Be patient and let the plant do its thing.
Browning in the middle of the variegation is usually due to a drastic change in light. This causes what is essentially a sunburn.
A few tricks from way to many decades growing them. They like direct morning or evening sunlight for 3-4 hours. Watering - completely saturated the pot then allow it to dry out (I water mine only once a month or two). Fertilizer - they do best with a fertilizer with a 3:1:2 NPK ratio. You can give them a bit extra K when they are putting out a new leaf.
Do not move the plant if possible. Rotating them is a great way to mess them up and get sunburn.
Hi, quick question about the light and fertilizer: Is that all year round? I recently got a Monstera and on the QR Code it came with, it said to not use fertiliser in Winter or Summer, only in Spring
If it's putting out new leaves it's using fertilizer to grow. It doesn't matter what time of year it is. If it's indoors, seasons don't really matter except for light levels. When to fertilize also depends on the type of fertilizer and the needs of the plant. In general it's best to use slow release fertilizer (less chance of over doing it). The best time for that is the spring but 2 doses might be needed. If using liquid, a 1/4-1/8th dose amount with every watering is better.
Monsteras are very dramatic when they run out of nitrogen. They turn a bottom leave bright yellow in a day or two. If you catch it early enough and give them some fertilizer you can save th leaf.
As for light, 3-4 hours in the spring or fall. In nature monsteras are tree climbers. In low light conditions they grow toward the darker patches hoping to find a tree trunk. Then they climb up until they get enough light then produce giant leaves and fruit.