Monstera: the 6 most common diseases

The Monstera is a popular classic among house plants. It scores with its large green or variegated leaves, but rarely forgives care mistakes. How to Identify and Treat the Most Common Monstera Diseases.

Eye spot disease

If location problems can be excluded as the cause of brown leaves or spots, it could possibly be the so-called eye spot disease. With this disease, swift action is required to deal with your Monstera to rescue

Symptoms

• leaves brown spots with a light halo on the leaves
• one of the diseases that are slow to spread
• At some point, spots cover the entire sheet
• fungal pathogen called Spilocaea oleagina is the culprit

Combat

• act quickly if there is an infestation
• cut off all infected leaves to combat
• Dispose of with household waste only
• this step is often sufficient
• can at least contain infestation
• fight with copper-based preparations in the event of high infestation pressure
• As a preventive measure, strengthen the leaves of weakened plants with plant liquors
• for example from Field horsetail or liverwort extract

Tip: The cutting tools used should be disinfected before and after the cut so as not to pass on diseases.

Leaf chlorosis (bleaching)

The signs of many diseases in the window leaf go back to care errors. If the cause is then eliminated, the plant usually recovers quickly. However, this assumes that their condition has not lasted too long, the errors are not too serious and the Monstera has not yet been damaged too much.

Symptoms

• Result of prolonged growth disorders
• caused by an excess of lime in the soil
• which in turn leads to iron deficiency
• first shows itself on young shoots and leaves
• later transferred to older ones
• Leaves turn yellow
• Leaf veins usually stay green
• Leaf margins dry up

Combat

• Immediate repotting can help
• use fresh substrate
• In future, water only with lime-free water
• alternatively, use water with little lime or well stale water

Leaf spot disease

Most are harmful fungi of the genera Ascochyta, Alternaria or Septoria Triggers for diseases like this. The cause of this disease can also be found in the care of your monstera. In the case of window leaves, this can mean a substrate that is too moist during the resting phase, too high Humidity with insufficient air circulation, a location that is too cold or too cold Be irrigation water. There are no effective home remedies to combat leaf spot disease.

Symptoms

• brownish to blackish spots on leaves are the first signs of infestation
• soon spread over the entire leaf
• get bigger and run into each other
• affected leaves fall off
• The color, shape and size of the spots vary depending on the pathogen
• often a dark border can be seen
• inside are the fruiting bodies

Combat

• infected leaves must be removed and disposed of
• cut out affected areas in the case of very large leaves
• for optical reasons it is better to remove the entire sheet
• Fight leaf spot disease successfully with suitable fungicides
• pay attention to better culture conditions as a preventive measure
• Avoid care errors as much as possible

Tip: When removing infected leaves or leaf parts, it is advisable to use cutting tools before or to be disinfected after each cut to prevent the spread of fungal pathogens.

Nutrient deficiency or excess

If the Monstera leaves as soon as new ones appear, this can be an indication of a lack of nutrients. In the event of a lack of nutrients as well as over-fertilization, action should be taken as soon as possible. This is the only way to keep the damage to the plant as low as possible.

Symptoms

• Monstera loses leaves when there is a lack of nutrients
• usually as soon as new ones form
• Overfertilization is much more dangerous
• This can be indicated by brown leaf margins

Combat

• start fertilizing as soon as possible if there are deficiency symptoms
• in summer about every two weeks in winter about every six weeks
• Dilute the respective fertilizer strongly
• flush excess nutrients from the soil in the event of over-fertilization
• place the plant in question in the tub or shower
• Then rinse the earth thoroughly several times with a soft jet of water
• then allow excess water to drain well
• alternatively, repot the plant in fresh soil
• completely remove putrid spots in the root area

To be on the safe side, the window leaf is immediately repotted in fresh substrate. The main thing here is to remove all rotten spots in the root area. The old soil must also be completely removed from the bale. If the old pot is to be used again, it should be cleaned thoroughly. After setting it in fresh soil, you do not need to water it in the following days.

sunburn

In its natural habitat, the Monstera grows between and under larger plants in partial shade. For this reason, it also has these large slits or holes in the leaves that provide it with sufficient light. If the apartment is too bright or too sunny, there is a risk of sunburn.

Symptoms

• Signs of sunburn are light brown, dry areas
• occur on the leaves
• mostly on the leaf margins and tips

Countermeasures

• Change location immediately
• ideally place in the penumbra
• Avoid repeated relocation
• Monstera is very sensitive to this
• recovers relatively quickly at the new location
• damaged leaves can be cut off

Tip: What can also make the window leaf sick is cold stress, which can arise when it is permanently exposed to cold temperatures or drafts. Here, too, you can counteract this with the right choice of location.

Root rot

The first symptoms of root rot often appear relatively late. The cause is usually too much moisture. This can result from excessive watering, but also unsuitable substrates.

Symptoms

• typical signs: wilting of the leaves
• often mistakenly perceived as drought damage
• fatally tempts to pour even more
• Permanently wet soil has a lasting effect on root growth
• fine roots cannot absorb water or nutrients
• Supply comes to a standstill

Countermeasures

• act immediately if there is evidence of rot
• Monstera can die as it progresses
• Repot as soon as possible in fresh and dry substrate
• remove old soil and rotten roots
• Don't forget the drainage layer
• do not water in the first few days after repotting

frequently asked Questions