7 Reasons why Monstera Leaves are Curling? (And How to fix them?)

In this article, we will be stating a few reasons why Monstera Leaves are Curling. Monstera leaves are good-looking and collectible plants. This plant looks beautiful but growing this plant requires a lot of care just like Homalomena. If you have planted a beautiful plant and nope you observe the leaves of the plants are curling, then there is a slight chance that you may have not taken proper care of the plant.

There can be several reasons that can result in the curling of the leaves, today we are going to discuss 7 main reasons which could result in the curling of the monstera leaves.

7 main reasons why Monstera Leaves are Curling

Overwatering:

As the name clarifies, while taking care of your plant you may or may not have just overwatered the plant without even knowing.

Overwatering the plant can result in damage to the roots. When the root system gets damaged the plant will not be able to transport essential nutrients and minerals which can cause the curling of the leaves. Damaged roots can also result in the sudden death of the plant.

The moist soil can block the pores, which results in a lack of oxygen molecules available for the plants through the soil. Due to the lack of oxygen, the plant will not be able to absorb the proper amount of nutrients, minerals, and oxygen through the soil. This will indeed result in the curling of the leaves of your monstera plant.

Prevention method:

1. Before watering the plants you should consider checking the soil, if the soil is damp you should wait before watering the plant.
2. You can use the alternate watering method, for this method you can let the soil dry a little bit before watering the plant, or you can make a chart to track the watering process.
3. Make sure the pot or tray has proper working drainage holes and water is not getting retained in the container itself.
4. If you have figured out that your plant is suffering from overwatering then simply you can stop watering the plant for a while.

Underwatering:

We discussed above how overwatering the plants can be dangerous, but now I will tell you how just keeping the plant in less water can also result in the curling of the leaves of the monster plant.

If you have observed that the soil of the plant is dried, then you have found the problem. When the availability of water is less, monstera plants switch to their natural defending method to conserve water. They tend to reduce precipitation by drying and curling up some parts of their leaves.

You can easily identify if the plant is not having enough water by looking at the soil. If the soil is dry and patchy then you need to reschedule your watering process.

How to prevent underwatering of the plant:

1. First, check the soil, if you feel the soil is dried up you need to water your plant.
2. You can use a stick to solve your watering problem, take a 2-inch-long stick, and put it into the soil. If the stick comes out dry you need to water the plant.
3. Also, if the stick is damp and has clumps of soil around it you need to stop watering the plant for a while or it may result in overwatering of the plant.

Overheating Or excessive sunlight:

If your monstera plant is placed in such a position where there is excessive sunlight or heating vents near the plant. Exposure to excessive heat in the plant will result in a rapid loss of water through the leaves. you should know how much light is required by the Monstera plant.

The rapid loss of water damages the plant, which simultaneously results in the curling of the leaves. This happens because when the plant starts losing a lot of water, it switches to its natural defense mechanism of conserving the water.

This can also happen if the condition is not suitable for the growth of the plant, then you should try to keep the plant in a less heating place so it can grow properly.

Prevention:

You can easily prevent this by moving the plant from that place to another. Make sure at the new place there is no direct or excessive sunlight hitting the plant. Also, there are no heating vents nearby that can cause damage to the growth of the plant.

Tap water or chlorinated water:

The monstera plant can also get damaged if the water you are using is infused with high levels of chlorine. Water is infused with chlorine to prevent the growth of microorganisms and diseases.

If you have already checked for the under and overwatering of the plant and you still can not figure out what is the issue with the curling and yellowing of the monstera leaves, then you may need to check the quality of water that you are using.

If the water is chlorinated then this could be an issue, that is damaging your plant.

Prevention:

1. You can repot your plant into a different pot or container which has suitable soil for the growth of the monstera plant.
2. Check for the roots if any roots have turned black or have rotted cut them off.
3. Let the tap water sit for almost 24 hours before watering the plant, this will result in the evaporation of the chlorine and the water will be safe for the plant.

Excessive use of fertilizers & prevention:

Overfertilization of the soil can also result in damage to the plant, hence curling of the leaves is often seen.

This happens not because you may have accidentally put excessive fertilizer into the soil, but also because the recommended dose on the package may be higher than what you may require in reality.

Overfertilization can be fatal and may kill the Monstera plant that you are trying to grow. As much as overfertilization is dangerous, fertilization can also be dangerous. Plants require fertilizer which generally is a mix of necessary minerals and nutrients. They are an essential part of the growth specifically when your plant is growing new leaves and buds.

When you over-fertilize the plant the roots may become dead which will result in complete damage to your precious monstera plant.

In winter you usually require less or even no fertilizer in the plants. You can prevent this by using less or half the recommended dosage that is mentioned on the packet of fertilizer.

Fungal disease effects and prevention:

Fungal disease is one of the major factors that can damage the plant. It is hard to identify these fungal diseases at the initial stages.

These fungal diseases usually occur when you overwater a plant and the drainage system may not be working properly. When the soil becomes damp the roots become damaged and this may result in the growth of fungal diseases.

You can prevent your monstera plant from these diseases by checking the roots of the plants. Remove the plant from the pot and wash the roots under running water. Carefully remove the damaged roots using scissors. You can easily identify the damaged roots from the foul smell that is coming out from them or the black color simply.

Let the plant dry out for a day and then report it into a new different pot or container with proper drainage.

Less Humidity and Prevention:

Monstera plants grow properly in a condition where there is a humidity of >40%. Using air conditioners or heaters in different weathers can damage the growing monstera plants.

When we use this kind of stuff the air usually becomes dry resulting in the curling of the leaves.

To prevent this you can usually keep the plant away from this stuff in a place where you can maintain the humidity. You can also get yourself a hygrometer which can easily help in maintaining the humidity of the area. 

Concluding lines

In this guide, you come to know that Monstera leaves are good-looking and collectible plants. This plant looks beautiful but growing this plant requires a lot of care just like a small baby. If you have planted a beautiful plant and nope you observe the leaves of the plants are curling, then there is a slight chance that you may have not taken proper care of the plant. I hope this guide will help you. 

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