Cuttings · A little practice · 5 min
Your first monstera cutting
Understand nodes, aerial roots, and what a cutting actually needs.
Reference photograph: H. Zell · CC BY-SA 3.0. Display may be cropped. Not the offered plant or packet.
By Growhood · Updated
Watch the technique
Follow this article's GCC timing and care advice alongside the demonstration.
- Water-propagating a monstera cuttingBy Kill This Plant on YouTube
Video notes
Explains top and middle stem cuttings for water propagation. Keep a viable node on the cutting and protect it from direct Gulf sun.
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Growing instructions
- 01
Identify a stem node
Find the thick main stem and a node where a leaf stalk emerges. An aerial root is helpful but not essential. A detached leaf stalk with no main-stem node cannot make a new vine.
- 02
Make a clean cut
With clean shears and gloves, cut a section of stem that includes a node and a healthy leaf. Avoid taking too much from a small or stressed parent plant. Avoid contact with the irritating sap.
- 03
Root in water
Place the node and any aerial root in clean water, keeping leaves and most of the leaf stalk above it. Support the cutting upright in bright, indirect light. Refresh the water roughly weekly or sooner if cloudy.
- 04
Look for branching roots
Let several roots develop, preferably with small side roots, before potting. Roots around 5–10 cm are a useful guide rather than a deadline. Remove and assess any mushy stem tissue; it may indicate rot.
- 05
Pot and settle
Plant in a drainage pot with airy potting mix. Keep evenly lightly moist, not soggy, during the initial transition. Wait for established new growth before passing the plant on, and share its care information.