Planting a Monstera Thai Constellation

Thai Constellations are in the Monstera family. The Thai Con is considered a rare tropical plant and is important to provide appropriate growing conditions in order for the plant to survive. These plants sell for several hundreds of dollars to several thousand depending upon the size. They are usually found online and are not typically sold in your local nurseries. I don't know about you but I don't want to spend that much on a plant just to get it home and have it die from improper care.

Today we are going to learn how to pot a Thai Con that is finished rooting and ready for soil. I have had this plant rooting in leca for the past few months and it is finally ready to be potted.

High quality soil that doesn't retain too much water: I prefer FoxFarms due their quality and my plants thrive. There are many to choose from so you can use any of their soils. This particular soil contains perlite and coconut coir which allows the soil to retain moisture while not holding too much water

Fertilizer: I use Dr. Earth Pure Gold - my husband actually researched this and bought it for me and I like it and so do my plants.

Pot: THIS IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT! Ensure appropriate size pot with drainage holes based on the size of your root system, if you use a pot that is too large the soil will stay too wet and your plant will get root rot and DIE. Seriously, don't do it. I am using a 6in pot for this particular plant.

Optional: Orchid mix, charcoal, sphagum peat moss. I like to create a soil mixture so my plants have airy soil and don't stay too moist. The charcoal also helps prevent fungus gnats. (fungus gnats won't kill your plants but they will annoy you and aren't always easy to get rid of)

You want to ensure you have enough roots to put in soil, otherwise your roots will rot if they aren't ready. You can see this is a nice root ball.

When removing the roots from the leca, you want to be careful not to pull too hard or you can damage them. I used a bowl to gently tap the leca into and once most of the leca was in the bowl I was able to pull the plant out.

Be sure to inspect your roots to ensure they are healthy. They should be white and firm. If they are brown and mushy that means you have started to get some root rot and you will need to cut and of the brown/mushy roots off to keep it from getting worse. Use clean plant scissors to prevent transferring any disease or bacteria to the plant.

Mix together all of your soil mediums in a separate pot or bowl. You can see how this is a little chunky, this is good for not retaining too much water.

Fill the bottom 2-3 inches of the pot with soil and then place your plant on top. There should be 1-2 inches between the roots and the side of the pot. If there is too much space you are using a pot that is too big, if your roots are touching then the pot is too small.

Once you assess and determine the pot is the appropriate size you can fill the rest of the pot with soil. You can see from the second photo that the stem is resting just at the top of the soil.

Make sure your roots are fully covered, sometimes you can have little stragglers that stick up out of the soil and if this occurs gently push them under the soil or add more as needed.

Now you can add your fertilizer. Be sure to follow the instructions to avoid burning the roots. This specific product doesn't require the roots to be wet prior to adding the fertilizer. I use 1/2 a pump for this size pot.

Now you are ready to water. Be sure the water is room temp, if it is too cold it will shock the roots and if it is too hot it can burn them. I use filtered water because some plants are finicky with the minerals in tap water. Some people use bottled distilled or filtered water. Honestly, I have too many plants for that so I added a water filter to my kitchen faucet.

You should water until water begins trickling out of the bottom of the pot. Once you see the water coming out of the bottom you know you have given it a good drink.

VOILA! It is finished. Now you are ready to enjoy your beautiful Thai Con!

(The picture on the right has the new growth circled, this is what it will look like when you have leaf that is going to push out. I am hoping that it will happen quickly now that it is in soil!)

A few important things to remember:

-You NEVER want to water on a set schedule, this can cause the roots to rot. You should stick your finger 1-2 inches in the soil and if it's dry then you water. If it's wet, you skip the water and check the next day. You will know if it's wet because the soil will stick to your finger.

-Ensure it gets adequate sun. It needs bright, indirect light to thrive. Direct sun will burn the leaves and not enough sun will cause it not to grow. I have energy efficient windows that block out the harsh sun so my windows do not need a curtain to filter the light to keep it from burning. If you are unsure about what direct sun means you can look online and there are tons of resources to help you!

-Fertilize regularly according to the instructions on your packaging. This isn't required but it will help your plant thrive!

-Do not put near an air vent - this will dry out the leaves.

-Some say talking to your plants help them grow, that's not really my style but my plants do enjoy some 90's George Strait songs.