Monstera Leaves Curling: 6 Ways To Stop

Monstera plants, with their massive, exotic leaves, are a striking addition to any interior design. However, there are a few frequent issues to watch out for if you want to keep the leaves looking beautiful. Curling Monstera leaves can be caused by a number of factors, all of which will be discussed in this article along with advice for resolving the issue.

Monstera leaves curling is a common symptom of either underwatering or low humidity. Rootbound Monsteras, excessive watering, bug infestations, and extreme temperatures are some possible explanations. As they prepare to fully unfold, young leaves often coil tightly.

To assist you figure out how to cure your Monstera plant, I'll go through each problem in turn as you read on.

6 Causes Of Monstera Leaves Curling And Solution

Curling their leaves is one way Monstera deliciosa and other Monstera species respond to high rates of water loss through transpiration. It's an indication that your Monstera or other houseplant is under stress, but it's also a typical adaptive response.

Monstera leaf curling can be caused by anything that causes excessive water loss or decreases water availability to the leaves. One by one, let's examine these root causes. I'll go over the signs to watch for and the remedies you may use to get your plant back to full health.

Underwatering

Lack of proper watering can cause the leaves of your Monstera plant to curl. Since it is so frequent, it should be the first thing you look into if you notice your Monstera leaves curling. Check for drooping and signs of soil drying out such as browning leaf tips and edges. Without water, the plant container should feel significantly lighter.

Give your Monstera a good soaking, and the problem will be solved. Fill the pot with water until it runs freely through the drainage holes.

Starting now, make it a habit to check your Monstera on a regular basis to determine whether it needs watering. Once every few days, or whenever the top few of inches of soil feel dry to the touch, check the status of the leaves and water accordingly.

You shouldn't water your plant on a strict schedule, as the amount of water it needs will change based on the plant's growth rate, the season, the weather, the humidity level in the room, and the size of the plant in comparison to the pot. For more information on how to properly care for your houseplants, check out my detailed watering guide.

Make sure your houseplants always have water by setting a reminder on your phone to check on them every few days.

Humidity Levels Are Low

Many of the most common houseplants we cultivate are really from the damp and warm understory of tropical rainforests.

In contrast to the humid outdoors, most of us keep our houses rather dry, which may be stressful for many houseplants. When humidity levels are too low, monstera plants often respond by curling their leaves.

Monsteras are more tolerant than other common houseplants, but they still need humidity over 40% or they'll develop brown leaf tips and margins. In order to maintain their attractiveness, certain rarer Monstera species need exceptionally high amounts of humidity.

When the leaves on your Monstera plant begin to curl, you can tell if it's from low humidity or if you've been underwatering it by keeping in mind these things

Make sure the ground is checked out. Waterlogging is not likely to occur if the ground continues to be moist.
If the issue is caused only by low humidity, your Monstera probably won't wilt.
In order to keep track of the humidity levels in your house, you should use a digital hygrometer/thermometer. Low humidity is not to blame if it stays above 40% all the time.
It is beneficial to your Monstera and other houseplants to improve the humidity levels in your home in a variety of ways.

Put your plants in close proximity to one another to generate a humid environment via transpiration.
Put a humidity tray under your Monstera plant. A water-filled drip tray with a broad base is a good choice. Pebbles can be strategically placed such that the pot's foot rests just over the water line.
Humidifiers may be used to quickly and conveniently raise the relative humidity in a given space. You can set the humidity on many different models. If you have houseplants, this humidifier is a great choice.
If you want to know how to increase humidity for houseplants, read my post.

Pests

Although monstera plants are quite resistant to most houseplant pests, they are not immune to attack. Insects that feed on plant fluids, such spider mites, mealybugs, and thrips, will eat the leaves and stems of your plant.

The bugs that cause Monstera leaves to curl are responsible for the water loss that leads to the curled leaves. Even if the plant is getting enough water and nutrients from the soil, bugs that eat the plant's roots and stems will eat them all up before they get to the leaves. This causes the leaves of Monstera to curl, as if they were being submerged in water.

If you want to find the actual bugs, you should examine the top and bottom of the leaves and the stems. Spider mites, on the other hand, are so little that they can easily go undetected. Check for spider webs that like strands of spaghetti between the plants, or examine the foliage via a microscope.

If you look closely, you could even find leaf damage caused by the bugs. A telltale indicator that a bug has been feeding on your plant is the appearance of tiny yellow spots or rings in an unsightly pattern on the leaves.

Curling Monstera Leaves: Diagnosis and Treatment

When a pest infestation is at its earliest stages, it is considerably simpler to eliminate the problem. As part of your ordinary plant maintenance, check for pests.

Separate the affected plant from the rest of your houseplants if you know or believe it has a pest problem. Infecting just one plant is awful, but infecting all of your plants at once is a major issue.

If you want to be sure there aren't any bugs hitchhiking on your new plant, you should isolate it from your other plants for a week or two.

Depending on the type of pest you're dealing with and your own tastes, you can choose from a variety of treatments for Monsteras. I've compiled all the facts you need into a comprehensive guide on recognizing, treating, and avoiding the most common pests of houseplants.
Related Post:
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Heat Stress

Curling of Monstera leaves is a common response to overheating or drafts of warm air. This can occur rapidly and usually does so in reaction to an abrupt shift in circumstances.

This issue may arise if your plant is subjected to abnormally high temperatures or if you move it to a position where it is directly in the path of a heating vent. Due to the increased rate of water loss from the leaves brought on by the high temperatures and strong winds, the leaves will curl in an effort to conserve as much moisture as possible.

Remember that this issue might arise when the seasons change. While an east-facing window may be ideal for a Monstera plant for the majority of the year, extreme heat in the midst of summer might pose serious problems.

Keeping a houseplant healthy necessitates a vigilant eye and prompt response to the ever-shifting environmental circumstances.

Inadequate Container or Root Limitation

Curling Monstera leaves might be difficult to pinpoint, but possibly the plant's container is to blame. If your Monstera has outgrown its pot but is still contained in a relatively small container, it may drink all of the water you provide it with in a short period of time. You may be having trouble keeping up with the plant's watering demands if it has grown severely rootbound.

You should consider repotting your Monstera if the soil dries up within two to three days of watering. When you remove the plant from its pot, you will notice that the roots are densely packed and twisted around the interior of the container, and that some of them have even grown out of the drainage holes.

The roots need more room to expand into, and the soil needs more volume to hold water and nutrients between waterings, therefore repotting into a somewhat bigger container is recommended.

Overwatering

Although this may seem like an unlikely cause of Monstera leaf curl, it may really be the most significant. It's also possible to be the one that causes your plant to suddenly become really ill.

Curling leaves are one of the signs of overwatering that might seem like those of underwatering. Because the roots rot in the persistently wet soil, the plant is unable to absorb water and eventually wilts.

The soil will feel damp if you're not underwatering, and there are additional indicators to assist you determine the difference. Overwatering Monstera causes the leaves to become yellow and eventually wilt. If your Monstera plant has yellowing leaves, read this page for more information. Even if the leaves curl, they won't be dry or crispy, and there probably won't even be any browning on the tips or edges.

Examining the roots of a plant with severe symptoms is typically the best way to diagnose root rot. The roots may be examined by removing the plant from its container. Root rot can be identified by its signature symptom: brown or black, mushy roots, typically accompanied by a decaying odor.

If you want your plant to survive, you'll need to uproot it as soon as possible, replace the soil, and give it a new home. For additional information on root rot and how to spot, treat, and prevent it, see my how-to guide.

New Leaves

A typical and unworrisome reason for curling should be mentioned. Although it may seem evident, newly emerged leaves are tightly coiled and only gradually unfurl. Any plant that produces new leaves must be doing well.

Final Word

Monstera leaves curling are often an indication of a simple issue. Look for indicators of low humidity and underwatering first, since they might be the cause of other problems you're seeing with your plant. Carefully examine the plant, from its leaves and soil to its container and environmental circumstances.

Curling Monstera leaves can be caused by a number of different factors, all of which can be remedied with some investigation and effort.

Check out my book, Houseplants Made Easy, if you want to learn everything you need to know about cultivating stunning indoor plants. I discuss everything from choosing the right plant for your home to spotting and fixing common problems before they become catastrophic. I'll show you the steps I take to learn about your plants' requirements so you may raise beautiful indoor plants.