Monstera Leaning to One Side – Learn How I fixed this Issue

Commonly, monstera plant lovers often face the problem of monstera leaning to one side. I also went through the same problem last year. Then I found some reasons like sunlight issues, weight problems, insect attacks, disease infestation and watering issues in my monstera plants.

As monstera leaves are large, the leaning problem often creates barriers to plant development. If you are also in the same situation and searching for the solution to this problem, then scroll below and mark the solution that you need for your plant.

I have pointed out the solutions shortly in the below table for a glance. Later, you may check the detailed descriptions. 

ProblemsSolutions
Sunlight issues Provide indirect and bright light properly to all parts of the plant
Weight problem Providing staking or binding ways to support your plant
insectsUse insecticides or homemade recipes 
DiseasesUse fungicides or homemade recipes and prune the affected parts
Watering issuesWater your plant regularly when needed

Causes of Monstera Leaning to One Side With Easy Solutions

1. Sunlight Issues

First of all, let’s discuss sunlight issues that may create this leaning problem. If the plant gets sunlight from a specific direction, it cannot grow in its usual form. 

According to the plant growth rules, the plant grows in that direction from where the sunlight comes. As a result, all the branches can’t grow properly and start to grow leaning to one side. In this condition, the plant doesn’t get the perfect strength to become a vigorous plant.

Control Measures

Monstera plants love to grow in indirect but bright sunlight. Make sure that all the parts of the plant can get equal types and intensities of sunlight. The plant should be placed in such a manner so that its light demand is fulfilled. 

2. Weight Problem

The next one is the weight problem which is caused due to the large height of the plant. If a monstera plant gets a favorable environment, then it can grow fast and become a large plant easily. 

In this case, the plant stem or shoot part near the root zone cannot tolerate the excessive weight and start to lean to one side. The foliage parts hang downward and plants start to grow in this direction. 

Control Measures

To protect your plant from leaning due to being overweight, you can manage staking. Different types of staking are available nowadays like moss poles, commercial stakes, trellis and coco-coir poles. Among them, moss poles are popular among gardeners.

You can manage any type of stake and put it near the root zone in the soil. If needed, you can bind the plant with the stake so that the plant cannot lean. Here, I want to suggest you a video to show the process of staking perfectly. 

Additionally, if you want to make your staking material at home, you can go through this video.

Else, you can keep the plant near any wall or firm construction which may also work as a stake. Apart from those, I can suggest one more thing and that is binding the leaves together. Using vinyl-coated wires is supposed to be best in this case.

As the leaves are large in monstera plants, you can bind them together and that will also prevent leaning. But be careful so that the wire should not be so tight which is harmful to the plant.

3. Pest Attack

Monstera plants are sometimes attacked by pests like aphids, spider mites, thrips and scales. The insects eat the leaves or suck the leaf sap according to their feeding habit. 

As a result, if one side is too affected, those parts become weak and plants start to lean at that side. Thus insects encourage leaning problems.

Control Measures

To remove insects, you can try handpicking at first. You can continue this if they are small in number. But the large insect population cannot be removed in this way. Sometimes heavy streams work well to remove pests.

If the number of insects is huge, you can try homemade recipes or industrial pesticides. Using pesticides needs a lot of concern as they are too poisonous. Try to follow all the precautionary measures while using pesticides if they are available to you. (Our pick: Monterey LG 6145 70% Neem Oil Ready-To-Spray Insecticide, Miticide, & Fungicide)

On the other hand, if it is not available and you have enough time on your hand, you can also try homemade recipes. For your convenience, I have mentioned here some-

  • Neem oil recipe:

Mix 2 tablespoons of concentrated neem oil, ¼ teaspoon of aloe vera powder, and a few drops of essential oil into 1 gallon of water. Then spray it on the affected plant parts.

  • Baking soda recipe:

Take 1 gallon of water and mix 4 tablespoons of baking soda in that water. Then mix it properly and spray it on the plant. 

4. Disease Infection

Next, I would like to tell you about the disease issues that a monstera plant faces. Powdery mildew, rust, botrytis leaf blight, and leaf spot diseases are most common for a monstera plant that leads it to lean to one side. 

Control Measures

The first thing you should do is cut the affected plant parts. Disease-infected parts can spread the disease and so you should try this. 

Then, you can go for industrial fungicides or bactericides as your plant requirement. Else, you can try homemade recipes if fungicides are not available to you. You can prepare them as I explained before.

5. Watering Issues

The last one I will include in this problem list is the watering issue. Most importantly, underwatering is considered a major issue in this sector. Though this plant needs a small amount of water, it can stop its activities due to scarcity of water.

As they cannot make enough food for their development, the plant system gets threatened. Consequently, it starts to wilt and the plant starts leaning to one side.

Control Measures

Water your plant regularly when about 2 inches of the plant soil gets dry. You can check the soil moisture with a moisture meter to understand whether the plant needs water or not. (Our Pick: XLUX Soil Moisture Meter)  

Water demand also varies from season to season. Summer temperature increases the need for water more than winter. So keep these factors in your concern for perfect watering. 

Why Monstera Leaning to One Side Needs to be Prevented?

Sometimes, I face a question that is what is the main importance of preventing monstera from leaning? Well, this is a burning issue for a healthy monstera plant.

If this problem happens, the plant cannot grow enough as it should. It cannot get proper sunlight for photosynthesis. As a result, the plant’s health starts to deteriorate and if such a condition is continued for a long time, the plant may lose stability and die too.

Next, the leaning problem disturbs the aesthetic look of the plant. Most gardeners love monstera plants due to their extraordinary look for decorating purposes. If your plant cannot remain straight, it won’t serve you much as an ornamental plant.

Besides, it occupies a large space if monstera faces leaning issues. It becomes wiggly and disorganized due to leaning and then takes a lot of space to grow which may disrupt the overall look of your garden.

Caring Guides for a Monstera Plant

ClimateA hot and humid climate
SoilSandy loam soil with slightly acidic to neutral pH
Temperature 65-85°F
Sunlight Bright but indirect light
Humidity 60-70%
WateringWater the plant when it needs water

FAQs

Can monstera plants grow without light?

No. Monstera plants need bright but indirect light. All the plant parts should get enough water which is perfect for plant growth. But they cannot grow without light.

Are monstera plants easy to care for?

Yes. Monstera is one of those plants which needs a lot of time to improve. But they are easy to care for and maintain. You can easily maintain them on your busy days.

How fast can a monstera plant grow?

monstera plants can grow fast if they get the proper environment for activities. They can grow almost 2-3 feet per year if the surroundings are favorable for them.

Other Monstera Problems I faced 7 Annoying Issues Regarding New Monstera Leaves Browning

Final Words

So, have you found the answers to all the questions related to monstera leaning to one side? Well, I have to say goodbye now. The most interesting part is that the solutions I depicted in the upper sections were experienced by me as experiments. 

Therefore, I tried many ways to save my monstera plants and among them, some were surprisingly effective. So, apply the solutions to your problems, take care of your monstera plant and keep the plant healthy and vigorous.

James Rivenburg
James Rivenburg
James Rivenburg

James Rivenburg is the founder of plantandpest.com, a passionate gardener with valuable experience and knowledge gained through trial and error. The website has a large community of followers who trust his tips and techniques and have succeeded with his advice. He is always Committed to helping others create a beautiful and healthy garden.

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