The Monstera genus is quite popular with gardeners and plant lovers all over. With its peculiar leaf structure and aesthetic appeal, It is no wonder the Monstera has such high demand.
Of all the Monstera variants out there, the Monstera Obliqua seems to be the most sought after. It is indeed a rare beauty with roots tied to the deep tropical forests of South and Central America.
The fenestrations of the swiss cheese plant variant make it a lot more distinguishable from the other Monstera variants, in the sense that the obliqua has more holes than actual leaf tissue.
Caring For A Monstera Obliqua
Although caring for the Monstera Obliqua might seem like a lot of work, it becomes easier with the more understanding you have of the holey plant.
Having a deep knowledge of its basic requirements and attending to it, is the right way to go with this beautiful plant species.
Soil Requirements For The Monstera Obliqua
Picking the right soil for the Obliqua is key to healthy proper growth as the Obliqua plant needs a rich quality soil mix to flourish.
A peat-based soil mix would be the perfect soil mix for the cheese plant. This is because peat has good water retaining abilities which allow enough time for the obliqua plant to absorb enough water.
Other ingredients for your potting mix should be moss or bark and loam soil. Loam soil is a great ingredient for your mix because its loose texture allows for the plant’s roots to spread out when searching for nutrients.
Water Requirements For The Monstera Obliqua
Watering your Monstera Obliqua shouldn’t be an everyday affair. It is in fact advised that you water a maximum of twice every week during the hot seasons and a maximum of once every 2 weeks during cold seasons.
In all you do, ensure that the soil mix remains moist, not wet. Overwatering your obliqua could lead to the stems collapsing or stunted growth.
Great practice for checking the water content of your soil is to feel the soil with your fingertip. If after feeling, you discover that the top layer of the soil is dry, then you can water the plant.
Light Requirements For The Monstera Obliqua
The Monstera Obliqua’s light requirements are quite high. In fact, the swiss cheese plant requires a total of 7 hours a day in a room with enough bright indirect light.
The fragile leaves of the obliqua could get burned when exposed to excess direct sunlight for too long, so ensure that you avoid direct sunlight as much as possible.
Try placing your swiss cheese plant in a well-lit room with little access to direct sunlight. The bathroom is oftentimes the best choice when looking at the options.
If your plant isn’t getting enough indirect light, you can tell from its leaves as they could begin turning yellow or start wilting.
Temperature Requirements For The Monstera Obliqua
In the deep tropical South American forests where the Monstera Obliqua thrives, it is exposed to warm climates of at least 20 degrees celsius. As such, you should ensure you provide a similar climate for your obliqua while indoors.
If you can’t provide such a humid climate for your Monstera Obliqua Peruvian plant, then you can do one of these two things;
- Place the swiss cheese plant near a spot with enough sunny access to indirect light. Again, the bathroom or kitchen might be the perfect spot to do this.
- Get a humidifier for the room your obliqua is in.
Fertilizer Requirements For The Monstera Obliqua
When compared to its Monstera genus counterparts, the Obliqua requires less fertilizer. This is because the obliqua cheese plant grows in a rather slow manner.
Feed your obliqua plant every 2 weeks during its growing weeks. For the summer and spring seasons, the obliqua requires far less fertilizer, so stick to fertilizing it once a month
For the winter season, avoid feeding the obliqua. Let the foliage rest up by avoiding an unnecessary increase in its salt level.
Pruning Requirements For The Monstera Plant
As we have already established, the Monstera Obliqua is a slow-growing plant, so pruning might not be a regular affair.
When placed in its natural habitat, the Monstera obliqua can reach a height of 6-10 feet. But its slow growth means it would take quite a while to reach this height.
Pruning is still required to give it a full healthier look. By trimming its dead leaves you create space for new leaves to flourish.
Trim the back of its nodes during the growing season to ensure it doesn’t outgrow its living space. Also, when getting rid of dead leaves, trim them off, from the stem.
Common Diseases and Pests
The Monstera Obliqua is quite delicate and could suffer from a wide variety of diseases. Some of these diseases include a mosaic virus, leaf scorch, molds, and root rot.
Spider Mites also affect this delicate beauty by feasting on the exotic, fenestrated leaves which could lead to death for the swiss cheese plant.
Check your obliqua plants often for signs and symptoms of diseases or pests and If you notice the diseases or pests spreading to areas of the plant’s tissue, do ensure you cut the affected areas of the plant.
Monstera Obliqua Toxicity
All species of the Monstera genus are harmful to pets and humans when eaten.The obliqua is no exception.
When eaten, it could lead to irritation in the mouth. Although for humans, a large portion would need to be eaten to be very harmful.
However, it is advised that you keep all Monstera species away from children’s and pets’ reach. If you notice a child or pet has eaten an obliqua leaf, ensure you call a doctor and watch them for any signs or symptoms that may develop.
Frequently Asked Questions
This is because the obliqua is a slow-growing plant with high demand and very little stock available.
The leaves of the adansonii are textured with more leaves than holes while the leaves of the obliqua are rather thin with more holes than leaves.
The Monstera Obliqua Peru is quite expensive with a stem costing $200 and a potted plantlet costing $7000.
When placed in its natural habitat, the Monstera Obliqua is a climbing plant.
There are 4 types of the Monstera Obliqua plant. Monstera Obliqua Peru, Monstera Obliqua Bolivia, Monstera Obliqua Suriname and Monstera Obliqua Panama.
