I finally gave my Monstera deliciosa a 24-hour dark period before repotting, like a gardening blog suggested, and it dropped two leaves.

Has anyone else tried this 'stress technique' on a tropical plant and had it backfire, or did I just pick the wrong species?

3 comments

3 Comments

terrywilson24d ago

Totally get the frustration, I used to follow every weird tip I read online too. Forced my pothos into a dark closet once before trimming and it looked sad for weeks. @lisa_hart26 is right about overthinking it, that comment made me stop and just look at what my plants actually do. Now I just repot when the roots are tight, no extra steps, and everything is way happier. Sometimes the simple way is the best way.

lisa_hart2624d ago

That blog advice sounds like a plant horror story waiting to happen. My monstera lives in a bright bathroom and gets repotted when it's rootbound, no drama needed. I've seen people stress over "perfect" plant care and end up doing more harm than good. Sometimes the best thing is to just leave them alone and not overthink it.

foster.patricia5d ago

So what exactly are these blogs telling people to do? I saw one that said to water with ice cubes to avoid overwatering, which just shocks the roots with cold. Another insisted on misting plants daily, which mostly just spreads fungus. Where does this stuff even come from?