There are three things that have made this plant so successful as an indoor plant. The first is sunlight. If you want your Monstera to have these fenestrations, you need lots of sunlight. Most care guides will tell you these plants need bright indirect sunlight. Here’s where I disagree. In the time I had this plant I’ve trained it to live with exposure to direct sunlight for a large part of the day. That includes spring and summer.
I have floor to ceiling south facing windows. They are unobstructed and receive several hours of direct sunlight. Over a few months I slowly pushed my Monstera closer and closer to my window. I’ve found the sweet spot for me to be about 3 feet away from my window.
Here’s how you can reproduce these results in your space.
Assuming your monstera is doing well in its current spot, create a plan to move your monstera about 4”- 6” closer to your brightest window every 2 weeks. During these two weeks, monitor your monstera for any changes. Especially check the tips and edges of the leaves for discoloration. You’re looking for signs of sunburn.
A sunburned Monstera will turn yellow and then black. Be extra vigilant because the leaves won’t heal once they are burned.
If you don’t see any signs of stress on the leaves, you’re free to keep doing this every 2 weeks until you’ve found the perfect spot. Monsteras are excellent at adapting although I’d suggest smaller increments if you have a small unfenestrated Monstera.
The more light this plant gets, the more fenestrations you’ll see. Also the spacing between the nodes will be smaller which will produce leaves closer together for a better looking plant.
The second way I’ve gotten more fenestrations on this plant is to give it something to climb. I have made my own moss poles in the past, but a giant stake, or tree branch, or PVC pipe will work just as well. As long as you’re using plant ties to help secure it your leaves will continue to get bigger. It depends on what look you want to go for.
On a side note, if you have a seedling monstera, please don’t bother with a moss pole. Any stick is fine and it really doesn’t need anything to climb until the leaves become too large to support itself. Eventually you will want to cut and propagate the top part of your plant anyway, putting a moss pole in something this small will be such a hassle. Especially if the aerial root burrows into your moss pole.
My last tip is great soil. Although these are beginning houseplants to have an excellent soil mix is pretty complex. Check out my video on monstera and philodendron soil for a closer look. Good luck with your Monstera!