Trying to propagate your monstera in water? Root root is one of the things many plant parents worry about. These are the 5 steps you can take to avoid getting root rot before it happens.
When making a cutting, make sure you cut below the aerial root. You’ll want at least one leaf, part of the stem, and the aerial root attached. Try to leave some extra space below the aerial root.
Let your cut callous
Let your cut callous. When the end of the stem dries out it helps prevent water from getting into the stem which will cause rot. If you take your cutting at night, and let it dry all night you’ll be in a better position to avoid root rot, and you can stick it in water in the morning.
Distilled water
“The first line of defense against preventing root rot is water. Distilled water is best, and change it as frequently as possible. Keeping your water oxygenated by using new water, and avoiding tap water is one of the simplest ways of avoiding root rot. Distilled water is not an option; you can use tap water if you let it sit out for at least 24 hours. This is to let any chemicals harmful to your plant evaporate.
Bright indirect light and humidity.
This will help your cutting thrive and absorb water through its roots. With lower light and lower humidity your cutting will not absorb water as quickly. This could lead your cutting to rot if it is not properly utilizing the nutrients in the water to put out more roots.
Use an antifungal
Use an antifungal. Treat the end of the stem that will prevent bacteria and fungus from getting into your plant. I use rooting hormone but other popular choices are cinnamon, or unpasteurized honey. Coat all exposed stems and use rooting hormone to coat the areial root of your plant. This will help your plant put out roots faster.
Seal The Stem
“After all that protection, if you truly want to go overboard, you can use candle wax to seal off the ends of the stem. Take an extra large, unscented, tealight and leave it on long enough to see the wax start to pool. Blow it out and dip the stem in the wax enough times to coat the stem. In my experience, if you’re rooting in water, the wax could eventually fall off. Monitor your plant and repeat this when necessary.
Those are the 4 simple steps you can take to prevent root rot when propagating in water. These steps will also work with variegated monsteras. They are more sensitive, so remember to take extra care.