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desertdance

Monstera Deliciosa

I purchased 5 seeds on Ebay, and they arrived about a week ago. I googled instructions, so I put them on top of damp potting soil/perlite in a living lettuce container I got at the grocery store. We punched holes in the bottom for drainage. I sealed the lid, put them on a heating pad on low, and they have been there for about 6 days. This morning, one has sprouted a stem! YAY! They will be house plants for a while, and once we get the acreage we want, they will have huge trees on which to climb. Looking forward to this adventure.

Suzi

Comments (17)

  • Tiffany, purpleinopp Z8b Opp, AL
    11 years ago

    Sounds like fun! You might enjoy this dicussion. Although it's about house plants, the general info about Aroids might be pertinent or at least interesting. So few people have a chance to grow a "house plant in the wild." Good luck!

  • Suzi AKA DesertDance So CA Zone 9b
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    purpleinopp, I DID enjoy the discussion. 4 have now sprouted, and the first two actually have visible tiny leaves! I'll plant them in pots to start, and when we figure out the landing place, I'll put them in-ground, outside and let them grow to the shade.

  • Tiffany, purpleinopp Z8b Opp, AL
    11 years ago

    That is really so cool, hope you'll offer an update once in a while. Worth taking a pic yet?

  • Suzi AKA DesertDance So CA Zone 9b
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Frustrated here. Tried twice to post pics. The system isn't working, I think!
    Bummer,
    Suzi

  • Suzi AKA DesertDance So CA Zone 9b
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Too leggy. Thinking of repottig. Are they too young?
    Suzi

  • Tiffany, purpleinopp Z8b Opp, AL
    11 years ago

    Wish I could answer that. Feel free to send me an email if you want to talk about uploading, I'll try to help.

  • kayjones
    11 years ago

    Have you tried posting your pictures using tinypic.com? It's easy and works very well. Use the first line of code.

  • tropicbreezent
    11 years ago

    Suzi, if they're too leggy could be they're in too dark a shade. You coulde try brightening their light. But photos would be good to see what they look like.

    I gave up trying to put photos up on this site. Tried several times and only once one out of the 3 photos in one post was visible and the others not. Tried again with those same 3 but then none of them would show up. I was using Pbase which seems to work okay on other sites.

  • Tiffany, purpleinopp Z8b Opp, AL
    11 years ago

    tropic, have you noticed the new upload feature?

  • tropicbreezent
    11 years ago

    No, but I'll take a look. There's a lot of photos I would have liked to have shown so it would be good to be able to do it. Thanks.

  • Tiffany, purpleinopp Z8b Opp, AL
    11 years ago

    In every forum I visit, you can add a pic to any post. Right above your user name when you're typing, is an open box with a "browse" button. You can upload any pic from your computer. If you edit your comment after clicking "preview" you'll need to browse your image again (or copy what's in the box and paste it after clicking preview again.)

  • tropicbreezent
    11 years ago

    Thanks so much for that. I can't believe how simple that is. (I just checked it on the test forum.) Here's a photo of one of my 'monsters'

  • Suzi AKA DesertDance So CA Zone 9b
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Wow! What a beautiful specimen! It appears I am a serial killer. I listened to a poster here, moved my leggy seedlings to partial sunlight, and suddenly they have all dried up. I'm holding out hope. Two are still a little green, but very shriveled. I piled loose damp potting soil around their leggy stems for protection, and am waiting to see if the roots put out new shoots. Doubtful, but holding out hope. My next idea will be to purchase a plant at a garden center..........

  • steiconi
    11 years ago

    if you have a home in a place with the right climate, have you considered looking in the neighborhood for established plants from which you could get cuttings? I've grown them from just a chunk of vine--look for one with a couple of nodes to put out roots and leaves.

  • Suzi AKA DesertDance So CA Zone 9b
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    I'll try that. We are in process of selling one home and looking for another with acreage. Could take a couple months, but this is one vine I absolutely want. Have a gazillion wine grape vines, so I know the mentality of vines.

    A vine is like an 8 year old boy! Enthusiastic, can't lose, determined, all that! Would love to find some cuttings to root. Keeping my eyes open!

    Thanks!
    Suzi

  • tropicbreezent
    11 years ago

    Believe it or not, some people throw out plants like these with the rubbish. Not sure why, maybe grown too much or whatever. I'm not beyond rescuing abandoned plants like that. Even if they're on their last legs, Monstera respond quickly to a bit of TLC.

    On the subject of vines, I'm planning to post photos of vines at my place, mainly Pothos, Philos, Epipremnums, Syngonium, etc. And they are running rampant. They get up the trees just about as fast as an 8 year old.