When Monstera leaves turn black, it will make you very worried about the tree’s health. You’ll want to know what’s causing it and how seriously it affects the plant’s health. Let’s find out with us in the article below.
Why is Monstera leaves turning black?
If you notice black spots on your Monstera Deliciosa, don’t worry; it doesn’t indicate it’s going to die soon. Monstera Deliciosa is a tough houseplant that can recover from problems such as black spots if properly cared for. This is a list of seven reasons why your Monstera Deliciosa has black spots.
Black spots on Monstera leaves due to insects
Insects can cause mold in plants. The insects often leave behind a substance that promotes decay. Once mold forms on the Monstera’s leaves, it turns leaves black. Mold can form on any part of a plant, and it can even thrive on the soil if it meets the right conditions. Too much moisture on leaves can also lead to mold. It removes infected leaves from the plant with clean gardening shears. Let’s trim the leaves and disinfect the scissors after each cut to prevent mold spread.
Pests
Monstera is extremely resistant to pests, but every now and again, an army of six-legged, leaf-eating insects overwhelms the plant. Because I’ve dealt with spider mites and thrips in the past, I’ll share my story. These aphids feed on the leaves of your plant, leaving behind little, unsightly black dots.
You may think this isn’t a big concern at first, but they’ll swiftly spread throughout the plant and attack any additional Monsteras or evergreens you have.
Spider Mites
sucking the sap from the leaves of the plant That sucking spot turns dark yellow, brown, and finally black with time. Look under the leaf to see if there are any mites. If you see black dots moving on the underbelly, you’ve probably found the pests you’re looking for.
Thrips
Are tiny, leaf-sucking flies that eat away at your Monstera’s water supply. They, too, induce leaf yellowing and black patches on the surface, as mites do.
Solutions
With a water jet, you may quickly wipe away the mites. Just make sure you don’t harm your plant. If there aren’t enough spider warriors around, a lukewarm shower will suffice. I prefer to use neem oil to get rid of thrips.
It’s a natural oil derived from the seeds of the neem tree. Every few days, use a spray, and the pests will be gone in less than a week.
Also when Monstera’s leaf turn black, trim the leaves and disinfect the scissors after each cut to prevent mold spread.
Monstera leaves turning black due to fungal disease
Fungal diseases often occur on Monstera plants when it floods. Fungal infections such as leaf spots will discolor the leaves of Monstera plants and cause them to turn yellow, brown, or black. Tiny black dots may also appear on the leaves, which indicates fungal spores have formed.
Solutions
The fungus will continue to spread unless you remove it from the plant by treating it with a fungicide. Fertilize to enrich the soil after you have eliminated the fungal disease.
Monstera has black spots due to Dehydration
Dehydration exists on the other end of the watering spectrum. Underwatering, as opposed to overwatering, is a slow killer. Monstera’s thick leaves make this process take longer to manifest than overwatering. There isn’t enough water in the dried plant to hydrate every component.
This is why darkness and crispiness appear first on the most distant leaves. Plant stress is caused by a lack of water, which forces palisade cells to shut down. Because juvenile leaves are closer to the stem, they receive more water.
Solution
Buy your Monstera a drink if she’s depressed and droopy, covered in black patches! I propose soaking the bottom of the container in water and then letting the soil absorb it. If this does not work, it is possible that your soil has turned hydrophobic. It’s merely a fancy way of saying “it despises water.”
This can happen on occasion, especially if you maintain your plant in direct sunlight. You should repot the plant as quickly as possible, preferably in a larger pot with fresh new soil, and relocate it.
Dry Soil
When exposed to a powerful indirect light source, the soil can soon become exceedingly dry. Dry soil isn’t the direct source of black stains on stems and leaves, but it does promote the development of other symptoms. Unsuitable soil may have a limited retention capacity, resulting in poor absorption, dehydration, and a variety of nutritional issues.
Dry soil is typically the result of poor light control. You must not expose the soil to direct or intense indirect sunlight before potting (or repotting) your Monstera. It dries out and becomes hydrophobic.
Poor drainage is another source of dry soil. If you choose compact soil that is heavy on clay, water will not flow through it and the root level will remain dry.
Solution
Make sure your soil is in indirect light and it gets just enough water. If the soil is too compact, try mixing it with gravel and pebbles. According to research, gravel and pebble mixture can improve soil drainage, and help keep the soil’s temperature and humidity stable.
If you believe the dirt is beyond repair, re-pot your monster in a pot filled with high-quality, humus-rich soil. Another problem you may encounter is black stems and roots. In this instance, I strongly advise repotting your plant and switching to a soil composition with high drainage capabilities.
Issues with Temperature – Cold Temperatures and Sunburns
Each plant has its own set of minimum, maximum, and optimal temperatures. These factors have a significant influence on plant development, particularly during the juvenile period.
Being a tropical plant, Monstera likes pleasant and cozy places where it can enjoy the warmth of the sun’s indirect beams. Violation of these terms results in birthing large, unpleasant black dots all over the plant, from its roots to its leaves.
Cold Stress
When it comes to taking care of your plant, low temperatures are easily overlooked as a problem. Most people are afraid of sunburns and extreme heat, but cold weather is also a damaging factor. Because of their gargantuan size, monsters can’t really tolerate the low temperature.
Such a big plant needs a lot of energy to warm up. The lowest they can withstand is around 50° F (10° C). Anything lower than that WILL damage your plant. Frost freezes the sap and water in the leaves. The plant can’t transfer nutrition to this part anymore and it turns black.
For the same reasons, low temperatures can also damage new buds or cuttings for propagation which renders them dark and damaged. This kind of environment causes the plants to stop their growth, which results in black spots on the leaves. Low temperatures are also suitable for the development of many fungal and bacterial diseases.
Solution
Obviously, move your plant to a warmer place. I see people make one common mistake all the time, and that’s that they keep the plant area warm only during daylight. If you have a conservatorium (greenhouse) or windowed room for plants, you might sometimes forget to keep the place above 50° F (10° C) during the night, too.
Just because it’s warm during the day, doesn’t mean the night will also be comfortable. The bottom story is – to keep the Monstera’s bedroom warm at an optimal temperature of 64-75° F (18-24° C)!
Sunburn is a symptom of heat stress
Sunburn Monstera is a more prevalent temperature-related issue. Burning your plants is a novice error, but it’s one you’ll quickly learn how to avoid. You’re exposing your Monstera to tremendous quantities of energy as heat by placing it in direct sunlight, in front of a window, or even beneath a lamp.
On the leaves and stems of your plant, you may readily notice black, crispy, and toasted regions. The majority of them are oval to circular in form. If it’s a sunny day, some people like to keep their Monsteras outside on a heated patio, which can severely harm both the leaves and the roots.
Solution
Place your Monstera away from windows, especially those facing south. It should ideally be placed near an east-facing window. It will receive a lot of indirect sunshine and warmth throughout the day in this manner. If you’re going to take your plant outside, make sure it’s in the shade and that the earth it’ll be planted on isn’t too hot.
There are issues with humidity
Humidity issues are frequently the source of watering anomalies. Because Monstera is endemic to tropical rainforests, it can withstand high humidity, but low humidity is never a good thing. The most typical causes of improper humidity are low humidity concentrations and unnecessary misting.
Humidity is low
If your plant suddenly starts requesting more water, it’s possible that it doesn’t like the humidity in the room. It’s attempting to quench the thirst caused by water particles in the air by drinking more water.
Your Monstera, like its forefathers, likes to thrive in a tropical climate, therefore maintaining an appropriate humidity level is critical. Your plant will get drooping and coated with mold-like black smudges on parts of its leaves as a result of low humidity.
Solution
Increase the humidity in the air if the soil dries out rapidly after watering. You may always buy a little plant humidifier if you’re on a limited budget. However, first attempt repairing the situation by placing moistened stones around the bottom of the pot. The water will gently evaporate into the soil and leaves in this manner. Monstera thrives in humid environments with a humidity of 50% to 60%.
Misting
Misting is becoming increasingly popular among novice gardeners for some reason. I’m not sure why they use this strategy to raise humidity levels, but I strongly oppose it. Misting is a technique in which you fill a spray bottle with water and spritz the plant with it.
The issue is that what comes out of the bottle is not mist. Sorry, but that’s just rain — and plants don’t enjoy it. It can cause water to accumulate on the surface of the leaves, which is good if you want fungus and insects on your plant, but it can also produce darkish patches on those leaves.
Solution
Spraying water on your Monstera will cause it to mist. It’s that simple! If you live in a dry environment and can’t afford a plant humidifier, this is your only option. In such a situation, gently mist, or should I say spray, the plant many times a day in lesser dosages. Stick to a misting schedule, which is generally every 3-4 days.
Fertilization is insufficient
For inexperienced gardeners, proper fertilizing appears to be a riddle. An inadequate nitrogen supply might result in degenerative growth and the appearance of black and yellow patches on your Monstera. Inadequate nourishment causes your plant to be hungry and vulnerable to disease assaults.
Solution
Begin with granular fertilizer in juvenile development. I prefer ones that are high in nitrogen. Try applying liquid urea, an organic, nitrogen-based fertilizer, when the plant encourages leaf development. During the mature phases, apply liquid fertilizer with a nitrogen-to-phosphorus-to-potassium ratio of 20-20-20.
The rot of the Roots and Stems
Overwatering is one of the causes of these disorders, and fungus is the other. Overwatering has already been discussed, so here’s a brief recap: too much water is bad. Water, in essence, clogs absorbent (root) hairs, depriving the plant of nourishment, and oxygen, and preventing osmosis.
As a result, the roots are black and mushy, and they disperse when touched. This darkness spreads swiftly to Monstera stems as well. Fungi with a similar impact include Rhizoctonia Solani. They use mycelium to infiltrate the plant’s body, obstructing xylem channels and depriving the plant of water and nourishment.
The symptoms are quite similar to rot caused by overwatering, only you can actually smell it.
Solutions
Get that bad habit of overwatering out of your system as soon as possible! Don’t let your Monstera float in the water. Remove the plant from the pot, wash its roots, and cut the unhealthy areas with small-scale gardening shears. Always keep all of your tools clean. Repot the plant in a new container with fresh soil. I always recommend making and following a watering schedule!
Anthracnose
Colletotrichum is the fungus that causes this devastating illness. It generally leaves oval, necrotic leaf tissue along the main vein. If your plant has been exposed to the fungus for an extended period of time, the leaves may curl and fall off on their own. Anthracnose might show as yellow or brown patches at first.
This indicates that the fungus has into the leaf tissue and is consuming all of the nutrients and water. When there is no longer any water in the leaf, it darkens. Because it wants to spread, this fungus only spreads when it’s black.
Another factor that might result in black patches is the plant’s immune system. To prevent anthracnose from spreading, the plant cuts off the passage of food to the affected region of the leaf.
Solution
If the majority of the leaf’s surface has already been damaged, remove the entire leaf. To make clean cuts, use garden shears. Always dispose of all dry leaves since these fungi overwinters on them. Another idea is to keep your afflicted Monstera away from other healthy plants to prevent disease transmission.
Black spot on the Monstera leaf due to waterlogging
Be careful when watering Monstera if it’s in a pot. Too much water can lead to leaves turning brown, and it isn’t long before your plant finally looks a bit twisted and dead. It happens pretty quickly, and it only takes a few heavy rain showers. During the rainy season, it takes longer for the soil to dry out again, so your plant’s roots in wet soil for a few days after it rains can die.
Solution
If you are growing Monstera in a pot, it needs the best ventilation and drainage. Monstera has slender roots that do not tolerate high humidity, so the soil must be loose and well-drained. However, there is one drawback: good drainage requires daily watering, forgetting about 2-3 days that it shows signs of wilting. You can mix a little more soil if you want to reduce water withdrawal.
Dark spots on Monstera leave due to lacking light
Monstera needs full sunlight to thrive. Shade can cause leaves to die on the tree. Leaves will turn black or brown as they fall off due to a lack of light. The tree will continue to shed leaves until it receives the right amount of light.
Solution
Please find a new spot to place it to receive enough sunlight.
Should I cut the black leaves from the Monstera?
You should prune your Monstera’s damaged leaves. Any brown or black parts of your Monstera’s leaves are no longer producing energy for the plant. Dead parts of leaves have no resistance against decay and infection as compared to healthy leaves. Bacteria and fungi consume nutrients found in decaying plant cells.
Some notes when the Monstera Deliciosa leaves turning black
There is a time when I forget to water the plants for 4-6 days, and the soil is dry and white. The leaves of Monstera are wilted and yellow, with dark spots. But the tree is not dead. I just need to water again. It will take about 14 days for the plant to wake up again. But if you accidentally do not observe whether the soil is dry or not, water it to keep the soil moist until the evening. It is the most common cause for its leaves to blacken the stem die off.
For Monstera plants, after about 4-6 months of planting, the tree may experience a phenomenon where the top of the leaves turns pale yellow. The soil doesn’t provide enough nutrients to make its leaves black, so you should fertilize them for green leaves. When encountering signs that the ground for Monstera plants is no longer nutritious enough, the leaves are light green or yellow, the branches stunt, the leaves are short, and the leaves are shrinking, they turning black also.
Make sure enough light for the plant to grow
The first factor you need to pay attention to indoor plants is light. So what is the right light for Monstera to grow? Depending on the characteristics of each Monstera, the amount of light will be different. Monstera can tolerate low light but still needs natural light to germinate.
However, they still need to ensure enough light to grow. If you are placing it in the living room, you should make sure to set the plant in a location where there are about 2-3 hours of natural light in the room. Or you should put the plant in the sun for 2-3 hours a week to let it grow naturally.
‘Strong’ light usually occurs in front of south-facing windows. Large windows on the east or west side are unobstructed. Small unobstructed east or west windows provide ‘medium’ light. The north window and those with glass provide only ‘low’ light. Your plants will only receive low light if they are more than 2 meters away from a window in any direction. In addition, many families also use more light emitted from lamps like sunlight so that the plants can photosynthesize like the outside environment, and the plants will grow better.
Related Post: How to choose the best pot for Monstera: 5 tips to help you
Make sure there is enough water for the plants
The second factor to remember when caring for indoor Monstera is the amount of water. Usually, it would help if you did not overwater it. When you see the soil dry, then you should water it. In addition, when watering the plants, you should use a spray bottle. In the summer, you should spray it twice a day, and once a day in the winter, to increase moisture, clean the leaves, benefit the plant’s photosynthesis, and make the leaves green.
Depending on the type of plant has different water tolerance, and the amount of water is also additional for Monstera to grow. You can choose the right one, and you can use pots with discs underneath for easy movement and good drainage, not leaking water into the house.
Fertilizer for plants
The right amount of fertilizer will help boost the growth of a Monstera. If you fertilize too much, the plant will increase its shape. It even kills the tree. But if too little fertilizer will lead to the plant’s lack of nutrients, difficulty to grow, and dead branches. Therefore, the best way is twice a month to fertilize the tree once, the rate of applying 5% synthetic fertilizer to the tree. In addition, using rice water to water plants is also very good for the growth of plants.
You also should limit pesticides because they will affect your health. So if Monstera shows signs of pests, you should first use alcohol to wipe the leaves, then use organic drugs to control pests.
Above are the causes and instructions for taking care of Monstera black leaves. If you love to learn more about the best ways to care for this plant, keep with us our articles on the web: DIG Nursery to read articles on how to grow and care for the plant.
