Monstera Albo Care

About: 

Monstera Albo also known as Albo Borsigiana or Monstera Deliciosa Albo (recently also being called "White Tiger" because I have no earthly idea why? I think we just make up new names for plants every six months or so to keep things as confusing as humanly possible) are a subspecies of the popular Monstera Deliciosa, characterized by large patches of white variegation. They have been introduced to many tropical areas and are considered a mildly invasive species.

FUN FACT - The fruit of variegated Monstera are also variegated! The smell has been compared to a combination of pineapples and bananas. The fruit is edible (safe for humans) and, I'm told, delicious - hence the name.

Family: 

Araceae

Light Requirements: 

Monstera Albo (vs. other variegated Monstera) require quite a bit of light to keep from browning (more on browning later.) So, I would put the emphasis on 🌟 B R I G H T 🌟 for them. My shop plants are getting around 300 PPFD (µmol/m²/s)

Other types, Aurea and Mint are a little more forgiving, though I wouldn't consider any variegated Monstera "low light." Mint are probably on the lowest end of the three, as they can go a little bleached if getting too much light.

Temperature & Humidity: 

60 - 80° F (15.5 - 26.5° C) / 50% + Humidity.
Monstera, in general, are pretty tolerant to most normal household conditions. As with any tropical plant, they'll certainly do better (grow larger, and a bit faster) with higher temperatures and especially humidity, but they have no problem getting on in less ideal conditions either. They're pretty hardy. 

Watering: 

Monstera like to dry out a bit between waterings. I let mine dry out almost completely before I soak them, usually waiting until I can't see much moisture around the outside of the pot - clear pots make this much easier, or until they feel light using the lift test. You can also check for guttation, or the lack there of, or the leaves are another good indicator - If you notice them drooping or feeling a bit thin, it's probably gone too long without a water. 

Important note: If you do suspect your Monstera has gone too long without a water, be careful not to flood it. I would suggest a little bit at a time over the course of the day. When a plant is severely dehydrated (and this is true of any plant, not just Monstera) it's roots can't absorb the water effectively, causing the remaining root system and surrounding soil to become overly saturated - The perfect environment for rot.

Grow Media:

Chunky and well-draining, something heavy with perlite, orchid bark or coco husk. I use this Monstera Mix. They also do alright in semi-hydro (though I do prefer the coir mixes.)  I've had success with both Pon and LECA and even Perlite. They also like to be a bit root-bound, so I would up-pot conservatively and not as routinely as with some other plants.

Growth Rate:

Growth rate is going to depend a lot on your conditions. Faster in ideal conditions or in the summer months, slower if colder or at lower humidity. Generally speaking, as long as your plant is happy and healthy, you can probably expect about one new leaf per month. 

Propagation: 

On a scale of 1 (easiest) to 5 (most difficult) I'd say they're a 2. Propagation is done via stem cuttings with one node / leaf per section.

I've had great success propagating these guys in perlite (treating it like LECA, so in a net pot with a reservoir.) Provided you have a decent size aerial root, they also prop well directly in soil.

Toxicity: 

Mildly toxic if ingested. Please keep out of reach of children and pets. Like all Monstera, they contain calcium oxalate crystals which can cause oral irritation. In rare cases, it can result in painful swelling, vomiting and difficulty swallowing. It's rarely fatal but can be extremely uncomfortable.

Additional Information: 

Monstera are (hemi)epiphytic which means they start their life on the ground and then begin to climb up surrounding vegetation (or structures) as they grow. As such, they definitely do benefit from having a nice support to get their aerial roots in or around. Obviously, traditional moss poles are a popular choice, personally I find them to be a huge enormous pain in the ass (my ass, your ass, all asses everywhere, really) to maintain and so I tend to only use them when I absolutely must.

My Monstera are all on these poles from Mossify, which don't require hourly watering to avoid them becoming hydrophobic like traditional moss poles do. Coir poles are another great option. Some people like to use planks, they climb trees in the wild so I promise they're not particular. Whatever you go with, be prepared to anchor it as the plant gets larger.

Lastly, I'm going to take a minute here to talk about...

BROWING & SILICA 
One of the most common issues to befall Monstera, specifically the Albo variety, is browning on the variegated parts of the leaves, and (unpopular opinion forthcoming) in response, a lot of the plant community has taken to Silica as some kind of panacea for all that ails your plant. Especially when it comes to browning.

Now, I'm not saying there are no benefits to Silica. There have been a couple of studies that have found, particularly in hydroponic environments, that silica can act as a root inoculant, helping to strengthen the plant in those extreme condition, but it seems to have taken on an almost miraculous status and it is absolutely NOT going to save your plant dying.

What will? Identifying and correcting the problem. (The cause of the browning.)  

So what causes browning? The first thing to know is that the variegated leaves (the white parts) on your plant do no benefit the plant at all. They produce no chlorophyll, and so cannot aid in photosynthesis. When something is wrong with the plant, when it's unhealthy or stressed, it will cut that dead weight (the white parts) in an effort to conserve it's energy and save itself. 

The most common causes of browning in Monstera Albo are:

1.  Not enough light (and I would argue this is the most common. However much light you think your Albo needs, it probably needs more. Again, all those beautiful white bits are not helping your plant to photosynthesize, so it needs an assist from you in the form of very ample light for energy to stay nice and healthy.)
2. Inconsistent watering. Including;

• Overwatering - If your brown spots are a bit soft and squidgy, this could be a sign of overwatering. Often this will occur on the lower, older, leaves first and may or may not be accompanied by some wilting or yellowing.
• Underwatering - If your brown spots are crispy this could be a sign of underwatering. Typically this will present first on newer leaves and may also be accompanied by curling leaf tips / edges and / or yellowing. 

In either case, and as mentioned above, long periods of under or overwatering can lead to root rot. So if the browning / wilting / yellowing of your plant is extreme, you might also want to pop him out to check his roots. 

There are some other (less common) causes of browning, including fertilizer burn and fungal issues, but 9 times in 10 it's light or water. So I would definitely investigate the horses before the zebra.

Anyway. Thanks for coming to my TEDTalk. If you have any questions, or some advice of your own to offer, please feel free to comment below. 

Thanks so much for stopping by!