Monstera acacoyaguensis #1 Care Guide in Great Detail

Mostera acacoyaguensis is a beautiful, easy-to-grow tropical plant that will quickly become not only one of your favorites but a centerpiece in any collection. Its large, glossy green leaves can reach up to six feet across. The young plants have an upright appearance that makes them perfect for growing indoors or outdoors.

This beautiful plant is also known as the Swiss Cheese plant because of the unique holes and patterns in the leaves. Each leaf is an individual work of art.

These plants are native to rainforests. They typically grow close together, often intertwining their long aerial roots with neighboring plants, forming a beautiful green mat on the forest floor.

If you’re introducing Monstera acacoyaguensis to your home, you ought to know how to take care of it so that it can thrive.

Monstera acacoyaguensis needs slightly moist soil to thrive, along with bright indirect sunlight and fertilizing. The Swiss Cheese Plant is a tropical plant that likes humidity and temperatures between 70° and 90°F. Keep the plant away from drafts and cold temperatures to prevent leaf loss.

If you want to introduce this plant to your garden, we’re here to give you a comprehensive guide on how to grow, water, prune, and provide appropriate care. Let’s get started.

Featured imaged by CutePlantClub.

General Care of Monstera acacoyaguensis

Once the plant is established, it will be easy to take care of because Monstera acacoyaguensis requires very little additional attention. The plant will reward you with great beauty if you give it the care and the environment it deserves.

Watering

Water your Swiss Cheese Plant when the top inch of soil becomes dry. You can find out if the top inch of the soil is dry by gently putting a finger inside the soil. If the top inch of the soil is dry to the touch, then you need to water it.

When watering this Monstera, make sure you water until the water starts to drain from the bottom of the pot. Let the water drain out of the pot for at least 5 minutes before putting the pot back on the saucer.

Water Monstera acacoyaguensis evenly about once a week.

Keep in mind that too much water can cause root rot, and too little water can cause the plant to wilt and ultimately die. So finding the right watering schedule for your plant is crucial.

Lighting

Monstera acacoyaguensis is one of the few tropical plants that can easily be grown indoors. It doesn’t need direct sunlight but needs bright light from an east or west-facing window. If you don’t have natural lighting, you will need to use a grow lamp with your Monstera acacoyaguensis plant. Make sure that the bulb simulates outdoor sunlight.

Light is important to the health and growth rate of the Monstera acacoyaguensis because it allows for photosynthesis, which produces sugars that feed the plant. Remember, too much direct sunlight can burn your plant’s leaves, so keep it out of strong and direct sunlight.

If you see your plant turning yellow or having scorched leaves, you might be giving it too much or too little light. You will need to provide 14 hours of light per day for young plants, while mature plants can be satisfied with only 10 hours per day.

Soil

You will need to use soil that holds moisture and is rich in nutrients. You can mix equal amounts of peat moss, perlite, and sand, or you can use only peat moss as your potting medium. Make sure the soil’s PH level is around 6.5 and that the pot has holes in its bottom to allow excess water to drain away.

You can increase humidity in the soil by mixing a little bit of moss with the soil. Remember not to cover the roots too much because the Monstera acacoyaguensis needs air around its root system.

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Potting

The Monstera acacoyaguensis does not have a slow growth rate neither does it have a fast growth rate (it's somewhere in the middle). That is why you only have to repot this plant every 2 to 3 years.

When you transplant this plant make sure that the new pot is slightly larger than the old one.

The best time to repot your Monstera acacoyaguensis is in the spring. This will make them more likely to bloom and provide healthy growth for new green leaves throughout the year.

Pruning

Pruning the plant is not necessary, but you can trim it if you want. If you are pruning it, make sure to do so in the spring or summer to promote new growth and blooms. It’s best to leave a little bit of stem on your plant if possible.

Moreover, make sure to use sterilized shears after each pruning session and dip the plant’s leaves in Bordeaux mix or fungicides.

Fertilizer

You will only need to fertilize your Swiss Cheese plant once per month. Only use fertilizer during the growing season, which is from spring to summer.

You can use a water-soluble houseplant fertilizer according to package instructions. If you choose to use organic fertilizer, be sure to mix it with water first.

When fertilizing your Monstera acacoyaguensis, you should only add a small amount to the top of the soil to promote new growth and prevent root burn. Follow the directions on the package as far as how much fertilizer to use per watering session.

Remember, the Monstera acacoyaguensis is a tropical plant and doesn’t need fertilizing during the winter months (the excess minerals during the winter months can actually kill the plant).

Humidity

Monstera acacoyaguensis likes a humid environment so if you are growing it indoors, keep the humidity around your plant as high as possible by misting the leaves with room temperature water several times a week. This will also encourage insects that feed on decaying vegetation to visit your plant, which will help with pollination and seed dispersal.

If you are growing the Swiss Cheese Plant outdoors, humidity is taken care of naturally. You can still mist it once a day to help with the humidity around the plant.

Temperature

Monstera acacoyaguensis needs temperatures around 70°F during the day, with a drop to between 60° and 65°F at night. Because the plant is native to the rain forests, the temperatures you give it should be similar to those found in the rain forests so that it can feel at home and grow perfectly.

This plant doesn’t like the cold, so you should move it away from any drafts or cold air. This way, you can avoid browning of the leaves and even leaf drop due to low temperatures.

Pests

The most common pest for Swiss Cheese Plant is mealybugs. These pests are big enough to see with the naked eye as they tend to congregate on stems and leaf undersides. If you notice sticky, white flakes on your plant’s leaves or stems, then it probably has mealybugs.

These pests are a big problem, and you should treat them immediately. Mealybugs secrete honeydew that can encourage the growth of sooty mold as well as attract ants and other pests.

Other pets that are likely to attack this Monstera are spider mites, though they’re less common. These pests tend to appear in the late summer and fall seasons and will inject your plant with toxins that cause yellowing leaves along with brown spotting.

If you see webbing on your Monstera acacoyaguensis, then an insect may be present somewhere on your plant. Take a closer look to identify the exact species of insect.

You can use an organic or chemical pesticide to get rid of any pest. I personally have used neem oil many times to get rid of pests on plants. Check it out in my shop, click here.

Diseases

The most common disease that the Swiss Cheese Plant is susceptible to is known as root rot. Root rot mainly occurs due to overwatering and having too much moisture in the soil around the roots of the plant. Signs of root rot are wilting, foul odor, yellow leaves, mushy stems, and distorted leaves.

Treating Swiss Cheese Plant root rot is a bit tricky because it can spread to other plants quite easily, creating a domino effect.

Once you notice the signs of root rot in your plant, remove it immediately and place it in quarantine for several weeks before replanting.

Adding cinnamon to the soil may help prevent this disease from attacking your plant.

You can treat root rot by rinsing the soil with a mixture of one part 3% percent hydrogen peroxide with two parts water and carefully pour it over the plant's root system with a watering can. Another way to get rid of root rot is by removing the plant from its pot and cutting away all the affected roots (which are black, brown, and/or mushy).

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How to Propagate Monstera acacoyaguensis (Swiss Cheese Plant)

One of the best things about growing the Monstera acacoyaguensis is that it can be propagated easily from cuttings. You can do the cutting throughout the year, but it’s most effective when you do it in late summer or early fall. You should take cuttings from the newest growth on the plant at a leaf node.

After cutting the vine from your plant, you will need to put it in water immediately to avoid wilting. Cut a vine that is still attached to the original plant, then remove all but two leaves from the bottom half of the vine before setting it in water. You should change the water daily since you never know what kinds of bugs might be hanging out there.

You will also need to keep your cuttings warm and in bright indirect light. Place them on a heating pad or any other heating device that can maintain between 70° and 82°F (21°- 28°C). This temperature range is crucial because it allows for rooting but doesn’t encourage mold growth.

To keep humidity high, place a plastic bag with a couple of holes over the container with your cuttings. You will need to check them daily to make sure they’re getting enough water and remove any dead leaves or stems that fall off. Roots should start growing after about two weeks, but you will want to hang on for another 2-4 weeks before planting in soil.

Once the roots have formed, transplant them into a pot with soil and treat them as a mature plant. You can also take leaf cuttings to propagate the Swiss Cheese Plant. Just stick the cutting in some water until roots begin to form and then move it to the soil like you would with vine cuttings.

Related Questions

Why are the leaves of Monstera acacoyaguensis turning yellow?

If your Swiss Cheese Plant starts turning yellow, then there is a good chance it has been exposed to too much light. This will cause the chlorophyll to break down, leading to early leaf drop or even death. Your plant may also lack nutrients, so make sure you’re giving it plenty of water and feeding it with a balanced fertilizer once every month (only during the growing season).

Why are Monstera acacoyaguensis leaves turning brown?

If you notice your Swiss Cheese Plant’s leaves turning brown then there is a good chance you’ve exposed it to too much heat. This could mean that the plant is either in direct sunlight or sitting next to something hot like a heater or a television. It could also mean that you’re watering the plant too often, and moisture is pooling up on the leaves.

To fix this, only water the plant when the top inch of the soil feels dry to the touch and keep the temperature around the plant between 65°and 90°F (15- 32°C).

Why is my Monstera acacoyaguensis wilting?

If you see wilting leaves on your Monstera acacoyaguensis, then you will want to check the soil for moisture. You may have overwatered the plant, allowing it to sit in water too long and wilt. The potting mix could also be too heavy or compacted, so make sure there are holes for air circulation.

How to prevent root rot in Monstera acacoyaguensis?

The best way to prevent root rot is to keep your plant’s soil lightly moist and refrain from letting the pot sit in water for long periods. You can also try adding cinnamon to the soil since it is known to prevent a type of fungus that causes this disease.

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