How often to water Monstera deliciosa

Use a wooden skewer to check the potting mix. Water when the top quarter to one-third is dry. Water slowly until all the mix is wet, then let the pot drain.

Plant covered

Monstera deliciosaSwiss cheese plantIndoor container guide

Test the potting mix

  1. Push a clean wooden skewer to the bottom of the pot, then pull it out.
  2. Water when the upper quarter to one-third of the skewer comes out mostly clean and dry.⁠[3]

Measure the dry section against the skewer’s full inserted length.⁠[1]

Water the full pot

Do not use a fixed cup amount. Water until the mix is fully wet and the pot has finished dripping.

  1. Take the inner pot to a sink or place it where runoff can leave freely. Confirm that its drainage holes are open.
  2. Pour slowly across the whole surface. Pause if water runs straight through a very dry channel, then repeat until the full mix has absorbed water.

Fast runoff can pass around mix that became too dry. If the pot still feels light or the skewer finds dry pockets, water again in slow passes.⁠[4]

Check again as conditions change

No fixed weekly interval fits every pot, room, and season.

Check sooner

Brighter, warmer conditions can shorten the wait. Keep using the same dry-depth check.

Expect a longer wait

Lower winter light often slows drying. Let the skewer confirm the longer wait instead of adding days to a calendar.

If the pot stays wet or dries too far

The mix stays wet

If the mix stays wet, do not water again yet. Check that the drainage holes are open and that the inner pot is not standing in water.

The mix dried completely

If the mix dried completely and pulled from the pot edge, one quick pour may miss dry pockets. Rewet it with several slow passes and check the skewer again.

Do not water from leaf position alone. Check how far the mix has dried first.

After watering, let the inner pot finish dripping before you return it. Empty the saucer or outer pot so the inner pot does not stand in runoff.⁠[2]

How this guide was checked
  • [1] North Carolina State University Extension Gardener Plant ToolboxCultural conditions; water; indoor care
  • [2] Royal Horticultural SocietyMoisture; cultivation; growing conditions
  • [3] North Carolina Cooperative Extension, Richmond County CenterWatering; wooden-skewer check
  • [4] Virginia Cooperative ExtensionPotting Soils and Drainage; How Much Water?; When To Water?