Monstera plants will not get brown patches on leaves if you do 3 simple things

Houseplants like monsteras are a popular choice for brightening up homes, but many plant owners often ask the same question: why are the leaves turning brown? One concerned owner took to House Plant Journal to ask for help, explaining: "Our monstera plant has developed brown patches in the middle of its leaves. We thought it was due to over-watering, but changing the water schedule hasn't helped."

The user revealed they'd owned the monstera for eight months, were watering it twice a week, and had only repotted it once when they first bought it. They also admitted the plant was "pretty far from the window" but still received "some direct light". But a plant expert on the site named Darryl quickly pointed out that the real issue wasn't just about water, it was all about the light.

"Your monstera, sitting so far from the window, is receiving probably 10 times less light than the ones close to the window," he said.

He added: "It's not merely about less direct sun - the overall view of the sky is much less compared to being close to the window - that's the main reason why there's less light."

According to Darryl, the lack of light slows the plant's natural processes like photosynthesis and water usage. As a result, watering too often leads to soggy soil and root problems.

"Black rotted spots occur on monstera leaves when the plant is weak (from poor light) and the soil remains moist for too long from poor water usage," he explained.

To stop brown or black patches from forming in future, Darryl said there are three things every monstera owner should do.

1. Move the plant right in front of a window

Getting enough light is key. "If you put the monstera right in front of those windows, you'll see that the soil dryness reaches 'partially dry' within about a week," Darryl said.

2. Water based on soil dryness - not a fixed schedule

"I don't have a schedule with watering my plants," he added. "I first make sure they get adequate light, then I just look at the soil and determine if it's ready to be watered - nothing to keep track of."

3. Use a suitable soil and monitor water retention

Old or poor soil can hold too much water. Once a monstera is in the right light and soil, it will grow healthier leaves without the dreaded brown patches.

Unfortunately, existing spots can't be fixed. Darryl warned: "You cannot make the current black spots disappear or 'heal' - they are there forever until you cut off the leaf or the whole leaf dies off."

However, despite Darryl's initial explanation, another user named Danielle commented: "My monstera seems to be getting these same spots throughout the leaves but nothing seems to help them?"

Darryl then replied again, stressing: "The only way to prevent new spots from appearing is to improve the growing conditions: adequate light, watering accordingly, and using a suitable soil."