Monstera adansonii are a fast-growing vining plant that thrives in bright, indirect light and can both grow upwards on a trellis and downwards from a hanging basket. Learn more about how to grow, care for, and propagate swiss cheese vine!
How to Grow, Care For & Propagate Swiss Cheese Vine
What is a swiss cheese vine?
Monstera adansonii, also known as swiss cheese vine is a vining plant with glossy green leaves full of oblong holes (known as fenestration).
Monstera adansonii can planted in a hanging pot or set on a ledge where its vines will grow long and trail downwards or it can be trained to climb and make use of its aerial roots.
Are monstera adansonii easy to grow?
Swiss cheese plants are a fast-growing easy-to-grow houseplant that thrives in bright indirect light and like to be kept not too wet and not too dry.
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4″ monstera adansonii
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How to Care for Monstera Adansonii
Swiss cheese vines are both trailing and vining plants – if you plant them in a hanging pot they’ll grow with their vines hanging downwards.
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You can also train monstera adansonii to grow upwards – in the wild they often grow by climbing up the trunks of other trees. You can use a moss pole, indoor trellis, or some other support system to give your swiss cheese vine something to climb.
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How much light do swiss cheese plants need?
In the wild, monstera adansonii grows under the cover of other plants – so they want bright indirect light. They can grow in 2-3 hours of direct sunlight per day, but browned leaf tips and edges might indicate your swiss cheese plant is getting too much direct light.
If your monstera adansonii is growing spindly with thin vines or small leaves it might not be getting enough light. You should make sure that it’s in a spot with enough sun and that you’re rotating it on a regular basis (so all sides of the plant get sun).
Learn more about types of light and how to care for plants >>
What kind of soil do swiss cheese plants need?
Swiss cheese vine likes an airy potting mix that provides oxygen to their roots and good drainage – adding perlite or orchid bark can help keep your mix from getting too compact.
You can use general or peat-based soil in your mix – while monstera adansonii wants good drainage to prevent root rot, they also don’t want to get completely dry.
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How much water do swiss cheese plants need?
Monstera adansonii is pretty easygoing – they don’t like to be too wet but they don’t like to be too dry. Avoid extremes and make sure that your plant has proper drainage to prevent overwatering.
A good test is to check the soil 1-2″ beneath the surface. If it’s mostly dry then it’s time for a drink!
How to prune & repot a swiss cheese vine
How do I prune my swiss cheese vine?
You should remove any yellowing leaves on a regular basis. If your plant is getting spindly or is getting too long, you can prune the vines to encourage growth or if they’re just getting too long.
To prune your monstera adansonii, use a pair of clean scissors to cut right above a node (where the leave attaches to the vine). You can then replant the cut vine directly into the pot to add more fullness to your plant.
Trimming your swiss cheese vine is also a great way to start propagating your own plants.
When should I repot my swiss cheese vine?
Monstera adansonii is a fast grower and doesn’t like to be rootbound.
You can check to see if your monstera needs a larger pot by looking at the bottom of it current pot. If the roots are sticking out of the bottom or circling the bottom of pot, you should repot it into a larger container.
How to propagate monstera adansonii
Because it is such a fast grower, its easy to propagate swiss cheese vine from cuttings. You can use these cuttings to grow entirely new plants or plant back in the same pot to make your plant look fuller.
At minimum you need one node (where the leaf attaches to the vine) and one leaf to propagate monstera adansonii. I usually make sure my cuttings have at least 2 nodes and a few leaves out of personal preference.
Can I propagate monstera adansonii in soil?
To propagate a swiss cheese vine in soil, take your cutting and put it in a loose, well-draining potting mix.
Can I propagate monstera adansonii in water?
Propagating swiss cheese vine in water can take several days to see the first few roots and several weeks before producing a new leaf.
To propagate a swiss cheese vine, take your cutting and place it in enough water to fully cover one node, but try to keep the rest of the plant out of the water.
Change the water every few days and monitor for root and new leaf growth. Once you’ve established roots that are about 2 inches long, you can plant your cutting into a loose, well-draining potting mix.
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