Hi there,
I went to a talk by one of your members last year and loved it :)
They had mentioned you could email in questions so I was hoping to get your guidance on caring for some of my bigger plants now that Spring is here. I feel they need some extra attention going into the new season.
My main question is about pruning – I have attached a few images and my questions on each plant type, below.
Banana Leaf:
– There are two leafs that are in bad shape, should I cut these off in order to allow the plant to use its resources on other healthier leafs?
– There is a leaf that is has been breaking upon opening – what is the best way to treat this leaf?
– Any general care tips for this plant? I love it so much and worry I don’t know enough about its care.
Monstera:
– Should I just be adding soil to these plants where the roots have started growing outside of the soil? Am I able to cut the roots that don’t grown into the soil or should I leave them?
– How do I get a more well rounded plant? For both my Monstera’s the leafs all grow very heavily in one direction, towards the sun.
Aloe and Money Tree:
– Can I cut the brown ends of the aloe and brown leafs from the money tree?
Pilea:
– Should I be concerned about the white patches in the soil? Is that a sign of over watering?
Thank you so much! I am really appreciate your help and am looking forward to getting my plants into better shape for Summer!
Thank you for contacting Toronto Master Gardeners.
Banana is a very interesting plant even though we call it a tree it is actually an herbaceous plant that has more than 1,000 different varieties of bananas, has rhizomes, is genus Musa, family Musaceae. The false trunk is made of leaf sheaths crowned by a rosette of elliptic leaves. The most common banana plant sold in Canada is the Musa Basjoo due to it resistance to cold, it prefers direct sunlight in a south facing window and warm temperatures between 20-30°C. Requires high humidity and needs to be kept moist, yet not standing in water, and it will need repotting at least every two years. You will need to fertilize monthly with a potassium-rich fertilizer. The outer leaves you can remove them as banana plants are not long lived usually in production its a two year cycle, where a new pup will grow from the bottom which will be the new banana plant, while the old one is removed. Your potted banana plant can live up to six years. If you have a pup or sprout from the bottom of your trunk you can start a new plant as the original stem will start dying. Removing the dead or brown leaves should be done with a sharp knife and taken off from the bottom of the stem and peeled off. Banana leaves have a tendency to rip it does not affect the plant growth. Here is a website that provides information on the genus Musa. Banana Plant Information
Your monstera plant is easy care plant that needs very little maintenance. Do not overwater them, or water only when the first two inches of soil have dried out, and in bright indirect light. It sounds if your plant has outgrown its pot and needs repotting. Our website has information on how to grow a Monstera: Monstera Plant Most plants grow towards the sun to balance its growth you should rotate your Monstera plant so that different parts of the plant are facing the sunlight. Monsteras are know for their unruly growth.
Aloe is a succulent you can cut off the brown spots at the end . As long as you do not mind the new look you can go ahead and remove the brown leaves or spots from both the money tree and aloe. Brown spots on a plant are the signs of overwatering. Toronto Master Gardeners website provides information on Beginners Guide to Growing Houseplants: Beginners guide to growing houseplants.
Without a photo of the white patches in the soil of the Pilea I am unable to diagnose the problem. I have had white fuzzy growth on over watered soil and it was caused by a fungus, it can also be mold or it can be salt residue. Information on preventing this happening in your pot is found on our Master Gardener Website: Fungus, Mold or Salt residue on houseplant and White surface residue on houseplant
Happy indoor gardening!