How to Grow Monstera Plant From Seed

Monstera plants continue to be among the most popular houseplants. Growing a Monstera plant from seed can be a rewarding and exciting experience.

You can easily purchase these large plants from your local greenhouse or nursery. Many big box stores also carry Monstera plants. However, growing these plants from seed is a fun and rewarding experience. You can easily grow a monstera plant from seed with a few tools, tips, and tricks.

In this post we will go over the different methods for germinating a Monstera seed, and planting the seedlings. I have grown two different batches of Monstera’s from seed. My baby seedlings are thriving and I am enjoying watching every new leaf come out! If you want to watch the journey of my seedlings, I filmed the progress on my YouTube channel

How to germinate Monstera seeds

Once your seeds arrive you will need to germinate them quickly. The Monstera seeds do not have a very long shelf life and they have already been stressed and dried out from shipping.

I did a LOT of research before I chose my germination methods. I germinated each of my two batches of seeds differently to test them out.

Soaking Method

The first method is the soaking method. This simply means you soak your seeds in water for 12-24 hours to kick start the germination process.

To do this method, fill a small container with warm tap water and place seeds in the container.

The seeds will swell a small amount. After 12-24 hours (48 max!) You can plant your seeds into a small pot. Do not leave them in the water over 48 hours, seeds can drown.

Keep in a bright area but not in hot direct sunlight.

After 2-3 weeks a small monstera start will emerge from the soil.

Soaking is a simple way to kickstart the germination process. It makes planting the seeds a little easier since they have typically not sprouted yet.

I soaked my seeds for 24 hours, then I planted them into a peat pot inside a mini greenhouse.

Paper Towel Germination

The second method is the paper towel method. I preferred this method over soaking. It was easy to do and I was able to keep an eye on the progress of the sprouts. With the soaking method I was unsure if I had soaked the seeds long enough. There seems to be a lot more room for error.

To do the paper towel method, you need some paper towels, monstera seeds, a water filled spray bottle, and a plate.

• Lay the seeds out in a single layer on the paper towel.
• Overlap the paper towel over the seeds until they have 2 layers lightly covering them.
• Place the paper towel on a plate and spritz until the seeds and paper towel are moist.
• Put the plate in a brightly lit area, avoid prolonged exposure to direct sunlight
• Check the seeds daily and spritz the paper towel. Seeds should sprout within 2-4 days.

Once the seeds sprout they need to be planted. In my research I found some individuals do not like the paper towel method because they were concerned the roots would grow into the paper towel. This was not my experience, the seeds sprouted and were very easy to take off of the paper towel and place into pots.

Where can I purchase Monstera seeds?

There are many shops online selling Monstera seeds. You just need to decide how many seeds you would like and what kind of seeds you would like to purchase.

Variegated Monstera Seeds

One of the most sought after seeds that people look for is a Variegated Monstera seed. You CANNOT purchase variegated monstera seeds. If a seller is claiming that they have variegated monstera seeds, do not buy them. It is impossible to tell what seeds would hold the Chimeric mutation responsible for producing a variegated plant. Many sellers on Amazon are claiming to have variegated monsteras and are actually selling grass seed. Not even a Monstera seed at all!

Buying from a reputable source is key for healthy monstera plants. I have found the most success purchasing on Etsy. You can read reviews of past buyers, and the shops have been properly vetted. I have purchased twice from the shop GrowingHope on Etsy with great success.

Browse Monstera Seeds on Etsy

Potting Monstera Seeds

Once your seeds have germinated there are a couple different ways you can put them in their grow pot. You can use a mini greenhouse system or simply place them in regular pots with an Aroid substrate mix and have them grow in there.

Mini Greenhouse with Peat Pods

The mini greenhouse method is the one that I chose for my first batch. This involves a small plastic container with peat pods in it that you plant the seeds in. Once the seeds have soaked, they can be planted directly into the peat moss. The container comes with a plastic lid that snaps on and provides humidity for the seedlings.

There are pros and cons to this method

The pros:

1. You don’t have to mix your own substrate.
2. The seedlings have humidity provided for them.
3. They are in their own individual pods.

The cons

1. Small pods that the seedlings grow out of quickly.
2. The netting around the peat will need to be removed or the Monstera roots will grow through the side and get stuck.

I found the second method to be the most effective way of planting the germinated Monstera seeds.

Planting directly into pot

For my second batch of seeds I planted them in clear plastic pots with an Aroid mix substrate after they had sprouted in the paper towels. Most of my seeds germinated and grew with this method.

When I planted the seeds in the pot I did not provide any additional humidity or lighting. I just set them in a bright area in my kitchen and they grew beautifully. A couple things to note: I grew the seeds in the summertime when we have plenty of light. I also placed my seedlings on the counter above my dishwasher which gave them added humidity.

If you are trying to grow your seeds in the winter, I would suggest adding a grow light. I used this one from Amazon last year with good results. You may need to add humidity around your seedlings if you are growing them in a very dry climate. If you can’t put a plastic bag over the containers, then I suggest purchasing a small humidifier to go next to your seedlings

I pot them in clear pots this is to ensure I can keep an eye on the root growth and do quality checks on the roots and the plant easily.

For the substrate mix I use a chunky Aroid mix that I blend myself. I like to do 60% potting soil, 20% perlite, and 20% orchid bark. The key to happy Monstera roots is a quick draining soil mixture that won’t hold moisture and rot the roots. Root rot is common with Monstera plants.

How long does it take for Monstera seedlings to grow?

My first batch of seedlings has been growing for 3 months. They are growing beautifully and putting on multiple leaves per week. The second batch is 1.5 months old and much smaller.

A word of caution I would give is don’t give up if your seedlings are taking a while to sprout. With my second batch I almost tossed one out when it had not popped up after 2 full weeks. It finally popped up and it is doing fantastic. They grow at different rates, but they all seem to be hardy little plants.

Overall I have been very happy with the progress of my Monstera seedlings. I’m so excited to have my own Monstera plants that I was able to watch grow from tiny baby seeds.

I hope you found this article helpful! Please let me know if you have any questions about seedlings and I will do my best to help you out!

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