You can either decide to direct the "aerial" roots down into the pot, let them grow wherever they want, or cut them off. In their native rainforest of Yucatan, the aerial roots help anchor them into surrounding plants/trees and help them climb into the forest canopy. Believe it or not, even the common philodendron (cousin to the monstera) does this. I had one in a north facing window and the vines formed aerial roots and started to attach themselves to the wall (like ivy) and start climbing the walls. I let them do this for a while because I found it so interesting and was pleased the plant loved its location. (Also made me aware of a moisture problem with the wall to begin with). Moral of the story is that you may want to provide some sort of supportive structure for the weight of the vines.--They can grow to massive proportions given the right conditions. I'll leave it up to your ingenuity to design a support. As a general rule of thumb, I do not like to translant anything into a pot larger than 1.5 times the existing size. If that sunroom of yours gets chilly in the winter(below 60 F), watch your watering. I have kept tropicals in an unheated sunroom that would be in the 55-65 degree range in the winter but you have to reduce watering if it gets that chilly (monsteras are really pretty drought tolerant). PS. Did you know that the mature Monstera produces a tasty fruit in the tropics. Good luck!

i have a variegated cheese plant since 1996... at the start it had split leaves unfurling... it was a small cutting when i got it... and i was thinking the same as someone here pointed out... that they were still splitting because they were part of an original mature plant... for a long time this plant did nothing... it merely survived... and barely a new leaf in 6 years or more... then this year i decided i needed to do something... so i repotted into good loamy compost... and bigger pot... bought larger moss pole and unravalled the plant... and tied it up to the new pole... then i bought some good biological plant food... with dropper which was a liquid feed when added to water(i prefer rainwater) that will cancel out problems with toxic water...the plant has now doubled in size over the summer and variegation is stronger... leaves are coming out fast...yet... not split :( i feel like its more of a simple philodendron and or the age of the plant this is very disappointing... any advice? i do keep it in bright light though not sun..

Hi Sheri! If the plant is truly Monstera deliciosa it isn't a Philodendron at all. The genus Monstera contains 33 to 36 or so species depending on the scientific source quoted. There are many scientific names in the genus but almost all have been sunk into synonymy with a much smaller number of accepted species names. It sounds as if you've done your homework already since you know the name of the botanist that originally published the plant or at least his abbreviated name so I'd say you actually have that species. Monstera deliciosa has a number of natural variations and some produce leaves that remain very small for the entire life of the plant. I was recently given a cutting from a 20 year old plant the the largest leaves weren't 12 inches wide. Philodendron is a very large genus with something close to 1000 species divided into three major sections but that is a totally different discussion. The same common name is used for Philodendron bipinnatifidum (P selloum) since it has multi-lobed leaf margins (edges). Even if the plant were P. bipinnatifidum the growth method is basically the same. It sounds as if your growing conditions are good for Monstera deliciosa since it is very tolerant. I doubt you can over water it since it naturally grows along steam banks in southern Mexico and most of Central America. However, the soil mixture may not be good for this species. Monstera require a very fast draining soil so if you have it in Mississippi clay the roots may not be able to freely grow and gather water and nourishment. The other possible cause would be either lack of or over fertilization. Either is just as bad. Most commercial growers prefer something like Osmocote 30-30-30 for large aroids. If the soil is good I'd try the fertilizer first. If the soil has not been amended I would suggest you mix a large quantity of moisture control potting soil with about 20% peat moss and add a BUNCH of cypress mulch. If you can find a bag of cheap orchid bark with charcoal add that as well along with any compost you can find. I know it may be a big job but if you dig the plant up and replant it in this mix it should begin to thrive. My big question is the weather in your area. Although Monstera deliciosa will likely survive, it will be temporarily stunted by extreme cold. The species is not know to do great much north of Orlando so keep that in mind. You can shield it from the cold during any really cold nights but try to keep it from long exposure. You should know this species craves to climb. I have several large specimens in my own atrium and one is now 10 feet up the nearest tree. I've seen them in the tropics and in South Florida at least 50 feet into the canopy and have read of them climbing much higher. Other than that, without photos to examine I'm not sure what other advice to offer.

Thank you for your comment. I’m sure it’s probably wise to lean on the side of caution and wait until spring to repot. But I’m wondering if ‘potting up’ would be beneficial for now? The monstera especially seems it’ll be outgrowing it’s small pot at the rate it’s going. If yes on potting up, should I use the gritty mix as the new soil? Not sure how that works going from soil to gritty... if anybody could at least give me advice as to potting up and how, I’d be most grateful. Another thread I read mentioned the monstera may grow best using the 511 mix and ffl using the gritty. Any comments and experience with this is appreciated as well.