The Swiss Cheese Monstera, also known as Monkey Mask or Swiss Cheese vine, gets its name from its leaves' massive, naturally-occurring holes. As a variety of Monstera, the Swiss Cheese plant loves warm, tropical environments and makes an excellent, eye-catching addition to any home garden. These beautiful leafy plants are also relatively easy to care for and are even easier to propagate and share with friends and family!

There are three main ways to propagate your Monstera through cuttings: water, soil, and sphagnum moss. Each method has its own specific techniques to follow to ensure successful rooting for your new plant babies.

[Propagating Tips and Tricks]General Propagating Tips and Tricks

Before getting into the different types of propagation, let’s first go over some general tips that will make your process easier and more successful:

Things You Will Need

You’ll always need a few items to properly propagate your plants. First, you’ll need a clean, sharp pair of scissors or a knife to make a clean cut on your plant. You’ll also want to set aside some space for your cuttings to dry and callous over, a small pot with fresh soil to plant your rooted cutting, and plenty of fresh water.

Making Your Cuttings

When you make a cutting on your Swiss Cheese Monstera, be sure to cut the plant’s stem just above a node where it branches off from the rest of the plant. Cutting the stem diagonally will help give your cutting some extra surface area to produce roots, but you can cut straight across the stem if you prefer. After you make your cutting, always give your main plant and cuttings 24 hours to callous over before moving on.

 Cut the plant’s stem just above a node where it branches off from the rest of the plant.
Photo by Angie Yeoh 

Use a Rooting Hormone

To help your cuttings take root faster, you can also use a rooting hormone once your cutting’s calloused over. For these cuttings, you’ll want to either dip the calloused end of your cutting in a liquid rooting hormone or spread a powdered rooting hormone over a damp paper towel and wrap your cutting in it. Rooting hormones are optional, but many gardeners like them because they make the propagation process move faster. You can find rooting hormones at your local garden store or make one of your own using common kitchen ingredients.

Water Propagation

Water propagation relies on soaking your cuttings in clean water to get roots to develop, then planting them in fresh soil once roots have formed.

Specific Supplies

For this propagation method, you’ll need some clean jars and fresh water for your cuttings. You’ll need to replace the water once every three to five days to keep your baby plant from getting sick.

Propagating

To propagate, dip your cutting in your rooting hormone, then place it in a jar filled halfway with clean, room-temperature water. Keep your glass on a bright, sunny windowsill. Every three to five days, you’ll need to dump out the water and replace it. With this propagation method, you’ll be able to see roots develop– when they’ve reached about five inches long, plant your cutting.

when they’ve reached about five inches long, plant your cutting
Photo by Carlina Teteris

Soil Propagation

Soil propagation relies on placing your cutting directly into fresh soil after it calluses over. This propagation method is considered one of the most popular since it’s low-effort and cost-effective.

Specific Supplies

All you’ll need for propagating a cutting with soil is a fresh pot filled with well-draining soil, preferably the same type of soil you use for your Swiss Cheese plant. 

Propagation With Cuttings

Once your cutting has callused over and you’ve dipped it in your rooting hormone, place the stem about an inch deep into your new pot. Keep your pot somewhere it’ll receive plenty of bright, indirect sunlight, and mist the soil regularly to keep it moist. After about two weeks, give your cutting a little tug: if you feel some resistance, you’ve got roots!

To help keep your cutting environment moist, some people like to make miniature greenhouses by placing a couple of layers of plastic wrap over the pot. This will help lock in moisture and keep your Monstera nice and toasty!

Propagation Through Division

Another way to propagate a Monstera is through root division, a process where you separate the root ball to propagate a new plant. Using this method, you’ll need a clean, sharp knife to sever your root ball. Before cutting, give your Monstera a good soak to ensure the roots have plenty of moisture and nutrients needed to heal. When you cut, try to follow the natural contours of the root ball to ensure a clean, natural cut. Then, plant your divided Swiss Cheese Monstera in its own pot with fresh soil.

Moss Propagation

Moss propagation relies on sphagnum moss, a highly-absorbent plant that is excellent at retaining moisture.

Specific Supplies

For this propagation method, you’ll need a small, well-draining pot, some sphagnum moss, and some perlite.

Propagating

Before cutting, prepare a 70/30 moss-perlite mixture in your container, mixing the two ingredients together. After you’ve made your cutting, dip it in your rooting hormone and plant it about one inch deep into your moss mixture. Mist the moss to keep it nice and moist, and place your cutting where it’ll receive plenty of bright, indirect sunlight. This propagation method also benefits from a mini-greenhouse to help retain moisture and warmth.

 

Once your cutting develops roots about five inches long, transfer it to a pot of fresh, well-draining soil.

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