Most of Monstera Albo Variegata is "long-stem" Monstera, cut points could be easily found between two nodes. But Monstera Thai Constellation is a "short-stem" form, especially if your plant grows up from tissue culture or baby plant, the nodes are very close.
Theoretically speaking, there is a node under every knot, it could potentially grow as a new plant. But you have to be very careful when you cut it.
After cutting, keep the cut surface clean and leave it for 12-hours for air-dry.
Layering:
The best way to propagate is layering aerial roots in sphagnum moss, after the development of enough roots, the shoot is detached from the parent plant to plant in the soil to lead an independent life. Before putting cuttings into soil, remember to remove the sphagnum moss as much as possible, as the moss easily rots the root in the soil.
Cuttings with aerial roots:
There are a lot of mediums for cuttings rooting, such as perlite, sphagnum moss, or Leca. For me, the fastest way is rooting aerial roots in water. And I believe as long as the cut surface is not contaminated, rooting in any substrate is all okay.
Cuttings without aerial roots:
If you get a cutting, but there are no aerial roots. All you need is patience.
The cutting without aerial roots is hard to root, you need to keep enough light and warm temperature. Generally, grow-lights and heating mats are needed, but I don't suggest propagating them in winter.
Root rotten:
If you find your cuttings getting black, do not be afraid, not all black spots are rotten. The rotten black spot has a vague edge and feels mashed when you touch it.
As shown in the above picture, the black spot is just normal cell death by water absorption and does not need to be cut back.
In my own experience, once the blade is clean and leave cuttings are air-dried for 12 hours, there is no rottenness during rooting.
Gene and Variegation:
The variegation depends on genes and luck. Light or temperature will not affect it. Large areas of green or white on leaves are more likely to grow as ghost and reverted plants. The marble variegation is the most stable.
]]>Do you know how David Austin named his roses?
David Austin named his roses in a few different ways. Some he named after family members, like the apricot rose named after his father, "Charles Austin(1973)", which, although discontinued by David Austin Company, has parented some good varieties, including two very famous ones: Graham Thomas(1983) and Golden Celebration(1992).
David Austin found inspiration in Shakespeare's writings and named many roses after them. In 1987, he released William Shakespeare(1987), but the market's reaction was not good. To make it different from the 1987 version, he introduced another dark red rose in 2000 named William Shakespeare 2000 (2000). They planted a large bed of William Shakespeare 2000 in Shakespeare’s birthplace Stratford to express their respect and love for Shakespeare.
Juliet (1999), known as the ‘£3 million rose,’ was the first of David Austin’s cut roses to be released. After over fifteen years of intensive breeding, Juliet combines the beautiful cupped rosette form of old roses with a very contemporary color. Juliet (1999) is not Sweet Juliet (1989) and is only available to growers in the florist industry.
Geoffrey Chaucer was an English poet and author. Widely considered the greatest English poet of the Middle Ages. And Chaucer must be one of David Austin's favorite poets.
David Austin also named some roses after British celebrities, including poet, novelist, artist, actor and outstanding gardener.
Constance Spry(1886-1960) was a British educator, florist and author. Her influence in floristry remains strong in the modern era. In 1961, David Austin's first rose introduction was named after her and is considered to be the foundation of his "English rose" series.
Graham Stuart Thomas(1909-2003) was an English horticulturist and best known for his work with garden roses. In 1983, David Austin named Rose Graham Thomas(1983) after his name. And this rose is the most awarded variety in all DA roses: 43 awards won!
For Albo Variegata and Thai Constellation, they are variegated varieties of Monstera Deliciosa. Lack of chlorophyll on leaves cause they are weaker than green varieties. But these variegation make them stunning. They deserve much attention and care.
The best temperature is 20°C-30°C, a steady minimum temperature of at least 15 °C, allowing continuous growth slowly. Growth ceases below 15 °C and it is dangerous if the temperature is below 10°C.
Keep your plants away from the window in winter. Even though your room is heated, the window temperature will drop down in late night. If leaves touch glass, they can get cold damage, which is irreversible.
Keeping at least 60% humidity can stop Variegated Monstera Deliciosa leaves browning in winter. Use a humidifier or place all plants together to create their own little steamy microclimate.
But do not mist your plants without enough ventilation, water on leaves will increase risk of fungal infection. How to decide when I should mist it? If water on leaves cannot dry out in 1 hour, wipe it and don't do again.
Maybe you have heard do not place Monstera Deliciosa in direct sunlight, but it does not apply to winter. Variegated Monstera Deliciosa need more light than green one, try giving it full sunlight in winter.
Plants rely on photosynthesis to make nutrients, so the light decides how fast your plant can grow. It is normal if your plants grow slowly or cease in winter, accept it or get a grow light.
The high proportion of coarse substrate, like Prelite, Coco Chips and Bark, can improve drainage and root development. But it requires high frequency watering and fertilization, especially in summer. So if you are not a lazy plant parent, you can use more coarse substrate in soil, Variegated Monstera Deliciosa will love it.
Excellent airflow is the most difficult condition for home planting. But breathable pots can help root ventilation for Variegated Monstera Deliciosa.
Terracotta pot definetifally is the best choice, and you can according to the pot colour to know what is water timing. Second choice is plastic pots, you can open more holes on them.
Please use the tiny pot for small plants. You should choose the same size pot as plants' roots. A small pot can increase soil dry-wet cycle frequency. When the root is full in pot, then change one size bigger pot.
Monstera Deliciosa Albo Variegata and Thai Constellation both are hardy plants, but to make them happy you need to pay much love.
These are two same varieties Pothos. If you have enough space, you can train it on a moss pole and get a large size houseplant. Or grow Pothos as a trailing plant in small room. But if only a supporter is provided, you will find the leaves getting smaller and smaller. Because over a certain heigh, soil roots cannot provide enough nourishment to new leaves.
The simplest verification feature is aerial roots cannot easily headlong into soil.
Monstera Thai Constellation is cultivar "Monstera Deliciosa", it is a very large climber in rainforest, but in our house it is hard to grow to that size. Maybe you have already found that Thai Constellation's aerial roots all are close to the soil surface, so a pole is not needed. However most Monstera Albo Variegata are "Monstera deliciosa f. borsigiana", a faster-growing climbing form of the classic M. deliciosa plant. The moss pole is necessary for Albo Variegata even from a young age.
The most recommended is Coco Coir Pole, it is environmentally friendly and can support the growth of plants, for vines with adventitious roots, provide extra nutrients to plants. And for some plants including aroids, the contact between aerial roots and the moss pole can trigger the development of larger, more mature leaves.
Or you can DIY a Sphagnum Moss pole for your plants. The materials you need are: PVC pipe or garden stakes , gutter guards, Sphagnum Moss and zip ties. If you hope your moss pole is self-watered, the cotton wick cord is needed as well.
Keeping the pole moist can encourage plants to take aerial roots into.
In addition, for future propagation, the moss pole is equivalent to the air layering setting. When plants get lush roots in Sphagnum Moss, cuttings do not need rooting in water or other substrate, which can improve the survival rate significantly.
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You should prune roses just before the plant breaks dormancy. Major pruning should be done in late winter to early spring.
Hardiness Zone 10 | In January |
Hardiness Zone 9 (Ireland) | In February |
Hardiness Zone 8 | In March |
Hardiness Zone 5,6,7 | In April |
Hardiness Zone 3,4 | In May |
This timetable is just for reference, it doesn't matter pruning roses a bit earlier or later, your roses are hardy plants. But bear in mind to prune them before the new leaves unfurled, if not you will only get a few flowers on the plant top.
Remove all leaves. Leaves will leaves fall off automatically when roses go into dormancy. But if your location is warm in winter, you need help removing all remaining leaves.
Now, you can look forward to beautiful roses in spring.
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