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INDOORPLANTCARE
Pruning · Monstera

How to Prune a Monstera

Once or twice a year; light pruning anytime. Best time: Late spring through early summer, when active growth resumes.

Frequency
Once or twice a year; light pruning anytime
Best season
Late spring through early summer, when active growth resumes
Tools
Sharp bypass pruners or a clean serrated knife; isopropyl alcohol to sterilize before each plant
Aftercare
Leave the cut surface to dry; do not seal it. Resume normal watering. Cuttings root in water within 3-4 weeks at 70°F.

Where to cut on a Monstera

Cut just above a node (the bumpy ring on the stem) using a 45-degree angle. The cut stem will branch from the node below — and the cutting you remove can be rooted into a new plant.

Step-by-step

  1. 1
    Identify what you want to remove: leggy vines with no aerial roots, yellowing/damaged leaves, or stems escaping the support structure.
  2. 2
    Sterilize your pruners with isopropyl alcohol or by holding the blades in a flame for 5 seconds.
  3. 3
    For shaping: cut just above a node at a 45-degree angle. The plant will branch from the node below.
  4. 4
    For yellow/damaged leaves: cut the petiole (leaf stem) all the way back to the main stem — do not leave stubs.
  5. 5
    For propagation: take cuttings with at least one node and one aerial root. Root in water or sphagnum moss.
  6. 6
    Never remove more than 25% of the foliage in one session — the plant uses leaves to photosynthesize and recover.

Why prune a Monstera

  • Encourages branching from the node below the cut, creating a fuller plant
  • Removes leggy growth that ages the plant aesthetically
  • Each cutting can become a new plant (free propagation)
  • Manages size on a plant that wants to climb 60+ feet in the wild

What ruins a Monstera when pruning

  • Cutting between nodes — the cut section above dies back and no new growth replaces it
  • Removing too many leaves at once — the plant loses photosynthetic capacity faster than it can replace it
  • Using dull or unsterile tools — crushes the stem and invites bacterial infection
  • Pruning in winter — dormant Monsteras heal slowly and the wound stays open longer

Botanical reference: Missouri Botanical Garden — Monstera deliciosa

For full Monstera care, see the Monstera care guide. To repot the same plant, see how to repot a Monstera.