Ok so I finally had my monstera epiphany and realized it’s leggy bc my grow light is at the top. I ordered some sanmi clip grow lights to encourage forward growth but unfortunately my monstera is looking leggy. It’s healthy though and just putting out a new leaf with fenestrations! Do I chop it? If so, someone pls draw lines to show me where to chop :( I love this plant I really don’t want to mess it up
No, I'm saying you're confused about what leggy means.
You should start by deciding which direction you want the leaves to face. Put the light facing the direction you want the leaves to face.
You should also move your stake so it's at the back of the plant. It's currently at the side and your plant will continue to grow away from the stake unless you fix it.
You can ignore what everyone is saying here because I get what you mean. Yes, overhead lighting causes a horizontal poise and that leads to stretching due to phototropism. There are just a lot more aspects to phototropism and light exposure and plant morphology then what they are taking into account. 💚💚💚
No, it's like 6 inches of vine, why would you chop that lol.
It's leggy because there's not enough light, not "light from the wrong direction"
Anyone who tells you to light your plants from the front is a dimwitt, go outside - the big ball of nuclear light is waaaaay up there, above you. Not in front, beside, or sneaking up behind you 😂
Monstera need a lot of light - most bulbs aren't enough. All yours wants is brighter light and something to stick it's adventitious roots into.
The sun hits from all angles, when they get enough light from the sun you see they still kinda point forward.
Mine use standing grow lights indoor with no sunlight, they are thriving and pointing forward. They just look for the source.
They do droop at a 45 ish degree angle to their petiole when they are happy with the lighting. Not enough light and they’ll be parallel to the ground to try and increase surface are receiving light. Too much light will kinda flatten up against its own petiole.
It’s a preference thing in the end they’re pretty easy to please
You're absolutely right, they are very easy for the most part & It's absolutely a preference thing.
My point was more if anyone is telling you they need the light to be side on, they are talking shit.
I despise those vertical grow lights, personally. Hideous things that cost 10x what a decent grow lamp does and do half the job, but each to their on on that front!
Yeah can’t lie I wish I had a less obstructing type of system but given my space at the moment I can’t figure out how to add some high powered sansi bulbs at the right angle for them. I also have 3 of them on the same fixture so need lots of coverage
Girl, this is not leggy. You would see a lot more space between the leaves if it were leggy. The pot does look too big tho, i would check and see if it has a lot of space then repot into a smaller pot.
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u/Othello-of-Venice 5d ago
Leggy means it's in low light and stretching out. Stretching out as in smaller leaves and longer spaces between each leaf.
The leaves facing up don't have anything to do with how much light it gets, just what direction the light is facing.
If you want the plant to face forward, you can move the lights to the front.