Thai Constellation Monstera Care & Propagation

Thai Constellation monstera care & propagation

Light

The Thai Constellation’s creamy green leaves are a result of a mutation in its chlorophyll, so its cream colored spots do not absorb light. Chlorophyll plays an important role in turning sunlight into chemical energy, so the Thai Constellation has to work harder than most plants to photosynthesize.

That means light is a critical part of Thai Constellation Monstera care. Its parent plant, Monstera Deliciosa, comes from the tropics where it gets lots of bright light filtered through the canopies. The Thai Constellation Monstera therefore requires the same, if not more, bright indirect light. 

You should avoid low light conditions. If your Thai Constellation isn’t getting enough light, you’ll notice leaf discoloration, slower growth, and leaves not splitting properly. However, too much sun is not a good thing either as it could scorch its delicate leaves. 

My small Thai started out in my Ikea greenhouse cabinet under a grow light. You can see in the pic below, left about how far it is from the grow light. This grow light does not emit heat, so the leaves aren’t in danger of being too close. I keep the light on full strength for 8 hours a day.

If you’re new to grow lights, check out my article all about how to use grow lights with houseplants. If you have a bright, sunny room, that’s also a good choice. My big Thai is in my sunroom right next to a window that gets very bright indirect light from late morning into early evening.

Water

As an epiphyte, Thai Constellations have sensitive aerial roots. The plants are particularly susceptible to root rot, more so than the parent Monstera Deliciosa. So watering properly is key. Always check that the top several inches of soil is dry before watering again or use a moisture meter. 

You should be watering your Thai Constellation about once a week during the spring and summer months, and less in the winter. Signs of overwatering are perspiration on the leaves (drips of water on the tips) and heavy, dense soil.

Wilting leaves and slower growth, on the other hand, are signs you are under-watering. I would err on the side of underwatering, as with most plants. But the Thai is not nearly as tolerant of underwatering as other houseplants are (like snake plants, for example). So aim for that sweet spot!

Soil

Soil is an important part of the watering equation. When picking a soil for your Thai, your top priority should be good drainage. The soil should stay moist, but never soggy or mushy. 

Adding bark and perlite to a high-quality indoor potting mix will help significantly improve drainage. I also like to add worm castings to my soil mixes every spring to help with nutrients. Remember that these plants are highly susceptible to root rot, so dense, heavy soil is a huge no-go.

Temperature & humidity

The Thai Constellation prefers warm weather between 65 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Any lower or higher than that can slow its growth. Or cause it to stop growing altogether. Thais are not frost tolerant and do not do well in chilly places. If you live in a colder climate, be sure to keep it indoors as necessary.

Don’t worry if temperatures get above 80 degrees where you’re at and you want to have it outside, though. With a lot of humidity and the right light, you can still keep it happy. You may need to water more often because the heat will evaporate the water quickly. 

Thai Constellations are tropical plants, so they absolutely love humidity. They need at least 60% or higher for the best possible growth. Drier conditions will cause this lovely plant’s leaves to brown, turn crispy, and drop (see below). Consider adding a room humidifier, especially in the wall and winter, to help boost moisture levels around the plant.

Repotting

Since these Monsteras grow a bit slower, you shouldn’t need to repot often. I plan to keep my Thai in a plastic nursery pot so I can easily remove it to inspect the root system as necessary. 

The best time to repot any plant is the spring. That way, the plant is actively growing and can easily rebound from any root or transplant shock. Refresh the soil when repotting, and increase the pot size by about 1 inch.

If you repot your Thai in a pot that is too much bigger than its current root ball, the soil will retain more moisture than necessary. This can lead to—you guessed it!—root rot. 🙂

The picture below shows a pretty rootbound root ball. This is what my plant looked like when I got it. I could tell it was already rootbound, so I sized up the pot and added some very well-draining soil. And I didn’t loosen the root ball at all.

I simply put a layer of fresh soil in a larger pot, added the plant, and filled in around it. This was in the spring, and it pushed out two gorgeous new leaves that season!

Moss poles

Repotting is a great time to add a moss pole to your plant. Thai constellation monstera plants are climbers, and as your plant matures, it will need something to climb! A moss pole spritzed with diluted fertilizer is nice, too. That way, the plant’s brown aerial roots will have something to soak up as they attach to the pole.

I have moss poles on both of my plants now. But if you’re just getting started, you can use some stretchy vinyl plant tape to tie your plant up to the pole. The aerial roots will eventually begin to grow into the pole’s material, supporting itself as it climbs.

Propagation

Propagating a Thai Constellation is tricky because not all parts of the plant propagate, and the resulting propagation will not always look like the original plant since no two leaves are the same. 

However, the best way to propagate a Thai is with stem cuttings. And the process is pretty much exactly the same as propagating a regular monstera deliciosa plant.

Using a stem cutting

Cut a plant stem from your healthy, mature Thai Constellation during the growing season. Ensure the stem cutting has at least one node and leaf. If the cutting does not have a node, it will not root! For the rooting medium, don’t want to use something that is too heavy. However, you also want to keep the medium moist.

To do so, many successfully use a mixture of some high-quality soil, sphagnum moss, and perlite. (I also have an article about propagating in sphagnum moss.) However, even that mixture can lead to rot and unsuccessful propagations. And when the stakes are high, you gotta take every precaution possible! Below shows a cutting I bought from someone in a heavier moss mixture; it was already rotting by the day after I got it.

To avoid rot, I recommend using a chunkier mix that promotes more air flow and efficient drainage. Use damp sphagnum moss (wring all of the water out), chunky perlite, and leca as pictured below. All of these materials hold in moisture without making the medium too dense. I’m a bit fan!

Don’t bury the stem too deep in the medium., but make sure you cover the node. Keep the plant in a humid environment that is warm and bright. You can put a bag over top of the plant, but make sure it’s large enough to not touch the leaves. 

You could also use a plastic bin with a lid (a “prop box”). Check weekly to monitor the moisture levels. The more humid the environment, the less you’ll need to add water.

Spotting variegation

Variegation is rare, but it is very easy to spot. Variegation means there is some discoloration in the leaves that resulted from a mutation, either randomly or artificially. Random variegation is extremely rare. It only happens to one in every 100,000 Monsteras.

So your best chance of getting a variegated Monstera is to buy one. You can tell if your Monstera is variegated if the leaves, stems, and petioles (where the leaf connects to the stem) have white, cream, or yellow splashes. If a monstera only has variegation on its leaves and not any of its stems, that’s not a good sign at all.

Pests

Much like regular monstera deliciosa plants, Thai Constellation plants can fall victim to the worst pest on the planet—thrips. My small Thai had some Thrips larvae show up on its leaves. Luckily I caught them early, so I was able to nuke them immediately.

However, they had already done a bit of damage to two of the leaves, which I’ll show you in these pics. Ugh. The worst. I sprayed it down with Captain Jack’s Dead Bug Brew and put Bonide’s Systemic Granules in the soil. The new growth is all perfect!

I don’t recommend using Bonide Systemic Granules liberally. I use them only when I have a serious pest infestation that I cannot control using less-extreme means. Read more about thrips on houseplants for more.

Albo Variegata vs. Thai Constellation

Variegated Monsteras can only happen through random mutations—or intentional mutations created in a lab. There are two main kinds of variegated Monstera Deliciosa: the Thai Constellation and the Borsigiana Albo Variegata.

The Monstera Albo is a unique mutation that cannot be grown as a seedling. Every single one that exists is a clone from the original mother plant. Its leaves have large bright creamish-white spots and splotches all over. The fact that its chlorophyll mutation is more prominent means that they are weaker and more difficult to care for. 

It is also not very stable, meaning it can lose its variegation as it grows or through propagation. The Monstera Albo is very expensive and rare, and because of its unique variegation, it’s in high demand from plant lovers everywhere.

The Thai Constellation also cannot be grown from a seed because it was developed in a laboratory. Thai Constellations have creamy-yellow speckles and splotches, almost like someone flicked cream colored paint on them. 

This variegation is very stable, which means it won’t lose its coloring, and you can take cuttings from a mature Thai Constellation and the propagated plants will maintain the constellation-like variegation. Because of its stability and slightly lower cost, I opted for a Thai.

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